Psalm 100- Enter His Gates

 Psalm 100- Enter His Gates

Psalms 100:1-5 (NKJV) 1 A Psalm of Thanksgiving. 

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the LORD, He [is] God; [It is] He [who] has made us, and not we ourselves; [We are ]His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gateswith thanksgiving, [And] into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, [and] bless His name. 5 For the LORD [is] good; His mercy [is] everlasting, And His truth [endures] to all generations.

Psalm 100 is one of the most beloved of all the Psalms. You will find some version of this psalm in most hymnals and psalters used throughoutchurch history. In the Methodist Hymnal, there is a version of “Old 100” that was written around 1551. One reason that this psalmhas such enduring popularity is that it contains the key to entering into the presence of God.

4Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, [And] into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, [and] bless His name

In Old Testament times, these worshipers approached the temple in a spirit of thanksgiving and praise, but they also came bearing blood offerings for the alter. This is no longer the case. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews explained how  it is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that gives us the right to approach the Lord with thanksgiving and praise in New Covenant times.

Hebrews 13:10-12 (NKJV) 

10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is broughtinto the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.

Hebrews 13:15 (NKJV) 

Thereforeby Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of [our] lips, giving thanks to His name.

Therefore, we now may approach the presence of the Lord with thanksgiving for what Jesus has done, and offering the sacrifice of praise, which is the only sacrifice now required. The blood of the lamb, that is Jesus, has paid the price for our redemption, so we may now freely enter into the pretense of the Lord with thanksgiving and praise only. No longer do we need to bring the blood of bulls and rams to be able to enter the holy place.

So indeed, we make a joyful noise to the Lord. And not just a select few, but all nations and people groups may now enter when they have accepted the salvation purchased by the blood of Jesus.  We see the culmination of this worship and praise in the book of Revelations.

Revelation 5:9-14 (NKJV)

9And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power [Be] to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” 14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

How glorious will it be when we see those from every tribe and nation join with all the angels and living creatures and the elders of old, all gathered around the throne, praising God, giving thanks, and entering into true worship. It will be a great and glorious day indeed! And it all started with a humble psalm about entering his gates with thanksgiving and entering his courts with praise.