Verse 2: "Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs."
Our first command in verse 1 was "Shout." Our second and third commands are in verse 2: "Worship the Lord" and "come before him."
The word "with" occurs 4 times in the psalm. Twice in verse 2 and twice in verse 4.
The psalmist is saying when you come, bring 4 things: (1) "gladness"; (2) "joyful songs"; (3) "thanksgiving"; and (4) "praise."
David Jeremiah in his book A Bend in the Road said:
Watch and wait, and you'll find it to be true. You'll be faced with a
trial, and God will give you two gifts: a scripture for your mind and a
song for your heart. And the song He gives you will burst forth in lovely
melody in the midst of the darkest night. I don't apologize for the fact that in my hospital room, in the middle of the night and a morphine drip,
I was in my uncomfortable bed praising God with my hands lifted up to
the Lord. I was celebrating Him, thanking Him for life, for health, for
family, for friends - all that He is and all that He does. It was the most
Joyful song that hospital ever heard. (48)
Ron Allen concludes his book in the Psalms by saying:
So let us join in song in praise of Yahweh, who has done such great
things for us! Let us join in song in praise of the Lamb who is worthy!
Let us join in song to our God, who has placed a new song in our hearts!
Isaac Watts said it this way:
Come let us join our cheerful songs/
With angels round the throne;/ Ten thousand thousand are their tongues,
/But all their joys are one. /"Worthy is the Lamb that died," they cry,
/"To be exalted thus." /"Worthy the lamb," our lips reply. /"For He
was slain for us." /Let all that dwell above the sky, /And air, and earth,
and seas, /conspire to lift Thy glories high, /And speak Thine endless
praise. /The whole creation join in one /To bless the sacred NAME /Of
Him that sits upon the throne, /And to adore the Lamb.
So let us sing!
Y'shua the Lamb is Lord of Song!
