The Book of Psalms
Psalm 95
Psalm XCV · Vol. II, pp. 1049–1050
1 An exhortation to praise God for his greatness, 6 and for his goodness, 8 and not to tempt him as did Israel in the wilderness.
5 The sea is his,5 and he made it; and his hands formed the dry land.
5 Heb. whose the sea is, Ge.1.9,10.
7 Fori he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. jTo-day, if ye will hear his voice,
8 Hardenk not your heart, las in the 6provocation,7 and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness;
k 2 Ch.30.8. He.3.12,13; 12.25.
l Ex.17.2,7. Nu.14.2,22,27; 20.13. De.6.16.
6 Heb. contention.
7 In the provocation, as in Meribah. In the temptation, as in Massah. See Ex.17.7.—C.
9 Whenn your fathers tempted me,8 proved me, and saw my work.
8 Christ, who was with the church in the wilderness, here speaks; him the people tempted, and from his rest they were excluded, 1 Co.10.9.—C.
10 Fortyo 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:
o Nu.14.33,34. De.1.1; 9.7; 29.4,5. Ne.9.16,17. Ps.78.10-42; 106.6-29. Eze.20.5-24.
11 Untop whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter9 into my rest.
p He.3.11,19; 4.3,5,9,11.
9 Heb. if they enter.
Notes
Ver. 1. Let us sing. The church here exhorts all her members to praise God by united singing—a department of worship by many churches sadly neglected, or most imperfectly attempted—and a duty and privilege to which many professing Christians consider themselves in no wise obligated. In addition, however, to this, and similar calls of the Spirit, the example of Christ on earth, and of saints in heaven, demands the universal voice of the church to engage in the praises of Jehovah. C.
Ver. 3. The heathen worshipped false gods; the Jews also were addicted to idolatry. One great object of this noble song of praise is to celebrate the praises of the one only exalted God of heaven and earth. He is called by his peculiar and incommunicable name Jehovah. By it he made himself known to Moses and the whole Jewish nation. By it he was distinguished from all false deities. Hence in this verse the psalmist says:—'For Jehovah is a great God, and a great King over all gods.' P.
Reflections.—God richly deserves our highest and most cordial praise. And we should invite one another to this blessed employ. How great is he, possessed of every necessary, infinite, and eternal excellency! How glorious his formation of all things, and his extensive dominion over them! How delightful and effective of blessings unnumbered is his new-covenant relation to men!—But if he be our Saviour and King, it is proper, it is necessary, that we be obedient subjects. To none but such is he the author of eternal salvation. To-day, without a moment's delay, we ought to hear his voice in the gospel, and to receive the offers of his grace. However slightly men pass over their sins, they are highly provoking in God's sight. And disbelief of his promises is one of the greatest insults that we can put upon him. That heart is hardened indeed whom the great and precious promises of the gospel cannot effect. Let us take warning by the ruin of others, that we fall not after the same example of unbelief. Though God bear long with us, he will not bear always. The mercies which we have received from him, as well as the wilfulness of our ignorance and our love to our errors, will fearfully aggravate our sin. And dreadful will be our case, if because of our sins he once exclude us from his new kingdom, his celestial rest, on account of our despising it when offered to us in the gospel.