“Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” What simple words, and yet, what a profound message! “Serve the Lord with gladness.” This is not a slavish fear under the spirit of bondage, as many Jews viewed life under a legal dispensation. The psalmist encourages us to serve the Lord with spiritual joy and a complete freedom of soul – readily, willingly, cheerfully – taking delight in His person and pleasure in His service. Our Lord said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Next, the writer tells us to “come before his presence with singing.” When we come into God’s presence, it is to the throne of grace, with thankfulness for mercies received as well as to plead before the Lord for others. However, there seems to be a sense here of coming into His house, beginning public worship with singing of hymns, songs and spiritual songs. In Psalm 95:2, we are encouraged, “Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.” This is a description of sacrificial praise with thanksgiving – with a melodious voice and grace in the heart, with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19). This is a distinct thing from prayer and giving of thanks, as evidenced in the next verse – “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20). It is not an internal, mental praising of God for it is called “speaking,” “teaching and admonishing” (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Rather it is the praising of God with the tuning of the human voice. And, it is rightly performed when the heart and the voice agree, when there is melody in the heart as well as on the tongue. The end in view is ultimately, that God be glorified (1 Cor. 10:31).
Next, the writer tells us to “come before his presence with singing.” When we come into God’s presence, it is to the throne of grace, with thankfulness for mercies received as well as to plead before the Lord for others. However, there seems to be a sense here of coming into His house, beginning public worship with singing of hymns, songs and spiritual songs. In Psalm 95:2, we are encouraged, “Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.” This is a description of sacrificial praise with thanksgiving – with a melodious voice and grace in the heart, with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19). This is a distinct thing from prayer and giving of thanks, as evidenced in the next verse – “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20). It is not an internal, mental praising of God for it is called “speaking,” “teaching and admonishing” (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Rather it is the praising of God with the tuning of the human voice. And, it is rightly performed when the heart and the voice agree, when there is melody in the heart as well as on the tongue. The end in view is ultimately, that God be glorified (1 Cor. 10:31).