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Introduction

Many of the problems confronting modern Christians is that they diligently try to do the right thing . . . but in the wrong categories. They try guitar fingering on a mandolin; they try chess rules on a backgammon board; they apply the rules of French grammar to English. And for us to draw attention to such mistakes is not to object to any of these things in particular—chess, guitar, backgammon, whatever. But this is a mistake we make whenever we try to “make a difference” and our activity does not proceed directly from a vision of the Almighty Lord, high and lifted up.

The Text

“The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness” (Ps. 97:1-12).

Summary of the Text

God reigns, and the whole earth is called to rejoice because of it (v. 1). His holiness is not what we might piously assume—His righteousness and judgment are like clouds and darkness (v. 2). A fire precedes Him, and burns up His enemies (v. 3). Lightning flashes, and the whole created order sees it, and trembles (v. 4). In the presence of God, hills and mountains melt like wax in a fire (v. 5). The heavens preach, and as a consequence everyone sees His glory (v. 6). A curse is then pronounced—we move from natural revelation to the subject of worship. Confounded be all false worshippers, and all gods are summoned to worship the one God (v. 7). When this is proclaimed Zion hears and is glad. The daughters of Judah rejoice (v. 8). Why do we rejoice? Because the Lord is exalted high above all the earth (v. 9). This transcendent sense of true worship has potent ethical ramifications—you that love the Lord, hate evil (v. 10). In this setting, God delivers His people from those who return the hatred back at them (v. 10). Light is sown for the righteous; gladness for the upright (v. 11). We are summoned by Him to therefore rejoice, and to give thanks as we remember His holiness (v. 12).

Clouds and Darkness

Holiness is not manageable (v. 2). Holiness does not come in a shrink-wrapped box. Holiness is not marketable. Holiness is not tame. Holiness is not sweetsy-nice. Holiness is not represented by kitschy figurines. Holiness is not smarmy. Holiness is not unctuous. Holiness is not domesticated. But worship a god who is housebroken to all your specifications, and what is the result? Depression, and a regular need for sedatives—better living through chemistry.

Holiness is wild. Holiness is three tornadoes in a row. Holiness is a series of black thunderheads coming in off the bay. Holiness is impolite. Holiness is the kind of darkness to make a sinful man tremble. Holiness beckons us to that darkness, where we do not meet ghouls and ghosts, but rather the righteousness of God—black righteousness. Holiness is a consuming fire. Holiness melts the world. And when we fear and worship a God like this, what is the result? Gladness of heart. Zion heard, and was glad (v. 8).

Gladness for the Upright in Heart

So if you worship the god who does nothing but kittens and pussy willows, then you will end in despair. Worship the God of the jagged edge, the God whose holiness cannot be made palatable for the middle class American consumer, and the result is deep gladness. Do you hear that? Gladness, not pomposity. And, thank God, such gladness does not make us parade about with cheeks puffed slighted out, or speak with lots of rotund vowels, or strut with a sanctimonious air. Gladness, laughter, joy—set these before you. This is deep Christian faith, and not what so many are marketing today in the name of Jesus. The tragedy is that in the name of relevance the current expression of the faith in America today is superficial all the way down.

This means there is a difference between a deeply rooted biblical gladness, on the one hand, and a superficial happy happy joy joy approach, rooted in nothing much.

Ye That Love the Lord . . .

Hate evil. And so this is why an ethical application of the vision of the holy is most necessary. If we bypass this vision of who God actually is, the necessary result will be a prissy moralism, and not the robust morality of the Christian faith. The distance between moralism and true morality is vast, and the thing that creates this distance is knowledge of the holy. Those who content themselves with petty rules spend all their time fussing about with hemlines, curfews, and scruples about alcohol. But those who see this folly and go off in their own little libertine direction are no better. The former act as though their moralism is grounded on the dictates of a gremlin-like god who lives in their attic, but his word is law. The latter say that this is stupid, and aspire to become the gremlin themselves. So there are two parts to this—love the Lord, and hate evil.

And your hatred for evil needs to become hissing hot, and not be simply a mild distaste for something that smells slightly off.

The Potency of Right Worship

In this psalm, how should we define right worship? The answer is that right worship occurs when the congregation of God approaches Him, sees Him as He is, and responds rightly, as He has commanded—in joy and glad submission. Such worship necessitates turning away from all idols (v. 7), and turning to the holy God who cannot be manipulated. In this seeing, we see Him truly, which is not the same thing as seeing Him fully. No creature can do that.

And in this psalm alone, what does right worship do? What effect does it have? What are the results? The earth rejoices (v. 1). All the islands are glad (v. 1). His enemies are consumed with the fire that goes before Him (v. 3). The earth is illuminated by His lightning, and trembles (v. 4). In the presence of the Lord (and in worship we are in the presence of the Lord), the hills melt (v. 5). The heavens preach, and the people see His glory (v. 6). Idolaters are flummoxed, confounded (v. 7). The universal call to worship is even issued to the idols (v. 7). Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice (v. 8). The name of God is exalted above every name (v. 9). The saints of God learn to hate what is evil, and God preserves them from those who persecute them (v. 10). Light and gladness are sown before us, and gladness for the upright in heart (v. 11). His righteous people rejoice, and are grateful when they remember His holiness (v. 12).

A Call to Worship

Those who serve graven images are confounded (v. 7). Those who worship false gods cannot be anything but confounded. Those who worship the true God falsely are missing the scriptural call as well. But those who worship rightly will inherit the earth.

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Introduction

God is worthy of all praise and honor. We know this through special revelation—as we see here in Psalm 96—and we also learn the same thing from the created order itself. God is speaking both places because God is silent nowhere. The creation is an essential part of the choir. The oceans are singing bass, and the stars have the high soprano descant. We, the redeemed of mankind, occupy the middle position and should do so as ones eager and willing to acquit ourselves well in the task. We should sing in a manner that is worthy of all our companions.

The Text

“O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice. Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth” (Ps. 96:1-13).

Summary of the Text

A general invitation is given to sing unto the Lord; it is a universal invitation—“all the earth” (v. 1). Sing to the Lord, and this should be extended through time—“day to day” (v. 2). All the heathen should hear about it (v. 3). The reason for this is the greatness of our God (v. 4). The gods of the nations are idols, but God created the heavens (v. 5). Honor and majesty are in front of Him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary (v. 6). Give glory and strength to the Lord (v. 7). Our God deserves glory, so bring Him an offering (v. 8). Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness (v. 9), and notice that this adoration of beauty goes together with fear. Say among the heathen that God is in charge (v. 10). The world is fixed in place because God settled it (v. 10). Let the heavens be glad; let the earth rejoice; let the oceans roar (v. 11). The meadows and trees join in (v. 12). The judgment of God is coming, and never forget that this is good news (v. 13). The judgment of God is a good thing.

Our God Made the Heavens

We have touched on this point already in other psalms, but the Lord is our Maker. He is the one who has made us, and not we ourselves. Any personal beings or impersonal forces that seek to occupy the position that should only be occupied by the one who made us are idols. This would include the deaf, dumb and blind process called natural selection.

We must affirm that the Creator made absolutely everything, and that He used that most abundant raw material of all, which would be nothing. So the doctrine of creation is profoundly foundational. Everything depends on it. It is by no means a secondary thing. Darwin was profoundly mistaken, and the only people who might be more mistaken than he was would be those Christians who think that there might be some kind of accommodation possible between Darwin and Genesis. And by Genesis I mean Genesis as handled by sober exegesis, and no funny business.

Our God is Beauty

God is infinitely sublime. Not only is He the ultimate embodiment of Beauty itself, we must also recognize that knowledge of this lines up entirely with the need to fear before Him. The aesthetic aspect of our worship does not reduce God to manageable proportions—we fear Him, and we worship Him in the beauty of holiness. God is beauty itself, not cuteness itself. He is not a domesticated god. He is

Our God is Worthy of Glory

We are to declare the glory of the Lord, and we are to declare it before the goyim, before the nations, before the heathen (v. 3). The fact that they don’t recognize this is not to be used as a reason for silence, but rather as a motive for declaration. All the tribes of men are to be invited to join in with the giving of this glory (v. 7). Give glory and strength to the Lord. He is worthy of great glory, and so we are to give Him the glory that is due to His name (v. 8).

When those who do not know God are silent about His glory, this is not to be taken by us as a signal to remain silent as well. When the heathen, who do not know Him, fail to give Him glory, this is a void that we must step into.

And Our God Reigns

We have a tendency to think that power is merely impressive, but we have learned already that God is the Maker of all things. We have learned that He is Beauty itself; we are to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. We are to render glory to Him. So this God, this creative, beautiful, and glorious God, this God, is the one who reigns over all things (v. 10).

Not one atom wobbles from its place. Not one crab nebula wanders from its assigned role. Not one hair takes up residence in your hairbrush apart from His command. Not one sparrow is taken down by a stray cat unless of the Father of all that is determined that it should be so. But this is not raw power.

This is no despot who reigns, but rather our heavenly Father. This is the one whose Son took on human flesh in order to die for all the sins of all His people. Do you think the problem of evil is a problem? God created this world, and everything in it, and determined that it should go in just the way it is going, so that all the evil in all the world might be fashioned into the shape of a Roman spear, and rammed into His side. He is our Maker. He is our beauty. He is our glory. He is the king, the one who reigns, and His crown is made of thorns.

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Introduction

Throughout the New Testament, we are given cautions and warnings. We are told repeatedly that we are to take lessons from what happened to our older brothers, the Jews. The things written down in Scripture were written for our edification, which means that we need to learn to read the narrative right. We are not told that the Jews could fall away, but that Christians cannot. Know that these warnings apply to us—not as though the decree of God’s election could be altered—but the warnings about our place in the visible covenant apply because our position is exactly that of the Jews. This will become plainer as we go on. The psalm is from David—although the psalm itself does not attribute it to David, that connection is made in the book of Hebrews (4:7).

The Text

“O come, let us sing unto the Lord: Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, And a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: The strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: And his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, And as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, Proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, And said, It is a people that do err in their heart, And they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath That they should not enter into my rest” (Psalm 95).

Summary of the Text

Biblical faith is a corporate affair. The godly looks around himself, and says to others, “Come” (v. 1). We need many to gather in order to make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. We come before His presence with thanksgiving, and the fact of a joyful noise is mentioned again (v. 2). We make that joyful noise with psalms. Why do we do this? Because the Lord is a great God, a king above all the other gods (v. 3). The deeps are in His hand. The wealth of the deepest mines are His (v. 4). He fashioned the oceans, and His were the hands that formed the dry land (v. 5). So the great invitation is issued again. Worship is corporate. Let us worship. Let us bow down. Let us kneel before our Maker (v. 6). He is our God. We are the people of His pasture. We are the sheep in His flock (v. 7).

Up through the first half of v. 7, the voice is that of one of the Lord’s people, inviting others to gather together in worship. It is a psalm of sheep exhorting sheep. In the turn from v. 7 to v. 8, we see that the voice is now the voice of the Shepherd. Do not harden your heart as you did before (v. 8), as your fathers did before (v. 9). There is ambiguity in v. 10. Did they grieve the Lord for forty years, or did they wander for forty years because they had grieved Him? I take it as the latter. These people err in their hearts (v. 10), and as a consequence God swore in His wrath that they would not enter His rest (v. 11).

These Ten Times

As Israel was fresh out of Egypt, they tempted the Lord because of a lack of water, and the place where they did this had two different names given to it—Massah and Meribah. “And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?” (Ex. 17:7). “Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah” (Deut. 6:16; cf. 33:8). Despite their provocation in this, the Lord did not relegate to a generation in the wilderness yet. That came about a year later, after the episode of the return of the unbelieving spies.

“Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it” (Num. 14:22–23).

Because of “these ten times” when they tested the Lord, all within the first year of their time in the wilderness, the Lord sealed them up in that wilderness for forty years.

Entering His Rest

As this psalm is interpreted and applied by Paul in Hebrews, there are multiple layers to the meaning of rest. In the psalm itself, the Lord was angry with that generation, and swore that they would not enter Canaan-rest (Ps. 95:11). There is the antitype of this, in the wilderness generation of Christians preparing to invade the world with the gospel, in what might be called the Great Commission rest (Heb. 3:14). Then there is personal salvation rest (Heb. 4:1-3). Then we have what can be called our corporate weekly-foretaste rest (Heb. 4:9-10). And last, we have what I take as a final heavenly rest (Heb. 4:11).

Covenant Continuity

As we consider these things, remember that God’ elect cannot be taken from His hand. Your regeneration is not reversible. No one can successfully thwart the work of salvation that God has once begun in a sinner’s heart.

At the same time, something can be thwarted. Apostasy is a real sin, committed by real people. It is not a sin that can be committed by any of God’s decretally elect, but it can be committed by individuals who are covenantally connected to Christ.

The New Testament Scriptures never say anything like this: In the Old Testament it was possible to fall away from the covenant, but now in the new covenant this is impossible. Not at all. “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Heb. 10:29).

Jesus is the vine, and branches can be cut out of Him (John 15:1-8). Christ is the root of the Abrahamic tree, and Paul tells Christians that they can be cut out of it just as the unbelieving Jews had been (Rom. 11: 18-24), and for the same reasons. And what kind of things were written down for our example (1 Cor. 10:6)?

So the Christ in whom we must believe has always been a present Christ. The Christ in whom we do believe is a Christ who is near to His people, and has always been near to His people. And when this is proclaimed, and the vicarious blood sacrifice that He offered to His Father is preached, there is only one reasonable response to it all. Come, let kneel before the Lord our Maker.

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Introduction

As a thoughtful Christian meditates on this psalm, it is hard to escape the conclusion that a good name for it would be “A Psalm for the Secular West.” But this would be a mistake—while it is absolutely pertinent for our times, there have been many generations when the same things could be said, including the time it was written. God has always been holy, and man has always been sinful, and the math always seems to work out the same way.

The Text

“O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself. Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: Render a reward to the proud. Lord, How long shall the wicked, How long shall the wicked triumph? How long shall they utter and speak hard things? And all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, And afflict thine heritage . . .”  (Psalm 94: 1-23).

Summary of the Text

The plea is for Jehovah to show Himself, as He is the one to whom vengeance belongs (v. 1). God, please rouse Yourself, and hammer the proud (v. 2). How long are You going to let the wicked run on like this (v. 3)? How long will they be allowed to boast in their pufferies (v. 4)? God, do You not see that they are breaking Your people (v. 5)? They murder widows, aliens, and orphans (v. 6), and give themselves a free pass by saying that God does not see it (v. 7).

Understand then, you swinish men, learn wisdom, you fools (v. 8). Do you really think that the one who made the ear cannot hear? That the one who fashioned the exquisite mechanism of the eye is Himself blind (v. 9)? The one who chastises pagan nations, shall He not correct you (v. 10)? He that teaches knowledge to man . . . words then fail the psalmist (v. 10). God knows the thoughts of man—and they are three parts mist, and two parts fog (v. 11).

If God teaches and chastens a man, then that man is blessed (v. 12). God will give him rest from affliction, until the point when the wicked get theirs (v. 13). God will never forsake His own heritage (v. 14). The upright will follow a right judgment (v. 15). Who will stand on our behalf against the wicked (v. 16)? The Lord is the only one who could do that (v. 17). When our foot is about to slip, the mercy of God intervenes (v. 18). When our thoughts are buzzing like a hive full of irritated bees, the comforts of God delight us (v. 19). Shall the throne of iniquity, that which uses laws as instruments of mischief, have fellowship with God (v. 20)? And what is the consequence of God refusing fellowship to a throne? That throne must fall. But they gather, they assemble, they conspire, and they do so against innocent blood (v. 21). Nevertheless God remains our defense, and our rock of refuge (v. 22). There is a final holy warning given, no less ominous for its holiness. God will bend their iniquity back on them (v. 23). He will cut them off in their wickedness; He will absolutely cut them off (v. 23).

Understanding Imprecatory Psalms

As Christians we are instructed to sing the psalms, all of them (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). This means that God wants them to help shape our devotional lives, and this includes the imprecatory psalms. God wants us to have a piety that knows how to cry out for vengeance, a piety that calls for blood.

But if you find yourself singing psalms of imprecation because someone cut you off in traffic, then I would suggest that perhaps you are doing it wrong. If you utter curses from the Psalter because you open the fridge and find that someone finished off the ice cream, then perhaps a basic refresher is in order. Remember that Jesus rebuked some of His disciples who wanted to call down fire from Heaven (Luke 9:55). Elijah had done this in a showdown with the wicked king Ahaziah (2 Kings 1:10). James and John wanted to do it because some Samaritans had told them the Motel 6 was full when it wasn’t.

So when you have learned to treat your personal enemies the way David did (1 Sam. 24:1-15), then you are in a good place to begin learning how to sing the way he did about God’s enemies (Ps. 139:21). The heart of the lesson is that psalms of imprecation are instances of us turning the whole thing over to God because He is the one to whom vengeance belongs (Ps. 94:1). When you do it right, you are taking your fleshly desires out of the dispute, not inserting your flesh into the conflict, and all in the name of Jesus.

The Great Wickedness of Evolution

The impudence of evolution is seen in the fact that it denies the first premise that is set out by the psalmist. He that made the ear, does He not hear? He that formed the eye, does He not see? He that gives man knowledge . . . oh, he is out of patience. Just stop.

The point of evolutionary science is in no way the pursuit of knowledge. It is rather a pell mell flight from the knowledge of God. The problem is not “not enough” knowledge. The problem is that we have too much knowledge, and we are trying to offload some of it.

Mischief through the Law

When we pretend that God doesn’t see us, the first thing this does is open up a vacancy. We need a god who sees us. And because the Most High apparently cannot see us, we will appoint some rebels to rule in His place. They abuse that position, naturally, but it is better than having the living God try to run our lives. What do these jitney gods do? The vaunt themselves in their pride (vv. 2, 4). They break God’s people (v. 5). They attack the defenseless (v. 6). They think their great vain thinks (v. 11). They frame mischief through their legislation (v. 20). And their own iniquity rises up like scalding water out of a geyser, and crashes back down on them (v. 23).

God’s Gonna . . .

And it seems only fitting to conclude with the words of Johnny Cash, who expressed one of the central sentiments in this psalm very nicely.

Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler
The gambler
The back biter
Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down
Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down

And never forget that the only safe way to flee from the wrath of God, from the anger of His hot displeasure, is to turn on your heel and run as fast as you can toward the wrath of God as it was poured out on the crucified Jesus.

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Introduction

All the attributes of God are unchanging and constant, by definition. But they are not always equally conspicuous to us. The Lord’s right arm is always infinitely what it is, but there are times when He bares His right arm. He is always strong, but there are times when He is revealed as clothed with strength. His majesty is a given, but there are times when He is clothed, not in the trappings of majesty, but in the reality of majesty itself. We are talking about the glory of God.

The Text

“The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: The world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. Thy throne is established of old: Thou art from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O Lord, The floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Thy testimonies are very sure: Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever” (Ps.93:1-5).

Summary of the Text

God is the king; He is the one who reigns (v. 1). But His reign is also gloriously legitimate—He is clothed with majesty. He rules over all—over inanimate nature, over those who rebel against Him, and over those who obey Him. Jehovah reigns. Because He is clothed with strength, the world is established. God’s throne is ancient and everlasting because God is from eternity (v. 2). The floods have lifted up their rebellion by means of their great voice (v. 3). God Himself, the Lord most high, is mightier than the sound of many waters (v. 4), and He is untroubled by the waves; He walks on them. When Jesus walked on the stormy water, He was a glorious antitype. Note the contrast between the world that is established by God’s throne, and the world of rebellious breakers that is turned to so much ocean spray. What this God reveals is certain; His testimonies are sure. Holiness befits His house, and it is that way forever and ever, amen (v. 5). His rule is eternal. His grace is absolute. His character is holy.

Jehovah and Majesty

The power of God is not simply raw power. We do not worship an omnipotent fiend, as though power could ever be detached from goodness. We are Christians who confess the omnipotent power of God, but we must not do this as though the doctrine of were somehow a regrettable intellectual necessity. No, the strength of Almighty God is splendid. It is not something for us to confess in embarrassed whispers. It is magnificent.

When God spoke to Job, it was out of a whirlwind (Job 40:6). When He spoke to Elijah, His voice was not in the wind (1 Kings 19:11-12). So whether God shouts, or whether God whispers, His wisdom is glorious. If every thunderclap that had ever sounded in every storm were all gathered up together, and broke about fifty feet over the top of our heads, the effect of that would be trivial compared to what the voice of God would be like. But not only that . . . it would also be beautiful. We are talking about majesty, splendor, glory, honor, might, and everlasting dominion.

It is not just that His Word is sure. It is that it is fitting that His Word is sure.

All Foam and Fury

The rebellions of the godless are vanity itself. But to us, who often do not have the vantage point of Heaven, their grimaces can be scary. Their bluster does not seem like bluster to us. Their posturing does not seem like posturing. Their great swelling boasts seem like swelling breakers that threaten to sink us all. But the promises of God are like rocks on the Oregon coast. When the waves meet the rocks, the waves lose.

So the Most High God is mightier than their noise (v. 4). Does the Supreme Court say that men can marry men? This decision was made by 9 mortals, every one of them dying. All the fruit flies of earth have declared war on the citadels of Heaven, and none of the watchmen on those celestial towers have even noticed. The throne of God’s dominion is utterly and infinitely out of range. So if you want something here on earth to be secured, the place where it must be anchored or secured is there, in the realm of God.

Truth, Holiness, Glory

But the God who reigns, the God who has reigned from all eternity, is a God who speaks. He is an author; He has written a book. This God who laughs at the sea foam of secularism is a God who has testimonies. These testimonies are His Word, and the doctrines of that Word are truth itself, and the precepts of that Word are holiness itself. His doctrines don’t require edits. His commandments don’t require upgrades or adjustments or moral improvements. They do not change with the times. They are in fact utterly behind the times—how could they not be behind the times. They were written by the Ancient of Days, the ultimate ruler who is behind the times. Another way of saying behind the times is before eternal ages.

Would you behold that splendor? Would you see that majesty? We know from this psalm that God is in fact clothed with majesty. We know that it is true. But would you see Him clothed in majesty? Are you hungry the way Moses was, when Moses asked if He could see the glory of God? We are invited to do so, and have been given a special “glass” or mirror that we are appointed to use. That glass is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, crucified for sinners, and raised for His saints.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).

 

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