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24.11.2011 Feature Article

THE UNIVERSAL REIGN OF THE LORD

THE UNIVERSAL REIGN OF THE LORD
24.11.2011 LISTEN

PSALM 99:1-9

INTRODUCTION

Mary broke her vase. Broke it? How shocking. How controversial. Was everybody doing it? Was it a vase-breaking party? No, she did it all by herself. What happened then? The obvious: all the contents were forever released. She could never hug her precious nard to herself again.

The need for Christians everywhere (nobody is exempt) is to be broken. The vase has to be smashed! Christians have to let the life out! It will fill the room with sweetness. And the congregation will all be broken shards, mingling together for the first time. If you know one another as broken people, you are ready to get on with a church service.

I. THE UNIVERSAL PRESENCE OF THE LORD VV. 1-5
This is the last of the enthronement Psalms that portray the universal reign of God (Psalm 47, 93, 96-99). These Psalms are called the “eschatological songs of Yahweh's enthronement.” Therefore, the Psalmist opens with the proclamation “The Lord reigns.” The Lord is highly exalted in heaven, as He “sits enthroned between the cherubim.” The universal reign should cause the nations to tremble before Him. However, not all the nations of the world tremble before Yahweh, the covenant keeping God. There are some nations in our world today that do not acknowledge Yahweh as their King, but a time will come when they will be compelled to acknowledge Him as Lord of lords and King of kings. Some nations in the world today punish and kill Christians because they ascribe worship to the Lord. A time is coming when all the wrongs that have been done to the people of God will be made right and believers vindicated. The unfortunate thing is that some believers today come before the presence of the Lord as if He is their friend. We must always come before the presence of the Lord with reverence and worship.

When the prophet Isaiah saw a glimpse of the glory of the Lord, I believe he prostrated himself and said, “Woe is me! I am undone, for I am a man of unclean lips.” You cannot catch a glimpse of the glory of the Lord and still stand tall. You will have to bow or fall prostrate before Him, because He is awesome. He is the majestic Lord, who presides over the entire universe. We worship this Lord. This Lord has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. This Lord invites us to come into His presence with thanksgiving and adoration. Some worship idols but we worship the true and living God. Everyone in the world has to decide whether he/she will worship the Lord or not. That was the mandate Joshua the servant of the Lord, gave to the children of Israel when he reached the end of his earthly life. He drew a line in the sand and concluded, “Choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

The cherubim are the mysterious creatures who circle the throne of the Lord in heaven. If you and I were to see one of them today, we would have to bow down and cover our faces for fear of such a sight. However, we are not to worship the cherubim, for they are creatures like us. Worship is reserved exclusively for the Lord. He alone should be our object of worship.

The imagery of the cherubim derives from the Ark of the Covenant whose lid was a gold slab on which two cherubs with spread wings stood. The Ark of the Covenant signified the establishment of God's kingdom on earth and as such became known as His footstool. By extension, the “footstool” also referred to the Temple (Isaiah 60:13) and Jerusalem (cf. Lam. 2:1). The whole earth is the footstool of the Almighty God. His throne in heaven is likened to the “footstool” on earth, as His “enthronement” is likened to being surrounded by the cherubim. This imagery reveals the truth that the Lord is the Divine Warrior (Psalm 80:1). The cherubim protect the glory of God (cf. Gen. 3:24). That is why nobody can usurp the glory of the Lord, because the Lord does not share His glory with anybody, no creature. Those who have attempted to usurp the glory of the Lord all died in humiliation. Lucifer the leader of the angelic choir in heaven, when he attempted to usurp the glory of the Lord, God kicked Him out of heaven and he has become Satan, the devil, or the adversary. He is now the archenemy of God. The cherubim are the emissaries of God. They are the agents or the messengers of God sent on God's mission.

The sovereign and glorious rule of the Lord should inspire all inhabitants of the world to “tremble” and shake before Him. Do you respond with awe before the holy presence of the Lord? The word, “LORD” used in this context is the Hebrew word “Yahweh.” That is God's covenant name. That is the name He gave Moses to declare to the Israelites, if they questioned who sent him to them. It is the name that the children of Israel did not want to mention because of fear and reverence. In those days, when a rabbi was transcribing the Scriptures and he came across the covenant name “Yahweh,” he had to use a new pen to write it. The name was so holy and special to them that they could not use old pen and ink to write it, but today some people use this same name in vain. I like what Brueggermann comments, “God's enthronement makes holy presence accessible and makes righteous will more urgent.” The nations of the world must praise the name with which the acts of redemptive history are associated. If the nations do not respond, they are still responsible to the Lord. If there were people that should worship the Lord with undivided attention and devotion, it should be New Testament Christians, because we enjoy a better covenant than the saints of the Old Testament times did. Today, we can walk into the presence of the Lord without any human mediator because of what Jesus Christ did for us more than two thousand years ago.

In verse three, the Psalmist uses some powerful words to describe the Lord. He says that the Lord's name is “great, awesome, and holy.” Yes, the world has produced many great men and women, but all their greatness when put together pale in comparison with the greatness of the Lord. Besides, it is the Lord, who makes people great. Today, the young people use the term, “awesome” at random. However, there is nobody or anything that is awesome. God alone is awesome. The term awesome describes the reverential fear of the Lord. Holiness has to do with the purity of God, His character, nature, and every aspect of His being. The term “holy” describes not only God's inspiring might, but also His moral majesty. God is holy; therefore, we must be holy. Everything, whether it is God's revelation or His acts of creation and redemption, reveals His greatness, awesomeness, and holiness!

As I said earlier, the name “Yahweh” was particularly revealed to Israel to be proclaimed and remembered through festivals, songs, and the stories of redemption. Therefore, it is appropriate for us to read and study from this Psalm of enthronement as we celebrate thanksgiving next week

The nature of the King's rule is no different from His character. He is holy, He is mighty, and He loves justice. The Lord is holy in His perfections and awe-inspiring in His glorious presence. The very revelation of His otherness (“holy”) is the glory of the Great King. God is holy as opposed to us His creation. Nevertheless, when we received Jesus Christ as our Lord and personal Savior, God imputed His righteousness on us. Therefore, any holiness that we have is derived from the Lord. The Lord's acts further reveal His majestic power. He is mighty in judgment and deliverance. He is also just in His judgment and deliverance. God's power is not used despotically, but it serves the functioning of true justice and righteousness. Because of His nature, the Lord has established equity and done what is just and right for the sake of Jacob. God's reign is distinguished by absolute justice and equity or fairness. Jacob is a reference to the people of God. God entered into a covenant with Jacob, but today He has entered into a better covenant with the believing community through His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. God has brought about and has sustained a just social order through His covenant law. The same characteristics ought to mark His earthly leaders.

Because the Lord is exalted over all the nations and holy in His awe-inspiring presence, we who are the people of God today must lead the nations in exalting the Lord. The object of the exaltation and worship at His footstool is to submit ourselves to His sovereignty and to respond properly in His presence. Have you been to the presence of a King when he has put on his royal robe and seated on his throne? This is because the Lord is the high and lofty one (Isaiah 57:5). Therefore, it is fitting to extol Him (to praise Him) and recognize Him as the supreme Lord of the universe. What is “worship”? Worship means, “To fall prostrate in humility before the divine King.” Therefore, whatever you worship becomes your King or Lord. As Christians, we must worship nothing but the Lord. He alone is worthy of our worship. Our Creator God is the true God; all others are idols.

II. THE UNVEILING OF THE LORD TO
THE REDEEMED VV. 6-9
The reminders of what God has “established” and “done” in and for His people (v. 4) occasion an elaboration of the acts of the Lord and of His revelation to Israel in the history of redemption through His servants Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. Moses, Aaron, and Samuel interceded on Israel's behalf. They called on His name in intercessory prayer, and the Lord responded to their prayers (Moses in Exodus 14:15; 17:11ff. 32:11ff. Numbers 12:13; 14:13ff; Aaron in Numbers 16:44-48; Samuel in 1 Samuel 7:8ff; 12:16ff.). The Lord granted the request of His saints as they interceded for the nation of Israel. Not only did God speak to Moses, Aaron, and Samuel; He also spoke to the people of Israel. The Lord performed mighty wonders on behalf of His people and revealed Himself as “He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud.” The “pillar of cloud” was a symbol of the divine presence. God is depicted as speaking to Moses in the pillar of cloud in Exodus 33:9, and to Aaron in Numbers 12:5. However, there is no such account concerning Samuel. Moses, Aaron, and Samuel represent the priest and prophetic roles in the Old Testament. The task of the prophets and priests was not only to hear the voice of God but also to preserve and transmit the terms of the covenant. Today, God has spoken to us through His own Son, Jesus Christ (Heb.1:1). In the Incarnation, God revealed Himself and spoke to us through His Son and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus continues to speak to us from the biblical revelation and from the teaching and preaching of His Word. Even as Moses, Aaron, and Samuel interceded for the nation of Israel, so are we to intercede for the nations today. We are the royal priesthood that has unhindered access to the throne room of the Almighty Father. We have gained this access not because of merit, but the mercy and grace of God through the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In verse 8, the Psalmist restates that the Lord has been good to Israel, as “He answered them” (v. 6). Has the Lord been good to you this year? The Lord responded to Moses, Aaron, Samuel, and the nation of Israel with forgiveness but He also held them accountable for their wrongdoings. The juxtaposition of the Lord, who forgives and punishes has baffled the minds of many people who do not understand the nature of God. However, that is not a contradiction of who God is (Exod. 34:6-7). In the New Testament, the same forgiving God also disciplines us when we go astray (Heb. 12:5-7). God's covenant with the nation of Israel and with New Testament Christians is not a one-sided affair. The covenant brings blessings upon those who keep it and curses upon those who trample over it. Today many people who do not have any respect or regard for the Lord think that they have gotten away with it. However, a day is coming when God's judgment will fall on them. The judgment of God is His act of vengeance on the wicked, who have no respect for His holy presence. That is why I always encourage you not to pray for the death or destruction of your enemies, because at one time all of us were God's enemies. Therefore, leave all vengeance in the hand of God, because His judgment is just and fair.

In verse 9, because of the Lord's greatness, holiness, and justice, as demonstrated in His acts of mercy, forgiveness, and vengeance, the people of God must submit themselves to His Lordship by exalting Him (v. 5). Who is the Lord of your life? Who rules your life? To whom do you bow? Who is the number one in your life? Is it self? Is it money? Is it pleasure? Is it your job? Is it your children, or spouse? Is it the Lord? If it is not Jesus Christ, make Him the Lord of your life today. Do you worship the Lord when you are at home? Do you worship Him at your place of work or business? Do you worship the Lord when you come into His sanctuary? Worship is an act of submission to the Lord's kingship and it is a proper response to His awe-inspiring presence. Therefore, it is appropriate to offer our lives and our money to the Lord. Because by so doing, we are saying, all that we are and have are gifts from the Lord to us. Therefore, “Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy hill, for He is the Lord our God.”

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