Psalm 93: Lessons Regarding God and the Reasons to Praise Him
Introduction: Psalm 93 has no listed author. But it contains important revelations about God and the reasons why He is worthy of your praise and worship. These include, His: (1) majesty, (2) immovability, (3) eternity, (4) omnipotence, (5) sovereignty, (6) faithfulness, and (7) holiness.
First, the psalmist proclaimed that God is clothed in majesty. You can praise God because He will share His glory with you. Second, the psalmist stated that God’s creation cannot be moved. You can also praise God because no evil can thwart His will. Third, the psalmist revealed that God is eternal. You can also praise God because He is eternal and all-knowing. Fourth, the psalmist also praised God because He is in full control over all creation and the evil people within it, depicted by the seas. You can also praise God because He uses His omnipotent power for good and out of love for you. Fifth, because He created everything in the universe, everything is subject to God’s will and His pre-ordained plans. You can also praise God because He is sovereign over all, and He uses His providence to cause all things to work together for good. Sixth, the psalmist also praised God because His promises in His Word always come true. You can also praise God because He is faithful to keep His Word. Finally, the psalmist praised God’s eternal holiness. You can also praise God because He is a holy beacon of light.
1. Majesty: Praise God Because He Will Share His Glory With You. Ps. 93:1a.
Praise God for His majesty. The psalmist praised God for His majestic glory: “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord has clothed and encircled Himself with strength.” (Ps. 93:1a). “Majesty is a hard idea to define, but it has to do with dignity, authority of sovereign power, stateliness, and grandeur.” (James Montgomery Boice on Ps. 93:1).1 “In the verse before us it would seem as if the Lord had for a while appeared to vacate the throne, but on a sudden he puts on his regal apparel and ascends his lofty seat, while his happy people proclaim him with new joy, shouting ‘The Lord reigneth.’ What can give greater joy to a loyal subject than a sight of the king in his beauty? Let us repeat the proclamation, ‘the Lord reigneth,’ whispering it in the ears of the desponding, and publishing it in the face of the foe.” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 93:1).2
Praise God for His righteousness reign. The psalmist declared: “The Lord reigns” (Ps. 93:1). Throughout the Bible, God is praised for His reign of righteousness: “Let the heavens be joyful, and the earth rejoice; and let them say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns.”’ (1 Chr. 16:31). “Say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples fairly.”’ (Ps. 96:10). “The LORD reigns, may the earth rejoice; may the many islands be joyful.” (Ps. 97:1). “The LORD reigns, the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned above the cherubim, the earth quakes!” (Ps. 99:1). “Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.”’ (Rev. 19:6). When Jesus reasserts control over the Earth, He will give hope, assurance, peace, serenity, and awe with His glory and righteousness. Thus, He is also worthy of your praise and worship.
Praise God for His majesty3
Praise God for His majestic glory. The psalmist declared that God is “clothed with majesty;” (Ps. 93:1). As our example, David and other men of God also worshiped God for His majesty, glory, and strength: “For the music director. A Psalm of David. The heavens tell of the glory of God; and their expanse declares the work of His hands.” (Ps. 19:1). “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple.” (Ps. 27:4). “A Psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, sons of the mighty, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. . . “The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare; and in His temple everything says, “Glory!” (Ps. 29:1, 9). “Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and joy are in His place. Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him; . . .” (1 Chr. 16:27-29a). “Ascribe strength to God; His majesty is over Israel, and His strength is in the skies.” (Ps. 68:34). “And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.” (Ps. 72:19). “The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples have seen His glory.” (Ps. 97:6). “however, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD.” (Nu. 14:21). “ . . . The whole earth is full of His glory.”’ (Is. 6:3). “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Hab. 2:14). Jesus made it possible through His sacrifice on the cross to let you share in His glory in heaven. Thus, He is again worthy of your praise and worship.
Jesus revealed His glory on Earth, but many failed to understand it. Jesus was born into the line of David (Matt. 1:1). He came to fulfill God’s covenant with David as the eternal King of Kings: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” (Lk. 1:32-33). “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.’” (Rev. 19:16). The glory of God the Father was also revealed through Him: “And the Word became flesh . . . and we saw His glory, glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Jo. 1:14). “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Heb. 1:3). Peter also observed that the disciples were witnesses to Jesus’ majesty: “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2 Pet. 1:16). But only those with faith can see that Jesus is the light of the world (Jo. 8:12). Many cannot comprehend His light because they love evil (Jo. 3:19). “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor. 4:4). Thus, they crucified Him: “the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;” (1 Cor. 2:8).
Jesus will reveal His full glory to all in heaven. Psalm 93:1 foreshadows the arrival of God’s glory with the return of the Messiah. After Jesus returns, His Shekinah glory will again be present in the Temple (Micah 4:1-8; Zech. 14:3-9). In heaven, you will also see His Shekinah glory without the need for a veil (1 Jo. 3:2). “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;” (1 Cor. 15:42-43). “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Col. 3:4). “who will transform the body of our lowly condition into conformity with His glorious body, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Phil. 3:21). “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Ro. 8:18). You “will see His face. . . [and] the Light of God (“Shekinah glory”) will illumine them forever and ever.” (Rev. 22:5). “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Heb. 1:3). “LORD, I love the dwelling of Your house, and the place where Your glory remains.” (Ps. 26:8). “Be exalted above the heavens, God; may Your glory be above all the earth.” (Ps. 57:11). Again, Jesus is worthy of your praise. He died a horrific death on the cross to make it possible for you to share in His glory.
2. Immovable: Praise God Because No Evil Can Thwart His Will. Ps. 93:1b.
God’s will cannot be thwarted. The psalmist proclaimed that God was worthy of praise because His creation and His will cannot be moved or thwarted by any natural or demonic forces: “Indeed, the world is firmly established; it will not be moved.” (Ps. 93:b). “Tremble before Him, all the earth; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.” (1 Chr. 16:30). “Whatever opposition may arise, his throne is unmoved; he has reigned, does reign, and will reign for ever and ever.” (Charles Spurgeon on Ps. 93:1).4 “The effect of God’s government of the world shall be this, that he will order and overrule all the confusions, and divisions, and hostilities in it, so as they shall end in an orderly, peaceable, and happy settlement, and in the erection of that kingdom of the Messiah which can never be moved.” (Benson Commentary on Ps. 93:1).5
God is the author of all creation. God created the universe and everything within it: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1). “You gave birth to the earth and the world,” (Ps. 90:2). “In time of old You founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.” (Ps. 102:25; Heb. 1:10). “For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.” (1 Chr. 16:26). “You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their lights, the earth and everything that is on it, the seas and everything that is in them. You give life to all of them, and the heavenly lights bow down before You.” (Neh. 9:6). “for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.” (Col. 1:16). “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.” (Jo. 1:3). “By faith we understand that the world has been created by the word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible.” (Heb. 11:3). His Creation will endure until His appointed time to replace it with the new heaven and Earth (Rev. 21:1). Thus, you can trust Him and find assurance that no power is capable of stopping God.
God’s will cannot be thwarted. The psalmist repeatedly claimed that God laughs at our attempts to resist Him: “4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them.” (Ps. 2:4). “The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming.” (Ps. 37:13). “But You, LORD, laugh at them; You scoff at all the nations.” (Ps. 69:8). “Though they intended evil against You and devised a plot, they will not succeed.” (Ps. 21:11). “The LORD nullifies the plan of nations; He frustrates the plans of peoples.” (Ps. 33:10). Throughout the Bible, God also warns that mankind cannot resist His power: “Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?”’ (Job 9:12). “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?”’ (Dan. 4:35). “ . . . For who resists His will?” (Ro. 9:19(b)). “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker— A piece of pottery among the other earthenware pottery pieces! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?” (Is. 45:9; Ro. 9:21). “Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?” (1 Cor. 10:22). Are you trying to resist God’s will?
Jesus will receive full authority over the nations. Jesus will reign with full authority over the nations: “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 11:15). “The one who overcomes, and the one who keeps My deeds until the end, I will give him authority over the nations;” (Rev. 2:26). God the Father has further given Jesus full authority to judge evil: “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son.” (Jo. 5:22).
Jesus will shatter the nations who rebel against Him. David revealed that the Messiah will have authority over the nations and shatter those who have rebelled against God: “Ask it of Me, and I will certainly give the nations as Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’” (Ps. 2:8-9). Jesus will rule justly as the Messiah according to His Law. Those who pride themselves in rebelling against Him will face judgment.
The devil has no power in the face of Jesus. The devil tries to deceive us into thinking that he is just as powerful as God. But he has no power to snatch believers from Jesus: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation:” (Col. 1:15). “and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (Jo. 10:28-29). Satan is also doomed to fail in his rebellion. He and his demons will be thrown into the lake of eternal fire (Rev. 20:15).
Don’t misuse God’s Word to support arguments that God never intended. In 1631, the Roman Catholic Church tried and condemned Galileo Galilei (“Galileo”) for teaching his heliocentric theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun. The Roman Catholic Church relied upon Psalms 93:1 and 104:5, and Ecclesiastes 1:4-5 for the proposition that the Earth is “immovable” and could not, therefore, revolve around the Sun.6 Galileo responded by making a “frame of reference” interpretation. From the frame of reference of a person standing on the Earth, the Earth’s gravity will make it feel “immoveable” or stationary to the person standing on the Earth. A person will feel stationary even though the Earth is in fact spinning at 465 meters per second or 1,040 miles per hour while it hurls through space around the Sun at 30 kilometers per second or approximately 67,000 miles per hour. This is a testament to God’s awesome power as the Creator of the universe. But the Catholic Church rejected this interpretation and decided to condemn Galileo as a heretic. For hundreds of years, the Church continued to reject Galileo’s approach to interpretation, even after it accepted the truth of Galileo’s discoveries. Until 1835, Galileo’s published works on heliocentrism remained on the Church’s index of prohibited books. Not until 1981, 350 years later, did the Roman Catholic Church officially forgive Galileo. In 1992, Pope John Paul II finally declared that Galileo was right.7 But the damage was done. Generations of scientists falsely believed that being a scientist was incompatible with faith in God and the inerrancy of His Word.
3. Eternal: Praise God Because He is Eternal and All-Knowing. Ps. 93:2.
God is eternal. The psalmist further stated that God’s people could depend upon Him because He is all-knowing, having existed forever: “2 Your throne is established from of old; You are from eternity.” (Ps. 93:2). This echoed Moses’ revelation about God’s eternal nature: “Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” (Ps. 90:2). “Christ was set up and anointed as King from everlasting; he had a kingdom appointed and prepared for him so early; and his throne, which is prepared in the heavens, is an established one; it is for ever and ever; his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; of his government, and the increase of it, there is no end:” (Gil’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, Ps. 93:2).
God has and will continue to reign supreme forever. Throughout the Bible, God is revealed to have existed forever. Moses called Yahweh “the Everlasting God.” (Gen. 21:33). God will also reign forever: “The LORD shall reign forever and ever.” (Ex. 15:18). “The LORD is King forever and ever; nations have perished from His land.” (Ps. 10:16). “The LORD sat as King at the flood; yes, the LORD sits as King forever.” (Ps. 29:10). “Your throne, God, is forever and ever; the scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of justice.” (Ps. 45:6). “But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end.” (Ps. 102:27). “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in His words, and holy in all His works.” (Ps. 145:13). “I issue a decree that in all the realm of my kingdom people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God and enduring forever, and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, and His dominion will be forever.” (Dan. 6:26). “You, LORD, rule forever; Your throne is from generation to generation.” (Lam. 5:19). “Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; the number of His years is unsearchable.” (Job 36:26). “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Tim. 1:17). “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:17). “But regarding the Son He says, ‘Your throne, God, is forever and ever, and ever, and the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of His Kingdom.” (Heb. 1:8). “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.” (Heb. 13:8). Thus, you can God trust to keep His many promises to you.
Don’t put your trust in the fleeting things of this world. In contrast to God’s eternal nature, the things of the world will quickly pass, like grass (Ps. 90:5-6; Is. 40:7; 1 Pet. 1:24; Ps. 37:2; Ps. 92:7; Ja. 1:11). Thus, put your trust in God and not in worldly things: “and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the present form of this world is passing away.” (1 Cor. 7:31).
4. Omnipotence: Praise God Because He Uses His Omnipotent Power For Good and Out of Love for You. Ps. 93:3.
God is all-powerful. The psalmist also praised God because He is in full control over all creation and the evil people within it, depicted by the seas: “3 The floods have lifted up, Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their pounding waves.” (Ps. 93:3). “By ‘the floods’ seem to be meant the world powers, God’s enemies; perhaps especially Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. Invading hosts are constantly compared to ‘floods’ or ‘rivers’ in Scripture (see Isaiah 8:7, 8; Isaiah 28:2; Isaiah 17:12, 13; Isaiah 59:19; Jeremiah 46:8, etc.). (Pulpit Commentary on Ps. 93:3).8 “Listen to the Scriptures that point us to God’s glory. But not only is the Lord clothed in splendour; He is also clothed in ‘strength.’ The term speaks of firmness, security, fortification and protection. Hence, He is our refuge, the one with mighty power.” (Doug Van Meter on Ps. 93).9
Evil persons embrace chaos, symbolized by the seas. Throughout the Old Testament, the Bible used the imagery of chaotic oceans to depict wicked persons: “Oh, the uproar of many peoples who roar like the roaring of the seas, and the rumbling of nations who rush on like the rumbling of mighty waters! The nations rumble on like the rumbling of many waters, but He will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, and be chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind, or like whirling dust before a gale.” (Is. 17:12-13). “They seize bow and spear; they are cruel and have no mercy; their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, lined up as a man for the battle against you, daughter of Zion!” (Jer. 6:23). “They seize their bow and javelin; they are cruel and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea; and they ride on horses, drawn up like a man for the battle against you, daughter of Babylon.” (Jer. 50:42). In the New Testament, the Bible refers to the new Heaven and Earth as being without oceans to symbolize the removal of evil persons. “Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.” (Rev. 21:1).
Every nation and person is subject to God’s authority. David declared that God’s authority extends over not just the Earth, but also “those who live in it.” (Ps. 24:1). “The LORD is King forever and ever; nations have perished from His land.” (Ps. 10:16). “But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another.” (Ps. 75:7). “The LORD makes poor and rich; He humbles, He also exalts.” (1 Sam. 2:7). Daniel later explained: “It is He [God] who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding.” (Da. 2:21). “He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.” (Job 12:23). “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.” (Is. 40:15). “All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.” (Is. 40:17). “You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; . . .” (Is. 9:3(a)). “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Dan. 4:35). Even when evil surrounds you or when you are ruled by evil leaders, do you trust that God is still in ultimate control?
God has no rival to His power. The Bible proclaims God’s unique power over everything: “Who is like You among the gods, LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?” (Ex. 15:11). “All my bones will say, ‘LORD, who is like You, Who rescues the afflicted from one who is too strong for him, and the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?”’ (Ps. 35:10). “For Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, You who have done great things; God, who is like You?” (Ps. 71:19). “6 For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord? . . . 8 Lord God of armies, who is like You, mighty Lord?” (Ps. 89:6, 8). “Who is like the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high,” (Ps. 113:5). “so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no one else.” (1 Kgs. 8:60). “You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him.” (Dt. 4:35). Thus, Satan is not a rival to God’s power. And there is no problem in your life that is beyond His omnipotent power. He again is worthy of praise.
God’s use of His power is motivated by His love for mankind. The mere fact that God is all-powerful does not, by itself, explain why God is worthy of praise. He is worthy because He is a benevolent God who uses His indescribable power out of love for us. He loves mankind so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins (Jo. 3:16).
5. Sovereignty: Praise God Because He is Sovereign Over All, and He Uses His Providence to Cause All Things to Work Together For Good. Ps. 93:4.
God is sovereign and in full control over creation. Because He created everything in the universe, everything is subject to God’s will and His pre-ordained plans: “4 More than the sounds of many waters, than the mighty breakers of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty.” (Ps. 93:4). “The King of heaven is too strong for all earthly potentates, and will subdue them under his feet.” (Matthew Poole’s Commentary on Ps. 92:4).10
God is in full control over all His creation. In addition to being sovereign over evil people, God is also sovereign over His creation: “Who establishes the mountains by His strength, who is encircled with might;” (Ps. 65:6). “In whose hand are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountains are also His.” (Ps. 95:4). “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the ocean depths.” (Ps. 135:6). Thus, you can turn to God and place your full trust in Him.
Worship the Creator of the universe, who is sovereign over everything. The psalmist responded to the sovereign Creator of all life by worshiping Him: “May you be blessed of the LORD, maker of heaven and earth.” (Ps. 115:15). “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (Ps. 124:8). “May the LORD bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth.” (Ps. 134:3). If you have the faith to celebrate that God created everything, you can have the faith to know that He is in control. He causes all things to work together for His greater good (Ro. 8:28).
Jesus demonstrated that He is God through His control over nature. The Bible attributes the ability to control nature as an attribute uniquely attributed to God: “Who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.” (Ps. 65:7). “You rule the surging of the sea; when its waves rise, You calm them.” (Ps. 89:9). “He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed.” (Ps. 107:29). Jesus showed that He is divine when He calmed the stormy seas for the disciples: “He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.” (Matt. 8:26; Mk. 4:39; Lk. 8:24). Because Jesus is God, you can trust Him to fulfill His promises to you.
God is sovereign over all creation11
6. Faithfulness: Praise God Because He is Faithful to Keep His Word. Ps. 93:5a.
God is trustworthy and faithful. The psalmist praised God because He promises that His Word always come true: “5 Your testimonies are fully confirmed;” (Ps 93:5a). “The term ‘testimonies’ is probably a reference to the covenant as a whole, including the revelation of God’s wonderful acts along with His laws . . . Whatever the specific content of ‘testimonies’ might be, it clearly refers to God’s revelation. And these testimonies the psalmist states are ‘faithful’”. (Allen Ross on Psalm 93:5).12 “The Lord’s eternal power and divine nature make it so that when He testifies to something, it is fully believable, as the psalmist asserts in Ps. 93:5.” (James Hamilton on Ps. 93:5).13
Seek God’s wisdom and guidance to stay on His path for you. David praised the testimony of God found in His Law: “The Law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” (Ps. 19:7). As our example, other psalmists regularly called out for God to guide them to keep them on His righteous path: “LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before me.” (Ps. 5:8). “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.” (Ps. 23:3). “He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.” (Ps. 25:9). “Teach me Your way, LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.” (Ps. 27:11). “Let me hear Your faithfulness in the morning, for I trust in You; teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul.” (Ps. 143:8). “Many nations will come and say, ‘Come and let’s go up to the mountain of the LORD and to the house of the God of Jacob, so that He may teach us about His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.’ For from Zion will go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Micah 4:2). Are you praying for God to guide you and to keep you on His narrow path of righteousness?
Praise God for His faithfulness. Throughout the Bible, God is also praised for His faithfulness: “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His faithfulness to a thousand generations for those who love Him and keep His commandments;” (Dt. 7:9). “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His faithfulness to a thousand generations for those who love Him and keep His commandments;” (Dt. 7:9). “Your mercy, LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” (Ps. 36:5). “But as for me, I will sing of Your strength; Yes, I will joyfully sing of Your faithfulness in the morning, for You have been my refuge and a place of refuge on the day of my distress.” (Ps. 59:16). “The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are trustworthy.” (Ps. 111:7). “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His faithfulness is everlasting.” (1 Chr. 16:34). “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:24). “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thess. 3:3). You can also trust God’s promises to you. In your prayers and your worship, are you praising God for His faithfulness?
7. Holiness: Praise God Because He is a Holy Beacon of Light. Ps. 93:5b.
God is a holy beacon of light. The psalmist also praised God’s eternal holiness: “holiness is pleasing to Your house, Lord, forevermore.” (Ps 93:5b). “This mighty God is holy, different from any man or woman. His power is holy power and His sovereignty is a holy sovereignty. His holiness is connected to all He is and does, and could be said to adorn His very house. This is true both for the representation of His house on earth (the temple under the Old Covenant) and His ultimate house in heaven. If taken as an exhortation to God’s people to display holiness as His inheritance, His house, this idea has parallels in the New Testament: · If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are (1 Corinthians 3:17). · But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). (David Guzik on Ps. 93:5). (emphasis original).14
Praise God for His holiness. The Bible celebrates God because He is holy. “Who is like You among the gods, LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?” (Ex. 15:11). “And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.’” (Rev. 4:8; Is. 6:3). His holiness is also worthy of your praise and worship.
Jesus’ holiness guides you when you are in darkness. God’s holiness includes a beauty that is unlike anything human eyes have seen: “The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the LORD has clothed and encircled Himself with strength. Indeed, the world is firmly established; it will not be moved.” (Ps. 93:1). Because He is holy, Jesus’ light can also guide you in darkness. When you feel trapped in darkness, He wants you to call Him to be your light: “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” (Jo. 1:4). “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”’ (Jo. 8:12). “I have come as Light into the world, so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness.” (Jo. 12:46). When you feel trapped in darkness, cry out to Jesus for His light.
Be holy because God is holy. Because God is holy, He expects His people to be holy as well: “For I am the LORD your God . . . be holy, for I am holy.” (Lev. 11:44). “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” (Lev. 19:2). “You are to be my holy people.” (Ex. 22:31). “for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” (1 Pet. 1:16). To become holy, Jesus began His public ministry with a call to repentance. “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”’ (Matt. 4:17). Jesus came “saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”’ (Mk. 1:15). His disciples also began their ministry with a call to repentance: “Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”’ (Acts 2:38). If you say that you are without sin, the Bible says that the truth is not in you (1 Jo. 1:8). Yet, if you confess your sins, Jesus promises to forgive your sins: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jo. 1:9). What sins do you need to repent of?
Praise Jesus for His Holy name. The Jews praised God for His holy name: “bless the Lord your God forever and ever! May Your glorious name be blessed and exalted above all blessing and praise!” (Neh. 9:5). The psalmist also blessed God’s holy name: “And blessed be His glorious name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen.” (Ps. 72:19). “Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; bring an offering and come into His courts.” (Ps. 96:8). “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.” (Ps. 115:1). David also praised God’s holy name: “that Your name may be magnified forever,” (2 Sam. 7:26). Jesus also began the Lord’s prayer by declaring God’s name to be holy (Matt. 6:9) Do your prayers also include blessings and praises for God’s name?
James Montgomery Boice, Psalms: An Expositional Commentary, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996), 2:761.↩︎
Image credit: Eagle of Dan: PSALM 92↩︎
Allen Ross, A Commentary of the Psalms: Volume 3 (90-150), Kregel Academic (2016) p. 87-87.↩︎
James M. Hamilton Jr., Evangelical Bible Theology Commentary Psalms (Vol. II: Psalms 73-150) (Lexham Academic 2021) p. 176.↩︎