Singing While Entering Into God’s Rest
Psalm 95:1-11
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.
Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. 10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’ 11 So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”
Psalm 95 places particular emphasis on the worship of God making it a worship psalm. However, it’s also consider a royal psalm because of the way it acknowledges God as the great King.
Vs.1-5, Speaks about the worship of God in a mood of celebration.
Vs.6-7, Speaks of the worship of God in contemplative mood.
Vs.8-11, Speaks of the worship of God in obedience.
Psalm 95:1NLT Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
H.A. Ironside in a crowded restaurant: Just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him. Ironside invited him to have a seat.
Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer. When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, "Do you have a headache?" Ironside replied, "No, I don’t." The other man asked, "Well, is there something wrong with your food?" Ironside replied, "No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat." The man said, "Oh, you’re one of those, are you? … I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don’t have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!" Ironside said, "Yes, you’re just like my dog. That’s what he does too!”
The psalmist cries, Come, let us sing, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of salvation. TM. Come, let’s shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us!
Psalm 46:1NIV God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
You can worship God at any time. What has He done for you?
Psalm 95:2NLT Let us come to Him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
I’m very thankful for what I have until I begin to think about what I don’t have. I am really content — until I start looking through the Sears catalogue. I liked my truck — until I saw the new Chevys and Fords. I am satisfied with my clothes — until I stroll through the Mall. I love our home — until I think of what it would be like to have a mansion or a log cabin on the shore of some remote lake. I am satisfied with every area of my life — until I start comparing with someone else’s life. I feel like I have enough of everything — until I see someone who has more. Let’s not be farsighted, we should focus and look at that which is near!
Are you ready for a great secret in life? The secret of a happy life is not to get what you want, but to live with what you’ve got.
Psalm 95:3NLT For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods.
He’s above all Gods; He’s a grand great King above all Gods.
Verse 3 begins by asking, Why should we sing songs of praise to God? Psalm 95:3TM Because God is the best, High King over all the gods.
Psalm 95:4-5NLT He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains. 5 The sea belongs to him, for he made it. His hands formed the dry land, too.
In regions of Mexico hot springs and cold springs are found side by side, and because of the convenience of this natural phenomenon the women often bring their laundry, boil their clothes in the hot springs, and then rinse them in the cold springs.
A tourist watching this procedure commented to his Mexican guide: "They must think God is generous to freely supply such ample, clean hot and cold water."
The guide replied, "No senior, there is much grumbling because He supplies no soap.”
The worship of this great God and King goes farther- Psalm 95:4-5TM In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns,in the other hand grasps the high mountains. He made Ocean—he owns it! His hands sculpted Earth!
Genesis 1:9-10NKJB Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
God smiles on His creation. The Bible calls the believer, His workmanship!
Psalm 95:6NLT Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,
This verse describes the a physical posture of humility before the Lord. To bow down, kneel, and worship amplify each other and call for a reflective mixed with a humble approach to God. Worship is joyful, but then again sometimes it’s quite reverence.
Philippians 2:10NKJB that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
Psalm 95:7NLT for He is our God. We are the people He watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today!
Notice the psalmist say’s, He watches over us, and we’re His flock under His care.
Hebrews 3:7-11NLT That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, 8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. 9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. 10 So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ 11 So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”
The Father expresses a loving care for His children.
Psalm 95:8-9NLT The Lord says, “Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness. 9 For there your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw everything I did.
What did the Israelites do? They hardened their hearts by doubting the Lord’s provision (Exodus 17:7). They murmured and complained. They talked bad of their leadership.
Psalm 95:10-11NLT For forty years I was angry with them, and I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ 11 So in my anger I took an oath:‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”
By refusing to enter Canaan, the entire generation of Israelites lost their opportunity to enjoy the promises of God in the land of blessing.
Remember, don’t forget who gave you life and blessings. Alex Haley, the author of "Roots," had an unusual picture hanging on his office wall. It was a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post. When asked, "Why is that there?" Haley answered, "Every time I write something significant, every time I read my words & think that they are wonderful, & begin to feel proud of myself, I look at the turtle on top of the fence post & remember that he didn’t get there on his own. He had help."
Hebrews 3:17NLT And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness?
Because of Israel’s attitude all but Joshua and Celeb died in the wilderness.
Again what was their attitude? Doubt, Not listening, Lack of respect for leadership, Anger, Contempt, rebellion, and idols~ other gods.
Hebrews 4:1-2NLT God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. 2 For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God.
What was Joshua and Caleb’s attitude? Give me this mountain; We are well able to process this land! They saw plenty, they saw the fruit; they saw the luscious land!
A 12 year old boy named David was born without an immune system. He underwent a bone marrow transplant in order to correct the deficiency. Up to that point he had spent his entire life in a plastic bubble in order to prevent exposure to common germs, bacteria, and viruses that could kill him. He lived without ever knowing human contact.
When asked what he’d like to do if and when released from his protective bubble, he replied, "I want to walk barefoot on grass, and touch my mother’s hand." [we take so much for granted!]
Benediction.
