There are a number of activities associated with public worship when God’s people come together in assemblies that gather in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that the people of Israel practiced in the past days. This psalm contains both words of public worship and a prophetic warning. It begins with public singing of thanksgiving and testimony. Then, there is public praying as the Lord’s people unite their words of recognition as to who they are and their association with the Lord. It concludes with hearing the word of the Lord, and this psalm is a warning to pay attention to what God has done and what he will do.
Praise to the Lord is always right. Enthusiastic praise appropriate to the Person of our Lord is a testimony of faith in the Sovereign Creator of “all things.” This psalm is an exuberant call to worship as the words speak of His creatorial power from the extremes of the seas and mountains to include everything in between. He is worshiped as the Creator in the first part of the psalm and as our Lord, the Ruler in the second part.
Enthusiasm in worship is contagious when people sing unto the Lord. This is not entertainment or vicarious expression in which others do what we should be doing. Rather, it is a personal confession of faith with thanksgiving for God's blessings and who our Lord is in Himself. Singing unto the Lord is worship in words that coordinate our words with other believers of “like precious faith.” Making a joyful noise unto the Lord may not be in a song, but with spoken words loud enough to be heard by others. That, too, is worship.
We worship our Lord because He is the Great God. We worship Him because He is the king above all kings, all ideas of men, and all gods of man’s making. We worship our Lord because He is the Creator of oceans and mountains and the fruitful land. We worship Him because He is the Lord, our Maker, our God, and our Good Shepherd.
Humility is appropriate when we worship in the presence of God. That is why we bow down, either in our physical position or, if it is more suitable to the occasion, bow down in our hearts as we “kneel before the Lord our Maker.” We worship Him for His greatness and His power. We worship Him for His tenderness and care. We worship Him from our hearts, not just in words and forms. There is no excuse for unbelief and disobedience, rebellion, or self-will. Those things stop true worship. When we worship, we move beyond outward words that may be correct to total commitment to the Lord. A submissive attitude and obedience to our Lord’s authority as King is always right.
There are also warnings in this psalm that we should heed. There is a warning against doubt and unbelief. That happened to the children of Israel in the wilderness journeyings in which a whole generation of doubters died. A warning is given because of provocative conduct and the sin that accompanies that. A warning is given to remind us of the results of wandering off the path of divine guidance. Following error and the result of hardness of heart is a matter to which we should take warning.
Peaceful silence and enthusiastic praise can appropriately express our worship of God. An ungrateful and unsubmissive heart will keep one from true worship. Doubting God’s grace and resisting His guidance also creates barriers between our Lord and us. If I allow self-will, it leads to sin in my life, which will influence my actions, leading to the hardness of my heart. Hardness of heart is evident when a person thinks the “poor ignorant believer” has been deceived into thinking that all that is in the world is “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” One can almost read one's thoughts as the ends of the mouth rise in a smirk that is not entirely hidden and hard eyes that do not soften when our Lord is praised. After warnings are given and ignored, a hardened heart is useless to God and cannot be restored. To resist God’s will hardens the heart. To be stubbornly set in our way makes us useless to God.