God did create us ... we did "fall" into sin
... and we do need a Saviour!
Here's my Scriptural proof for such a
statement. (It comes from an unusual place).
That little verb "know" ("yada," the common
Hebrew word for knowing) is in the imperative mood! God
commands us to know that He is God ... and Creator ... and
Shepherd! (In this little short verse: He is the Sovereign!
He is the Sustainer! And He is the Shepherd!)
I believe open minded folks can find enough
"evidence" in this created earth to validate the existence of
God. There is too much "proof" of intelligent design to believe
otherwise! BUT even more than that ... the Bible declares with
great authenticity that God is! (In fact, Genesis 1:1 says:
"In the beginning God created the heaven
and the earth." There in Scripture's first statement you
have God ... and creation ... and the sheepfold!)
Notice the two basic Names for our Heavenly
Father in this verse! He is the Lord (Jehovah) and He is God (Elohim)!
Isn't this great! These are the very two Names by which He is
know during creation week! (God sees things and pronounces them
"good!" Jehovah sees things that are "not good," and fixes
them! Glory!)
The verb "hath made" is interesting. It
translates the basic term "asah," meaning to do or to make or to
prepare or even to maintain. The first two Bible uses of this
verb are interesting! Initially God "makes" the earth.
(Genesis 1:7 --- 1st Bible occurrence) Then of the trees God
"made" on this earth ... He expects them to be "yielding" ("asah")
fruit! (Genesis 1:11 --- second Bible occurrence) Wow! (Now
allowing "trees" to picture types of Believers ... as the Bible
often does) God made us! And we are to make fruit (to His
glory)!
Do you know what evolution is? It's a
man-made theory that allows the possibility of man creating
himself. It says we are ever bettering ourselves! We are
"evolving" into higher creatures! I believe it is a satanic
attempt to ignore God! Therefore our little Psalm verse today
thunders: We did not make ourselves!
Then we're told that we are His people!
"People" translates "am." It means people as a "congregated"
unit! It means people as a "tribe." It is derived from a
little word ("amam") meaning "to associate" then meaning "to
overshadow!" This sounds like foreshadowing to me! Could it be
a little "hint" of a coming nation called Israel and a coming
body called the Church?
The noun "sheep" comes from a word ("tzson")
that means "to migrate!" I guess we are not at home here ...
just passing through! We're on a long migration! The picture
of migration also demands the presence of a Shepherd or Leader
to guide that migration! (Even Canada Geese have a leader as
they migrate!)
And the word "pasture" has to do with a flock
in its "grazing" status. (Its root verb: to tend a flock, to
feed a flock!) Interestingly, it gives us the Hebrew words for
both "Shepherd" and Friend!" He (the Lord) not only leads us
and guides us ... He also feeds and provides for us!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 4 ... PSALM
100:4
How should we
Believers approach the Lord?
Once a man or
woman has been saved, washed in the Blood of the Lord Jesus, he
or she has access to the very Throne of God!
Again, how
should we come?
In what heart
attitude are we to appear before the Heavenly Father?
Of course if we have sinned, we approach with
repentance in our hearts. (1 John 1:9 still works!)
If we have needs, He encourages us to "ask!"
(Matthew 7:7-11)
BUT, generally speaking, here's the answer to
our question.
"Enter
into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with
praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." Psalm 100:4
What truth is enveloped in this one little
sentence!
The very opening word "enter" (in Hebrew it
is "bo" and means to come to to go) is framed in the imperative
mood! It is a command! We are required to come into God's
Presence in worship!
The Jews of the Old Testament HAD (at least
every adult male did) to come to Jerusalem and worship God at
the Temple 3 times per year. It was law!
The New Testament saints were told to not
miss the assembling of themselves together. To be there!
Here's the verse: Hebrews 10:25 --- "Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of
some is; but exhorting
one another." And those meetings occurred several
times a week ... (if not daily) ... according to the book of
Acts!
God demands that we present ourselves
regularly to worship Him and His dear Name!
Then notice that we are to enter into His
"gates" ... then soon thereafter into His "courts." What's the
difference?
The "gates" at the Tabernacle (or even the
Temple) were at the very outside border of the precincts. The
"gate" represents the very starting place for our worship. BUT
the Lord does not expect us to stay at the gate! He understands
that we will surely enter into His "courts" too! (That's going
further in!) Really immerse yourself in the things of God!
The Hebrew word for "gate" ("shaar") means
the door! That's were we enter, isn't it? Jesus said in John
10:1 --- "Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but
climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."
Then He added: "I am the door: by
me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and
out, and find pasture." (John 10:9)
Incidentally, that Hebrew word for door, "shaar,"
means "to split or to open!" That's how we got in! Something
(really Someone, Jesus) was pierced and split and opened (on the
Cross of Calvary) that we may have entrance into the things of
God! Praise His dear Name!
BUT the word "courts" (in Hebrew, "chatzser")
means (of course) courts ... but also villages (47 times in the
King James Version) or towns! The very definition implies
"fellowship" with others!
The root of this Hebrew verb ("chatzser")
means to be surrounded! As a city is encircled by a wall or
hedges of protection! Believer, you are "surrounded" too!
So here we have both individual worship (at
the gate) ... and corporate worship (in the courts)! Both seem
to be expected of us!
Now for the noun "thanksgiving," which has an
unusual background! "Todah" properly means "an extension of the
hand." Another dictionary says "to use one's hand!" You can
trace the word all the way back to the little noun "yad," which
is Hebrew for the "hand" itself! (Anybody see any connection
between thanking God for His goodness and Grace ... and your
very hand? Listen to Psalm 141:2 --- "Let
my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and
the lifting up of my
hands as the evening sacrifice." Or notice
the great revival in Nehemiah 8:6 --- "And
Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people
answered, Amen, Amen, with
lifting up their hands:
and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with
their faces to the ground.")
And the noun used for "praise" is "tahillah"
and means to be bright or to shine! It then goes on to mean to
make a show or to boast about Someone! (It's bragging on Jesus
and the Father in Heaven!) And that kind of true joy WILL make
one shine a bit!
One old commentator said the difference
between thanksgiving and praise is this: Thanksgiving is offered
for THINGS God has done or provided or sent into our lives. And
Praise is offered for God's very Being ... Who He is and What He
is ... His very Essence, His attributes! I like that
distinction! (Thanks for what he DOES! Praise for Who He IS!)
Glory!
But then the "imperatives" (commands")
continue to flow!
"Be thankful" unto Him!
The verb translates "yadah" (that "hand" word
again) as a Hiphil" stem imperative! What does that mean? It is
a "causative" stem. There is a cause behind our thankfulness!
There's a reason for our worship! (In fact, many reasons!)
Because He has saved us! Because He has
given us the Holy Spirit! Because He has given us assurance and
victory! Because He has provided for all our need (spiritually
and often physically). Because He is God! Because of Heaven!
And the list goes on!
To bless (another command) is "barak" in
Hebrew" and means "to kneel" as in adoration! (If you are not
able to kneel physically doe to some physical problem ... kneel
in your heart and give Him glory!) The first use of the word in
the Bible (Genesis 1:22) is an occasion when God blessed man!
(We bless Him because He first blessed us!)
The verb here is in the "Piel" stem. That's
the intensive action category of Hebrew verbs! Bless the Lord
vigorously! With all your heart! Do so diligently! He is
worthy!
We have surely somehow come into a real
praise and worship meeting here in this 100th Psalm! I believe
it's really going to happen ... right here on earth ... some day
(in the future millennial age)! And I want to be right in the
middle of it, don't you?
The Lord willing, until tomorrow ...
... Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5 ... PSALM
100:5
If I were to
ask you to name the three traits of God that evoked the greatest
Psalm of praise (Psalm 100) ... what would you say?
The answer is
found in the last verse of the ONLY Psalm that is labeled "A
Psalm of Praise," again Psalm 100.
For
the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth
endureth to all generations. Psalm 100:5
There they are!
Three praise producing facts about our God in
heaven!
First we are informed that God is GOOD!
The noun is "tob" in Hebrew. In the King
James Bible it is translated: good (361 times) and better (72
times) and best (8 times)! That's (with an adjective) the
positive, comparative and superlative degrees! (This is also a
point of grammar that will preach!) This reminds me of Romans
12:2 where God's will is said to be: good, acceptable, then
perfect!
The word for "good" is also translated "fair"
and "merry."
Did you ever think of the Lord God being
"merry?" That's how our word is used in Judges 16:25 and 1
Samuel 25:36 and 2 Samuel 13:28 and 2 Chronicles 7:10 and Esther
1:10 and Proverbs 15:15 and Ecclesiastes 9:7. In 5 of those 7
occurrences the context is that of drinking wine! Which in
Scripture is a type of joy! God is literally exhilarated with
His Own Goodness! (Exhilarated is a Latin word. Hilarare is a
verb that means "to gladden" or "to be cheerful!" The prefix
"ex" just intensified the term! It precisely says that God
allows His Gladness/Goodness to flow out of Himself towards
others!)
And in 2 Chronicles 7:10 the GOODNESS of the
Lord made the people of God MERRY in heart! (This is another
case of us being like Him because He was first perfect in some
attribute! We love Him because He first loved us! We are being
made "good" because He is first GOOD!) "And on the three and
twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into
their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the
LORD had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his
people."
The word for "good" is also rendered precious
(4 times) and wealthy (3 times) and beautiful (2 times)! I say
Amen, Amen and Amen!
Next we are told that the Lord's mercy is
everlasting!
"Everlasting" means literally "to the
vanishing point," as far as you can see in any direction! In
other words, unending! (The extent of God's Mercy is such that
it reaches to the horizon where He can see no further! It isn't
based on my poor human eyesight ... but on His perfect vision!)
And the word mercy ('chesed" or "hesed" in
Hebrew) means "to bow down" on someone's level! (That's what
God did when He sent Jesus into this world to die for our sin!
John 1:14) It furthermore is often associated with "covenant
love" in the Old Testament. (The love a husband has for a wife
when he vows to stand by here in all circumstances! Jesus IS
our Bridegroom! And He IS faithful!) The whole thought is
making me want to praise Him right now!
Three times we are specifically told that the
mercy of the Lord is everlasting! Here in our text and also in
Psalm 103:17 and in Isaiah 54:8.
But 41 times we are told "the mercy of the
Lord endureth for ever!"
Glory to His Name!
Lastly the noun "truth" must be considered.
It is "emunah" and means established, or firm or trustworthy or
faithful! (The root stem of the word here is "amen!" One could
say that the Lord is the AMEN! Of course you wouldn't be the
first one to say that! Jesus called Himself That in Revelation
3:14!)
This word for "truth" is translated (in the
King James Bible) 49 total times. They are: faithfulness (18
times) and truth (13 times) and faithfully (5 times) and
faithful (3 times) and steady (1 time)! It is even rendered
"office" 5 times! The good Lord is faithful in His OFFICE! (As
Saviour! More particularly as Prophet and Priest and King!)
Again I say Glory to God!
The word for "generations" means literally
"to gyrate, to move in a circle." It pictures the coming and
going (full circle) of family after family as history unfolds!
A cycle of time!
People may come and go ... but the
faithfulness of our God remains unmoved!
What a verse!
What a Psalm!
No wonder it is called THE Psalm of Praise!
I surely have enjoyed studying it!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 6 ... THE PSALM
AS A WHOLE
Psalm 100 is
the ONLY chapter in the whole Book of Psalms that is
specifically labeled "A Psalm of Praise!"
In the past
five days we have covered every verse of this precious Psalm.
Today I want
to use some concluding thoughts to help give you an overview of
the whole text.
Stay with me
now.
Psalm 100 {A Psalm of
praise.}
Make a joyful noise unto
the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come
before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is
God: it is he that hath made us, and not we
ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his
pasture. 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.
One old writer says that the Psalm should be
analyzed as a double cycle of RENDITIONS of Praise and REASONS
for Praise! See the Psalmist praising God (rendering his praise)
in verses 1-2 and 4. See his reasons for praise in verses 3 and
5!!
The writer of the Psalm is anonymous! (No
humans are here in the way of seeing straight to God Himself!
It is a Psalm of Praise to our Heavenly Father alone!)
God does not just create and forsake! He
creates then cares for His Own! He MADE us and He SHEPHERDS us!
Another writer says that the Psalm tells us
WHO should worship the Lord: all ye lands! Then the Psalm
tells us HOW to worship the Lord: by singing! and by
submitting (to Him as sheep do a Shepherd)! and then by
sacrificing (praise in His gates and courts)! Lastly the Psalm
tells us WHY we should worship the Lord: for His goodness, mercy
and truth! (Wow!)
Then a skilled commentator says that the
Psalm is an "instruction sheet for praise!" It gives us four
word pictures of how we are to submit to our God in Heaven,
doing so with an attitude of praise! (I would suggest that if
there's no submission ... there will be no praise!)
We are to submit as subjects to the
Ruler (verses 1,2). We are then to submit as creatures
to the Creator (verse 3)! Next as sheep to the Shepherd
(verse 3)! Lastly I believe I see worshippers submitting
to their God (verses 4,5)!
Several attributes (traits) of God are
clearly seen in the Psalm. (They are called manifestations of
the Essence of God! This is Who God IS in His Character!)
He is sovereign
(no one rules over or above Him)! See the whole world serving
Him! (Verses 1 and 2)
God is also
omnipotent! He created the world! (Verse 3a)
He is love!
(Caring for us as a Shepherd does His sheep)! Verse 3b
He is good!
(Verse 5a)
He is merciful!
(Verse 5b)
And He is faithful
(the trait of veracity)! Verse 5c
The "offerings" of verse 4 are associated (in
Leviticus 7) with the PEACE offering. They were called the
Thank-offerings! Study the Peace Offering and you will clearly
see why! It is placed last by the Holy Spirit in the list of
Leviticus' five offerings to God! Probably indicating that
after we have seen Jesus in all His varied beauty ... we will
burst into spontaneous sincere praise! (The Hebrew word for
"Praise" in the superscript of the Psalm is "todah" and is
translated thanksgiving 18 times and thanks 3 times and thank
offerings 3 times! (It is only used 21 times on the whole
Bible!) So ... this is a Psalm of Thanksgiving and
Praise! It is further translated praise (6 times) and
confession (2 times).
When this Psalm is sung in the Millennium,
think of the many fresh (new) reasons the redeemed will have to
praise God! The antichrist will have been slain as well as the
False Prophet. Satan will have been chained and war abolished
and crime eradicated and life elongated and sickness gone and so
much more! King Jesus is on the Throne!
And think of the barriers in Old Testament
Jewish life that kept people from coming into God's very
Presence! These are all rendered void by the shed Blood of
Jesus on Calvary! Come! Come! Come! Now all Believers have
full access!
This Psalm begins with all and ends
with all! (All nations in verse 1 and all generations in
verse 5!)
It contains four "triplets of Truth" too!
Verses 1 and 2 present the first triplet. Then verses 3, 4 and
5 each add another triplet! (Amazing! These Scriptures are not
only Spirit inspired they are Spirit built and arranged!)
One writer believes the Psalm has 7
imperatives wrapped within its beautiful verses! I counted ...
and it does! (Make a joyful noise! Serve Him! Come before
Him! Know Him! Enter His House! Be thankful to Him! Bless
Him!)
"As long as we receive His mercy ... we
should render Him praise!"
What a Psalm!
Praise the Lord!
Even on Mother's Day, it is the Lord who has
blessed us in all things! (Including our Mothers!)
We are thankful you have visited us today!
And I'm sure you came ... with a Bible in your hand!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
