Psalm 97: The Lord is king
Questions to deepen our praise.
In Book 4 of the Psalms, we discover exuberant praise. The whole kingdom fell in Book 3, both Israel and Judah. David’s reign has gone, so why are they glad?
Psalm 97:1 (NIV)
The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.
This is a seismic shift. In the first 90 psalms there were only 14 praise psalms. Now there’s more praise than anything else:
- 92:1 It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High.
- 93:1 The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty.
- 95:1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord.
- 96:1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth
- 97:1 The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad.
- 98:1 Sing to the Lord a new song for he has done marvellous things
- 99:1 The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble.
- 100:1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
- 101:1 I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise.
- 103:1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
- 104:1 Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great.
- 105:1 Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name.
- 106:1 Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
What’s changed?
David was the main character of Books 1–3, and most of David’s psalms were laments, struggles with his enemies. As you may recall, this was the reason Israel wanted a king in the first place: “We want a king over us … to go out before us and fight our battles.” (1 Samuel 8:19-20). So it’s no surprise that this was the main topic.
When David fell, they could make no sense of God rejecting his anointed and renouncing his covenant (Psalm 89:38-39). Yet, even as they find themselves under foreign rulers, they declare that the Lord still reigns over everyone and everything: The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice (97:1).
God’s reign does not depend on David’s reign. The Lord was king before David reigned. The Lord is still king after David’s reign. God’s reign is global, even over the nations where they’re in exile. That’s the realization that triggers the praise of Book 4.
So, what is praise? Praise is our response to His Majesty. Look how Psalm 97 points us to the character and reign of His Majesty.
His majesty (97:1-7)
How do you picture God when you pray? Many Christians focus on Jesus, because it’s in Christ that we see God. But looking for God directly — without the human king — can feel like staring into the dark, like an enigma wrapped in a mystery:
Psalm 97:2 (NIV)
Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Clouds and thick darkness — it’s a strange parallel for righteousness and justice. Do you recall when Israel first saw God wrapped in a cloud? (Hint: Exodus 13:21-22.)
What was God doing at that time? How did they experience God doing right by them? How was God overruling the injustice of Pharaoh’s claim?
God led them to Sinai, calling them into a covenant that established his throne over them. Like Jesus said: God’s Spirit is no more visible than the wind, but we see the effect he has on the world. And the Spirit’s impact is God’s kingdom, a reborn people (John 3:3, 8).
In the Sinai covenant, God made a way for his people:
Psalm 97:3-5 (NIV)
3 Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.
Do you see any of those images in Exodus 19:16-19, when the people met the One who would reign over them now they were free from Pharaoh?
Mountains melting like wax has an interesting parallel in Micah 1:4. It’s like water rushing down a slope, eroding the hard earth like a landslide. Our heavenly sovereign knows how to terraform the earth into what he intends it to be. Even the most resistant and enduring elements (mountains) are transformed by his authority.
Here’s the goal this global restructure of the earth:
Psalm 97:6-7 (NIV)
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all peoples see his glory.
7 All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols — worship him, all you gods!
What a wild claim! The Lord — the covenant God of a people who had been captured by the nations — rules over what?
This was highly controversial in their world. Other nations believed there were different gods ruling different territories. Did Israel think those gods were real? What does “Worship him, all you gods!” mean (verse 7)? That will be the topic for another post.
The main point is that Israel’s invisible God is unlike the idols. You cannot see the Lord, but you see the effects of his presence (verses 1-4). He reigns as Lord of all the earth (verse 5). He does right, and all peoples experience his majestic sovereignty (verse 6), as he puts the gods of the nations to shame (verse 7).
Responding to His Majesty (97:8-12)
His Majesty reigns over everything and everyone in the heavens and on the earth. What’s our response to His Majesty?
Psalm 97:8-9 (NIV)
8 Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, Lord.
9 For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
Who responds first in verse 8? Why are they so happy? Why do His Majesty’s judgements bring them joy?
How far do God’s judgements extend? (verse 9) If God is above all gods, what does this mean for the territories that claim their gods had given them God’s people?
But what if everyone doesn’t submit to God’s authority?
Psalm 97:10 (NIV)
Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Who are the wicked in verse 10? Are these the foreign nations God needs to rescue his people from? Or is it those within God’s own people who act unjustly and oppress others?
Does verse 10 say that to love the Lord is to hate evil? What do we hate? Evil people? Evil acts? The Evil One? What does hating look like?
Or was this only for Old Testament times? What did Jesus do? What does the New Testament say is the appropriate response to God’s grace (e.g. Romans 12:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).
The point of verse 10 is divine rescue. The wicked don’t control the earth forever. Just as God rescued his people from Pharaoh, the Lord delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
The whole story of Scripture is in those words.
Back to those who do recognize the Lord’s authority:
Psalm 97:11-12 (NIV)
11 Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.
Who were the righteous in Old Testament times? Were there people who were upright in heart before Christ, or is this a purely theoretical group? What do you see in this Psalm as the key attitude of the righteousness?
What have you learned from this psalm about praising the Lord? What is it about the Lord that draws praise from your being? Did you notice the verse that wasn’t just talking about God, but was talking to God (verse 9)?
Adapted from the series, “Formed in God’s Story: Psalms.” Full notes and podcasts here.
Image: An orbital sunrise above the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia, NASA, 2021.
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