(1) Make a joyful noise.—See Psalm 98:4.

All ye lands.—Or, all the earth.

Psalm 100:1-2. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord — Partly, with voices, and songs of rejoicings, and thanksgiving; and partly with musical instruments, as the manner then was; all ye lands — That is, all the inhabitants of the earth. When all nations shall be discipled, and the gospel preached to every creature, then this summons will be fully obeyed. Serve the Lord with gladness — Devote yourselves to, and employ yourselves in, his service. Come before his presence with singing — In the ordinances which he has appointed, and in which he has promised to manifest himself to his people. In all acts of religious worship, whether in secret or in our families, we may be truly said to come into God’s presence; but it is in public worship especially that we enter into his gates, and into his courts, as expressed Psalm 100:4, which should be with thanksgiving for so great a privilege, and with praise for his goodness manifested herein.100:1-5 An exhortation to praise God, and rejoice in him. - This song of praise should be considered as a prophecy, and even used as a prayer, for the coming of that time when all people shall know that the Lord he is God, and shall become his worshippers, and the sheep of his pasture. Great encouragement is given us, in worshipping God, to do it cheerfully. If, when we strayed like wandering sheep, he has brought us again to his fold, we have indeed abundant cause to bless his name. The matter of praise, and the motives to it, are very important. Know ye what God is in himself, and what he is to you. Know it; consider and apply it, then you will be more close and constant, more inward and serious, in his worship. The covenant of grace set down in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, with so many rich promises, to strengthen the faith of every weak believer, makes the matter of God's praise and of his people's joys so sure, that how sad soever our spirits may be when we look to ourselves, yet we shall have reason to praise the Lord when we look to his goodness and mercy, and to what he has said in his word for our comfort.Make a joyful noise unto the Lord - See the notes at Psalm 95:1.

All ye lands - Margin, as in Hebrew, "all the earth." The margin expresses the sense. The idea in the psalm is, that praise did not pertain to one nation only; that it was not appropriate for one people merely; that it should not be confined to the Hebrew people, but that there was a proper ground of praise for "all;" there was that in which all nations, of all languages and conditions, could unite. The ground of that was the fact that they had one Creator, Psalm 100:3. The psalm is based on the unity of the human race; on the fact that there is one God and Father of all, and one great family on earth.

PSALM 100

Ps 100:1-5. As closing this series (see on [630]Ps 93:1), this Psalm is a general call on all the earth to render exalted praise to God, the creator, preserver, and benefactor of men.

1, 2. With thankful praise, unite service as the subjects of a king (Ps 2:11, 12).

1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

2 Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing.

3 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.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalm 100:1

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands." This is a repetition of Psalm 98:4. The original word signifies a glad shout, such as loyal subjects give when their king appears among them. Our happy God should be worshipped by a happy people; a cheerful spirit is in keeping with his nature, his acts, and the gratitude which we should cherish for his mercies in every land Jehovah's goodness is seen, therefore in every land should he be praised. Never will the world be in its proper condition till with one unanimous shout it adores the only God. O ye nations, how long will ye blindly reject him? Your golden age will never arrive till ye with all your hearts revere him.

Psalm 100:2

"Serve the Lord with gladness." "Glad homage pay with awful mirth." He is our Lord, and therefore he is to be served; he is our gracious Lord, and therefore to be served with joy. The invitation to worship here given is not a melancholy one, as though adoration were a funeral solemnity, but a cheery, gladsome exhortation, as though we were bidden to a marriage feast. "Come before his presence with singing." We ought in worship to realise the presence of God, and by an effort of the mind to approach him. This is an act which must to every rightly instructed heart be one of great solemnity, but at the same time it must not be performed in the servility of fear, and therefore we come before him, not with weepings and wailings, but with Psalms and hymns. Singing, as it is a joyful, and at the same time a devout, exercise, should be a constant form of approach to God. The measured, harmonious, hearty utterance of praise by a congregation of really devout persons is not merely decorous but delightful, and is a fit anticipation of the worship of heaven, where praise has absorbed prayer, and become the sole mode of adoration. How a certain society of brethren can find it in their hearts to forbid singing in public worship is a riddle which we cannot solve. We feel inclined to say with Dr. Watts -

"Let those refuse to sing

Who never knew our God;

But favourites of the heavenly king

Must speak his praise abroad"

Psalm 100:3

continued...THE ARGUMENT

This Psalm seems to have been composed for the use of the Israelites in their thank-offerings, or upon other solemn occasions of praising God, as the title speaks; but withal it hath a further prospect, even to the days of the Messiah, as some of the Hebrew doctors acknowledge, and to the calling of the Gentiles, whom he invites to join with them in the praises of God their Lord and Maker.

An exhortation to praise God joyfully, Psalm 100:1,2, for his greatness, power, Psalm 100:3,4, goodness, and faithfulness to his church, Psalm 100:5.

Make a joyful noise; partly with voices and songs of rejoicing and thanksgiving; and partly with musical instruments, as the manner then was.

All ye lands; all the inhabitants of the earth. Or, all the land, i.e. all the people of Israel dwelling in this land. Although his invitation seems to be more general, extending also to the Gentiles, of whom many even in those days joined themselves to the church of God.

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Or, "all the earth" (c); that is, as the Targum, all the inhabitants of the earth, who are called upon to shout unto him as their King; as the angels did at his birth, the disciples when he made his public entrance into Jerusalem, the apostles at his ascension to heaven, the saints when the marriage of him, the Lamb, will be come, and both men and angels when he shall descend from heaven to judge the world; and such a joyful noise or shout should be made unto him as to a triumphant conqueror, who has got the victory over sin, Satan, death, and the grave, and every enemy of his and his people, and made them more than conquerors through himself; see Psalm 95:1.

(c) "omnis terra", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, &c.

<> Make a {a} joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

(a) He prophecies that God's benefits in calling the Gentiles will be so great that they will have wonderful opportunity to praise his mercy and rejoice.