Praising the Holiness of God
Psalms 99
How can God be both truly just in judgment and full of mercy and forgiveness?
#psalm
#Worship
#forgiveness
Published January 28th, 2020; Updated January 28th, 2020
Notes
Main point summary
Arc
Notes
notes
Notes
I recognize that my arc may not be completely accurate, but I wanted to provide something for others to compare to their own work. I welcome your comments and critiques.
Main point summary
3 times there is the command to praise/exalt and worship God and 3 times there is the same reason given: b/c he is holy. Exalt and worship the Lord b/c he is HOLY (1-3), JUST (4-5), and MERCIFUL (6-9).
Arc
OT
Psalms 99:1-9
esv
nasb
wlc
mine
s The Lord reigns ;
a The Lord reigns,
יְהוָה מָלָךְ
TRUTH: YHWH, the LORD God reigns as King!
t let the peoples tremble !
let the peoples tremble;
יִרְגְּזוּ עַמִּים
THEREFORE, let all the people of earth tremble before him and fear their King!
inference
He u sits enthroned upon the cherubim;
He 1 b is enthroned above the cherubim,
יֹשֵׁב כְּרוּבִים
TRUTH: The LORD sits on his throne over and above the cherubim of the Ark of presence.
v let the earth quake !
let the earth shake!
תָּנוּט הָאָרֶץ׃
THEREFORE, let the earth shake!
The Lord is w great in Zion;
The Lord 1 is a great in Zion,
יְהוָה בְּצִיּוֹן גָּדוֹל
TRUTH: The LORD is great in his holy city Zion;
he is x exalted over all the peoples.
And He is b exalted above all the peoples.
וְרָם הוּא עַל־כָּל־הָעַמִּים׃
there he is high and lifted up and exalted over all the people of earth.
ideaexplanation
Let them praise your y great and awesome name!
Let them praise Your a great and awesome name;
יוֹדוּ שִׁמְךָ גָּדוֹל וְנוֹרָא
THEREFORE, let all the peoples of earth praise your great and awe-inspiring name!
series
z Holy is he!
b Holy is 1 He.
קָדוֹשׁ הוּא׃
BECAUSE the LORD God is holy!
ground
a The King in his might b loves justice. 1
The 1 strength of the King a loves 2 justice;
וְעֹז מֶלֶךְ מִשְׁפָּט אָהֵב אַתָּה כּוֹנַנְתָּ מֵישָׁרִים מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בְּיַעֲקֹב׀ אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ׃
The LORD God and King in all of his power and might loves just judgment.
You have established equity;
You have established 3 b equity;
You, LORD, have established equity and uprightness in your kingdom and made it stand firm.
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
You have c executed 2 justice and righteousness in Jacob.
THEN you have accomplished justice and righteousness in your land among your people.
progression
c Exalt the Lord our God;
1 a Exalt the Lord our God
רוֹמְמוּ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַהֲדֹם רַגְלָיו קָדוֹשׁ הוּא׃
THEREFORE, let us exalt our King, the LORD,
d worship at his e footstool!
And b worship at His footstool;
by worshipping at his feet--by falling before him in his presence.
actionmanner
z Holy is he!
c Holy is He.
BECAUSE the LORD God is holy!
f Moses and Aaron were among his g priests,
a Moses and Aaron were among His b priests,
מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן׀ בְּכֹהֲנָיו וּשְׁמוּאֵל בְּקֹרְאֵי שְׁמוֹ קֹרִאים אֶל־יְהוָה וְהוּא יַעֲנֵם׃
Moses and Aaron were some of the men who acted on behalf of the people before God.
Samuel also was among those who h called upon his name.
And a Samuel was among those who c called on His name;
Likewise, Samuel was one of those who interceded for God's people through prayer.
They i called to the Lord ,
They d called upon the Lord
These men called out to the LORD,
and he answered them.
and He answered them.
and he answered their prayers.
actionresult
In j the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;
He a spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן יְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם שָׁמְרוּ עֵדֹתָיו וְחֹק נָתַן־לָמוֹ׃
YHWH spoke from within the cloud,
they k kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them.
They b kept His testimonies And the statute that He gave them.
and they responded by keeping his Word (his testimonies and statute).
O Lord our God, you answered them;
O Lord our God, You a answered them;
יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ אַתָּה עֲנִיתָם אֵל נֹשֵׂא הָיִיתָ לָהֶם וְנֹקֵם עַל־עֲלִילוֹתָם׃
O YHWH our God, you answered their prayers.
you were l a forgiving God to them,
You were a b forgiving God to them,
Even when they didn't respond by keeping your Word, you forgave them,
but m an avenger of their wrongdoings.
And yet an c avenger of their evil deeds.
although you did exact vengeance when they sinned against you.
concessive
alternative
Exalt the Lord our God,
Exalt the Lord our God
רוֹמְמוּ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְהַר קָדְשׁוֹ כִּי־קָדוֹשׁ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃
THEREFORE, let us exalt our King, the LORD,
and worship at his n holy mountain;
And worship at His holy hill,
by worshipping him in Zion --by falling before him in his presence
for the Lord our God is holy!
For holy is the Lord our God.
BECAUSE the LORD God is holy!
What doctrines are presented here? Holiness of God (3,5,9) God's justice and judgment (4,8) How does this point to Christ? Jesus is the greater High Priest and Judge and Intercessor for his people. God hears his prayers, he kept God's law perfectly, and he did no wrong yet was "pierced for our transgressions" and "crushed for our iniquities"
the holiness and worship of God and his reign (1-3) the holiness and worship of God and his justice (4-5) the holiness and worship of God and his mercy (6-9)
the "Priest" language along with the calling upon God's name (v6) lead us to think about their going to God on behalf of the people. Heb 5:1 >they led the people to obey God's law >they warned the people when they strayed >they prayed for the people and God forgave >God judged the people when they sinned
The King in his Holy Place (Ark) in his holy City, Zion, among all the peoples (1-3) The King and holy righteous judgment in Israel (among his people) (4-5) The King and his "intercessors" among his people (6-9)
Understanding v6-8 they called...God answered (6) >he spoke to them...they kept his testimonies (7) [they called]...God answered (8) >he forgave them...he avenged their wrongs [they didn't keep his testimonies] in other words, 6d is parallel to 8a and 7a-b is parallel to 8b-c
what does it mean to "call upon his name" v6? >"called to the Lord" = Psa 106:23; Exo 32:30; Deu 9:18; 1Sam 7:9; what does it mean that "he spoke to them in the pillar of the cloud" v7?
"one who governs not according to dynastic caprice but moral precepts" - Delitzsch
"the 99th psalm has 3 parts in which the Lord is celebrated as He who is to come, as he who is, and as he who was, and each part is closed with the ascription of praise: he is holy." -Johann Bengel in Delitzsch
discourse
Jesus is the Priest and Mediator between God and man. Heb 7:26-28 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
Comments
Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions expressed on this page are those of the author and may or may not accord with the positions of Biblearc or Bethlehem College & Seminary.