Psalm 95. Finding God's rest

Psalm 95 is a beautiful hymn of praise and worship that invites us to come before God with joy, thanksgiving, and adoration. It is a powerful reminder of His sovereignty and goodness, as well as the importance of our faithfulness and obedience to Him. The psalmist emphasises the intimate relationship between God and His people, calling on us to bow down in worship and submission to our Maker and Lord. However, it also includes a warning against hardening our hearts to God's voice and the consequences of rebellion and unbelief.

"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation."

The psalm begins with an invitation for us to join in a joyful and exuberant expression of worship to our God. The word "Rock" is used as a metaphor for God, emphasising His strength, stability, and reliability as the foundation of our salvation.

"Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."

The psalmist encourages us to approach God with a heart of gratitude and praise, expressing our thankfulness and praise through music and song.

"For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods."

This verse emphasises the greatness and supremacy of God over all other gods, and the importance that we recognise and honour His sovereignty.

"In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him."

This verse speaks to God's power and control over all of creation, from the depths of the earth to the highest mountain peaks.

"The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land."

Here, the psalmist continues to emphasise God's role as creator and sustainer of all things, as he includes the sea and the land.

"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."

The psalmist calls on us to physically express our reverence and submission to God, recognising Him as our Maker and Lord.

"For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care."

This verse speaks to the intimate relationship between God and His people, and the care and provision that He provides as our shepherd.

"Today, if only you would hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness."

The psalm ends by warning s against hardening our hearts to the voice of God. Using the example of the Israelites' rebellion at Meribah and Massah in the wilderness. It emphasises the importance of faithfulness and obedience to God's voice in our lives.

“Meribah” is the location in the wilderness where the Israelites tested God by complaining about a lack of water. This event took place during the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, after they had crossed the Red Sea and were wandering in the desert. The story is recorded in Exodus 17:1-7 and Numbers 20:1-13. In both accounts, the Israelites grumble and quarrel with Moses, blaming him for bringing them out of Egypt and into the wilderness to die of thirst. In response, Moses prays to God, who instructs him to strike a rock with his staff, causing water to flow from it. The name "Meribah" means "quarrelling" or "contention," and it reflects the Israelites' contentious attitude towards God and their leaders during this event.

“Massah” is another location in the wilderness where the Israelites tested God by grumbling and complaining about the lack of water, again as recorded in Exodus 17:1-7. Like Meribah, Massah means "testing" or "trial," and it reflects the Israelites' attitude towards God and their leaders during this event. In the story, the Israelites are again wandering in the desert and become thirsty, leading them to grumble and quarrel with Moses, questioning why he had brought them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness. Moses, in turn, asks God for help, who instructs him to strike a rock with his staff, causing water to flow out of it. The story of Massah and Meribah serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness in providing for His people even in the midst of their grumbling and unbelief.

"Where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did."

God reminds the Israelites of the ways their ancestors tested Him, even though they had witnessed His mighty works of deliverance and provision.

"For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, 'They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.'"

God expresses His righteous anger towards the Israelites for their disobedience and unfaithfulness, which resulted in their wandering in the wilderness for forty years.

"So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'"

Because of their rebellion and unbelief, God declared that the Israelites would not enter into the Promised Land and experience His rest.

God's rest refers to the state of peace and contentment that comes from being in “a right relationship” with God. The concept of God's rest is often associated with the Promised Land, which was a physical representation of the blessings and rest that God intended for His people. The Israelites were promised that if they obeyed God and entered into the land, they would experience a time of rest from their enemies and a place of abundance and prosperity.

However, the concept of God's rest also has a spiritual dimension. In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews describes God's rest as a state of spiritual rest that comes from faith in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 4:9-10 says, "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his." This rest is not just a future promise, but a present reality for those who have put their truct in Christ. And so in this we see that God's rest refers to a state of peace and contentment that comes from being in “a right relationship” with God, both in this life and the next.

Psalm 95 is a beautiful expression of praise and a powerful reminder of the importance of a faithful and obedient relationship with God.

Shalom, whatever road you're on, may you find rest in God this day,

Trev.