Psalms 99

Psalms 99:1-9

Worship the Great and Holy One Psalms 99:1-9 This psalm has its counterpart in Psalms 97:1-12. There Jehovah’ s reign is associated with the gladness of faith; here with the trembling of mortal and sinful hearts. Thrice we are reminded that He is holy, Psalms 99:3; Psalms 99:5; Psalms 99:9. This threefold ascription of earth concerning the holiness of God answers the threefold ascription of heaven, where one seraph cries to the rest, saying, “ Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory,” Isaiah 6:3. God’ s holiness is terrible to sinners. It inspires even His own people with awe. However near we come to Him in Christ, we always must remember that we are sinful men who have no right to stand before Him, save through the mediation and in the righteousness of His Son. How great God must be, who can reckon Moses, Aaron, and Samuel as His servants! And we, too, though beneath them in personal character and gift, are permitted to be among His priests; to call upon His name; to hear Him speaking from the pillar of cloud. Let us all walk worthy of our high calling! Let us fear this great and holy God, who cannot tolerate sin in His children, and will not scruple to inflict pain if sin is persisted in. He does forgive-glory to His name!-but He will not hesitate to chasten us for sins which we presumptuously and knowingly permit.

Exalt ye the Lord! This is the last of these precious Psalms which dwell so rapturously on the reign of Jesus. It falls into three strophes, each ending with God’s holiness (Psalms 3:1-8; Psalms 5:1-12; Psalms 9:1-20).

Psalms 99:1-3. The Lord is great in Zion The majesty of God. But great and awful though He be, we fear Him not, for “He sitteth on the cherubim,” a phrase which always recalls the blood-besprinkled mercy-seat–God in Christ, reconciling the world. Though the reign of Christ is closely associated with the temporal restoration of Israel, yet in the meanwhile it is set up in the hearts of believers (Luke 12:32; Luke 17:21; 2 Corinthians 10:5).

Psalms 99:4-5. Exalt ye the Lord! And worship! A demand for homage. The more we abase ourselves before God, the more we exalt Him.

Psalms 99:6-9. They called: He answered An enforcement from the examples of the past. There never were three such men. Each was a marvellous illustration of the power of prayer and praise. Let us follow in their footsteps, cultivating the meekness of Moses; the holy nearness of the Aaronic priesthood; and the prayers which were so striking a characteristic of Samuel (1 Samuel 7:8-13; 1 Samuel 8:6; 1 Samuel 8:21).

Psalms 99:8. Thou forgavest! Thou tookest vengeance! Let us beware of sin. It may be forgiven, yet we may have to reap its bitter results. Moses was forgiven, but he did not enter the Promised Land. So was David, but the sword never left his house.

Psalms 99:9. His holy hilll, Our God is holy! Oh, the holiness of God! Let us not rest until it has been brought into our hearts by the Holy Ghost; so that we may be holy in quality, if not in degree, as God is holy (1 Peter 1:16).