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
Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving
Psalm 100, affectionately known as “old hundred,” thrills with the excitement of worship. We are invited to share the exhilaration and joy of praise and to gather for worship with thanksgiving and praise.
100:1, 2 The Hebrew verb for make a joyful shout is a highly charged command for public praise. The command is addressed not just to Israel but to all the earth. The Israelites were to be a people who would attract the nations to worship God.
A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
100:3 The words the Lord, He is God reflect the great confession of faith in Deut. 6:4-9. To know that the Lord is God is very similar to the command to “hear” in Deuteronomy. And not we ourselves is sometimes read “and His we are.”
3 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.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9
100:5 the Lord is good: The shout of the goodness of God in this verse is buttressed by an appeal to His mercy and His truth. The Hebrew word for truth comes from the root meaning “to be established” or “to be confirmed.” From this root also comes the word amen, meaning “surely” or “truly.” God’s goodness is based on His loyal love and His truth.
5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
** People’s ability to create things is amazing. People are awed by the work of their hands – AI robots for example that can process commands at super high speed and appear to be able to make higher level decisions through computing. It’s something no other creatures could do. So, how come do so many people fail to acknowledge God who created them to be His little creators?
An Exhortation to Thanksgiving
100 1 A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 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. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
