Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19980208.htm

PSALMS: DIARIES OF GODLY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
Psalm One Hundred - Identifying The Basis For Joyfulness
(Psalm 100:1-6)
  1. Introduction
    1. One of the most poignant pictures to appear in the papers this week was the photo of the young woman in the alleged White House sex scandal who was weeping while being embraced by her father in California . The grief in her world right now must be unbelievably overwhelming!
    2. Thousands of others like her in the world lack joy. Scandals, the threat of international war, disruptions of homes with broken marriages, abuse and job insecurities add to the unhappiness of many.
    3. However, the short Psalm 100 text mentions joy, gladness and praise five different times (v. 1,2a,2b,4a,4b)
    4. The problem of a lack of joy rises from an errant view man has, a view that is obviously opposite what this psalm presents. We examine this proper view in how to approach life to obtain fulfilling joy as follows:
  2. Identifying The Basis For Joyfulness, Psalm 100:1-5.
    1. The psalmist indicates in the Hebrew text's introductory notes given prior to verse one that this psalm was intended to direct people in the giving of thanks. (See the introductory notes to the NIV)
    2. Well, the giving of thanks implies that one owes another party some appreciation.
    3. In this case, the Party to which the psalmist's hearers owed their appreciation is Jahweh Elohim, and the reasons for this appreciation are enumerated as follows (Ps. 100:1-3):
      1. Jahweh, Israel's God, was the Elohim, the Creator, Ps. 100:3a.
      2. As such, it was God instead of Israel's individuals who had made the people of Israel, Ps. 100:3b.
      3. As God had created Israel's individuals, they did NOT belong to themselves, but were owned by God Who had made them obviously for His purposes as opposed to their own, Ps. 100:3c.
      4. As Israel's individuals were owned by God, they were like sheep owned by a shepherd, 100:3d.
      5. Since Israel's God was the Creator, all of the land upon which the people lived was not their land, but God's pasture, the land made not by the sheep, but the Shepherd-Creator, Ps. 100:3e!
    4. Now, this All-sovereign Creator, Shepherd and Owner of Israel's individuals also happened to have qualities that were of great blessing to His creatures, the people of Israel:
      1. This All-sovereign Creator, Shepherd and Owner of Israel's individuals was bountifully wholesome, or good to Israel's individuals, Ps. 100:5a.
      2. This All-sovereign Creator, Shepherd and Owner of Israel's individuals was bountifully loyal in His attitude of love to Israel's individuals, Ps. 100:5b.
      3. This All-sovereign Creator, Shepherd and Owner of Israel's individuals was bountifully faithful in keeping His promises to Israel's individuals, Ps. 100:5c.
      4. This All-sovereign Creator, Shepherd and Owner of Israel's individuals was bountifully wholesome, loyal in His love and faithful in keeping His promises to all generations of descendants, Ps. 100:5d.
    5. As the Abrahamic Covenant includes blessings to all the families of the earth (through Christ) according to Genesis 12:1-3, Ps. 100:1b admonishes all of the earth to shout for joy to Israel's God! For this reason, the psalmist urged abundant joy, praise and gladness be expressed to God in thanksgiving, Ps. 100:1,2,4.
Lesson: JOY is the PRODUCT of a two-fold choice: (a) it involves first turning from looking to FALSE sources for fulfillment, sources like other sinful people, one's sinful self or the things or lusts of the world. (b) Next, it involves turning to seek fulfillment in the All-Sovereign Creator, and that as one's Shepherd and Owner Who is bountifully wholesome, loyal in His love and faithful in keeping of His promises to all generations of the world's peoples! (cf. 1 John 2:15-17)

Application: (1) Negatively, if any party LACKS real joy it is because his search for fulfillment has looked for fulfillment in some source other than the Lord Himself, 1 Jn. 2:16-17a. (2) Positively, a party finds joy by losing himself in the RIG HTFUL Lordship of the Wonderful Creator of himself, and in His will and plan for his life, 1 Jn. 2:17b. (3) Thus, we owe it to ourselves and to our children to center our whole lives on the will and purpose of the Creator if we and they would have any hope of finding real fulfillment in life! It's a simple but so abundantly CRITICAL fact!