Have you ever been filled with an overwhelming sense of worship for the Lord? Have you ever felt like you could just about burst with praise to God? If so, perhaps you can relate to the emotions of the psalmist who composed Psalm 95!
The first few verses set the tone as the psalmist calls upon others to join him in worshiping the Lord. "O come, let us sing...let us come into his presence...let us make a joyful noise!"
What has led to this effusion of praise? It is the realization of Who God is. He is the God above all gods who made everything on earth. God is our Creator, our "maker" (vs. 6). He is our God, our shepherd, and we are His people, His sheep (vs. 7).
The proper response to the Lord is a posture of "bowing down" (vs. 6). Contrast this position of humility with the reminder from Israel's history of a period of stubbornness and rebellion. The psalmist harks back to the days of grumbling by the children of Israel when they were in the wilderness with Moses. Their "hard hearts" (vs. 8) were on full display at Meribah and Massah. You can read more about Meribah and Massah in Exodus 17:1-7 - and this experience and subsequent psalm is also heavily referenced in Hebrews 3 and 4..
How much better to praise the Lord and submit to His Spirit than to be stiff-necked rebel! It can make the difference between being given the pasture as a sheep and being given the stern warning that we will "not enter His rest" (vs. 11).
To hear "a joyful noise" based on Psalm 95:6-7, check out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEK9u51ofZE
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