An Awesome Invitation

Psalm 100 is not only a direction to give thanks, but an awesome invitation.

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 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. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

Nearly everyone who has been a Christian for long knows this Psalm. Many, many people can recite it by heart. I memorized it in the King James Version, not because I feel like that is the only reputable translation (I have actually been chastised for using other translations: “The King James Version is the right one! It was good enough for Jesus! It’s good enough for me!”), but just because it is so poetic and beautiful.

Last week, this Psalm was brought to my attention three different times in three different arenas by three different people. Does that ever happen to you? It always makes me feel like God is trying to tell me something. So grabbed my Bible and study tools, said a prayer, and settled in to explore this familiar Psalm a little more thoroughly, and wow! did He ever open up my mind!

Words of Invitation

I’m an English teacher. That almost automatically makes me a “word” person. The phrase, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise,” got my attention. It wasn’t the words thanksgiving and praise that intrigued me as much as gates and courts, so I decided to camp out there for a bit. Here’s what I found out:

שְׁעָרָ֨יו– or gate, most often refers to the gate of a city.

חֲצֵיו–or court, refers to a dwelling or abode.

So it looks like the gates and the courts are two different places. Standing at the gates of the city, one may see what’s happening inside the city, but it would be very difficult to participate much. One must enter in to be a part of the action.

Metaphorically, we might call the gate a door and the court the dwelling, abode, home. One may be a part of the family standing in the doorway, but one is not a part of the family dynamic until entering all the way into the house. I mean, we don’t go to a family dinner and stand in the doorway with our plate, do we?

It struck me, this is an awesome invitation! Visiting the house of the Lord should never be a spectator sport. We don’t have to stand and do nothing. He has told us that it is possible to confidently come through that gate and up to His throne (Hebrews 4:16). He has offered “if anyone thirsts let him come unto Me, and drink” (John 7:37), and “if anyone is hungry, let her come and dine” (John 21:12). He has also offered rest for the weary (Matthew 11:28). You know what that sounds like? Home.

There are also some different postures involved in this 100th Psalm of thanksgiving.

It says:

Enter His gates with (towdah), [a gift of thanks]

His courts with (tehillah)! [songs of praise]

Be (yadah) to him; [raise your hands]

And (barak) his name! [kneel before]

(source: https://worshiparts.net/hidden-meaning-in-psalm-1004/ )

Inside His home, the Psalmist invites us to show our thankfulness by offering gifts, singing songs, raising our hands, and kneeling before Him. It is an awesome invitation to participate in the visit!

7 Instructions Given in Psalm 100 for a Visit to the House of the Lord

There is a proper way to behave during our visit:

Make a joyful noise
Serve/Honor Him with gladness
Come to Him singing
Know that He is God
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving
Enter into His courts with praise
Be thankful and bless His name

And why should we do all that? “For the Lord is good! His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations!” Sounds like a great party to me.

Understanding This Awesome Invitation

I feel like I now have a better understanding of this awesome invitation. I will no longer just stand in the doorway. I intend to enter the house, because my Savior has prepared the way for me. What a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving! There’s no better place to be than home with Abba Daddy.

God bless you, and may your visits with Him always be celebrations!