Psalms 95

Psalms 95:1-7

This psalm belongs to the times of the Messiah, as is evident, Heb. iii. 7—19. It contains, 1. The prays we owe to our divine Redeemer, as our maker and benefactor, ver. 1—7. 2. A warning not to harden our hearts against his gospel, lest, like the Jews, we perish under his wrath, ver. 1—11.

a Col. iii. 10. b Pl. c. 1. c 1 Cor. 2. d f Heb. Present his fear. e Pl. xvii. a. & xviii. g. & cxxvi. 5. 1 Tim. vi. 15. 2 Or. English. e Cor. i. 9. 10. f Juk. i. 5. g Pl. ixcu. e 1. & ixcu. f. & c. 5.

1. O Come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. 2. Let us ye come before his presence with thankgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. 3. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. 5. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. 6. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. 7. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand:

The psalmist opens with a warm exhortation to all around him, to unite in the delightful work of praise to the great God and Saviour.

1. He directs how they should draw near to him with a joyful noise, not only making melody in their hearts, but speaking forth his praise in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, with thanksgiving for all his boundless mercies; with humble reverence and lowly adoration knowing before him; the psalms of their body expressing the deep abatement of their souls in his presence.

2. He points out abundant matter for their praises.

(1.) He is the rock of our salvation, hath obtained it for his people in time and eternity; and all who are built upon him

are secure from all wrath, safe from all enemies, and sure to stand unto eternity.

(2.) He is a great God, partaking of all the essential attributes of the Deity, self-existent, eternal, omnipotent, omnificent.

(3.) His dominion is universal: He is a great King over all Gods; by him all earthly princes reign, to him all magistrates are accountable, and before him the sickest gods of the heathen perish: he is King of kings, and Lord of lords. His dominion is wide extended from pole to pole; both land and sea acknowledge his sovereignty: the deepest recesses of the earth he searches, and the highest mountains are fixed by his power, and upheld by his providence, v. 4. 9. Now, if all the world be thus in the hands of our Jesus, how can his people want any manner of thing that is good?

(4.) He is the maker of all, and therefore justly the owner; by him and in him we live and move and have our being: he had the day land appear, and bound up the great deep in swaddling bands. These are thy works, O God; and justly therefore does he deserve to be praised; of whom are all things, and for whom are all things.

(5.) He stands in a peculiar relation to his people, and demands their grateful tribute of thanksgiving. For he is our God and Saviour, who became incarnate for us, our substitute and surety, and in an everlasting covenant of love hath united us to himself in one body, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hands; not merely fed by his providence, but formed for himself by grace, to be a peculiar people, led by his word and spirit, protected by his power, and preserved for his everlasting kingdom. Well, therefore, may we say in this view, O come, let us sing unto the Lord, who is so worthy to be praised, and to be had in everlasting remembrance.

7. — to day if ye will hear his voice. 8. Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9. When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 10. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways. 11. Unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest.

Psalms 95:7-11

The tribute of our lips is but a vain oblation, unless our lives also shew forth the Saviour’s praise; therefore we are called upon.

1. To hear his voice: this is our great duty as the sheep of his hand, who must know the Shepherd’s voice and follow it. Now, If Christ be our Saviour and King, justly doth he expect we should be obedient subjects; to none but these is be the author of eternal salvation.

2. This must be done immediately, to-day, whilst it is called to-day, delays are dangerous. By nothing are souls more frequently undone than by procrastination; they put off the concerns of eternity to a more convenient season, and perish are it arrives.

3. We are warned of our danger. Harden not your hearts against Christ and his gospel, as the Jews did, who rejected the true Messiah, and, as their fathers before them had done in the wilderness, in the day of temptation, or the day of Messiah, their whole conduct being one continued some of rebellions and provocations against him. Note, (1.) However slightly more past over their sins, in God’s sight they are highly provoking. (2.) Disbelief of God’s promises is among the greatest insults we can put upon him, yet a crime we are very apt to disregard and make light of. (3.) That heart is hardened indeed, that the great and precious promises of the gospel cannot affect. (4.) It is wise to be warned by others harms, lest we fall after the same example of unbelief.

4. The great aggravation of the unbelief, and hardness of heart of the Jewish people, is insisted upon. They had seen the Lord’s wonders, had proved his providential care so long, so often, during forty years; but their hearts were perverse, they would neither know nor walk in his ways; and having wearied out his patience, brought down his wrath upon them. In the same manner did the Jews, from the ministry of John to the death of Christ, continue to repel the counsel of God against themselves, refusing to be convinced by all the miracles he wrought, and hardening their hearts, till wrath came upon them to the untrusted. Note, (1.) Every mercy we receive from God, aggravates our ingratitude against him. (2.) Wilful ignorance is wilful sin. (3.) They who err in heart, chuse darkness rather than light; and none more blind than those who will not see.

5. The doom denounced against them was terrible. I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest; in just indignation he excluded them from the land of promise, and by an oath confirmed the immutability of his counsel: which things are written for our admonition, 1 Cor. x. 11. They remained a rest for the people of God, unto which they who believe in Jesus

de eater: whilst unbelief is the injurious bar, as ruinous to our fouls as dishonourable to God. They who difficult God’s power and love, or, carelessly about the promised inheritance above, seek for their portion on earth, and take up their rest below, are justly excluded from the heavenly Canaan.