⁶Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. ⁷For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, ^8ado not harden your hearts…”

A call to worship beckons the faithful to the beauty of being in the Lord’s presence. It is an invitation to do what comes naturally to the redeemed spirit. We were made for this, and though we live in a fallen world, this psalm draws us back to the heart of worship—being overwhelmed with our Maker. The danger comes if we ignore this call and suppress our spirits for the sake of following the callous, fallen world.

These are the two themes of this psalm, juxtaposed in stark contrast. All life on earth is a continual spiritual struggle, displayed here in black-and-white terms. If we are indeed created in God’s image and for His glory, then everything else is peripheral. We were made to worship Him, so it follows inherently that when we do not, we live in rebellion to the very purpose for which we were created. God accepts no lukewarm relationships. To the Laodicean church, God’s message was blunt:

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” (Rev. 3:15–16)

The invitation in verses 1-7a tells us we must be reminded to worship. The call is to a collective, communal experience (“Let us ….”). The word “worship” occurs only in verse six, but the preceding verses build up to it. We are invited to join with singing, shouting, thanksgiving, and joy. Why? Because He is the “rock of our salvation” (vs. 1). In a fallen world, this is paramount, and our worship cannot be separated from our redemption. But we worship the Lord not only because He saved us but also because of His greatness: “For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods” (vs. 3). Further, we worship Him because He is the creator God of the earth on which we live (vs. 4-5). Therefore, we as created beings should ascend to bended knee before “the Lord our Maker.”

The second half of this psalm seems almost to be an abrupt, intrusive, right-turn that spoils the mood of the first half: “Today, if you would hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (vss. 7b-8a). However, biblical spirituality is not so heavenly-minded that it ignores the realities of earthly life in a fallen world. We hope and imagine unending worship and praise in heaven, being so taken up with the glory of the Lord, but we are not there yet; sometimes, our hearts are lukewarm. While this warning was given to the people of Israel and zeroes in on those whose hearts were hardened against God as unbelievers, true believers will take up this warning to their souls; worship is not optional, for God expects it. Therefore, the warning not to ignore this call is very appropriate; this is serious business to God!

The warning refers to the time during the Exodus wanderings, hundreds of years earlier, when the Israelites stiffened their hearts against God’s working through Moses (Deut. 17:2-7). That was one example of many, for the Lord judged them for carrying on like that for forty years. God assessed that “they do not know My ways” (vs. 10). It was such a serious breach of faith that God reacted severely, “Therefore I swore in My anger, truly they shall not enter into My rest.”

Quite interestingly, the author of the book of Hebrews repeatedly quotes this passage, so it has application in the New Testament dispensation. God’s invitation offers rest from the onerous restrictions of the Law, to experience peace in right relationship with God, with its relief from spiritual insecurity, fear, and guilt. He desires our worship because that is the goal of restoring us to the life God designed us for. Our most excellent life is to be found in communion with Him, our God, our Maker, our Redeemer. Therefore, to all who resist this, the warning of Psalm 95 still stands.

Lord, I accept, embrace, and respond to Your invitation to worship, for in You, I find my spiritual rest and joy.