THE PSALMS ARE A TREASURE TROVE that record every conceivable human emotion, especially in response to mankind’s relationship to our heavenly Creator. Psalm 100 is a joyous celebration of this consanguinity; in it, there is no mention of the trials of life that might elicit a darker tone. Nowhere to be found is even the faintest thread of dread. There are no imprecations against enemies of person or nation, so prevalent in David’s psalms. There are no historical overviews of the nation taken out of a nation, the Hebrews liberated from the iron rule of Pharaoh. Nor is there mention of the harsh trials of the desert wandering, or the triumphs of the battles of conquest after crossing the Jordan, or of the many years of empire-building. Certainly, none of these memories that are commiserated/celebrated elsewhere in the psalms is forgotten or ignored. Instead, this psalm concentrates on worship of the LORD who was and is present in all of the afore-mentioned circumstances. It is a psalm of intense and immense gratitude.
These two aspects of thankfulness are clearly acknowledged in the first line: “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.” (v. 1) The psalmist cannot contain his emotions within himself—they burst past his lips loudly and forcefully, and also as an imperative to all who hear him. This includes ‘all the earth;’ everyone within his vocal range, or who might read these words, is encouraged to express themselves in similar joy. We cannot know if he has direct knowledge that he has written this psalm for posterity, but we do know that, some two millennia later, we are included. We are stirred by his passion.
“Worship the LORD with gladness;” he says, “come before him with joyful songs.” (v. 2) This kind of response is not one that comes from a timid heart, from someone who views their creator as an angry God. This response can only come from someone who feels loved, even cherished, through a relationship that is permeated with love from above. Like the beloved child of a devoted parent, we eagerly seek the closeness of such a trusted and safe relationship. But it is more than this. The Hebrew verb tense associated with ‘Worship’ extends beyond our common modern ideas of verbal praise and perhaps raised hands. Here, the most accurate translation comes closest to meaning *‘serve, work, and/or labor.’ There is a clear sense that our relationship with God is one in which we are expected and should desire to “produce works in keeping with repentance.” (Matt. 3:8, c.f. Acts 26:20) This perhaps becomes most clear from the N.T. covenant of grace and mercy, in which we are “to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is our true and proper worship.” (Rom. 12:1b)
The third verse is complex. To “Know that the LORD is God” (v. 3a), is not a simple, rational mental understanding, but an intimate metaphysically transcendent knowledge that shapes the most essential component of our being. Only from this perspective can we truly know that “It is he who made us, and we are his” (v. 3b), from which we have such a deep assurance of our bond with him. And from this belief, we lean upon the peace that devolves towards us from his overarching sovereign and paternal care: “We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” (v. 3c) As a husbandman would care for his flock, so God cares for us, both collectively and individually.
The fourth verse is the inevitable outcome of the first three. Here, the driving force of gratitude, present since the opening line, becomes complete. Body, soul, and in Spirit, we “Enter his gates with thanksgiving.” (v. 4a) Gates have two functions. One is to keep people out; the other is to allow them entrance. Here, we are allowed to enter the wide-flung gates of relationship with God, coming not just into his metaphorically physical courts, but literally his spiritual presence. The ‘price of admission’ is our praise, in which we “give thanks to him and praise his name.” (v. 4b) In the A.N.E., to know someone’s name, in this case the name of God, is to be granted an intimate and trusted relationship. We know the God of ancient Israel, YHWH to the Jews, as ‘Abba Father,’ a most intimate relationship. As Christians, we have been given the privilege of calling God ‘Daddy.’
All close relationships depend upon trust. Here in the final verse of this psalm, the God we worship and praise our Psalmist describes as historically and covenantally trustworthy. And his character is undeniably that of a loving father: “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever.” (v. 5a) This love is not transitory, but enduring. It is not based on performance, but on promise, and most specifically, not on our promises to him, but upon his covenant with us. The proof of his love is historically recorded both in the scriptures and in our experiential relationship with him: “His faithfulness continues through all generations.” (v. 5b)
Nowhere is that proof more fully shown than in this greatest promise of all of the scriptures: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Yes, for this, ‘Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.’
Q. Am I truly grateful, not for the things God has done for me, but for the fact that he is my God and I am his child?
*Strong’s #5647.
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