Psalm 100
For centuries, Christian congregations have sung William Kethe's paraphrase of this psalm, wedded to the beloved tune "Old Hundredth." First published in 1561, the words summarize the message of the psalm and help the worshippers give thanks to the Lord. Sometimes the traditional "Doxology" ("Praise God from whom all blessings flow") by Thomas Ken is sung as the last verse. The psalm is a fitting climax to the collection of "royal psalms" (93, 95—100) and sums up their emphasis on God's sovereign rule, His goodness to His people, the responsibility of all nations to acknowledge Him, and the importance of God's people exalting and worshipping Him. (See 95:1–2, 6–7.)
Thankful (vv. 4–5) The procession of worshippers has now reached the gates of the sanctuary, and they burst out in songs of praise. Why? Because of the Lord's goodness, mercy (lovingkindness), and faithfulness. (See parallels in 106:1; 107:1; 118:1; 136:1–3; and see also 1 Chron. 16:34; 2 Chron. 5:13.) "O, taste and see that the Lord is good" (37:8), and He gives that which is good (85:12; Rom. 8:28). The word truth is a form of the Hebrew word amen and refers to God's faithfulness and reliability. It is the same word used in Exodus 17:12 to describe Moses' hands "staying steady," and in Genesis 15:6 it is translated "believed" ("relied on," literally "said amen to the Lord"). (See Deut. 7:9; 32:4.) From generation to generation, the Lord can be trusted (90:1; Ex. 34:5–7). It is significant that the fathers' and mothers' worship today will have an important influence on their children tomorrow.
We are admonished in Ephesians 5:18 to be filled with the Spirit of God, and the evidence of this fullness is that we are joyful (5:19), thankful (5:20), and submissive (5:21—6:9). In Colossians 3:16–25, we are instructed to be filled with the Word of God, and when we are, we will be joyful (3:16), thankful (3:17), and submissive (3:20–25). These three characteristics of the believer controlled by God's Spirit and God's Word— and they go together—are presented in this wonderful psalm of thanksgiving.
Joyful (vv. 1–2) We can easily understand the people of Israel shouting joyfully in praise to their great God (vv. 3, 5), but the psalmist calls for all the nations of the earth to praise Him. This is a recurring theme in the "royal psalms" (97:1, 6; 98:2–4, 7; 99:1–2), for it was Israel's responsibility to introduce the Gentiles to the true and living God. The church has been commissioned to take the good news into all the world (Matt. 28:18–20; Mark 16:15), and it will be a glorious day when God's people gather at His throne from "all nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues" (Rev. 7:9). But our shouting ought to lead to serving Him, for He is the only true God (Deut. 6:13; 10:12; Josh.
If we are controlled by the Holy Spirit of God and the holy Word of God, we will reveal it in the way we worship God. Instead of imitating the world, we will be led by the Word and the Spirit to be joyful in the Lord, submissive to the Lord, and thankful to the Lord, and the world will see the difference. Finally, note that a spirit of thanksgiving helps us overcome some of the "sins in good standing" that too often invade our lives: complaining (v. 1), idolatry (v. 2), pride (v. 3), and ingratitude (v. 4). It was when our first parents became "unthankful" that the human race began that terrible descent into sin and judgment (Rom. 1:18–32; note v. 21). Instead of being thankful for what they had, Adam and Eve believed Satan's lie that the Lord was holding