THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: God's Nurture Of The Inner Man In The Life Of Faith

C: Clarifying The Reasons For Joyfully Praising The Lord

(Psalm 100:1-5)

 

I.                 Introduction

A.    In a world of sin and its product of destructiveness and death, the upright at times can struggle to have even an optimistic view of life, a positive, joyful disposition, let alone praise God amid the effects of evil they face!

B.     However, Psalm 100:1-5 calls all men everywhere to praise the Lord, the God of Scripture, and it clarifies the reasons for such an optimistic service, what we do well to heed for our benefit in today's world (as follows):

II.              Clarifying The Reasons For Joyfully Praising The Lord, Psalm 100:1-5.

A.    The introductory remark of this psalm comprises the first part of the first verse (Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1061), so we stay with the English Bible's numbering system that is the same as that of the Hebrew text.

B.     Accordingly, we translate Psalm 100:1-5 (as follows):

1.      "A psalm for giving thanks.  Shout for joy to Jahweh, all of the earth," Psalm 100:1.

2.      "Serve Jahweh with gladness; come before His presence with joyful songs," Psalm 100:2.

3.      "Know that Jahweh, He (emph. pron.) is Elohim; He (emph. pron.) made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture," Psalm 100:3.

4.      "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him; bless His name!" (v. 4)

5.      "Because Jahweh is [comprehensively] good (tob, Ibid.; H. A. W., Theol. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, v. I, p. 345-346) and His loyal love (hesed, Ibid., p. 305-307) is forever and His faithfulness, steadfastness ('emunah, Ibid., p. 53) endures unto all generations," Psalm 100:5.

C.     We note important observations about this psalm (as follows):

1.       All men on earth are called (a) to shout for joy to Jahweh, (b) to serve Him gladly, (c) to come before His presence with joyful songs, (d) to enter His gates with thanksgiving (e) and His courts with praise, (f) to give thanks to Him and (g) to bless His name in a sevenfold ministry of lauding Him, Psalm 100:1-2, 4.

2.      The tenfold reasons for this comprehensive exaltation of God are given in Psalm 100:3 and 5 (as follows):

                             a.         First, Jahweh, i. e., Israel's covenant-keeping "I AM" of Exodus 3:13-15, is also Elohim, the Sovereign Creator of the universe in Genesis 1! (Psalm 110:3a)  He is the sole God versus any other so-called deity!

                            b.         Second, Jahweh as Elohim the Creator God made all of us humans who live on the earth, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity and language, for we all come from one man Adam and thus exist for the purpose God has created all of us -- to reflect His will and glory on the earth, Psalm 100:3b with Genesis 1:26-28.

                             c.         Third, we did not make ourselves (Psalm 100:3c), so we should not serve our own interests, but God's!

                            d.         Fourth, all of us human beings on earth as people belong to Jahweh Elohim, the God of the Bible, so His Scriptures are for us regardless of our race, gender, ethnicity and language, Psalm 100:3d.

                             e.         Fifth, all of us human beings on earth are His sheep, helpless without Him as our Shepherd, so we owe Him praise just for our existence and sustenance regardless of race, gender, ethnicity and language, v. 3e.

                             f.          Sixth, all of us human beings on earth thrive in God's pasture, wherever we live, so we owe Him praise for all of our livelihood sustenance and possessions regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or language, v. 3f.

                            g.         Seventh, Jahweh is comprehensively good, wholesome in every way to us, so we all owe Him praise for all the wholesome blessings we have ever had or that we presently have or will ever have, Psalm 100:5a.

                            h.         Eighth, Jahweh expresses loyal love to us eternally, His unmerited favor regardless of our sinfulness, so we own Him praise, thanksgiving and joyful service, etc. regardless who we are, Psalm 100:5b.

                             i.          Ninth, Jahweh is steadfast, faithful in every way, so the stability we enjoy in His relentlessly faithful expressions of comprehensive goodness and grace make us indebted to praise and to serve Him regardless of our race, gender, ethnicity or language, Psalm 100:5c.

                             j.          Tenth, Jahweh's faithfulness endures to all generations, both our present generation, that of our children and grandchildren and to our posterity from there on, giving us assurance that God will provide blessing to all generations of us, making us indebted to extol the Lord for His everlasting goodness, Psalm 100:5d.

 

Lesson: Viewing God in His comprehensive roles as all-glorious, sovereign Lord leads all of us humans so see our great indebtedness to praise Him, to serve Him and to live for Him regardless who we are or where we live.

 

 Application: Because of Who and what He is, may each of us humans heartily praise, serve and thank the Lord.