Praising the Holy, Sovereign Lord of Salvation and Judgment

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 97-99

 

Psalm 99:9

Exalt the Lord our God,
And worship at His holy hill;
For the Lord our God is holy.

(NKJV)

 

Our God is sovereign and rules over all the earth, but sometimes events occurring in our world cause us to wonder if this is true. These three psalms written by unidentified psalmists serve to remind us of the holiness, sovereignty, salvation, and judgment of our God. While we do not know the circumstances behind the writing of these psalms, we know the psalmists were taking time to praise their God.

 

Psalm 97 begins with a declaration that the Lord reigns and for the earth to rejoice and the multitude of isles to be glad (Psalm 97:1). It continues by telling us that clouds and darkness surround the Lord and that the foundation of the Lord’s throne is righteousness and justice (Psalm 97:2). A fire goes out before the Lord that burns up His enemies with His lightning, lighting the world, causing the earth to tremble (Psalm 97:3-4). In the presence of the Lord of the whole earth, the mountains melt like wax, the heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory (Psalm 97:5-6).

 

Those boasting in carved images and idols are to be put to shame, with the psalmist calling on all gods to worship the Lord (Psalm 97:7). Zion hears and is glad with the daughters of Judah rejoicing because of the judgments of the Lord, who is most high above all the earth and exalted above all gods (Psalm 97:8-9). All loving the Lord hate evil, with the Lord preserving the souls of His saints, delivering them out of the hand of the wicked (Psalm 97:10). The righteous shall rejoice in the Lord and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name, because light is shown for the righteous and there is gladness for the upright in heart (Psalm 97:11-12).

 

Psalm 98 begins with a call for the people of God to sing a new song because of God's marvelous works, as His right hand and holy arm gain victory (Psalm 98:1). The Lord has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness to the nations, remembering his mercy and faithfulness to the nation of Israel, with all the earth seeing the salvation of God (Psalm 98:2-3). The psalmist asks us to shout joyfully to the Lord and break forth in songs of rejoicing and praises with the harp, trumpets, the sound of a psalm, and a horn before the Lord, the King (Psalm 98:4-6). Let the sea roar in its fullness and the world and all dwelling in it, with the rivers clapping their hands and the hills joyful together before the Lord (Psalm 98:7-8). The Lord is coming to judge the earth with righteousness along with the world and all its people, judging with equity (Psalm 98:9).

 

Psalm 99 begins with the psalmist saying let the earth be moved, for the Lord reigns and the people tremble, because the Lord dwells between the cherubim and is great in Zion, high above the peoples (Psalm 99:1-2). Let the people praise the great and awesome name of the Lord, for He is holy (Psalm 99:3). The King’s strength loves justice and has established equity, executed justice and righteousness in Jacob (Psalm 99:4). Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His footstool for He is holy (Psalm 99:5). Moses and Aaron were among the Lord’s priests with Samuel among those calling upon His name and the Lord answered them (Psalm 99:6). The Lord answered them in the cloudy pillar, and they kept the testimonies and ordinances He gave them (Psalm 99:7). The Lord answered them and was to them the God-Who-Forgives, even though He took vengeance on their deeds (Psalm 99:8). Exalt the Lord God and worship at His holy hill for the Lord God is holy (Psalm 99:9).

 

Although the identity of these psalmists is unidentified, their offering of praise to God for his sovereignty, salvation, judgment, and holiness reminds us to praise and worship these attributes of our God.

• Our God is sovereign – As the creator of all the earth and all that is in it, the psalmist tells us to offer our praise to God Almighty and not to worship idols, or carved images (Psalm 97:1,7).
• Our God provides salvation – God has revealed his salvation and righteousness to all the earth with the ultimate manifestation, Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• Our God brings judgment – However, do not delay in accepting the salvation of the Lord, for He is coming to judge the world (Psalm 98:9).
• Our God is holy – Both John and Isaiah received a vision of the holiness of God, with it recorded in Scripture to remind us that our God is Holy (Isaiah 6:1-3; Revelation 4:2-8).

 

In a chaotic fallen world, we can become distracted and forget to remember the sovereignty, salvation, judgment, and holiness of our God. In the parable of the sower, Jesus reminds us that the condition of the soil of our hearts determines how the Word of God is received.

• Soil in the wayside – The word is preached but soon forgotten (Mathew 13:4).
• Stony soil – The word is received with great enthusiasm but forgotten when the enthusiasm ends because it lacks root (Matthew 13:5-6).
• Soil with thorns and thistles – The word is received but forgotten when one takes their focus off Jesus and becomes worried over the cares of the world (Matthew 13:7).
• Good soil – The word is received, takes root in one’s life, bears fruit, and brings transformation to one’s life (Matthew 13:8).

 

The condition of the soil of our hearts is nourished by what we treasure in our hearts (Matthew 6:21). Ask yourself if you treasure God’s sovereignty or if you treasure other things in your heart. Do I know God is the only way to salvation (John 14:6), or do I look to other things to save me? Do I recognize God is my judge and live in accordance with His word, seeking forgiveness from Him should I fail? Do I recognize God as holy, as John and Isaiah saw in their vision of heaven (Isaiah 6:1-3; Revelation 4:2-8)? If you find yourself deficient in any of these areas, ask God to forgive you and help you grow.

 

I encourage everyone reading this to make sure they take time out of their busy day to have time alone with God. This may require looking at what happens during the day and eliminating time wasters and distractions. It may also require getting up early and going to bed later to ensure time alone with God. I also want to invite anyone reading this post who has not prayed to ask God to forgive their sins and to make Jesus the Lord of their lives to do so by praying with me now.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9). I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

If you meant what you just prayed, know that God has forgiven all your sins and that you now have a relationship with God and are a child of God (Romans 8:16). Like any relationship, it grows as we get to know each other. While God already knows all about us, we must study the Bible, the word of God, to learn more about Him. If you just prayed, I encourage you to find a Church that teaches the truth of the Bible so you can learn more about the Lord. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.