Make A Joyful Noise To The LORD
Devotional
Companion to the Psalter
A Devotional Guide to the Psalms
Object:
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come into his presence with singing ...
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
-- Psalm 100:2, 4b-5
Theme: All people are called to praise God
Outline
1-2 -- (As worshipers approach the temple gate, they turn toward the surrounding nations and proclaim): Worship Yahweh with glad shouts and singing.
3 -- (then facing each other they say) We are the people of the one true God and he cares for us.
4-5 -- (bidden to enter and worship) Thanks, praise to him who is forever good, loving, and faithful.
Notes
• Praise
• A mission psalm wanting all humanity to enjoy the living God with Israel.
• Used in daily synagogue service, where a familiar ancient refrain was used "his faithful love is everlasting."
• The poetic version of this psalm ending with the familiar doxology was written by William Kethe, friend of John Knox. It was put to music by Louis Bourgeois, OLD HUNDRED, and considered by Sir Arthur Sullivan to be "the greatest tune ever written."
For Reflection
• Is not verse 5 a joyful confession of faith, an abiding comfort and hope, a call to life-long praise of God?
• In a circular letter to his students, noting that many had died, Bonhoeffer wrote of this psalm "to awaken you to the right kind of joy in serious times." He says the joy belongs to this life; it is not something worked up or demanded but it comes from God through "the poverty of the manger and the suffering of the cross." He suggests we look on him who is no stranger to any human suffering or sin and who accomplishes our redemption. This keeps us from becoming both insensitive to suffering from resignation to it.1
Prayer
Lord God, may peoples everywhere experience with us the joy of the Lord. You alone are good, and your steadfast love and faithfulness is revealed to us in Jesus Christ. Grant that we, in good days and bad, may ever look on him and praise you with joy. Amen.
____________
1. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Meditations On The Psalms, ed. by Edwin Robinson (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002).
come into his presence with singing ...
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
-- Psalm 100:2, 4b-5
Theme: All people are called to praise God
Outline
1-2 -- (As worshipers approach the temple gate, they turn toward the surrounding nations and proclaim): Worship Yahweh with glad shouts and singing.
3 -- (then facing each other they say) We are the people of the one true God and he cares for us.
4-5 -- (bidden to enter and worship) Thanks, praise to him who is forever good, loving, and faithful.
Notes
• Praise
• A mission psalm wanting all humanity to enjoy the living God with Israel.
• Used in daily synagogue service, where a familiar ancient refrain was used "his faithful love is everlasting."
• The poetic version of this psalm ending with the familiar doxology was written by William Kethe, friend of John Knox. It was put to music by Louis Bourgeois, OLD HUNDRED, and considered by Sir Arthur Sullivan to be "the greatest tune ever written."
For Reflection
• Is not verse 5 a joyful confession of faith, an abiding comfort and hope, a call to life-long praise of God?
• In a circular letter to his students, noting that many had died, Bonhoeffer wrote of this psalm "to awaken you to the right kind of joy in serious times." He says the joy belongs to this life; it is not something worked up or demanded but it comes from God through "the poverty of the manger and the suffering of the cross." He suggests we look on him who is no stranger to any human suffering or sin and who accomplishes our redemption. This keeps us from becoming both insensitive to suffering from resignation to it.1
Prayer
Lord God, may peoples everywhere experience with us the joy of the Lord. You alone are good, and your steadfast love and faithfulness is revealed to us in Jesus Christ. Grant that we, in good days and bad, may ever look on him and praise you with joy. Amen.
____________
1. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Meditations On The Psalms, ed. by Edwin Robinson (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002).
