Psalm 95 – Call For The Delivered Covenant Community To Joyfully Worship Yahweh Their God (And Warning No To Repeat Earlier Rebelliousness)
Psalm 96 – Call To All Nations To Worshipfully Celebrate The Universal Reign Of Yahweh
Psalm 97 – Joyful Celebration Of Yahweh’s Universal Reign–Whose Throne Is Founded On “Righteousness And Justice”
Psalm 98 – Call To All Nations To Worshipfully Praise Yahweh For His Saving Acts In Behalf Of Israel
Psalm 99 – Joyful Celebration Of Yahweh’s Universal Reign, Especially For What He Has Done For Israel
Psalm 100 – Concluding Exhortation To Worshipfully Praise Yahweh, Israel’s Make And “Good” Shepherd-King
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
My prayer is for you to join me on this journey. Subscribe to this blog below to get an email when a new post is available.
Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
Psalm 95. This could easily be a modern worship song that declares the Lord’s power, that exhorts us to follow only God while reminding us of past failures. Just 11 verses, surely everyone memorized this one! One of the old praise and worship songs (Come Let Us Worship and Bow Down) probably used this text:
Psalm 96. I think I like the phrase, “ascribe to the Lord” as it’s accentuates the need to make a decision in favor of the Lord, the creator of all.
Psalm 97. The thought that comes to mind while playing through this psalm is one of a haunting melody, a song that’s just stuck in your head. I wonder if people had this song stuck in their heads when the Babylonians swept them off to exile. I think some of them did, that some of them kept singing these songs. Music is difficult to explain, it penetrates hearts and minds and transcends time and space. Songs like this remind us of who God is. Short and simple, this is the kind of song we should have in the background often.
Psalm 98. This must have be a rowdy song in the day! “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music” (98:4), with harp, singing, trumpets and horns. Get the whole band and choir involved!! I remember the few times when we’ve been a part of full-Gospel services–such joy filled the place. People completely uninhibited (in a good way) singing praises to the Lord, honoring Christ above all others. Jubilant indeed! This psalm lifts my heart and draws in sweet memories.
Psalm 99. “The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble” (99:1) is a great title for this psalm, I like the rhythm of that even in the NIV translation. “Let them praise your great and awesome name–he is holy” (99:3). This is another psalm that could quickly be a worship tune today.
Psalm 100. Way back in my distant youth we learned this psalm in Vacation Bible School at Jefferson Baptist Church (Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge, LA). Ah, the good old days. This is how my parents raised me, fond memories of church and VBS in the summer. Simpler times perhaps, but I long for the simple today.
I had to use the Revised Standard Version because that’s what we used circa 1970! As an adult who been involved in VBS many times, I understand why this would be chosen. Just five verses, one for each day of VBS, we teach the children to recite from memory. Imagine telling a bunch of kids to “make a joyful noise!” That was easy!! At the end, they all take the stage and give us the entire psalm with great joy. Real memories, real worship, unashamed and unbridled.
These times are troubled times when youth are not taught about morality and relativism runs rampant. Thank you Lord for nurturing faith within me at a young age, for knowing Jesus Loves Me in song and in my heart. Those days are gone, but we can keep your song alive through the psalms, through singing, through making a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands! Help us remember that each day!