If you had been invited to Buckingham Palace with a small group of people to personally meet King Charles, would you go with a sour look on your face, grumbling and complaining? Would you go looking bored, acting like you would rather be anywhere else? And would you be dressed in your casual, lounge around the house clothes? Not likely! As you would be approaching the palace, before you even entered, you would make sure that everything was just right, smile, gracious words prepared. How is it then, that when we are actually invited into the royal courts of Someone who is infinitely greater than any king on earth, we often come in a grousing manner? Our psalm for this morning speaks of the way we ought to present ourselves when coming into the Lord’s presence. Let’s take a look.
Though written by an unknown author, Psalm 100 is one of the more well-known psalms, being a part of many different churches' liturgies. It is a universal call to joyful worship. It speaks of the character of God - His sovereignty as Creator, His covenant relationship with His people, and His unchanging goodness, mercy, and truth. The writer calls upon God’s people to come into His presence with both joyful worship (vs. 1-3) and thankful worship (vs. 4-5). We have reason to be joyful because God made us, and we are His people and sheep. We have reason to be thankful because God is good, merciful, and His truth will endure forever.
As our psalm opens, the author instructs us to make a joyful noise to the Lord, to bring Him joyful worship (vs. 1). This isn’t a suggestion, it is a command. Worship of Yahweh is not optional, and is a proper response to His rule over all creation. Next we are instructed to serve Yahweh with gladness and singing (vs. 2). We serve Him by our worship, by ministering to others, and by being obedient to His Word. True worship should not be a cold ritual. He has spoken in His Word many times over that He does not want worship that is merely formal, but instead should be heartfelt (Isaiah 29:13).
Verse 3 is the theological center of our psalm, as it speaks three truths. The first is that it is God who has made us. He is our Creator and we are the creatures. This verse refutes the claims of both atheism and evolution. Man did not evolve from some one-celled creature in a murky swamp. He was created by a loving God. Worship begins when we acknowledge this and His absolute authority. The second truth in this verse is that we are Yahweh’s people. He owns us both by creation and by covenant, the New Covenant we have through Jesus. Lastly, we see that we are the sheep of His pasture. God is our Shepherd and we are His dependent sheep. This verse anticipates Jesus as the Good Shepherd. As a Good Shepherd He cares for us, giving us guidance and protection.
Our psalm now shifts from looking at who God is to how we should respond to Him (vs. 4). Our psalmist instructs us that when we enter Yahweh’s gates and divine royal court, we should come with thanksgiving and praise. Complaining and ingratitude is incompatible with worship (Philippians 2:14). Praising God is the first step towards entering His presence. If we are going to see His glory, thanksgiving is the door that will lead us into God’s throne room.
When we give thanks to God, it shouldn’t just be a mere “thank you”, but instead where we can’t say enough about the Lord and what He does for us. Blessing His Name shows honor and homage to God, recognizing His Name as higher than any other name. We affirm His power and goodness, and commit ourselves to joining His cause.
Verse 5 tells us some of the reasons why God deserves our worship. One is that He is a good God. He is morally perfect and benevolent, and His goodness is the foundation of our trust. God also has everlasting mercy. It is unending, and not dependent on human merit. This points forward to the cross, where mercy is fully revealed. Then we see God’s enduring truth. His Word is eternally reliable and His promises never expire. God is absolutely perfect and holy, which means that He alone is the standard of all righteousness. Since the expression of the Father’s goodness is revealed in His actions, all that He does is just and right because He cannot violate His own nature.
Satan wants us to believe that God is distant, angry, and a wrathful judge, waiting for us to make a mistake so that He can clobber us. However, God is the ultimate expression of love itself. As we learn through this psalm, God is good, and His mercy will go on forever.
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