Psalm 99

Psalm 99 presents God as holy. "Holy is He" (v. 3, 5). "His holy hill, for holy is the LORD our God" (v. 9). The word involves more than just being free from sin. Holiness refers to being set apart, and God is set apart on every level. In any admirable category that man considers, God is set apart. The man who excels most in each category cannot compare to God. God is preeminent and unmatched.

God is king, and not just any king, but the king of everything. "The LORD reigns" (v. 1) not just over people, but also "is enthroned above the cherubim" (v. 1). Even the heavenly beings are under His rule. In response to such a supreme king, the people tremble and the earth itself shakes (v. 1). There is no one and nothing that does not (or should not) respectfully bow before Him.

God is exalted beyond any other being. He is "great in Zion, and He is exalted above all the peoples" (v. 2). He is higher than any other individual, and higher than any composite social, national, or political group of people. All individuals and all nations are puny in comparison with His greatness.

God is the great judge. While His judgeship is part of His role as king, it warrants particular attention. God "loves justice" (v. 4); He always wants the right thing to be done. In amazing supremacy, it is God Himself who determines what is right and wrong. "You have established equity" (v. 4). Every time He is presented with a situation, God makes the right decision. "You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob" (v. 4).

God is simply awesome. In addition to the attributions and designations already mentioned, His name is "great and awesome" (v. 3). Because He is so amazing, verse 3 calls for praise, and verse 5 calls for exaltation and worship.

Where is man in this picture? "At His footstool" (v. 5). Every magnification of God poignantly reveals the low position of man. Man is a subject of the great King, a commoner, a plaintiff in His court of law, a frail and flawed creature. Man falls far short of God's grandeur, His holiness, and His righteous standard. It would be amazing if God took any notice of man whatsoever or extended any graciousness toward him.

Three specific men are mentioned in the psalm: Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. This identification reveals that God notices not just mankind, but individuals. To be sure, these three men have significance within the Bible, but at the same time they were mere men. Moses had to spend forty years in exile due to his hasty actions that brought the death of another man, and he was banned from entering the promised land due to his disobedience and lack of faith. Aaron was rebuked by God when he questioned Moses' authority. Samuel's inability to guide his sons led to the Israelites asking for a human king to rule over them.

Certainly these men had many strong points also; they accomplished much within God's plan. Their failures, however, illustrate that even these men could not measure up to God and His demands. Critically, these imperfect men had the necessary heart to follow God. Moses and Aaron were counted among God's priests, and Samuel "called on His name" (v. 6). Their overall testimony was that "they kept His testimonies" (v. 7).

How did God respond to such imperfect men who desired to follow Him? "He answered them" (v. 6) when they called on Him. "He spoke to them" (v. 7), giving them guidance and instruction. He let them know how to serve Him by giving them His statutes (v. 7). He "answered them" (v. 8). He was "a forgiving God to them" (v. 8).

Obviously, these men were not blameless if God had to forgive them. There were times when He had to be "an avenger of their evil deeds" (v. 8). The passage is careful to maintain the emphasis on God's holiness and on His righteous demands. God's holiness, however, is not the only aspect of His character.

In addition to being holy, God is also loving and compassionate. Man would be hard pressed to know how to balance those components, but God does it beautifully. He takes appropriate action when righteousness is violated and when man falls short. However, God also knows who desires to follow Him, and He is gracious and patient with them. When they sin against Him, He forgives them. He gives them guidance so they understand what His expectations are.

God responds favorably to those who strive to live for Him. He listens to them and answers their prayers. He provides for them. He loves them and blesses them. He knows them personally and is interested in them.

While God does have righteous standards, He is not an ogre. He is not just waiting for the opportunity to pounce upon the smallest offense in extreme retribution. He is not ready to thrust people aside after a single failure. He does not want to annihilate people. "If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O LORD, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You" (Psalm 130:3-4).

What a wondrous and privileged position Christians have! The God who is so powerful, so supreme, so holy, and so awesome has such understanding of man's frailty and such love for mankind that He restrains His anger and shows compassion. "For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption" (Psalm 130:7).

The proper response to such truth is not unrestrained living or presumptuous sin. Both Psalms 99 and 130 caution against such licentiousness. These psalms do, however, expose the error of those who fear God to the point of impersonal detachment or resentment. God is not a negative person to be avoided as much as possible; He is a wonderfully positive person to be loved and praised, with every attempt to grow closer to Him.