Christian teaching

Sunday school lesson

Review. Last week we worked on getting to know Psalm 95. It has two main parts – vs. 1-7a and vs. 7b-11. The first focuses on God and the praise of God. It uses “us” language and is upbeat. The second focuses on us and the need to listen to God. It uses “you” language and is a strong warning. Today we give our attention to the first part and its call to worship God.

Read Psalm 95:1-7a.

“[1] Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! [2] Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! [3] For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. [4] In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. [5] The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. [6] Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! [7a] For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.”

Commentary and questions. This first part of Psalm 95 has two sections – vs. 1-5 and vs. 6-7a, which are closely parallel to each other. This is a part of its poetic structure. Look over the chart below.

Notice the same pattern – a call to worship (blue), and then the reason why we should worship God (red), with supporting statements about who God is and what  God has done. Also notice the use of similar words – “come,” “face” (orange), the possessive “his” (purple), and the phrase “his hand(s)” (green).  Finally, section one has twice as much material as the second: four calls to worship/two calls; two statements about who God is/one statement; four statements on God as creator/two statements on this.

This psalm names a number of ways of worshipping God – singing, making a joyful (loud) noise, giving thanks, worshipping (literally bowing low), bowing down and kneeling.

Question 1: What are the benefits or possible drawbacks for having a variety of different ways to worship God? For instance – Loud/quiet; different postures; singing, speaking, raising hands.  The benefit – more creative expression, more meaningful worship, more ways of expressing love and honor to God. Does God get bored with our worship? Drawbacks – not everyone is comfortable with some expressions, can create tensions.

Question 2: How important is it that our body (posture) be involved in worship on a scale of one to ten? What is your practice?

If we include the last part of the Psalm, with its focus on listening to God, there is a clear progression of worship from: loud praise and singing – vs. 1-5, to bowing down – vs. 6-7 (perhaps in prayer or quiet worship), and then listening to God’s voice – vs. 7b-11.

Many see a structure for a temple worship service in this Psalm:

• vs. 1-5 – “Come” – that is, approach the temple with loud praise.
• vs. 6-7a – “Come in” (so it can be translated) that is, to the temple. Bow down and be quiet.
• vs. 7b-11 – Listen to God (perhaps a Levitical sermon or a prophetic message)

This progression is similar to how one would approach an ancient near-eastern king. You would come with praise and gifts for the king. Then you would bow down and make your request. And then you would listen for his word. God is called a “great King” in v. 3.

Question 3: In what ways is our worship like coming before a king? We do come before God’s throne, where he sits as king of all – Hebrews 4:26, Isaiah 6; Revelation 4.

Question 4: How do you envision yourself when you worship God? How casual should we be, or formal? Before a king, but also as a king who is my father.

There is a strong emphasis on God as creator in these verses. In section one God’s role as creator of the world is highlighted. The contrasts in vs. 4-5 between the valleys and the tops of the mountains, and the sea and dry land make the point that God created every bit of it. In the second section God’s role as creator of Israel, God’s people is highlighted. This refers to when God brought them out of Egypt and formed them into a new people. In v. 6, near to the center point of the Psalm as a whole, God is called, “our Maker.”

In both sections there is talk of God’s “hand” (green).  For instance, v. 5 says, “his hands formed the dry land.” This poetically pictures God as a craftsman and the earth and Israel as God’s “handiwork.”

vs. 3 and 7 (red) tell us why we should worship God. v. 3 says, “the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” God is better than all the other so-called gods. v. 7 says simply, “he is our God.”

Both of these statements are connected to the theme of God as creator. Why is God greater than all the other gods? Because he created all things. No other god could do this. This is why God is “above all gods.” Why is God Israel’s God? Because he created them as his own people. v. 7 says, “we are the people of his pasture.” v. 6 says, he is “our Maker.”

Recognizing God as the creator of all should lead us to worship for several reasons: 1) God’s power and glory are revealed in his ability to make all that exists. Paul makes this point in Romans 1:20 – God’s “eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” We should worship and be in awe of such a great God. This is also true of God’s creation of Israel, bringing them up out of Egypt. This was an amazing act of power and love.

2) Since God is our creator, God has complete rights to us. Still today we understand that if you make something it is yours. This is why he is our rightful God. The possessive “his” language (purple) makes this point. In the first section we learn that every part of the earth is “his, for he made it” (v. 5). In the second section we are called “the people of his pasture” (v. 7) because he is “our Maker” (v. 6). And so God has a right to our praise and thanksgiving. This is the proper response to accepting that God is our maker and rightful ruler.

3) God’s people are to worship God because this same great God who made all things, is the one who “is our God” (v. 7), the one who protects us and provides for us. We don’t have some second rate god. We have the true God as “our” God.

Question 5: Do you ever give thanks simply for being created or for being alive?

Question 6: What difference does it make to understand that you are owned by God? In general it gives a different perspective on life. We owe God everything we have, including our worship.

Question 7: What are some false gods today? How is our God better than these? Money, social status, career, control, quiet – almost anything can be a false god for us. Only God is the real God and only God can take care of us, show us the right way to live and give us peace.

Question 8: How often do you worship God – not just reading scripture or praying, but praising and honoring God? How often should we worship God?

Large group discussion of answers