| Psalm 97 — He Reigns
For some, that God is declared to reign in the Earth is a statement of His glory. Yet, for others, it is an indictment against God. They say that if there is a "God," He must be very cruel because He seems to take so little action against the evil, sickness, or natural disasters that plague humanity. If He reigns over all but allows so much that is bad go unchecked, how could He ever be a God of love? The answer to this common indictment against God is found within this psalm. God's sustaining force over creation, along with His care for His people in the midst of a fallen world, is one proof of His authority. The truth is that God's reign is seen even in the ongoing evil and disasters of our world. The unchecked troubles of our world are a direct result of humanity's choice to cast off the His reign and His kingdom. And in His authority, God has allowed this choice. He is allowing a rebellious world to experience the consequences of their rebellious choices. Yet, in the midst of all this, He does not destroy Earth in hopes that we will return to Him as an act of our own choice and love (v. 1-6). He furthermore provides a clear contrast between Himself and manmade idols; idols can do nothing to override God's curse upon this world (v. 7-9). Lastly, His reigning authority will be revealed when He holds all humanity accountable to His righteous and just throne of judgment (Rev. 20:11-15). For those who choose to love Him and join Him in His hatred of evil, He will preserve them, deliver them, and bring to them joyful and thankful hearts. Psalm 98 — Worthy of Our Praise
98:9 before the LORD, For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity. God's faithfulness to the nation of Israel in its deepest struggles as a nation became a backdrop for His marvelous work. God revealed Himself to be their victorious defender and Savior who could not be denied by the nations of the world. These nations could attribute Israel's rescue to none other than God. There is a direct parallel to this among God's people in Christ today. We, too, face impossible odds as we stand for Christ's kingdom in a fallen world before the devil and our own sinful natures. The victory we experience in our own battles with darkness and that stirs praise and glorious worship to the One who has faithfully loved us can only be attributed to our God. It is a praise that ultimately all of creation will join in when Christ returns to judge the Earth and remove the curse of sin and power of death that has held the world in slavery. Our God and victor over sin is, both now and forever, worthy of our highest praise. Psalm 99 — Our Highest Purpose in Creation
The call to worship is a call to the deepest and most sacred part of our lives. To express love and adoration for God is to give expression to the foundational purpose of our very existence. To love God with everything we are is the first and greatest commandment for a reason. God, who set all of creation in motion, has made us like no other. He has made us in His image. Being made in His likeness, enables us to commune with God like no other thing or being in all creation. We are chosen to be His bride—the object of His rich and infinite love, which gives us the capacity to respond to God in love. For us to praise Him in all that He is connects us in that moment to the core of the reason we were created. In discovering Him and His image, we find a corresponding likeness that can appreciate, understand, and love the God who made us like Him and for Himself. Psalm 100 — Joyful Sacrifice
To serve God in gladness is to find one of the secrets to a life lived right. The greatest, most impressive acts of service to God, which are not done from joy and gladness, become sterile, cold, and ultimately worthless things. From Heaven's perspective, the heavy burden and forced obligation that often comes with our service to God must be seen as one of our greatest sins. To lose joy and gladness in serving God reveals how much He has become devalued in our lives. This would be like a wife who sighs and complains as she cooks a meal for her family, or a husband who complains when he has to work to provide for the needs of his family. Such service becomes unpleasant to the ones being served so begrudgingly. It is a sad thing to offer such service to God. Love will do just the opposite. Love believes no sacrifice is beyond them to serve the one they truly love. When gladness is lost, let us stop and renew our love and our vision of God. Let that awaken again the joy in serving the One whom our hearts adore. | |||
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Psalm 97 A Song of Praise to the Sovereign LORD1 The LORD reigns; 2 Clouds and darkness surround Him; 3 A fire goes before Him, 4 His lightnings light the world; 5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, 6 The heavens declare His righteousness, 7 Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, 8 Zion hears and is glad, 9 For You, LORD, are most high above all the earth; 10 You who love the LORD, hate evil! 11 Light is sown for the righteous, 12 Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous, 1 Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! 2 The LORD has made known His salvation; 3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; 4 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; 5 Sing to the LORD with the harp, 6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn; 7 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, 8 Let the rivers clap their hands; 9 before the LORD, 1 The LORD reigns; 2 The LORD is great in Zion, 3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name— 4 The King's strength also loves justice; 5 Exalt the LORD our God, 6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests, 7 He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar; 8 You answered them, O LORD our God; 9 Exalt the LORD our God, 1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; 3 Know that the LORD, He is God; 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, 5 For the LORD is good; | |||
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| Psalm 97 This psalm, like its immediate neighbors, lacks a title. It celebrates God's rule over all creation. It pictures Him as walking in a blazing fire that consumes His enemies, hurling bolts of lightning as He establishes justice upon the earth. v. 1 The LORD reigns – The ancient Hebrews pictured the dry land as being constantly under attack from the waves of the sea (representing the forces of destruction and chaos). God's sovereign Kingship insured that the world would be preserved and was a cause for rejoicing and praise. far islands – From Israel's viewpoint, the remote regions of the earth. v. 2 Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation – God's deepest essence is surrounded by mystery, but He has shown us that He is truly good and just; that is the basis of all His actions toward His creation (Deut. 4:11). v. 3 A fire goes before Him, and burns up His enemies round about – God is pictured as a blazing inferno, consuming His enemies. v. 4 His lightnings light the world; the earth sees – Lightning was the "weapon of God" (Ps. 18:12, 29:7). While most of us have little fear of lightning today, people of earlier times recognized how dangerous it is, particularly when one is caught out in the open. trembles – quakes v. 5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth – A startling image: the mountains, which appear so stable and unchanging, drip away like warm wax before the blazing presence of God. v. 6 The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory – With this verse, the psalm turns in a new direction: God is not simply powerful, He is Just. The glory of His might is not only seen in His displays of power but in the righteous and fair way He rules. v. 7 Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, who boast of idols – Idol worshippers are covered with shame. idols – literally "ungods" (see Ps. 95:3 study note) Worship Him, all you gods – This appeal stands in apparent contradiction to the first part of the verse. Are there really "other" gods? The psalmist may have been referring to other supernatural beings, such as angels or demonic powers. In this case, he clearly states that any power other than the Lord is a "pseudo-god," totally secondary to the one true God. v. 8 Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice because of Your judgments, O LORD – While daughters may refer to the young women of Israel, dancing in celebration, because Zion usually refers to Jerusalem, the capitol of the nation and home of the temple of God, the daughters of Judah may, in a derived way, refer to the smaller towns and villages of the country. This would mean then, that the entire nation is in celebration of God's just rule. v. 9 For You, LORD, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods – See study notes on v. 7. There may be, as Paul notes, many so-called "gods" that populate the different dimensions (1 Cor. 8:4-6) but there is only one true and eternal deity. v. 10 You who love the LORD, hate evil! – Love for God inevitably results in revulsion at evil and injustice: in ourselves and in the world. He guards his "saints" (the faithful in Israel) and saves them from the wicked. The hand of the wicked – Note the typical Hebrew way of picturing abstract things (power and influence) with a concrete thing (hand). v. 11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart – The psalm, which began with a picture of the blazing fire surrounding God's presence (v. 2-3) closes with another exquisite image of light: a sower spreads out "seeds of light" and "joy" for the just and upright person. This will apparently grow up into a harvest of blazing brightness and rejoicing. Psalm 98v. 1 marvelous things – wonders and miracles His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory – In typical Hebrew fashion, instead of referring to God's power and might, the poet sings of His right hand and holy arm. The victory referred to implies a battle that God has been engaged in for His people. v. 2 salvation – in this case, deliverance from the enemy His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations – In Hebrew thinking, abstract qualities such as righteousness have no real meaning until they are revealed in actions and deeds. (James 1:26, 2:18) This applies for both God and man. Thus, the frequent prayers of the Bible for God to "show" and "reveal" His justice and mercy. v. 3 All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God– Though the psalm clearly notes God's special relationship to His covenant people, his reign extends over the entire world in a global acknowledgment of His victory over the forces of darkness and chaos. v. 5 harp – the lyre, a small stringed instrument like the Irish harp v. 6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn – Trumpets were probably what we would visualize: a long metal musical instrument. Horns were ram's horns, the shofar (Heb.). Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King. – The poet imagines the cheering sound of the congregation at a worship service. v. 7 roar – Thunder, like drums and cymbals, the waves crash on the shore as part of a symphony of praise to the Creator. The world and those who dwell in it – The entire earth joins in. v. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands – While the oceans thunder out their praise by means of the waves beating against the shore, the rivers "clap" as they collide against the rocks within a river. Let the hills be joyful together – Now, the mountains join in and sing. The mountains provide the chorus for the whole orchestra, as the wind whistles across them and the birds cry out in the sky above. v. 9 before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth – The psalmist adds a special twist at the end of the song: God is not just to be praised because He is the Maker of all things, but because He is going to establish justice throughout the earth, for His entire creation. With righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity – The cry of the oppressed through the ages will be heard when God comes; justice and equity (righteousness) will rule the day. This will be supremely fulfilled when Christ returns to reign over the world. Psalm 99This psalm lacks any traditional title. It is the last of the little group of psalms from Psalm 93-99 that celebrates God's kingship and rule over the world. v. 1 The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! – The peoples of the earth shake in fear as they recognize the awe-inspiring power of God, the Ruler of all things. cherubim – Cherubim are not the chubby little angels of baroque paintings but amazing winged beings with the body of a lion and a human face, or, at times, a glorious light. They were pictured in the Old Testament as holding up God's celestial throne. Psalm 18 and 2 Samuel 22 picture God mounting the cherubim to ride to the rescue of His people. The result is that the earth itself begins quaking in sympathy with the awe-struck trembling of the nations. v. 2 Zion…all the peoples – This verse neatly brackets the dual focus of the entire psalm: God's chosen people and all the nations of the earth. v. 3 He is holy – God's greatness is not merely based upon His raw power (though that is also clearly in view). Hebrew thinking linked one's character with one's name. His character is Holy, i.e. high and separate from evil and corruption. v. 4 The King's strength also loves justice – God is the source of all just and righteous rule. You have established equity – He is the firm foundation of an ethic for social relationships. You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob – By Him and His standard judges decide right and a nation and people live in fair relationships. v. 5 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His footstool – The footstool of the king was at the base of his throne, the stool upon which he rested his feet; anyone seeking an audience with him first bowed down at the base of the throne in acknowledgment of his authority. v. 6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel – These three men from Israel's history united the office of priest and prophet in close obedience to God. They called upon the LORD, and He answered them – The fact that God answered the petitions of these men gives the worshipers confidence that He will respond positively to the prayers of the people as the priests led the congregation in worship in the Temple. v. 7 He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar – God led the people of Israel through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud and spoke His Word. They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them – The people identify with the obedient response of their ancestors and commit themselves to similar obedience. v. 8 You answered them, O LORD our God – Again, the focus of the worshipers is on God willingness to respond in grace and mercy to the pleas of His people. v. 9 holy hill – the Temple of God, site of worship and praise Psalm 100This little thanksgiving psalm has been a favorite of the People of God through the centuries. The Hebrew word for thanksgiving (todah) means both the actual giving of thanks and the expression of that thankfulness in an act of worship as one brings a thank offering to Him. v. 1 shout – in an act of worship and praise all lands – God is to be thanked by all people, not just Israel. v. 2 come before His presence – Come into the temple courts; the image is of a joyful crowd, singing and worshiping as they move into the Temple area. v. 3 the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves – There is no doubt as to who is God: He is our Maker. We have a beginning and an end to our life: He is without boundary and forever. we are His people and the sheep of His pasture – The truly startling fact, though, is that He cares for us and are His people; the image of God as our shepherd is a deeply reassuring one that reappears prominently in Psalm 23. v. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving – The gates of the Temple were the boundary where the worshiping pilgrim crossed into God's house. and into His courts with praise – Moving on in the procession, the worshiper now finds himself in the forecourt of the Temple. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name – Thanks to Him for His goodness moves us to see His character, His true nature embodied in His "Name." v. 5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations – The conclusion of this psalm summarizes a deep truth: God's goodness is unbreakably linked to His mercy and His truth. There is no tension or conflict between these aspects of His character. His goodness will never be sacrificed; mercy and truth will always both be upheld. | |||
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What could truly be better, Lord, than to serve You with gladness! We repent of those times when we've served Your children with hearts that are resentful or grumbling. We ask Your forgiveness, because we know it is a privilege to serve others on Your behalf. We thank You for Your faithfulness to forgive. | |||
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97:1 The LORD reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad!
New Hope Ministry
