You’ve heard of philosophy, theology, and even the doxology. I’ve made up this term: “thankology” – “the study of thanking God.” Without it, there is no door of access into the gates of God’s presence (enter into His gates with thanksgiving…..Psalm 100).
This psalm is located in the fourth book of the Psalms -they are categorized in five main sections. Inside this book are the royal psalms (93-99), where they highlight the Kingdom of God.
The basis of this psalm is the rock of our salvation (verse 1) – that foundation, ground upon which we build our spiritual lives. In that ground God has a vegetable garden with lots of lettuce: let us come, bow down (verses 1,2,6). It reminds us of the “us” of Genesis, where Elohim says: let us make man in Our image – that unity and union of purpose. Let us come in thanksgiving together in unity and purpose to glorify Him.
- Let Us Come
- Unlike many belief systems, we rejoice in the immediate access into God’s throne room.
- The word “come” is “ne-kad-de-mah”, from “kaw-dam”, meaning: “to meet along the way”;
- It also means “to come to be in front”. A thankful heart does not put us in the cheap seats or peanut gallery, but in the very heart of His chamber, at the feet of Jesus.
- We come before His presence. The word “before” is “paw-neem” and means “with”. It also ends in a plural (“im”) in Hebrew, so there is the sense of being in the presence of the Trinity, since They rule together.
- The word ”presence” in the Hebrew is “fa-nav” and it can mean both face and faces -again highlighting the plural or the Trinity.
- Remember that the presence of God is not some mystic essence or even the types of the Old Testament (pillar of fire or cloud), but rather, the face, one who can look at you and be seen.
- With Thanksgiving
- Notice the word “with” -we bring into God’s presence a gift, the gift of being thankful, and we give it to the One who owns everything.
- The word thanksgiving is “to-daw” and comes from the Hebrew “yadah”.
- Means “choir, hymns of thanksgiving”;
- It infers a united voice of thanks and deep gratitude, extending the hand in worship and appreciation.
- It is not just verbal thanks, but a heart of music -a song to the lord.
- In Hebrew parallelism, which is a poetic utterance that takes the first thought and builds on it, it says “let us shout or extol”
- It includes “with psalms” – or in the Hebrew “biz-mi-ro-vt”, meaning “a song with accompaniment- instrumental music.”
- What is our instrument? Voice and hands of surrender and thankfulness. We come before him with thankfulness or……
- We come down with this:
- Hardness of heart-verse 8.
- Again, if we don’t come to the Rock of our salvation and drink from the water in the rock, we become hard.
- Dehydration or lack of water hardens the bodies organs -they become hard and painful.
- Because they tested God -verses 8,9
- We put God on trial, like He has anything to prove.
- “God, if you’re real, I wouldn’t be in this situation.”
- Shows they knew not the ways of God -verse 10
- You can see miracles and not know God.
- The Israelites saw the Red Sea open up and still complained and grumbled for forty years, which is a Biblical generation.
- Without thankfulness, you’ll not see Him close up.
- There will be no rest for them -verse 11. When God isn’t allowed to be in His creative control -and thanked appropriately, the connection fails.
- Hardness of heart-verse 8.
Thankology – let us continue to study thankfulness and bring it alive into our lives. It will usher us into the front row of an audience with the King.
Praying for you all.