Psalm 95 is one of many psalms of praise. Those of us who know the Lord should not only sing praise to the Lord with our mouths, but every part of our life should be a joyful noise of praise to God.
The first seven verses of this psalm are about praising God and His many attributes, but at the end of verse seven and into verse eight, David’s psalm turns from praise to a stern warning about listening for God’s voice. We make a noise to God, but He’s making a noise to us, too!
The King James Version says “...the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness…” but most other translations specifically use the names of this location – Meribah and Massah. Massah means "testing" or "temptation," while Meribah means "quarreling" or "strife". To understand what David is referring to here, we have to go back to Exodus.
In Exodus 14, you find the story of God parting the Red Sea so the children of Israel could escape slavery in Egypt. Chapter 15 starts with Moses and the children of Israel singing a song of praise for what God had done. But at the end of Chapter 15, they begin murmuring and complaining to Moses that they don’t have water. God provides water for the children of Israel.
In chapter 16, the children of Israel murmured against Moses because there was no food; in fact, they started to wonder if they had been better off in Egypt. Once again, God provides – this time quail in the evening and manna in the morning. Everyone’s needs were met.
In chapter 17 we come to Massah and Meribah, where the children of Israel complain to Moses about water again. It gets to the point that Moses fears the people will stone him, and the people start asking, “Is the LORD among us, or not?” This is the hardness of heart David is talking about in Psalm 95:8.
David is explaining that praising God and making a joyful noise isn’t simply about singing songs. It’s about living a life that is a testimony of God’s goodness. That can include simply talking about His goodness with those around you, it includes looking at His word and obeying it, and it includes walking by faith rather than by fear. A life truly lived by faith is a testimony that we actually believe in God’s goodness.
There’s one more joyful noise I want us to remember, and it’s found in Luke 15. In this chapter, Jesus gives three parables – the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Each parable ends with rejoicing when the lost are found. Jesus explains that even heaven makes a joyful noise when one sinner repents.
I hope these parables remind you of how special you are to God.
God speaks to us through His word and His Spirit. We in return make a joyful noise unto Him – not only in church, but in every area of our life. And as the world sees that, more people will come to faith, and heaven will rejoice over it.
And round and round it goes! Praising God in every area of our life ultimately helps the gospel go forward.
Let’s make a joyful noise unto the Lord, today and every day!
