"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods."

Psalm 95:1-3

Psalm 95 divides into two distinct sections which are nonetheless closely related to each other. The first part, in verses 1–7, is an uninhibited, joyful celebration of God, ‘the Rock of our salvation’ (v. 1). The exalted character of Israel’s God is loudly and gratefully affirmed in a world where other gods were worshipped and the ‘depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks’ (v. 4) were believed to be sacred places inhabited by spiritual powers needing to be placated. However, Israel’s Lord is ‘the great God’ (v. 3), who reigns over all, including the heights and depths of the created world once feared and avoided. The greatness of God and the comprehensiveness of his salvation compel his worshippers to sink to their knees in thanksgiving and adoration.

The second section (vv. 8–11) reminds the worshippers that the ecstatic celebration of God’s greatness counts for nothing if it is not the fountainhead of lives of obedience to the covenant made with Moses. Worshippers are reminded of the possibility of failure to allow public worship to shape the entirety of personal and social life. The religion of the Bible is characterized ‘by a profound concern for inner truthfulness’ and celebratory worship is legitimate only if it results in ‘readiness to obey God’s voice and keep his commandments.’ We no longer regard mountain peaks and the depths of the earth as places of spiritual danger, but there are modern equivalents which can compromise our worship of the Lord.

CLOSING PRAYER

Lord God, you are worthy of all my worship. Please work in me a heart that is willing to walk in your ways—from here to eternity.

(Edited from Encounter with God)