Psalms 100:2
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
In ancient Israel, 'serving the LORD' involved both formal worship (sacrifices, festivals, Temple rituals) and daily obedience to covenant stipulations. The Levites were set apart for full-time 'service' (avodah) in the Tabernacle/Temple, while all Israelites served God through obedience, justice, and worship.
Coming 'before His presence' primarily referred to approaching the Temple where God's glory dwelt between the cherubim above the Ark of the Covenant. Only priests could enter the Holy Place, and only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place once yearly on the Day of Atonement. For ordinary Israelites, 'coming before God's presence' meant worshiping in the Temple courts.
The New Testament revolutionizes this imagery: Christ's death tore the Temple veil, granting believers direct access to God's presence (Hebrews 10:19-22). Christians are now called 'priests' (1 Peter 2:9) who offer spiritual sacrifices. The church itself is God's temple where His Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16).
Singing was central to Israel's worship, with Temple worship featuring choirs of Levites, instrumental accompaniment, and antiphonal (call-and-response) structures. David organized musicians into divisions for continual Temple worship (1 Chronicles 25). The Psalms formed Israel's hymnbook, sung across generations.
Questions for Reflection
- How can believers cultivate gladness in serving God when circumstances are difficult or service feels burdensome?
- What is the relationship between serving God and entering His presence—does service earn access, or does access to His presence transform service?
- How does singing corporately in worship serve theological and communal purposes beyond individual musical enjoyment?
Analysis & Commentary
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. This verse pairs two imperatives defining worship's essential character: service and joy. "Serve" (ivdu, עִבְדוּ) means to labor, work, or serve as a slave. The same verb describes Israel's bondage in Egypt (avodah). Yet here, service to Yahweh is not oppressive slavery but joyful privilege.
"With gladness" (b'simchah, בְּשִׂמְחָה) transforms duty into delight. Simchah denotes exuberant joy, mirth, and celebration—the emotional state at weddings, harvests, and festivals. Serving God should not be grim obligation but glad response to His goodness. This contradicts both legalistic drudgery and the assumption that holiness requires misery.
"Come before his presence" (bo'u l'fanav, בֹּאוּ לְפָנָיו) uses language of approaching royalty. To come "before the face" of someone indicates entering their direct presence, implying privilege, intimacy, and access. For finite, sinful humans to approach the infinite, holy God is remarkable grace, made possible through sacrifice and mediation.
"With singing" (bir'nanah, בִּרְנָנָה) refers to ringing cries of joy, jubilant shouts. Music and song are not mere aesthetic preferences but integral to biblical worship, expressing truths too profound for ordinary speech and uniting corporate voices in common praise.