“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations,” Psalm 100:4-5.
Here we are at the end of our study of Ps 100 and also at the end of my assembly duties for this school year. I must thank the Lord for His mercy that has enabled me to speak to you in the school year now ending. Let us quickly notice in the final two verses:
I. INSTRUCTION REGARDING PUBLIC WORSHIP
- Even our approach to God’s house is to be joyful. “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving”. The word means to ‘come’. Translated some 10 times more by that than ‘enter’. It is a witness to all around that we ‘come’ joyfully to God’s house.
- Participation in the public worship of God is our duty. “Enter into his gates. . .” This is a reference to the temple gates.
- We are to assemble to worship with thanks, praise, blessings. Sadly, that is not always the case! The flesh, our old nature, has no pleasure in seeking the Lord or praising Him. (Galatians 5:17-21).
II. WE HAVE GOOD REASON TO SO WORSHIP THE LORD
“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations”. Here are three reasons for joyfully worshipping the Lord.
- He is good. He is perfect, Gen 1:4, 10. 12, 18, 21, 25, 31. Perfect in His love, mercy, kindness and in all that He has done and will do for us.
- He mercy is without end. He is merciful and it will be enjoyed forever by those who seek it.
- All that He has said will endure forever. A changing God would be a terror to the Christian; he would have no sure anchor. Our heart leaps for joy because our God has never broken his word or changed his purpose. Thus Christ warns all men: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book,” Revelation 22:18-19.