Reflections on Psalm 99

 

Psalm 99 (Contemporary English Version)


1. Our LORD, you are King! You rule from your throne above the winged creatures, as people tremble and the earth shakes.
   
2. You are praised in Zion, and you control all nations.
   
3. Only you are God! And your power alone, so great and fearsome, is worthy of praise.
   
4. You are our mighty King, a lover of fairness, who sees that justice is done everywhere in Israel.
   
5. Our LORD and our God, we praise you and kneel down to worship you, the God of holiness!
   
6. Moses and Aaron were two of your priests. Samuel was also one of those who prayed in your name, and you, our LORD, answered their prayers.
   
7. You spoke to them from a thick cloud, and they obeyed your laws.
   
8. Our LORD and our God, you answered their prayers and forgave their sins, but when they did wrong, you punished them.
   
9. We praise you, LORD God, and we worship you at your sacred mountain. Only you are God!

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Without preamble, psalm 99 moves right into praise - The Lord reigns! As people of God we have dual citizenship, our citizenship in God's kingdom being greater than that of any other kingdom or nation. That comforts me, for I trust God's reign to be just and to have a greater eye for and understanding of the good of the people, than I do the governance of my own countries' leaders. The knowledge that God reigns should cause the people to tremble and the earth to quake, says the psalm. For those who rebel against God's reign the trembling is from fear. For those who submit to His reign it is in respect and praise.

Our praise of God is centered around His holiness, His justice, and His righteousness. In worshiping God we join a host of greats who also worshiped Him. These include Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. They called to the Lord and He answered them. He forgave them and punished their misdeeds. When thinking of God's punishment, keep in mind that part of the focus of our praise to God is His justice. We do not fear His punishment because it will always be just. In reality, God's punishment of those who submit to His reign serves as discipline to make their lives better, and it serves to assure them that they are indeed His people. For God only disciplines those He calls His children.

In conclusion (verse 9), we are once again called to worship God "for the Lord our God is holy."