Psalm chapter 95

English Standard Version

1Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 9when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 10 For forty years I loathed that generation and said, "They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways." 11Therefore I swore in my wrath, "They shall not enter my rest."

What does Psalm chapter 95 mean?

Among the psalms are those which emphasize God's rule over the entire word. These include Psalms 24, 27, 93, and 96—99. Psalm 95 is another example of an "enthronement" psalm.

Everything which exists was created by God. The proper response to this is worship and gratitude. The psalmist calls for loud and enthusiastic praise. When referring to the Lord being "above" other gods, the writer does not mean that there are other deities besides God. Rather, this is a reminder that the other gods of false religions are all imaginary (Deuteronomy 4:35; Isaiah 45:21; John 1:1–2). Only the God of Israel exists, and He alone forms, sustains, and rules over all creation (Psalm 95:1–5).

After calling for worship, the psalmist begins to shift focus. God's people ought to worship Him because He is both the Creator and a guiding Shepherd. This echoes the same themes explored by David (Psalm 23:1–3). Jesus, as well, used language related to shepherding (John 10:7–9, 11, 14, 16). Sheep are wise to follow the Shepherd's lead (Psalm 95:6–7).

At times, Israel failed to honor God with trusting obedience. They were stubborn, complaining and worrying despite the Lord's amazing miracles on their behalf (Exodus 3:20; 12:41; 15:22–26; 16:2–3, 12–14). In an infamous incident, Israel complained that they would die of thirst—ignoring all the wonders which had come before (Exodus 17:1–7). They also arrived at the borders of the Promised Land and refused to continue as God had commanded (Numbers 14:1–4). As a result, the Lord barred them from entry into Canaan. The nation spent forty years meandering around until the children of the rebellious generation were ready to move forward (Numbers 14:28–32). Here, this is phrased as a warning against being faithless towards the Lord (Psalm 95:7–11). [**note: the overlap on verse 7 is intentional]

The book of Hebrews cites the last portion of this psalm to make a similar warning (Hebrews 3:7–11, 15; 4:3–7). Trusting faith means obedience. Being fearful or obstinate keeps us from enjoying the "rest" of fulfilling God's plans for our lives. Resisting His will can result in a loss of rewards or the painful earthly consequences of our own mistakes.

Expand

Book Summary
The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Expand

Chapter Context
"Enthronement" psalms make up this portion of Scripture. Because they speak of God's rule, they are also labelled "theocratic." Psalms 24, 27, 93, and 96—99 have similar themes. These songs anticipate the Lord God ruling over the entire world. This perspective often aims at the future when the Messiah Jesus will personally oversee earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4). The last portion of the song is quoted in the New Testament book of Hebrews (Hebrews 3:7–11, 15, 4:3–7).

Expand

What is the Gospel?

Download the app: