Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth. So Says Psalm 100:1. It seems simple enough. At face value this is a familiar phrase in the Psalms and when I hear it, I tend to know what it means without giving it much thought. Today, however, I am tasked with writing a devotion on Psalm 100, so I need to find something to say that is worth reading. Thus, I slow down a little bit and examine the Psalm more carefully.
There are a few interesting points to ponder. First of all, the Psalmist calls for a joyful noise. Initially when I hear this Psalm, my mind automatically interprets that as a nice song, maybe by Chris Tomlin or an ancient hymn. However, the Psalm doesn’t say “sing a joyful song unto the Lord” it tells us to “make a joyful noise.”
In other words, the qualifications of our response to God is much broader than merely singing, it includes any number of ways noise can be made. Good thing the noise is specified, for the word ‘noise’ conjures up things that are annoying and irritating; like clanging noises in cars that sound like an immediate $600 or noises that toddlers make when they break toys or hit each other over the heads with them. Or perhaps you have heard about how our inner life can be described as noisy if our soul is filled with worry and doubts and concerns (see Psalm 131:2). Noise can be bad in many ways, but noise can be good. Joyful noise is good noise.
Joyful noise can be any number of things. Playing instruments, singing a song, the roar of victory (1 Samuel 17:52). It could include any activity done by faith in worship to God. The sound of crackling bacon may be a joyful noise unto the Lord for the one seeking to serve their loved ones in the morning. When the Temple was being built, the sound of hammering and sawing was a joyful noise of devotion and worship from the skilled craftsman. Knowing what was being constructed would have been music to the ears of the Israelites and to ears of God.
And the command does not stop at people. It isn’t only people who are commanded to make a joyful noise, it is all the earth. This includes wind and waves, birds and fish and animals on the dry ground. Every sound that they naturally make reflecting God’s good design is a noise that reveals the glory of God and calls attention to His excellence. To this extent, all the earth and the inhabitants of earth join together in a cacophony of praise, not just in song but in all parts of life that is meant to worship the living God. From building homes to cooking food to singing praise.
Before sin, noise was only a good reflection of God’s glorious creation. For now, we must endure the reality that noises are mixed. Some are horrible and annoying while others are delightfully revealing the glory of God and his reign. We take Psalm 100:1 not only as a command to make a joyful noise unto the Lord but also as a manifesto from God, that it is His intention that the earth and everything in it only rings of praise. In the meantime, we obey and take delight in hope that the day is coming when all creation will only and always sing the praises of God.
Comments
Post a Comment