Shout Out, Bow Down, Listen Up! (Psalm 95)

"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods (Ps 95:1-3). "Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice, 'Do not harden your hearts...'" (Ps 95:6-8a). 

Psalm 95 is a summons [invitation] to God's people, who know Him as "the Rock of our salvation" (Ps 95:1), both to sing His praises and to hear His word. From as early as the 4th century A.D. it has been widely used and sung in many churches at the beginning of public worship as a call and guide to worship. Its stern and harsh conclusion balances its exuberant opening with the same realism as that of the prophets with their call to match fine gestures with fine deeds.

Ps 95:1, 2, 6 has 7 exhortations one after another: come, sing, shout, extol, bow,

worship, kneel. Also, we are given incentives as well as invitations to worship. We not only hear the repetitive "let us" (5x), but the added "For the Lord is..." (Ps 95:3) gives us the reason for our praise. Not until we grasp who the Lord is, are we inwardly moved to worship him. Who then is "the Lord"? He is:

1. "the Rock of our salvation" (Ps 95:1) [the Redeemer of His special people, "the people of his pasture, the flock under his care" (Ps 95:7)],
2. "the great God" (Ps 95:3),
3. "the great King above all gods" (Ps 95:5; 96:5),
4. "the Lord our Maker" (Ps 95:6; 100:3; 149:2; Isa 51:13; 54:5), and
5. "our God" (Ps 95:7).

In contrast to 95:1-5, which fits with the postures of standing or even dancing, Ps 95:6 has 3 verbs that have to do with getting low before God, since the Hebrew word for "worship" [šāḥâ] means to prostrate oneself.

God is revealed in Scripture as a God of love and wrath, of goodness and severity (Ps 95:10-11). God hates sin with an implacable hatred, while loving the sinner with an inextinguishable love.

 Other gods (cf. Ps 95:3):

• "the mountain peaks" (Ps 95:4). Baal was the god of fertility, the force that guaranteed fertility--of the economy, or market forces, of sex exalted out of proportion, of materialism/consumerism reigning supreme, of trusting our bank balances for security.
• "sea" (Ps 95:5). Tiamat was the good of success by power, where problems are to be solved by militarism and domination. At a local level Tiamat is the god of the bully, the ruthless pursuit of the "rat race," the business empire which trampled on its competitors.
• "the depths of the earth" (Ps 95:4). Molech is the god of things done in darkness or in hiding, the god of a secret life under whatever cover (Eph 5:8-12).

May we see and live out the truth existentially that for us "In his hand are the depths of the sea, and the mountain peaks belong to him" (Ps 95:4) and "The sea is his" (Ps 95:5).

References:

1. Tremper Longman III & David E Garland. 2008. Psalm 95: Kneel Before Our Maker. Yahweh is Creator, King, Shepherd: Call to Listen!
   • A. Call to Worship (Ps 195:1-2).
     
   • B. Hymn to Yahweh the Creator-King (Ps 95:3-5).
   • A'. Call to Worship (Ps 95:6).
     
   • B'. Hymn to Yahweh the Covenantal God (Ps 95:71-c).
   • C' Response and Reflection on Yahweh's Judgment (Ps 95:7-11; Heb 3:7-8)).
2. John Stott. 1988. Psalm 95: An Invitation to Sing and to Hear.
1. An invitation to sing God's praise (1-7).
2. An invitation to hear God's word (8-11; Exo 17:1-7; Nu 20:1-13; Heb 3:7-8), and beware lest we become "hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Heb 3:13).
3. Tim Keller. 2015. Psalm 95. Rise up (1-4). Kneel down (5-7). Listen well (8-11).  Adoration (1-5), Confession (6-7), Attention (7b-11): Listen to the rest giver. In Christ we are offered rest--rest from the crushing burden of self-salvation through effort and performance (Heb 4:10).
4. Derek Kidner. 1973. 1975. Psalm 95: The Way to Worship.
1. Rejoicing (Ps 95:1-5). Adoration. Shout out. Sing.
2. Reverance (Ps 95:6-7a). Confession. Bow down. Kneel.
3. Response (Ps 95:7-11). Attention. Listen up. Hear.
5. Alec Motyer. Psalms. 2016. Psalm 95: Shout out, Bow down, Listen up!
   
1. The worship of God (Ps 95:1-7a).
2. The Word of God (Ps 95:7-11).
6. Praise to the Lord, Warning against Unbelief. The only God and his People.
• A1. A Call to Worship with Joy (Ps 95:1-2).
• Explanation of His Greatness (Ps 95:3-5).
• A2. A Call to Worship with Reverance (Ps 95:6).
• B2. Explanation of our Privileges (Ps 95:7a-c).
• A3. A Call to Obey (Ps 95:7d).
• B3. Explanation of its Serious Implications (Ps 95:8-11).