For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
He is our God and we are his own people, the flock he pastures and holds in his hand under his care as a shepherd. This belonging rests on him as Maker and Creator of the earth, and because he is Maker and God it is right to come before him in humble bodily worship, bowing and kneeling in dependence and thanksgiving. His call is to hear his voice today, now, with a soft heart that does not harden itself, responding in trust and placing oneself in his hand for his guidance. Delay hardens the heart, for each neglected call leaves less impression and less desire to turn, and the invitation stays open only while it is still called today, before the gate between time and eternity closes beyond readiness. As Israel in the wilderness grieved him by unbelief and testing despite seeing his works, and so was sworn not to enter his rest, those who hear now must hold confidence in Christ, labor by faith to enter that rest, and exhort one another daily while it is called Today lest sin deceive and harden any heart.
God Our Shepherd
He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand, belonging to His care as a shepherd's flock. This belonging is tied to Him as Maker and Creator of the earth, who made the earth and holds His people as the flock He pastures and holds in His hand. With Psalm 96 it stands as part of a song of worship that praises God as Creator and proclaims that He will judge the world with righteousness.
The Sabbath brings this message of belonging to God's people today, declaring that He is their God and they are His sheep, and the promises given to Israel apply to them as well. Because the Lord is Maker and God and His people are the flock He pastures and holds in His hand, humble bodily worship in prayer is right, coming before Him bowing and kneeling in dependence and thanksgiving.
Hearing Him means responding in trust and placing oneself in His hand for His guidance.
Hear His Voice Today
The verse calls for hearing God's voice today with a soft heart that does not harden itself, making the present the day to respond. Today is the time to listen and obey, while the invitation of salvation remains open and before the opportunity to act is lost. The call comes through the Spirit and must be met with dependence and thanksgiving, bowing before the Lord as Maker and God.
Delaying obedience hardens the heart, for repeated calls of the Holy Spirit leave less impression with each refusal. Each neglected opportunity brings less inclination to turn from worldly interests. Conviction may weaken and spiritual darkness may follow when response is put off. Repeated departures from truth dull the conscience, since sin is deceitful and can harden the heart against God.
The urgency lies in the limit set on today, for the invitation remains only while it is still called today. At the boundary between time and eternity the heavenly gate will close and the invitation will cease. Readiness cannot be postponed until Christ appears, when there will be no atoning blood to wash away sin. The present is therefore the time to accept mercy and obey the truth.
Hearing the voice without delay means those called to serve should not delay entering the work through unnecessary study. Students should not be held back from the work by further study that is not needed for their preparation. To harden the heart in this way is to repeat the wilderness refusal to respond today.
The psalm is to be read and heeded as a warning against calling evil good and good evil, being wise in one's own eyes, and justifying the wicked for reward. It warns against casting away the law of the Lord of hosts and despising the word of the Holy One of Israel. Such a course brings destruction as fire devours stubble and flame consumes chaff.
Wilderness Warning Repeated
The call to hear His voice today leads directly into the warning not to harden the heart as the fathers did in the wilderness in the day of provocation. The present is the time to respond to that invitation while it is still called today.
Ancient Israel grieved God in the wilderness, and because they would not trust and follow Him He swore in wrath that they would not enter His rest, the promised land. He would have led them there quickly if they had submitted to Him, but only the two who wholly followed Him entered. That warning also teaches His people to trust Him alone and not to seek help from those who do not serve Him.
Their unbelief kept that generation from entering God's rest, though the gospel was preached to them. The word did not profit them because they did not receive it with faith, and those who hear now must hold fast their confidence in Christ and labor by faith to enter the promised rest rather than repeat that example of unbelief. Israel repeatedly tested God despite seeing His works, always erring in heart and not knowing His ways for forty years. Their leaders did not obey God's voice but listened to the voice and policy of Lucifer, so God could not give them the blessings He designed them to have.
The verse declares what God will do for Israel and for His people in the last years of earth's history if they will obey His voice today and not harden their hearts, for His promised blessings were and are conditional on obeying that voice. This experience will be repeated with intensified perils in the closing scenes of earth's history, when men greatly honored by God will pattern after ancient Israel under Satan's influence. That repetition will come through satanic sophistries and delusive influences that unsettle faith in past experience bearing Heaven's signature.
Sin is deceitful and can harden the heart, so all must take heed lest there be in any an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. They must guard against unbelief and exhort and encourage one another daily while it is called Today, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
He is our God and we are his own people, the flock he pastures and holds in his hand under his care as a shepherd. This belonging rests on him as Maker and Creator of the earth, and because he is Maker and God it is right to come before him in humble bodily worship, bowing and kneeling in dependence and thanksgiving. His call is to hear his voice today, now, with a soft heart that does not harden itself, responding in trust and placing oneself in his hand for his guidance. Delay hardens the heart, for each neglected call leaves less impression and less desire to turn, and the invitation stays open only while it is still called today, before the gate between time and eternity closes beyond readiness. As Israel in the wilderness grieved him by unbelief and testing despite seeing his works, and so was sworn not to enter his rest, those who hear now must hold confidence in Christ, labor by faith to enter that rest, and exhort one another daily while it is called Today lest sin deceive and harden any heart.
God Our Shepherd
He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand, belonging to His care as a shepherd's flock. This belonging is tied to Him as Maker and Creator of the earth, who made the earth and holds His people as the flock He pastures and holds in His hand. With Psalm 96 it stands as part of a song of worship that praises God as Creator and proclaims that He will judge the world with righteousness.
The Sabbath brings this message of belonging to God's people today, declaring that He is their God and they are His sheep, and the promises given to Israel apply to them as well. Because the Lord is Maker and God and His people are the flock He pastures and holds in His hand, humble bodily worship in prayer is right, coming before Him bowing and kneeling in dependence and thanksgiving.
Hearing Him means responding in trust and placing oneself in His hand for His guidance.
Hear His Voice Today
The verse calls for hearing God's voice today with a soft heart that does not harden itself, making the present the day to respond. Today is the time to listen and obey, while the invitation of salvation remains open and before the opportunity to act is lost. The call comes through the Spirit and must be met with dependence and thanksgiving, bowing before the Lord as Maker and God.
Delaying obedience hardens the heart, for repeated calls of the Holy Spirit leave less impression with each refusal. Each neglected opportunity brings less inclination to turn from worldly interests. Conviction may weaken and spiritual darkness may follow when response is put off. Repeated departures from truth dull the conscience, since sin is deceitful and can harden the heart against God.
The urgency lies in the limit set on today, for the invitation remains only while it is still called today. At the boundary between time and eternity the heavenly gate will close and the invitation will cease. Readiness cannot be postponed until Christ appears, when there will be no atoning blood to wash away sin. The present is therefore the time to accept mercy and obey the truth.
Hearing the voice without delay means those called to serve should not delay entering the work through unnecessary study. Students should not be held back from the work by further study that is not needed for their preparation. To harden the heart in this way is to repeat the wilderness refusal to respond today.
The psalm is to be read and heeded as a warning against calling evil good and good evil, being wise in one's own eyes, and justifying the wicked for reward. It warns against casting away the law of the Lord of hosts and despising the word of the Holy One of Israel. Such a course brings destruction as fire devours stubble and flame consumes chaff.
Wilderness Warning Repeated
The call to hear His voice today leads directly into the warning not to harden the heart as the fathers did in the wilderness in the day of provocation. The present is the time to respond to that invitation while it is still called today.
Ancient Israel grieved God in the wilderness, and because they would not trust and follow Him He swore in wrath that they would not enter His rest, the promised land. He would have led them there quickly if they had submitted to Him, but only the two who wholly followed Him entered. That warning also teaches His people to trust Him alone and not to seek help from those who do not serve Him.
Their unbelief kept that generation from entering God's rest, though the gospel was preached to them. The word did not profit them because they did not receive it with faith, and those who hear now must hold fast their confidence in Christ and labor by faith to enter the promised rest rather than repeat that example of unbelief. Israel repeatedly tested God despite seeing His works, always erring in heart and not knowing His ways for forty years. Their leaders did not obey God's voice but listened to the voice and policy of Lucifer, so God could not give them the blessings He designed them to have.
The verse declares what God will do for Israel and for His people in the last years of earth's history if they will obey His voice today and not harden their hearts, for His promised blessings were and are conditional on obeying that voice. This experience will be repeated with intensified perils in the closing scenes of earth's history, when men greatly honored by God will pattern after ancient Israel under Satan's influence. That repetition will come through satanic sophistries and delusive influences that unsettle faith in past experience bearing Heaven's signature.
Sin is deceitful and can harden the heart, so all must take heed lest there be in any an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. They must guard against unbelief and exhort and encourage one another daily while it is called Today, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.