Psalms 100 - Printer Friendly

This psalm presents themes common in worship songs and hymns even today. Psalms 95—100, along with Psalm 93 are considered "royal psalms," calling on all people to honor God according to His divine status.

The psalm opens with a command for the entire world to honor God. Even though God chose the nation of Israel for special purposes, His love extends to everyone (John 3:16). So, too, does proof of His existence make itself available to all people (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:18–20). Knowing who God is, and what He has done, should inspire those who love Him to respond with enthusiastic praise (Psalm 100:1–2).

The second part of this short song worships God for His faithful love. Verse 5 uses the Hebrew root word he'sed, referring to a constant, loyal, deep love. As Creator (Genesis 1:1), God is even more deserving of our obedience and praise (Psalm 100:3–5).

Psalm 100:1–2 invites the whole earth to sing God's praises, with joy and happiness. This resembles Psalm 150, which concludes the book of Psalms by calling upon everyone and everything to praise the Lord. Ephesians 5:19 attributes joyful singing to God as an evidence of being filled with the Spirit, while Colossians 3:16 attributes such worship as an evidence of letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly.

The 100th Psalm opens with an invitation to the whole earth to joyfully praise the Lord, serve Him, and worship Him in song. The Lord is described as the Creator of the people as well as their Shepherd. The psalmist summons everyone to enter the temple with thanksgiving and praise. He describes the Lord as good, having love that is steadfast forever and faithfulness that stretches from generation to generation.

This is the closing psalm in a section called "royal psalms." These are Psalms 93 and 95—100. These songs proclaim God's sovereignty, His universal goodness, the duty of the nations to submit to Him, and the obligation of believers to praise Him. Psalm 150 parallels this psalm by inviting everyone and everything to praise the Lord.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 12/18/2024 10:28:23 AM