Psalms 99:1-9
1 The LORD reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!
2 The LORD is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name—
He is holy.
4 The King's strength also loves justice;
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the LORD our God,
And worship at His footstool—
He is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called upon His name;
They called upon the LORD, and He answered them.
7 He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar;
They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them.
8 You answered them, O LORD our God;
You were to them God-Who-Forgives,
Though You took vengeance on their deeds.
9 Exalt the LORD our God,
And worship at His holy hill;
For the LORD our God is holy.
This kingship song of praise honors the LORD God for His greatness and holiness, along with His justice and forgiveness. The fear of God results from understanding His sovereign reign over all; it is the entirety of that power which created the universe and us which, upon reflection, moves us to awe and trembling at His name as Psalm 2:11 told us as an overview of the following psalms, and as Philippians 2:12 frames these in God’s sanctifying work in us. The very earth is moved in worship of our God, as when the high priest approached the cherubim where man faced God to atone for sin (though only temporarily until the final Sacrifice of Jesus Christ once for all). He is great and therefore greatly to be praise praised! We see how God is not a man like us in His divine nature, and because of His holy nature we should praise that great and awesome name above all names (Ephesians 1:21). He is worthy of our praise. God as Sovereign King also loves justice because He is holy, justice in His strength and righteousness. It is by this strength He purchased our salvation in Christ to satisfy that justice by taking on our sentence of due punishment, as He showed mercy to Jacob in divine fairness tempered into grace to avoid destruction of a remnant. This is why all God’s people should, no, must, exalt His name and worship before the footstool of His throne. He is holy. We should imitate Him as Christ demonstrated to us, in holiness, as well. The examples of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel as priests here called on God’s holy name and were answered; we then called on the name above all names for our own salvation and became priests to our God (Exodus 19:6, Revelation 1:6, 5:10) to worship and serve Him. Do we also keep His testimonies according to His word? God is the one who forgives forever, even though we are still held accountable for our deeds (1 Corinthians 3:13-14). Mercy triumphs over judgment as James 2:13 tells us. The summary of this song of praise then is to magnify God’s holy name in living service of worship (Romans 12:1-2), living holy lives because He is holy and worthy of praise in His sovereign greatness. Amen!
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