Psalm 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
Hebrews 13:15 By him [Jesus] therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
I Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
MEMORY VERSE: Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. —Psalm 134:1-2
CENTRAL THOUGHT: The true worship of God is joyful. The sacrifices we offer now as saints of God are those of thanksgiving and praise, which we should offer continually in our everyday life. When we come together in the sanctuary we should come to bless the Lord and rejoice with unspeakable joy and gladness.
WORD DEFINITIONS
Psalm 100:1 “Make a joyful noise”: a sound of the highest praise; a loud noise; to shout, such as loyal subjects give when their king appears among them. “We should shout as exultingly as those do who triumph in war and as solemnly as those whose utterance is a Psalm. It is not always easy to unite enthusiasm with reverence, and it is a frequent fault to destroy one of these qualities while straining after the other. The perfection of singing is that which unites joy with gravity, exultation with humility, fervency with sobriety.” —Treasury of David. “All ye lands”: all the inhabitants of the earth.
2 “Gladness”: delight, joy, pleasure, mirth.
4 “Thanksgiving”: from a root meaning to extend the hand; acknowledgement, confession, praise, avowal, adoration. “Praise”: general public hymns of adoration.
Hebrews 13:15 “Fruit of our lips”: an expression taken from Hosea 14:2. What the lips produce; the words or confession of our lips being a sacrifice—of praise, instead of calves or bullocks or the grain offering.
I Peter 1:8 “Unspeakable”: unable to fully describe or report; impossible to communicate (convey) adequately by words.
LESSON BACKGROUND
Psalm 100 is the last one of seven Psalms specifically applied by the Jews to the times of the Messiah. Beginning at Psalm 93 we are commanded over and over to worship and exalt Him for His glorious reign and bountiful providence. There is a hint of the worldwide scope of His kingdom and the inclusion of the Gentiles. There are commands as to the manner of acceptable worship and how to approach and begin a time of collective worship.
God’s people, ever falling prey to murmuring, had been given a warning in Deuteronomy 28:47. Because they didn’t serve the Lord with gladness and joyfulness in return for the abundance of the things God had given them, they would be made to serve their enemies in hunger, nakedness and want. How crucial this quality of joy was to the worship of God and to their daily lives!
God yearned for their joyful worship and looked forward into the years for it when they would return from their captivity and serve Him once again. The prophet Isaiah’s vision encompasses more than that, however. Far into the future he looked, envisioning the true worship from hearts made free from sin’s captivity and rejoicing in the wonders of the kingdom of His dear Son! It was a completion of His love poured out upon us. He delights in and rejoices over us. He sings love songs of His care and deliverance to us. And we reciprocate with all of our hearts to Him in songs of praise and thanksgiving, and toward others in acts of service and mutual devotion. Surely this was His intent and His design: worshipping, for which we were created, not only blesses Him but blesses us and our fellow man, drawing us into close, affectionate fellowship and communion! “Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” —Psalm 107:8
—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck
DISCUSSION:
- With Gladness: How important was this particular quality in God’s sight?
- Approach: How are we to enter His presence?
- Return: How would the captives return to Jerusalem, both in the historical example and in spiritual fulfillment?
- In His House: His house would be a house of prayer for all people. What would God do for them there?
- The Sacrifice of Praise: By Whom and through Whom can we offer this to God? Explain.
- With Joy Unspeakable: Our rejoicing in Jesus is always related to or connected to what action on our part?
COMMENTS AND APPLICATION
In earlier lessons we studied the way idolatry gets started in the hearts of people—they become unthankful and begin to murmur. Expressing praise and worship to God from our hearts, not just as we gather collectively but individually all through the day, is the way to keep our hearts and lives clear of murmuring and idolatry. Someone said that praise is conscious admiration and thanks for who God is and what He does. We can practice that as we go throughout the day. Every good gift (and there are so many!); every instance of Divine help or deliverance; every remembrance of His holiness, His wisdom, His power, His love, His care, His provision, His justice, His protection—these are all reasons to admire and praise Him every moment! Do you need His help? Ask Him. Did He help you? Thank Him. And on and on throughout the events of the day.
Living in worship individually prepares us then for a gathering of worship. It is the way to “live in the Spirit.” Then we can be “in the Spirit” on the Lord’s day. Are we commanded to worship the Lord in praise and thanksgiving? Yes, over 250 times in the Scripture. Is that just a suggestion, then, or a mandate? It is commanded. But it’s something more than just a rule. It’s a relationship. I praise Him because He is my LIFE. Together, we praise the Lord in song and in prayer. And where praise is, God dwells. He inhabits the praises of His people. As saints of old have praised the Lord, He has filled the house, sent ambushments to their enemies, and broken down prison walls and doors.
I have been humbled and challenged by this study. It has enriched my prayer life; actually, it is transforming my daily life to live in worship and praise moment by moment. My prayer is that you will be transformed, liberated, and blessed, as you too learn to live in true worship.
—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck
REFLECTIONS
How often has a thankful heart routed depression and despair? How often has the glad tidings of God’s love given hope to the weary soul and lifted the heavy heart? Sometimes the noise of battle is the joyful noise of singing the praises of God. It may be out of tune or off key to the natural ear but to the ear of our Creator our heart’s song can be in perfect harmony to His will.
So many times the Lord gives a song in the midst of a fierce battle and as we begin to sing and to praise, the Lord sets an ambush against the enemy and soundly defeats him. Praise is our offering to the Lord. It is our sacrifice to him and an essential part of our worship, whether individually or corporately. The weapons of praise are simple but highly effective and are necessary to every Christian’s arsenal. David’s weapon of choice when facing Goliath was five smooth stones and a simple sling. An unsophisticated and seemingly inadequate weapon but one that he knew well.
Our five smooth stones: joy, gladness, thanksgiving, singing and praise—we all have access to them and we all have experience with them. They have the power to turn the tide of the battle, to lift the spirit, to rejuvenate the armies of God and to restore the confidence of the saints.
When we gather for worship let us remember that Satan will attempt to meet us there, to depress, discourage and distract us. But there is great power in praise! Our weapons may seem to be simple and unsophisticated but they are powerful and have a dual purpose, to glorify God and to utterly defeat Satan. Let us use them without reserve. Let us be assured that we can sing and praise our way to victory without ever raising our sword. Praise God!
—Bro. Darrell Johnson