Reigning in Righteousness
Exalt the Lord our God; bow in worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.
Psalm 99:9 (CSB)
The Psalmist rejoices in the majesty, holiness, and sovereignty of the Lord in Psalm 99. He reflects on the Lord’s reign over the nations and calls for all people to respond to His reign with awe and reverence. The Psalmist teaches us to surrender our lives to the authority of the Lord and to remain confident in Him as we face moments of uncertainty and fear. Psalm 99 reminds us that the Lord is in control and that we gain a better understanding of the struggles we endure when we correctly view the Lord’s reign, authority, and sovereignty.
God’s Sovereignty and Authority (1-3). The Psalmist glorifies the nature of the Lord by highlighting His sovereignty and authority. When we speak of God’s sovereignty, we refer to His rule over all things. His sovereignty is connected to His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. We must recognize the totality of God’s reign. Simultaneously, God’s reign reveals that the Lord deserves honor. The Psalmist evokes a response of awe toward His great name and reminds us that God alone is holy. We should learn to rejoice in the Lord’s reign and in His holiness.
God’s Response and Righteous Rule (4-5). God responds to the world through His righteousness and justice. His responses embody perfect fairness and moral integrity. The Lord remains unaffected by worldly influences due to His holiness and character. Therefore, He engages with the world in perfection because He is both the Creator and the epitome of perfection. As we reflect on how the Lord responds with perfect righteousness and justice, we should strive to have hearts that rejoice in God’s responses. While the world can hinder our ability to grasp perfect righteousness and justice, we must endeavor to deepen our relationship with the Lord and cultivate greater trust and understanding of God’s response.
God’s Relational Reign and Act of Redemption (6-9). Psalm 99 offers encouragement by reminding us that God responds to us intimately. God does not sit in an ivory tower at a distance to rule; rather, the Lord engages with us personally and closely. He demonstrated this through the lives of those who came before us. The Psalmist mentions Moses, Aaron, and Samuel as examples. As believers, we enjoy an intimate relationship with the Father because of our personal relationship with Christ. We are known by name, and we are enveloped in the sovereign love of the Lord.
QUESTIONS
Why do you believe it is difficult for people to understand the righteous justice of the Lord?
Why should you receive encouragement because of the intimate relationship you have with the Lord?
