Psalms 95 - Printer Friendly

What does Psalms 95 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

Among the psalms are those which emphasize God's rule over the entire word. These include Psalms 24, 27, 93, and 96—99. Psalm 95 is another example of an "enthronement" psalm.

Everything which exists was created by God. The proper response to this is worship and gratitude. The psalmist calls for loud and enthusiastic praise. When referring to the Lord being "above" other gods, the writer does not mean that there are other deities besides God. Rather, this is a reminder that the other gods of false religions are all imaginary (Deuteronomy 4:35; Isaiah 45:21; John 1:1–2). Only the God of Israel exists, and He alone forms, sustains, and rules over all creation (Psalm 95:1–5).

After calling for worship, the psalmist begins to shift focus. God's people ought to worship Him because He is both the Creator and a guiding Shepherd. This echoes the same themes explored by David (Psalm 23:1–3). Jesus, as well, used language related to shepherding (John 10:7–9, 11, 14, 16). Sheep are wise to follow the Shepherd's lead (Psalm 95:6–7).

At times, Israel failed to honor God with trusting obedience. They were stubborn, complaining and worrying despite the Lord's amazing miracles on their behalf (Exodus 3:20; 12:41; 15:22–26; 16:2–3, 12–14). In an infamous incident, Israel complained that they would die of thirst—ignoring all the wonders which had come before (Exodus 17:1–7). They also arrived at the borders of the Promised Land and refused to continue as God had commanded (Numbers 14:1–4). As a result, the Lord barred them from entry into Canaan. The nation spent forty years meandering around until the children of the rebellious generation were ready to move forward (Numbers 14:28–32). Here, this is phrased as a warning against being faithless towards the Lord (Psalm 95:7–11). [**note: the overlap on verse 7 is intentional]

The book of Hebrews cites the last portion of this psalm to make a similar warning (Hebrews 3:7–11, 15; 4:3–7). Trusting faith means obedience. Being fearful or obstinate keeps us from enjoying the "rest" of fulfilling God's plans for our lives. Resisting His will can result in a loss of rewards or the painful earthly consequences of our own mistakes.

Psalm 95:1–5 opens with a call for grateful worship of God. Everything that exists is part of His creation—so His people ought to respond with their praise. The next section transitions to a warning about Israel's stubborn disobedience after the exodus from Egypt (Psalm 95:6–7).

Psalm 95:6–7 transitions from an emphasis on worshipping the Lord to a warning about defying Him. The last phrases of verse 7 tie more closely to those of verse 8. There, the psalmist mentions how Israel refused to trust God during their time in the wilderness. As a result, the Lord denied them His "rest" and barred that entire generation from entering the Promised Land.

Psalm 95:8–11 refers to the incident recorded in Exodus 17, and potentially a similar incident in Numbers 20. Despite all the Lord had done for Israel, the people "tested" Him with doubt. A similar obstinate lack of trust arose when the nation was supposed to take the Promised Land (Numbers 13—14). For this, God denied His "rest" to an entire generation of Israelites. The book of Hebrews (Hebrews 3:7–11, 15, 4:3–7) applies this idea to show that even saved believers can experience a loss of divine fellowship and blessing when we doubt and resist God's Word.

Chapter Summary:

The psalm begins with a call to worship, gratitude, and celebration of the Lord. God is great and a great King above all gods. He rules over the oceans and lands, which He created. The psalmist then turns to a warning about a time when Israel resisted the Lord's leadership. That entire generation was denied God's "rest," including being barred from entering the Promised Land.

Chapter Context:

"Enthronement" psalms make up this portion of Scripture. Because they speak of God's rule, they are also labelled "theocratic." Psalms 24, 27, 93, and 96—99 have similar themes. These songs anticipate the Lord God ruling over the entire world. This perspective often aims at the future when the Messiah Jesus will personally oversee earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4). The last portion of the song is quoted in the New Testament book of Hebrews (Hebrews 3:7–11, 15, 4:3–7).

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 10:05:43 AM