Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

• The Rivers of Life- “Let the rivers clap their hands 3 in glee! (8) ’ The clapping rivers are original to this Psalm; the rivers cast up high waves, which flow into one another like clapping hands.’ The rivers of His Spirit make God’s people glad! • The Singing Hills- “Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the Lord” (8) The hills are lifted up above the average valleys and plains teaching us to lift up our songs of adoration above the every- day events of our lives. Our faith is able to move the mountains to the sea!

“For the Lord is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness.” (9)

In his first appearing Christ came not to judge the world but to be its merciful Savior. “…for I have come to save the world and not to judge it.” (Jn. 12:47) “This last verse looks forward to his second ap- pearance where he returns as King and Judge. “For I, the Son of Man, will come in the glory of my Fa- ther with his angels and will judge all people according to their deeds.” (Mt. 16:27) When Christ returns, there will be perfect justice and fairness for all the oppressed and wronged people of the earth. Though justice may have been delayed in this life, it will not be denied in eternity.

1 Spurgeon 2 Scroggie 3 Keil & Delitzsch

PSALM 99: EXALT THE LORD OUR GOD Worshiping at the Feet of Jesus

This is the third psalm that begins with ‘The Lord is King!’ (93, 97, 99) . Spurgeon calls it the ‘Holy, holy, holy’ psalm, as it contains three declarations of the Lord’s holiness linking it closely with the Seraphim’s song in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4 where they are continually singing; “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty…” We are also reminded and directed to exalt the Lord three times in the song, (2, 5, 9) making Psalm 99 an Old Testament forerunner of the worship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is pictured as inhabiting five different locations; “between the cherubim”, “in Zion”, “ his footstool”, “the pillar of cloud” and “at his holy mountain” . Christ’s intercessory ministry in prayer is reflected in the lives of Moses, Aaron and Samuel, three of the greatest intercessors of the Old Testament. Ultimately the psalm is fulfilled in the life of the woman in the New Testament who worshiped at Jesus’ feet (his foot- stool). It is outlined by the three declarations of his holiness:

I MAJESTY IN JERUSALEM - 1-3 “Your name is Holy!” II MIGHTY KING - 4-5 “For he is holy!” III MOSES AND AARON - 6-9 “…the Lord our God is holy!” I MAJESTY IN JERUSALEM - 1-3

“The Lord is King! Let the nations tremble! He sits on his throne between the cherubim. Let the whole earth quake! The lord sits in majesty in Jerusalem, (Zion) supreme above all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name. Your name is holy!” (1-3) The Lord is presented as a spiritual king ruling over his kingdom with power and majesty. He sits on the ‘mercy seat’ of the Ark of the Covenant between the wings of the cherubim. In his 1st coming his kingdom is established in the hearts of people while his 2nd coming is visible and absolute. Jesus told Pontius Pilate; “I am not an earthly king… my Kingdom is not of this world.” (Jn. 18:36) Delitzsch says that peoples response is ‘ …trembling that leads to salvation 1 ’ his mercy being so awesome that we tremble before its wonder. His majesty is displayed in Zion, the place of constant worship. In the Old Testament times Zion was located in Jerusalem but the New Testament teaches us it has a heavenly address; “… you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to thousands of angels

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