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Psalm 100

A song of thanks.

Psalm 100 is one of the best known and most loved psalms. This hymn of thanksgiving invites the whole world to come to God’s temple in Jerusalem and enter its sacred spaces with unbridled joy and hearts filled with gratitude. And why should we? The psalm provides the answer. Not only has God created us—a gracious act of love in and of itself—but He has made us His own people. He has chosen us and loved us. As with Psalm 23, God’s people are cast in the role as sheep living well in His pasture.

The psalm ends on a high note of confidence and hope. At all times—but perhaps more in times of difficulty—we need to be reminded of what is true. Regardless of what seems to be happening around us, the Eternal is good; His love and faithfulness will endure forever.

Raise your voices;
    make a beautiful noise to the Eternal, all the earth.
Serve the Eternal gladly;
    enter into His presence singing songs of joy!

Know this: the Eternal One Himself is the True God.
    He is the One who made us;
    we have not made ourselves;
    we are His people, like sheep grazing in His fields.

Go through His gates, giving thanks;
    walk through His courts, giving praise.
    Offer Him your gratitude and praise His holy name.

Because the Eternal is good,
    His loyal love and mercy will never end,
    and His truth will last throughout all generations.

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

Shout for joy(A) to the Lord, all the earth.
    Worship the Lord(B) with gladness;
    come before him(C) with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.(D)
    It is he who made us,(E) and we are his[a];
    we are his people,(F) the sheep of his pasture.(G)

Enter his gates with thanksgiving(H)
    and his courts(I) with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.(J)
For the Lord is good(K) and his love endures forever;(L)
    his faithfulness(M) continues through all generations.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 100:3 Or and not we ourselves

15 Again the word of the Eternal came to me.

Eternal One: 16 Son of man, find a stick and write these words on it: “For Judah and the people of Israel associated with him.” Then go find another stick, and write these words on it: “For Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and the entire community of Israel associated with him.” 17 Now take both sticks and join them together in your hand as if they are one. 18 When your compatriots question you about what you are doing, asking, “Will you not tell us plainly what these actions mean?” 19 tell them I say, “Watch as I take Joseph’s stick (the one held by Ephraim) and the ten Israelite tribes of the North, your compatriots, and put it end to end with Judah’s stick. The two sticks will become one in My hand.” 20 Make sure the people are able to see what you have written on each stick. 21 Then tell them what I say: “Look! I’m gathering the Israelites up from the countries where they’ve been scattered and putting them back in their own land.” 22 I will form them into one nation upon Israel’s mountains, and they will live under the reign of one king. They will no longer live as two separate peoples, split into two different kingdoms. 23 From then on, they will not defile themselves with idols and abhorrent images and strange perversions. I will rescue them from all the places where they’ve lived and sinned. I will make them pure and clean again! They will be My people, and I will be their God.

24 My beloved servant, David, will be their king. They will all live peaceably under one shepherd. They will live according to My laws and obey My statutes and do them. 25 My people will dwell in the same land I gave to Jacob, My servant.

How could David be the king of Israel’s new nation? He died 500 years earlier! Certainly God does not mean that David comes back from the dead to reign; He means that David is the archetype for the eternal king. This new king will carry David’s name because He will be a descendant of David. He will rule a united kingdom just as David ruled a united Israel in his day. He, too, will be a shepherd of God’s people.

These hopes and aspirations will remain in the psyche of God’s people for hundreds of years. When Jesus begins His ministry, His followers will be certain they have found the good shepherd.

Eternal One: It will be the same land where your ancestors dwelled, but their past wickedness will be forgotten there. They, their children, and their children’s children will live there forever; and My servant David will be their prince forever. 26 I will establish a covenant of peace—an everlasting promise—with them. I will make them strong and numerous in the land I gave them. My sanctuary will be at the heart of their community forever. 27 I will make My home with them. I will be their God, and they will be My people.[a] 28 After all these things come to pass and My sanctuary is at the heart of their community forever, all the nations will know that I, the Eternal, am the One who makes Israel holy.

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One Nation Under One King

15 The word of the Lord came to me: 16 “Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites(A) associated with him.(B)’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.’ 17 Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.(C)

18 “When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you tell us what you mean by this?’(D) 19 say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.’(E) 20 Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on 21 and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.(F) 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel.(G) There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.(H) 23 They will no longer defile(I) themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding,[a](J) and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.(K)

24 “‘My servant David(L) will be king(M) over them, and they will all have one shepherd.(N) They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.(O) 25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived.(P) They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever,(Q) and David my servant will be their prince forever.(R) 26 I will make a covenant of peace(S) with them; it will be an everlasting covenant.(T) I will establish them and increase their numbers,(U) and I will put my sanctuary among them(V) forever.(W) 27 My dwelling place(X) will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.(Y) 28 Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy,(Z) when my sanctuary is among them forever.(AA)’”

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 37:23 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts all their dwelling places where they sinned

The New Testament God is not a God of fluffy love as some suppose. His judgment, while difficult to comprehend, is real; and fear of it should motivate repentance now.

15 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing: seven messengers with seven plagues—plagues that marked the end. With these the wrath of God reached its end.

And then I saw something like a sea made of glass mixed with fire flashing through it. Those who had been victorious over the beast, its image, and the number of its name were standing on the sea of glass, holding the harps of God in their hands. As they stand and play their harps, they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.

Victors: Great and amazing are Your works,
        Lord God, the All Powerful.
    Right and true are Your ways,
        King of all nations.
    Who will not fear You, Lord?
        Who will not glorify Your name?
    Because You alone are holy,
        all the nations will come
        and worship before You,
    For Your righteous judgments have been revealed.

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Seven Angels With Seven Plagues

15 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign:(A) seven angels(B) with the seven last plagues(C)—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. And I saw what looked like a sea of glass(D) glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious(E) over the beast(F) and its image(G) and over the number of its name.(H) They held harps(I) given them by God and sang the song of God’s servant(J) Moses(K) and of the Lamb:(L)

“Great and marvelous are your deeds,(M)
    Lord God Almighty.(N)
Just and true are your ways,(O)
    King of the nations.[a]
Who will not fear you, Lord,(P)
    and bring glory to your name?(Q)
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
    and worship before you,(R)
for your righteous acts(S) have been revealed.”[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 15:3 Some manuscripts ages
  2. Revelation 15:4 Phrases in this song are drawn from Psalm 111:2,3; Deut. 32:4; Jer. 10:7; Psalms 86:9; 98:2.