Psalm 97 was a reminder to the nation of Israel back in the
Promise Land after their captivity in Babylon that their God was the “Lord
of the whole earth” and He is greatly exalted. We read In verse 9, “For
You, LORD, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all
gods”. This verse could be
considered the theme verse for the whole chapter and reminds God’s people that
He has all things under His control. Today we as believers should remember this
also and see Jesus as God's exalted King.
The exaltation of Jehovah is the theme of Psalm 97. In
verses 1-2, we see the LORD exalted on His throne. “The LORD reigns; Let the
earth rejoice… Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” In
verses 3-6, the LORD is exalted over His enemies. In verses 7-9, the LORD is exalted
over the false gods of the earth. And in verses 10-12, the LORD is exalted
among His people.
In verse 3-6, we can be assured that the LORD is exalted
and victorious over all His enemies. The enemies of the LORD are all those who
do evil and reject His authority over their lives. They are the ones under the
influence of the evil one who comes as a thief to steal, to kill, and to
destroy God’s people and all that is good. When Paul met Jesus on the road to
Damascus, the Lord asked him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
And Paul answered, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said,
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:4-5). God humbled Saul
and changed him into a Paul who turned the world upside down for God’s glory!
The LORD was exalted over His enemy!!!!!
We are given the picture in verse 3 of the LORD like that of
a storm that is sweeping across the land and destroying and burning up everything
in its path: “A fire goes before Him, And burns up His enemies round about.”
You see this same analogy in Psalm 18:9-12; 29; and in Habakkuk 3:3-15. This
image of the storm takes us back to the exodus of Israel from Egypt (68:7-8;
77:15-20) as well as Israel's meeting with God at Sinai (Ex. 19:9, 16-19;
20:21; 24:15-16; Deut. 4:11; 5:22; Heb. 12:18-21). “His lightnings light the
world; The earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax…”
The storm also speaks of the future "day of the
Lord" when God will judge the nations of the world (Isa. 2:10-21;
8:22; Joel 2:2; Amos 5:16-20; Zeph. 1:7-18). The fire and lightning remind us
that God is a consuming fire (Deut. 4:24; 32:22; Heb. 12:29). His judgments
bring Him glory and manifest His holiness to a godless world.
The name "Lord of all the whole earth" (v.
5) is found in only a few other places in the Old Testament. Joshua encouraged
the people of Israel as they prepared to cross the Jordan River with these
words: “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is
crossing over before you into the Jordan… And it shall come to pass, as soon as
the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of
all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the
Jordan shall be cut off…” (Josh. 3:11, 13).
The prophets Micah (4:13) and Zechariah (4:14; 6:5) us this
same phrase to remind the people of Israel that their God was not just a
“territorial” God. From the beginning of Israel's national history, the people
knew that Jehovah was not a "tribal god" like the false gods of the
neighboring nations, but the Lord of all the earth (Ex. 19:5; Deut. 10:14.
It is interesting that Jesus used this title when speaking
to His Father in Luke 10:21: “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and
said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden
these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so,
Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.”
Today, as we face our enemies of the world, the flesh, and
the devil, we should also be encouraged that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
is still “Lord over all the earth”.
God bless!
