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Worship the Lord, “All the Earth”
This post by Joe Tyrpak is from a new publication called More Gospel Meditations for Missions. Coming soon!
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!” (Psalm 100:1)
For the English-speaking world, there’s no more historic call to worship than Psalm 100. In 1561, William Kethe’s poetic version of Psalm 100 was published in London. It begins,
“All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Him serve with fear, his praise forth tell.
Come ye before him and rejoice.”
At that time, Kethe’s poem was paired with a tune composed by the French composer, Louis Bourgeois. And even though the tune is more commonly paired today with the words, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow,” it goes by the name “Old Hundredth” for a reason. What majestic music, inviting God’s people to worship Him with singing!
Sing with wonder that God summons you to draw near to Him.
God commands His people to draw near to Him (vv. 2, 4). Such commands are full of redeeming grace, calling you to experience the nearness of God that humanity lost in Eden. Of course, when this psalm was originally sung by Hebrews some 3,000 years ago, the people were invited to enter the literal gates of Jerusalem and the literal courts of the Temple. Yet that glorious ancient structure served as only a temporary picture of the once-for-all way to approach God.
When Jesus died for sinners, the Temple curtain was torn in two, and the physical Temple was rendered obsolete (John 4:21-26; Mark 15:38). So, rebels can now approach their holy Maker through repentant faith in His crucified and risen Messiah, and every follower of Christ can fulfill the purpose of human existence—“to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Christian, sing!
Sing with delight that you forever belong to God—all because of Jesus.
At the structural heart of Psalm 100 is the precious expression, “We are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (v. 3). If you’ve repented of sin and trusted Jesus to save you from sin, you belong forever to your covenant-keeping Shepherd!
Pastor James Montgomery Boice personally understood Psalm 100’s power to produce unshakable joy in the face of death. In April 2000, he was diagnosed with cancer that took his life two months later. But a few years earlier, he had treasured Psalm 100, and it sustained his joy to the end: “Regardless of what may happen to us, we are still his. Troubles will inevitably come. But it is no matter. We are his. Sickness may come. We are his…. Suppose death should come into our immediate family. We are still his, and we will always be his” (Psalms: Volume 2, pp. 813-14).
Because Christ has brought you into God’s fold, you can be continually joyful. Christian, sing!
Sing with longing for all peoples on Earth to share your delight in God.
Although the singers of Psalm 100 are God’s sheep, the intended audience is “all the earth!” (v. 1). So this call to worship drums for the church the rhythm of God’s missionary heartbeat. The Lord’s desire has always been for “all the nations of the earth [to] be blessed” (Genesis 22:17-18) and for “a great multitude…from all tribes and peoples and languages” to worship Him in His presence (Revelation 7:9-17).
So if you sincerely sing this call to worship, you will yearn for the gospel’s advance to “all people that on earth do dwell” (Kethe). Christian, sing!
Let the gospel be your song of continual delight, resounding to “all the earth.”
COMING SOON!
More Gospel Meditations for Missions
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