Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Ps 99:1 and following. Indeed, Psalms 98 and 99 begin in the same way as Psalms 96 and 97 respectively. “Sing to the Lord a new hymn” (Ps 98:1). The new hymn is one that considers Christ in the new manifestations of his glory. At the dawn of His Kingdom, when God has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness, this hymn will be sung in heaven and all creatures will echo it (Rev. 5:6-14). Heaven and earth will sing in unison; a universal joy will finally respond to the goodness and fidelity of Dieu. “The Lord reigns” repeats Psalm 99. Her judgment having been exercised, her glory resumes “among the cherubs” the place she once left because of the iniquity of the people (Exodus 25:22; Se 10:1-22). His holiness is proclaimed three times: He is holy… he is holy… Jehovah our God is holy (Isaiah 6:1-4). But this “three times holy” God is also the one who forgives and we know that he can do so without denying Himself because of the work of the cross. Only then will the intercession of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel have its full response in this forgiveness that is already our part in grace (Exodus 32:7-14; Numbers 16:44-50; 1 Samuel 7:3-6; 1 S 12.20-25).
For this psalm presents the same Israel, the people of God, with obviously the same thoughts and joys in their hearts. The faithful anticipate to a large extent the kingdom, the forgiveness of the sins of the nation according to the same mercy that God used towards their fathers, and then the time when the people will perform in the temple the service of praise, in a spirit of reverence and fear, penetrated that it will be the holiness of the house of God and his government. But what causes joy here is not as before the preliminary judgments, but the actual reign of the king in Zion. For the Lord is now seated among the cherubs, he is at home in the midst of his people. He is “great in Zion.” And his people sing again his praise, exalting the Lord in the mountain of his holiness, the place of his just government; and all memories of the past, whether the days of Moses and Aaron, or those of Samuel, feed praise. And so it will be. For everything that does not contribute to it will be entrenched, as we have seen in Ps. 76. This psalm is part of the series of psalms that celebrate Jehovah’s kingship. All these Psalms also tell of the establishment of a divine kingdom on earth. All of them anticipate the event with joy. A universal hymn springs from all over the world to greet the advent of the just king. It is not only Zion and the daughters of Judah who rejoice, but the inhabitants of the distant islands and ends of the earth.
Even inanimate nature sympathizes with joy: the sea roars its welcome, the rivers clap their hands, the trees of the woods begin to sing before the Lord. In all these Psalms like this, joy springs from the same source, from the thought that on this earth, where strength has so long triumphed over law, a righteous king will reign, a kingdom will be established that will be a kingdom of justice, and judgment, and truth. “In this Psalm, not only the king’s righteous influence, but his awful holiness, is praised, and the true character of his worshippers as consecrated priests, saints, apart from his service, is illustrated by the examples of ancient holy men, such as Moses, Aaron, and Samuel.
‘The Lord dwells in the Church. “He sits on the cherubs.” The session involves rest and permanence; that Jehovah is not a passing host, but a permanent resident there. “The Lord chose Zion, He desired it for His home. This is My rest forever; here I will live, for I have desired it. In a special way, the Lord dwells in the Church. He especially manifested himself in the Holy of Holies of the Jewish Temple. “The Temple was the royal palace, and the Holy of Holies was the chamber of presence.” And in the Christian Church, he is particularly present. Here he manifests the perfections and glory of his character more fully than anywhere else. And the One who reigns in Zion reigns over all the nations of the earth. He is exalted above all peoples. Then thepsalmist speaks of his “great and terrible name”, or “great and frightening name”. For thename of the Lord is equivalent to the Lord Himself in His revealed holiness. His name is “terrible” for his enemies, “holy” for his people, “great” for both, and should be held in admiration and veneration by all men. Let the Church of this age ask itself two questions.
First, does the Lord dwell in her midst? Are the signs of his presence manifest? Have sinners converted to Him? Do its members live as members of a society in constant communication with and in the constant presence of the Lord and King? Second, is the Lord supreme in her? In some churches, the laws of Parliament are supreme, in others rigid beliefs and formulas, in others respectability and fashion, in others sacraments and ceremonies. For for the day when the Lord Jesus Christ, in His spirit and principles, will be supreme in every community of His disciples. One is far too inclined to think that God forgives men as the sovereign forgives a guilty person condemned to be hanged. Such forgiveness does not imply anything about the feelings of the criminal or the monarch. There is no need for pity on the one hand, nor for penance on the other.
For the true idea of forgiveness is not only in the realm of the law, but in the realm of love and fatherhood. God’s forgiveness is repeatedly presented in Scripture as the forgiveness of a father. “Your Heavenly Father will forgive you for your offenses.” Let us remember our own childhood, our children, and how we deal with them… Do not put the penis, but carry your child to your heart, it is your forgiveness. The blessing of forgiveness is not fully understood when one thinks that it is a matter of closing an outer hell or extinguishing its flames. It goes much further than that and means the troubleless communion of love and joy between the reconciled father and the repentant child. The slave may fear the penis, but the child dreads the father’s closed heart. And forgiveness is the open heart of God, full of love, not avoided by any consequence of my sin, not closed by any of my departures from Him.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
The Lord is king, he is holy:
· Divine royalty, general references
Ex 15:18 Jehovah will reign eternally and forever. Ps 24:10 Who then is this king of glory? – The Lord of hosts: This is the king of glory! – Pause. 1 Tim 1:17 To the king of the ages, immortal, invisible, only God, be honor and glory, in the ages of the ages! Amen! Rev 19:6 And I heard as a voice of a large crowd, as a sound of great waters, and as a sound of loud thunders, saying: Hallelujah! For the Lord our Almighty God has entered into His kingdom.
· Greatness of God
Dt 3:24 Lord Eternal, you have begun to show your servant your greatness and mighty hand; for what god is there, in heaven and on earth, who can imitate your works and your great deeds? Ps 95:3 For Jehovah is a great God, He is a great king above all gods. Ps 135:5 I know that jehovah is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Isa 12:6 Cry out with joy and elation, inhabitant of Zion! For he is great in your midst, the Holy One of Israel. Jer 32:18 You have mercy until the thousandth generation, and you punish the iniquity of fathers in the womb of their children after them. You are the great God, the mighty, Whose name is the Lord of hosts.
· True Worship of God, Commanded
Dt 26:10 Now behold, I bring the first fruits of the soil that you have given me, O Lord! You will lay them before Jehovah your God, and prostrate yourself before Jehovah, your God. Ps 96:6, 9 Splendor and magnificence are before his face, Glory and majesty are in his sanctuary. 9 Prostrate yourselves before the Lord with sacred ornaments. Tremble before him, all of you, inhabitants of the earth! Zec 14:17 If there are families of the earth who do not ascend to Jerusalem To prostrate themselves before the king, the Lord of hosts, the rain will not fall on them. John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. Rev 14:7 He said in a loud voice: Fear God, and give Him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come; and worship him who made heaven, and earth, and sea, and springs of water. Rev 22:9 But he said to me, Be careful not to do so! I am your companion of service, and that of your brothers the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.
· God’s Revenge
Ps 94:1 God of vengeance, Jehovah! God of vengeance, seems! Ez 25:17 I will take great revenge upon them, chastising them with fury. And they will know that I am the Lord, when I will exercise my vengeance on them. Rom 12:19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but let anger work; for it is written: To me vengeance, to me retribution, says the Lord. 2 Thess 1:8 in the midst of a flame of fire, to punish those who do not know God and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. Hb 10:30 For we know the one who said: Vengeance to me, retribution to me! and again: The Lord will judge his people.
From all the above, we note that Ps 99, though very simple in character, contains some important principles: Jehovah now reigns, not only by manifesting heavenly power, but by establishing that power as King on earth. Now he sits, as in the past, between the cherubs, in Israel. He is great in Zion and high above all peoples. In addition, the King (the Messiah, but always the Lord), loves righteousness and establishes righteousness, exercising judgment and justice in Jacob. Thus Jehovah, the God of Jacob, was to be exalted in Jerusalem. But here is another touching and important principle. Israel had failed entirely; he had repelled the Lord, rejected the Messiah, and had been judged and cast out. But God had never abandoned His faithfulness and grace. So the Spirit goes back here to recognize the saints of the old covenant who, by grace, had been faithful. The residue has always been recognized; in a sense we are all still children of Jerusalem, the neglected, and we wait, under discipline and government, which are for us those of a Father. Moses and Aaron among his priests, Samuel among those who invoked his name, the true prophets without office, whatever their measure, all cried out to the Lord and he answered them. There was between them and him the relationship of faith: Jehovah answered them, but he ruled his people, taking revenge for their actions. The regenerated Israel is thus identified with the faithful Israel of yesteryear. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “the faithful celebrate the joy that awaits him in the house of the Lord.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.