A Unique Invitation

Psalm 100

ETS: The Psalmist invited the people of the world to worship the Lord.

ESS: We should

OSS: [MO: Devotional] {SO: I want the hearers to worship God because of His divine orchestration of this Psalm, a unique invitation to worship Him.}

PQ: What are a few unique features of this Psalm?

UW: Features

TS: Let us examine together the unique features of this Psalm.

The first unique feature is the climatical nature of the Psalm.

The climatical nature is found only through reading and studying the context of the Psalm, specifically regarding the Psalms that occur immediately before (Ps. 93, 95-99)

Those Psalms are considered the “enthronement Psalms” because they celebrate the Lord’s Kingship over the world, and they celebrate His deeds being spread throughout the world.

Thus, the climatical nature of this Psalm, then, is found in the universal call to all people to shout triumphantly unto the Lord (Make a joyful noise). Since the Lord is King over all the world, then it is no surprise that all the peoples of the world (i.e. let the whole earth or all ye lands) are called to worship Him.

APPLICATION: We are considered a part of the whole earth or all ye lands. Thus, we are called to shout triumphantly unto our King, the Lord.

The second unique feature is the invitational nature of the Psalm.

There are seven imperatives in this Psalm: let the whole earth shout, serve, come, acknowledge, enter, give, and bless. Each imperative is plural, thus including more than one person…in fact, including all the earth or all ye lands.

Each of the imperatives invites the people of the earth to respond to the Lord in some unique way:

Shout- worship

Serve

acknowledge (know) [the act of intellect and relationship joining one another]

enter

give (be thankful)

bless

APPLICATION: We are invited to respond to the Lord as King of the World- to worship Him, to serve Him, to know Him personally and deeply, to enter into His presence, to give thanks to Him, and to bless Him.

The third unique feature is the central focus of the Psalm. (v. 3)

The central focus of this Psalm is found in v. 3 in both the central imperative and the central word.

The central imperative is acknowledge or know. As already expressed, this is the act of the intellect and the relational aspects joining together plunging one into a deep, intimate relationship with God. We should acknowledge or know that the LORD (Yahweh) is God.

The central word in this Psalm is “his people” also in v. 3. This is the central word because in the Hebrew, it has “20 words before and after it” (Futato, M. D. CBC, p. 319, 2009)

Thus, clearly communicated in this Psalm, the central focus is that we Know God and that we belong to God.

APPLICATION: The center identifying feature and reality of our lives and worship should be the fact that we know both intellectually and personally that God is Yahweh, the Lord, the One true God, and that we know that we are His creation.

The fourth unique feature is the motivational purpose of the Psalm. (v. 5)

Verse five highlights the unique motivational purpose of the Psalm. Why should we shout, serve, come, acknowledge, enter, give, and bless? Because the Lord is good and His faithful love endures forever.

APPLICATION: We worship because we acknowledge that God is good.

CONCLUSION:

This Psalm contains unique features that plunge us further into the worship of our Lord and King. What a mighty God we serve- He orchestrated this Psalm, and He orchestrates our lives. He is worthy of our worship.