Psalm 95:1-7a
1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully
to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us
shout joyfully to Him with Psalms.
3 For the LORD is the great God, And the great King above
all gods.
4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights
of the hills are His also.
5 The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the
dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before
the LORD our Maker.
7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Hebrews 4:7 quotes from this wonderful psalm and tells us
that David is the one the Spirit spoke through to give it us. Hebrews 4:7, “Again
He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a
long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not
harden your hearts." Psalm 95 gives us an invitation to “come” and
worship (1-7a) but ends giving us a warning (7b-11). Psalms 93 and 95-100 are a
group of psalms that are called theocratic psalms. They are about the kingship
of God over His people Israel and His sovereign rule over all the earth.
As you read through this psalm you can’t help but notice
the words, “let us” are repeated many times. “Let us sing…”, “let us
shout…” (v. 1), “let us come…”, “let us shout…” (v. 2), “let us worship and bow
down…”, “let us kneel…” (v. 6). God loves for His people to come together in
assembly to worship Him. Heaven will be a place of corporate worship. The book
of Revelation speaks often of the multitudes around the throne of God from
every nation, every tribe, every language, and every kindred that are worshipping
the LAMB. Along with the “heavenly host” of angels that are forever praising
the LORD with shouts of Holy, Holy, Holy!
There is nothing that can substitute for coming together
with God’s people on a regular basis, in a specific place, to worship the LORD
in Spirit and in Truth. Jesus told the woman at the well in John 4:23-24, “But
the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God
is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
We are not only invited to
“come and worship the LORD with singing, praise, and thanksgiving (vv. 1-2), we
are admonished to “bow down and worship Him” (vv. 6-7a). Praise means
looking up, but worship means bowing down. It is interesting how some people
who enjoy lifting their hands and shouting do not enjoy bowing their knees and
submitting in obedience to His Lordship over their lives.
True worship is much deeper
than communal praise, for worship involves realizing the awesomeness of God and
experiencing the fear of the Lord and a deeper love for Him. Too often
Christian "praise" is nothing but religious entertainment and it never
moves into spiritual enrichment in the presence of the Lord. Our singing must
give way to silence as we bow before the Lord.
God alone is Jehovah, the
Lord, the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. He is our Maker and our
Shepherd. (Psalm 23 and John 10.) Jubilation has its place only if it becomes
adoration and we are prostrate before the Lord in total submission, "lost
in wonder, love, and praise."
What a remarkable miracle of
grace that we sinners should be called "His people." He made us, He
saved us, and He cares for us! Why should we hesitate to fall before Him in
total surrender?
God bless!
