MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE

PSALM 95:1–7

Introduction

Jesus offered one of the great invitations of the New Testament when he said, “Come to me, all you who

are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Introduction

The verb “come” appears three times in the verses of our text.

The verbs in the Hebrew are different each time and there are different purposes in the invitations.

Introduction

Most editions of the Bible group the 150 chapters of the book of Psalms into five subdivisions: 1–41, 42–72,

73–89, 90–106, and 107–150.

Introduction

It is often noted that this five-book arrangement is a reminder of the first five books of the Bible by

Moses—the Pentateuch.

Each of the first four books in Psalms concludes with a brief doxology, and the fifth book utilizes all of Psalm

150 as a doxology.

Introduction

Psalm 95 makes is especially suited to the Messianic era by the fact that this psalm is quoted in Hebrews

3:7–11, 15; 4:3, 5, 7.

PSALM 95:1–5

1. Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

PSALM 95:1–5

The use of the word come is an imperative.

The word here is usually translated “walk,” so the idea is to walk so as to come and do something.

PSALM 95:1–5

The command to come is immediately followed by an exhortation for an action: singing.

The words let us encourage everyone to participate in a song of joy, not a psalm of grief or sorrow.

PSALM 95:1–5

An example is the song that was sung when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea by a mighty miracle

(Exodus 15:1–18).

Another event was when women sang of the military exploits of David and Saul (1 Samuel 18:7).

Breaking into a victory song is the natural thing to do in such cases.

PSALM 95:1–5

The singing that is encouraged here is to be directed toward the Lord, so as to recognize that human

accomplishments result from the Lord’s enabling.

The apostle Paul does just that when he says, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength”

(Philippians 4:13).

PSALM 95:1–5

Pause2Talk

Which do you prefer to sing: joyous songs or more solemn ones? When and why?

PSALM 95:1–5

The exhortation for loudness can be used for sounding an alarm (Joel 2:1) or shouting during battle (Joshua

6:16).

Those are not times for timidity or uncertain sounds.

PSALM 95:1–5

Pause2Talk

How does your sense or experience of salvation change as you grow older?

PSALM 95:1–5

2. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

PSALM 95:1–5

The word come is used again, but it is not the same Hebrew word for come as was used in verse 1. The word here has the idea of walking at the head of a

procession, or being in front (Psalm 68:25).

PSALM 95:1–5

3. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4. In his hand are the depths of the earth,

and the mountain peaks belong to him.

PSALM 95:1–5

Many cultures of the psalmist’s day believe that the outcome of a war is determined by the nation that has

the greater god. Israel often scored victories against great odds, and Israel’s God was definitely greater

(Exodus 12:12).

PSALM 95:1–5

Israel was defeated at other times, but those occasions were usually judgments by God when Israel

had gone after other gods.

PSALM 95:1–5

Other so-called gods are imagined as ruling different areas—to be the god of the sea, of the mountains (compare 1 Kings 20:23, 28), over a certain city or

nation (11:33), etc.

PSALM 95:1–5

The phrase the mountain peaks refers to the highest places on earth, it is logical to conclude that the

depths of the earth refers to the lowest (compare Job 38:16).

These two opposites are thus all encompassing. God rules everything.

PSALM 95:1–5

Pause2Talk

What experience with the grandeur of nature gives you the greatest sense of God’s presence and power?

PSALM 95:1–5

5. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

PSALM 95:1–5

Again the psalmist (David) contrasts two opposites. This time the contrasts are the sea and the dry land.

Two things are stated about the sea: that it belongs to the Lord and that he made it.

PSALM 95:1–5

The sea is said to be made, and the dry land is said to be formed. New perspectives are therefore developed in this poetic description of creation (compare Psalm

104:5–9).

PSALM 95:6, 7

6. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

PSALM 95:6, 7

The third invitation to ‘come’ is given.

The Hebrew word here involves opposites, for it may mean “to come” or “to go”.

PSALM 95:6, 7

The use of three different words for come should leave no doubt as to the psalmist’s intent: all this is a decisive invitation to approach God so that we may

worship Him.

PSALM 95:6, 7

The biblical concept for genuine worship is that of submission, the idea of giving honor to deity. The invitation therefore is for bowing and kneeling—

postures of submission—before the Lord.

PSALM 95:6, 7

The verse under consideration is one of the Old Testament examples of falling before God. Revelation

4:10; 19:4, 5 provide New Testament examples.

We keep in mind that true worship is primarily an attitude of the heart.

PSALM 95:6, 7

When the heart is right before God, then it is appropriate also to stand and praise him (Exodus

33:10; 2 Chronicles 20:19).

PSALM 95:6, 7

7a. … for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

PSALM 95:6, 7

Two reasons are again given for the exhortations to worship.

PSALM 95:6, 7

Worship is a proclamation based on the fact that God has fulfilled the promises that he made to the

patriarchs.

PSALM 95:6, 7

He promised many nations from their descendants (Genesis 17:4), but only one of them is the special

covenant nation—the nation of Israel.

Through that nation the Messiah would come at just the right time in history (Galatians 4:4).

Israel was therefore a nation with privileges.

PSALM 95:6, 7

At a later time, a prophet reminds the northern nation of Israel of the fact that it was the nation that God had

specially chosen (Amos 3:2), so Israel was to be punished because of its sins. There is peril in privilege.

PSALM 95:6, 7

The second reason for worship is similar to the first, but it uses familiar imagery of agriculture to make the

point: we are the people of his pasture.

PSALM 95:6, 7

The Bible frequently uses the analogy of a shepherd and his sheep to illustrate the special relationship between God and his people (examples: Psalm 23;

74:1; 79:13; 80:1; 100:3; Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:12–14; Hebrews 13:20).

PSALM 95:6, 7

Pause2Talk

How do you like being compared to a sheep in His pasture?

PSALM 95:6, 7

It is a blessing to be in the care of the one who said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). How appropriate for Christians to join together to sing to him and to

worship him who is our shepherd!

PSALM 95:6, 7

Pause2Talk

What are some of your favorite hymns of worship? Psalms?

Conclusion

Since a form of the word worship is used approximately 80 times in the New Testament, then

surely the New Testament has explicit words of instruction about worship for the assembled church.

Conclusion

The answer may surprise you: the New Testament never explicitly describes the church as coming together to worship or says that an assembly of

Christians is a “worship service.” (The closest situations are in Acts 13:1, 3 and 1 Corinthians 11:17–

21; 14:23–25.)

Conclusion

Today’s lesson should lead us to conclude that worship is at least reverence, including acts that demonstrate

reverence, directed toward God. What is of the utmost importance is the heart of the individual.

Conclusion

This focus on the individual does not establish an exemption from our assemblies. The one who

deliberately forsakes the assembly when he or she could attend does not demonstrate a truly submissive

heart (compare Hebrews 10:25).

Conclusion

Hebrews 10:25

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more

as you see the Day approaching.