Lesson 256 - Senior
Memory Verse
"Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee" (Psalm 84:4).
Cross References
I Exhortation unto Praise
1. All lands, all people, and all that have breath, are exhorted to praise the Lord, [PS:100:1]; [PS:150:6]; [PS:68:32]; [ROM:15:10-11].
2. The Psalmist commands that the Lord be served with gladness, [PS:100:2]; [ACT:2:46]; [PHL:4:4]; [2CH:29:30]; [ISA:30:29]; [ISA:35:10].
3. God's people are to come into His presence with singing, [PS:100:2]; [PS:126:2]; [1CH:6:32]; [ISA:44:23]; [EPH:5:19]; [COL:3:16].
4. God is to be praised with music and with all manner of musical instruments, [PS:150:3-5]; [2CH:20:28]; [1CH:13:8]; [EXO:15:20]; [REV:5:8]; [REV:14:2]; [REV:15:2].
5. We have an opportunity for the worship and praise of God in the sanctuary of God, [PS:100:4]; [PS:150:1]; [HEB:10:23-25]; [DEU:12:5]; [DEU:16:16]; [MIC:4:2]; [LUK:4:16].
6. Proper praise of God acknowledges God's great benevolence to His people, [PS:100:3], [PS:100:5]; [PS:150:2];[PS:145:1-21; [REV:5:9-14]; [REV:15:3-4].
Notes
Praise to the Lord
It is a widely known truth that praise and song are inseparable from the worship of God in the Christian manner. Christians everywhere consider praise unto God, the singing of songs and hymns, as being synonymous with the spirit of true worship. The inevitable outcome of such worship, when done in spirit and in truth, is peace and joy. Praise unto the Lord, the Creator of Heaven and earth and all that is therein, should be as natural as the breath a Christian draws. He should be continually praising His great Redeemer, who has saved him from the ravages and penalties of sin. His praise, if it is from the heart, will rise to the surface, without priming, as water from a flowing artesian well.
The soul who cannot enter into the worship of God, and give spontaneous praise unto Him with a glad and rejoicing heart knows not the joys of salvation. We are told, "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation" [ISA:12:3]). It was proved by Jesus' disciples that drinking from the wells of salvation brings great joy. As Jesus entered into Jerusalem in His triumphal entry, "the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen" [LUK:19:37]). When some of the Pharisees desired Jesus to rebuke them for such praises He said, "If these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out" [LUK:19:40]).
Glad Praise
The praise that God receives from His people should not be forced, but given with gladness. "Serve the LORD with gladness" is the admonition or our lesson text, and this is both a "reasonable service" and a happy duty. God does not want sullen or sulky servants in His service. They that serve God must serve Him with willingness, and with a desire to please God and not only themselves. (Read [1TS:4:1]; [2TM:2:4].) Jesus gave willing service to His father, for He said of Himself, "I do always those things that please him" [JHN:8:29]).
David said, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD" [PS:122:1]). God's service was no drudgery with David, and it cannot be with anyone else who truly worships God in spirit and in truth.
Worthy Praise
In the Book of Revelation we read of that great heavenly host about the Throne of God acclaiming Jesus worthy of their praise: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing" [REV:5:12]). God is not only worthy of all praise from every living creature, but it is eminently more worthy than human tongue can tell. The sinner has no praise in his heart toward his Maker, because his sinful heart desires only the gratification and exaltation of self. In contrast to this carnal attitude, the Christian not only desires to praise his Lord, but knowing that He is worthy of the most zealous praise, desires to proclaim His great worth to all the world.
Worship in Song and Music
Much could be said about the worship of God through the medium of song and music -" much more than this lesson can devote to it. That God desires His people to worship Him with song and musical instruments is clearly stated in the Scriptures. Our text states: "Come before his presence with singing" [PS:100:2]), and "Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance (or pipe): praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals" [PS:150:3-5]). This is authority enough for the children of God to use music and song in the worship of God.
For those who for some reason feel that musical instruments and songs are not in place in the worship of God, it can be stated that the Bible nowhere forbids it. On the contrary, the Bible expressly commands that God shall be worshiped in such a manner. Nowhere in the Word of God is it even implied, in either the New or Old Testament, that such mediums of worship are forbidden. God does not permit one generation to worship Him with music and song, and then forbid it in another, He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever, and He changeth not. (Read [MAL:3:6].)
Courts of Praise
The Word of God admonishes us against "forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" [HEB:10:25]). The united worship of the saints of God is very important. It is important because God has promised to be where two or more of His people are gathered together in His name. (Read [MAT:18:20]). God comes down and blesses His people; they are edified, and strengthened in the grace of God; sinners are saved, the sick are healed, and the Gospel is preached.
The Bible emphasises that the House of God is the place where God desires His people to gather to worship Him at regular times; and much importance is placed upon regular attendance. (Read [PS:65:4]; [PS:84:1-4], [PS:84:10];[PS:118:19];, [PS:118:26]; [ISA:2:3].) Christians are not excused from the worship of God in the House of God; and real Christians do not desire to be excused. In this modern day there are those who think that the medium of radio and television will bring them the blessings of worship as well as if they had attended the House of God. This is a very erroneous idea and one that has caused many people to become lean in their souls because of their absence from the regular worship of God.
Good radio programs and religious services that are conducted in accord with the Word of God have been a blessing to many who have been so grievously ill or afflicted that it was impossible for them to attend the worship of God with the saints. God has blessed these people because they were unable to do anything else. God is not pouring out His blessing and benediction upon able-bodied people who stay away from the worship of God with the excuse that they can worship God at home as well as at church. Their desires to listen to the Gospel on the radio or television is usually only a thinly covered pretext to enable them to listen to something else also, and do as they wish to do on the Lord's Day, instead of sanctifying it to the Lord.
The Lord's Day for Worship
The will of God for us concerning the observance of the Lord's Day -" Sunday -" is no less exacting in a spiritual sense than those commandments which the Lord gave concerning the Old Testament Sabbath. "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it" [ISA:58:13-14]).
Most important is the fact that the worship of God on earth is a prelude to the worship by the great congregation that shall yet be gathered around the throne of God. As we learn to worship God, to praise Him in song and testimony here on earth, so shall we be able to praise Him in like manner in that great day of final redemption and glorification. We are commanded to come into the congregation of the righteous and praise God for His mercy, and to pay our vows unto God in the presence of His people.
In the Twenty-second Psalm we read, "I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him;... My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him" [PS:22:22-25]). This portion of Scripture has reference to Christ, and states that He shall praise God the Father before that countless throng of the redeemed of God.
The Importance of Praise
The Epistle to the Hebrews refers to the Twenty-second Psalm when it quotes, "I will declares thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee" [HEB:2:12]). Here again is reference to the importance of praises unto God in the church, because Jesus, our High Priest and example, shall praise God before His brethren in the midst of the Church.
Jesus has not yet praised His Father before that great congregation of the righteous, because that great number is not yet all gathered. That He will do it is plain from the Scripture quoted. Equally true is that fact that God intends us to enter into His House with praise even in this present world, in preparation for the great day of redemption. As Jesus set the example before us as the Captain of our salvation in bringing many souls unto glory [HEB:2:10]), and as the firstfruits of the resurrection [1CO:15:20], [1CO:15:23]), so He will be our example in eternity in being the first and foremost in giving praise unto God the Father. (Read [1CO:15:25-28].)
Those who cannot praise God here will not be able to do it there. No one should be afraid of the face of men, nor be ashamed to stand on his feet before the saints of God and confess the name of Christ. We should be quick to pay our vows before God in the House of God here, and then we shall be all the more able to do it up there in the great day of God.
We shall overcome the power of evil by the word of our testimony and the Blood of the Lamb [REV:12:11]). We are to give that testimony in the House of God. It is the command of God.
Glorifying God
God has saved His people that they might glorify Him throughout eternity. We read: "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ" [EPH:1:11-12]). From the Book of Revelation we catch a glimpse of this being enacted, for it is stated there that "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, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever" [REV:5:13]). "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb" [REV:7:9-10]).
The Psalmist exhorts, "Be thankful unto him, and bless his name." The last Psalm of the Book of Psalms closes with the words: "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD."
Questions
1. Why should we praise the Lord?
2. Where should we praise the Lord?
3. Why should we not neglect attendance of the House of God for the worship of God?
4. Who are those who will praise God in Heaven?
5. How do we know that Jesus will give praise unto God the Father?
6. Why should we attend the House of God to worship the Lord instead of staying home?