Know that the Lord is God – Psalm 100

“A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands.” Psalm 100:1

True to its title, “A Psalm of Thanksgiving,” Psalm 100 invites people from every land to make a joyful noise to the Lord. Joy to the world comes when the Gospel is preached and believed. I experience joy when I share the Gospel with people. And people who need and want to know that God loves them also experience joy when they hear this Good News.

Psalm 99 focused on Israel’s privilege to rejoice in God’s reign. Psalm 100 focuses on the privilege of all people everywhere to rejoice in God. Psalm 100 may have been written especially for the Gentile converts who came from many lands to worship the God of Israel. [1]

“Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing!” Psalm 100:2

In Colossians 3:23-24, Paul wrote, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” In Acts 13:22, Paul quoted the words of the Lord about David, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” David served the Lord with gladness and singing because he saw beyond the task at hand to final outcome, that is, to be forever with the Lord.

In Genesis 29:20, we read, “Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.” One way to make our time seem to pass quickly here on earth is to spend our days being filled with love for God and people.

In 1 John 2:17, John wrote, “The world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.” In Romans 8:18, Paul wrote, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” In a little while, we who love the Lord, will behold His face, and enjoy being with Him forever.

God welcomes us to come into His presence with singing. What does that say about God? Do you welcome people to come into your presence with singing? Would an earthly king or president welcome anybody coming into His presence with singing? We come to God in the Name of His Son Jesus Christ with confidence to sing unto Him because we know He will receive us. Most Christian worship services begin with singing praises and giving thanks to the Lord.

God delights in the praises of His people.

“Know that the Lord. He is God. It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3

The Holy Spirit gives blessed assurance to our souls that the God of the Bible is God. He assures us through God’s words in the Bible that we did not come into existence by accident. Each of us reflect God’s image. Our appearance reflects His glory. What’s more, He did not abandon us after He made us. He calls us His people and the sheep of His pasture. These are terms of endearment. He identifies with us. He is committed to protecting, sustaining and loving us.

Only the Lord God is worthy of worship. Unlike the idols of the nations, which are products of human imagination and craftsmanship, the Lord God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

We are the sheep of his pasture. Every good gift comes from His hand.

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Psalm 100:4

We come before God “with singing.” We “enter into His gates with thanksgiving.” God is gracious to grant us access to come before Him! The Creator and Sustainer of the universe listens to our prayers and to our rejoicing before Him.

Under the Old Testament system, ordinary worshippers could not enter the Holy Place. Only the priests could do that. Nevertheless, the people were privileged to gather in the courts of God’s house and worship Him there. They did so joyfully. [2]

“For the Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5

God does good for us because He IS good. The grace that flows from His throne never runs dry. Throughout eternity, we, His redeemed people, will be testimonies to the wonders of His love.

In Psalm 136, the refrain “His mercy endures forever” is repeated 26 times. The Hebrew word “Chesed” (חֶסֶד) is often translated as “mercy” or “loving kindness.” The repetition of this refrain throughout the psalm emphasizes the never-ending and unchanging nature of God’s love. [3]

“His truth endures to all generations.” God has watched over His Word to ensure that it remains available and unchanged. Various kings and dictators have tried to destroy it, but all failed.

In Matthew 5:18, Jesus assured us, saying, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” “A ‘jot’ refers to the iota (the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet) and the ‘yodh’ (the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet). A ‘tittle’ is the tiny pen stroke or horn that distinguishes one Hebrew letter from another. Jesus mentioned these microscopic marks to confirm that no detail of God’s Word will be lost.

The reliability of God’s truth is further reason to “enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.” Let us thank God and bless His Name. Amen!


[1] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] GotQuestions.com
[4] Jerusalemperspective.com/2062/