Sunday, March 10, 2013 pm
STUDIES IN PSALMS
The Lord Reigns with Majesty
Psalm 93
a.
The Lord reigns
- God is sovereign –
i.
The word sovereign means
one who possesses supreme authority.
His word and rule is the final say.
It is not to be unchallenged.
ii.
Throughout history many
kings and emperors have claimed sovereign rule.
In Esther when the king issued an edict, it was law and could not
be revoked. Esther is an
example of how sovereign rulers are flawed.
At times they make decisions without thinking through the details
or consequences.
iii.
But not so with God.
When we speak of God’s sovereign rule we mean that He is the
supreme ruler. NONE can
defeat him. Simply stated, He is in control!
Jer. 32:17 says, “Ah, Lord
God! Behold, You have made
the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm.
There is nothing too hard for You.”
In scripture we find that God is above and before all things, He
created and holds all things together by His word, He knows all things
and is all-wise (cf. Rom. 11:33), He will accomplish His will and thus
is in full control!
That is what it means to say that God is sovereign.
Keep that in mind as we examine this psalm.
iv.
Therefore, “the
Lord reigns!” Matt.
6:13 in the so-called, “Lord’s Prayer” Jesus concludes with, “For Yours
is the kingdom, and the power and glory forever and ever, amen.”
b.
HE is clothed with
majesty –
the idea of majesty is a word that actually means to rise up (like smoke
– cf. Isa. 9:18). In this
case it is descriptive of being exalted in triumph. Psa. 89:7 uses the
same word, “You rule the raging of the
sea…” Truly God is
MAJESTIC! NOTE that it is
NOT an emblem of majesty, but majesty itself.
c.
Girded with strength – the girding is a word that is associated with a tightened
garment so that one is prepared to move better.
If was often associated with military uniforms (cf. Eph. 6:14).
God is girded with strength – HE is ALL powerful!
Man cannot resist or stop Him.
He CAN protect His people!
Recall that one of His titles is “Almighty God.”
(Cf. Gen. 17:1, Rev. 21:22)
d.
Surely the world is
established so that it cannot be moved – God spoke it into existence and by His word He maintains it (2 Pet.
3:5-7). And the world itself
is a demonstration of His power (Rom. 1:20, Psa. 33:6-9).
While man in rebellion seeks to reject God and His creation (e.g.
general evolution), there is more than adequate evidence to make a case
for our Creator. Truly when
he stands before God he WILL be without excuse.
NOW, if God can control the world, can He not do for us what is needed?
a.
The throne of God
(or seat of honor) – God has from everlasting to everlasting
reigned in heaven. He still
reigns and will continue to reign throughout eternity.
He is our ruler! (cf. Dan. 4:34-35 – where Nebuchadnezzar praises
God as having doming that is everlasting and a kingdom from generation
to generation).
b.
Your throne is
established from of old
– it is an eternal reign.
Psa. 45:6, “Your throne, O
God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of
Your kingdom.”
Eph. 3:10-11 which speaks of the church being in God’s plans “according
to His eternal purpose.
c.
You are from everlasting – why can His throne be everlasting?
Because HE is eternal!
Psa. 90:2, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the
earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”
Truly God IS the answer to the enigma of eternity.
Matter has been proven to not be eternal (at least everything we
know about the material universe demonstrates a beginning) so the answer
to eternity must come outside of the natural realm.
Jehovah God FITS that description!
a.
Water has been an
important part of God’s plan from very early on –the flood destroyed and
purified the world. Israel
experienced freedom by crossing the Red Sea and entered the Promised
Land by crossing the Jordan.
Priests had to wash in water before they entered the tabernacle in
service to God. Jesus did
many things with water from His first miracle in Cana to walking on
water, stilling the sea and miraculously receiving its bounty.
And of course there is the part of water (baptism) in our
salvation (1 Pet. 3:20-21).
b.
Another interesting
thought is the importance of water in this world – it is essential to
survival in many ways.
c.
BUT, often the
descriptions of water or floods described nations (cf. Isa. 17:12-13,
Jer. 46:7-8). AT times God’s
people in large numbers (cf. Rev. 19:6) That seems to fit best here.
It seems to be the description of the nations of the world as
they press against the godly, often with the power of a flood.
Nations rage against God’s
people.
d.
BUT, “the Lord on high is mightier…”
Consider the boundaries of the seas – God appointed them and
they do not trespass.
Because of weather there are occasional breaches causing floods,
but waters always return to their appointed boundaries.
A demonstration of God’s control.
This is a demonstration of God’s power.
Consider.Job 38:8-11 finds the Lord challenging Job.
Jeremiah 5:22 says of Jerusalem, “Do
you not fear Me? Says the Lord.
Will you not tremble at MY presence, who have placed the sand as
the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond
it? And though its waves
toss to and fro, yet they cannot prevail; though they road, yet they
cannot pass over it.”
IF God can control the boundaries of the seas, His power is worthy of
our trust!
a.
The testimonies of God are very sure
– the word of God is reliable.
In fact it is described as VERY reliable!
The waves and words of men are temporal.
But whatever God says is certain.
Consider the following texts:
John 17:17 where Jesus said, “Sanctify
them by Your truth, Your word is truth.”
Heb. 6:18 speaks of it being impossible for God to lie.
The text is dealing with the promise to Abraham.
He kept His word!
When the land was conquered we read in Joshua 21:45, “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the
house of Israel. All came to
pass.” (Also Josh. 23:14)
Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a
man that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
OR has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
Psalm 19:7-8 describe “the Law of the Lord” as perfect. Converting the
soul, and sure, make wise the simple.
Rom. 13:4, “Let God be true and every man a liar.”
Matt. 24:35, “Heaven and earth
will pass away, but MY words will by no means pass away.”
b.
Holiness adorns His
house -
just as God is majestic, so His abode is holy.
Because of His nature, that which is unholy will NOT be allowed
in His presence. We
have seen this in psalms previously – Psalm 5:4 says, “For
You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell
with You.” Both
Psa.15:1, 24:3-5 – speak of the quality necessary to dwell in God’s
presence. It includes
holiness. JUST as God has
set the boundaries of the seas, so He has set the boundaries of His
abode. The waves of
wickedness and violence will NOT breach the walls of His dwelling place.
c.
O Lord forever – again, the eternity of God is emphasized.
But consider also that God has ALWAYS been holy! It is a concept
we sometimes have difficultly comprehending.
Mankind often makes the holiness of God into his own image.
The result is compromise and corruption of His testimonies.
But we can glean a pretty good idea of what it means to be holy through
His word. May that be our
goal.