We rejoice in what the Lord has done for his people in all centuries past, right up to today. Think especially of how God sent his own Son to die for sins, to be the perfect and final sacrifice of blood for our forgiveness. Praise God for the abundance of his grace at the cross! Then, on the first day of the week, Christ arose from the grave. By so rising, He knocked Satan off his throne and defeated all the powers of sin and death. This is our joy as we gather as church—no longer on the seventh day of the week, but on the first day.

We know that from its heading: “A psalm. A song for the Sabbath.” Tradition has it that this was the song sung in the temple courts on the seventh day of the week.

Though the worship at God’s house took place almost constantly, this was the climax: when the people gathered on God’s holy day, and presented their gifts of thanksgiving and sacrifices of atonement.

As these sacrifices were offered, the people sang in verse 1,

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High.

Those opening verses set the tone for all the worship in God’s courts that day.

Their worship of him would be enthusiastic, even exuberant, with “the music of the lute and the harp… the melody of the lyre” (v. 3). It was a time for pouring out everything before the LORD, for making the most beautiful praise.

It’s good to worship like this, because God is so worthy. He rescued his people from slavery in Egypt and He gave them his law.