Our God Reigns!

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by elizabethaudet

by elizabethaudet

Psalms 96:1-13; 97:1-12; 98:1-9; 99:1-9

I chose to combine four Psalms because they are repetitious but I do not want you to lose the authority given to them by God. The best way to follow this study is to read all the way through the Psalms before you before you read my own commentary of these four. You will discover, If you divide these four into four categories, that they over the same general topics, but each has an individual touch which separates one from another. I will explain these as we study together.

First, we find the predominant emphasis is praising God: in Psalms 96:1-3 the Psalmist says, (CEB)-"Sing to the Lord a new song!" This emphasizes a new fresh fervor of excitement and inspiration in our hearts. Not the old but something new and enticing! "Sing unto the Lord; all the earth." This part celebrates His power over all the earth. No exceptions! There is a repetition of this quote in Psalm 98:1-"O sing to the Lord a new song!"

(Read Isaiah 43:19; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Jeremiah 31:31; Ezekiel 36:26; Isaiah 62:2; Revelations 2:17; and 2 Corinthians 5:17-"new creatures in Christ Jesus)

Psalm 97:1-(CEB)-"The Lord rules! Let the earth rejoice..." (TEV)-"The Lord is King! Be glad, earth! Rejoice all you islands of the seas!" The suggestion follows that we spread this praise news around. (NKJV)-"Proclaim (tell it) the good news of His salvation from day to day (regularly). Declare His Glory amount the nations, His wonders among all peoples." Looks like we have a responsibility to keep on keeping on spreading the news! All nations refers to God's promise to Abraham from Genesis 12:2-(NKJV)-"I will make you a great nation...and in you all the nations of the earth shall be blessed." Here is the celebration of the good news in David's day still being spread! Jesus admonished them in Matthew 28:18-20 to "Go...and make disciples of all nations...I am with you always, even to the end of the age." So keep it going in our days!

This praise is, (NKJV)-"For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods." This repeated almost exactly and the reason in Psalm 95:3; 145:3; and the reason is given in 18:3-He is -"worthy to be praised..." Let's just Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Lift up your hands toward heaven and Praise the Lord! Psalm 98:4b- (CEB)-"Be happy! Rejoice out loud! Sing His praises!"

Next we will declare the praise for His Creative power in the earth which adds power to our praise. Psalm 98:6-suggests the way to worship in (CEB)-"with the lyre and the sound of music. With trumpets and a horn blast, shout triumphantly before the Lord, the King." I love the way the creation is brought in, for it is to the praise of God also. (NKJV)-Psalm 96:5b-"But the Lord made the heavens. Honor and Majesty are before Him."; (TEV)-Psalm 97:2&6-"Clouds and darkness all around Him...the heavens proclaim His righteousness and all the people see His Glory."; (Read Jeremiah 10:11;and Isaiah 42:5) Psalm 97:4-"His lightning lights up the world,...the hills melt like wax before the Lord."; (CEB)-Psalm98:7&8-"Let the sea and everything in it roar; ...Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains rejoice out loud altogether before the Lord..." A lot of rejoicing and praise going on! How about you? (Psalm 96:11-12).

Honor, Majesty, Strength, and Beauty are mentioned in Psalm 96:6. They are all "in His Sanctuary." (NKJV)-Psalm 29:2-"Give unto the Lord the Glory due His Name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of His Holiness." Beauty and strength come from Holiness, His Holiness. They are obtained from His sanctuary. Good place to go to get them!

Our King is Royalty! Psalm 96:7-(NKJV)-We are to "Give to the Lord, O families of the people's,"(that takes care of all of us)! "...Glory and strength...Glory to His Name. Bring an offering, and come into His courts...Worship the Lord in the beauty of His Holiness! Tremble before Him, ...say among the nations, The Lord Reigns!" That ought to keep you praising for a while!

A royal declaration has been made! Holiness is the theme of (TLB)-Psalm 99:1-3, 5, 9-"Jehovah is King! Let the nations tremble. He is enthroned between the Guardian Angels. Let the whole earth shake. Jehovah sits in majesty in Zion, supreme above all rulers of the earth. Let them reverence Your Great and Holy Name...Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His Holy Mountain in Jerusalem, for He is Holy." Two gold cherubim graced the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant in Exodus 25:18-22. Holy means "distant" or "Distinct from" which in Hebrew sets the form of God. (Read Psalm 113:4-6). He is so powerful and so high above our conceptions that it sets Him apart from us by nature . However that was His purpose in giving Jesus to redeem us and give us access to His power through the Holy Spirit . He may be distant and distinct but He is willing to accept us as His children. What a tremendous King of kings He is!

Last we will deal with the God of Justice and Judgment. We are assured in Psalm 96:10b-NKJV)-"He shall judge the people righteously." vs.13-"He shall Judge the world with righteousness." Psalm 98:8b&9-(CEB)-"He is coming to establish Justice on the earth! He will establish Justice in the world rightly;...among all people fairly." (NKJV)-Psalm 97:3-"A fire goes before Him and burns up His enemies round about...(verse 7) "Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, who boast of idols." (Verse10) "He preserves the souls of His saints, He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart." 98:9-(NKJV)-"For He is coming to judge the earth, with righteousness...He shall judge the world and the people with equity." He is a fair God! We get what we deserve for eternity. (TLB)-psalm 99:4&5-"This mighty King is determined to give Justice, Fairness is the touchstone of everything He does. He gives Justice throughout Israel. Exalt the Lord Our Holy God! Bow low before His feet." (Better think on this one!).

Examples are given from the Old Testament to help us understand His Justice: (TLB, Psalm 99:6&7)

1. Moses- (Psalm 77:2; 103:7; 105:26; 106:16, 23, 32)

2. Aaron-(115:10, 12; 118:3; 133:2; 135:19)

3. Samuel-(Psalm 99:8-"You answered them and forgave their sins yet punished them when. they went wrong.")

To sum up the whole study, God is above and beyond us in Greatness. Greater than anything on earth or beneath the heavens. He loves and cares for His children and prepares Judgment for the wicked with Justice for the believers. He is to be praised for His Justice and Greatness! (NKJV)-Psalm 82:8-"Arise, O God, Judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations."

This is an eternal situation for Revelation 19:20-says "The Beast and False Prophet is captured and their worshippers. Two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone and the rest were killed by sword." Revelation goes on with the final scene -"Now I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and He that sat on him was called Faithful and True and in righteousness He judges and makes war." The Justice is equal to all. None are left out!

I will close with the words of the Psalmist in four versions : (Psalm 99:9)-

(TLB)-"Exalt the Lord our God...for He is Holy."

(NKJV)-"For the Lord our God is Holy."

(CEB)-"Magnify the Lord our God! Because the Lord our God is Holy."

(TEV)-"Praise the Lord our God...The Lord our God is Holy."

He is OUR SOVEREIGN GOD!

Next time...