Psalm 95:1-11
Q.1. Why is the Lord worthy of our praise and thanksgiving? How can we relate to Him? – (Ps.95:1-7)
David ascribed to God a greatness beyond that of all other gods. He declared that – the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods (Ps.95:3 c.f. Heb.4:7). For this reason, He is worthy of all praise and thanksgiving (Ps.95:1-2). He is the Creator of all the earth, including the mountains and the seas (Ps.95:4-5). The Psalmist called on us – Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker (Ps.95:6). He is the King of the earth. We are His subjects, whether we acknowledge Him or not. The other uniqueness about the Lord is that our God is also our Shepherd – For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand … (Ps.95:7). What a comfort to know we have a Divine Shepherd Who protects, leads, and feeds us.
Q.2. What lesson do we learn from Israel’s failure to trust the Lord? How did God respond to His people? – (Ps.95:7-11)
The Psalmist appealed to worshipers to learn from the lessons of the past – 7 … Today, if you would hear His voice; 8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah (i.e. quarrel), as in the day of Massah (i.e. testing) in the wilderness, 9 when your fathers tested Me. They tried Me, though they had seen My work (Ps.95:7-9 c.f. Heb.4:7). He warned the people that God did not excuse Israel’s lack of faith, especially after He had done so many mighty miracles. He recorded – 10 For forty years I loathed that generation, and said they are a people who err in their heart, and they do not know My ways. 11 Therefore I swore in My anger, ‘truly they shall not enter into My rest’ (Ps.95:10-11). That generation was heading towards the Promised Land, yet never reached their destination, but instead perished in the wilderness. The writer to Hebrews used this historic example when warning them, that to stray from the Gospel and return to a life of works would cause them to forfeit their rest, just as it did to Israel. (Heb.4:1-10 c.f. Rom.15:4).