Homilist Psalm 99:1-9 The LORD reigns; let the people tremble: he sits between the cherubim; let the earth be moved.… I. AS SEEN IN SYMBOL. "He sitteth between the cherubim." This reference to the Shekinah teaches us that His reign is — 1. Moral. 2. Merciful. 3. Glorious. The ark is a humble emblem of that throne which is invisible in its nature, and universal in its authority, and withal characterized by the sublimely moral, merciful, and redemptive. II. AS EXTOLLED IN LANGUAGE (vers. 2-4). He is extolled — 1. Because He is supreme. "King of kings and Lord of lords." 2. Because He is holy. His throne has never been stained with wrong, it is a "great white throne." 3. Because it is mighty in rectitude (ver. 4). God's throne is morally omnipotent because it is infinitely just. III. AS RECALLED IN MEMORY (vers. 6-8). His reign as here brought to the memory of the author of this poem taught two things. 1. That His reign had respect to human prayer. Moses and Aaron prayed and they were answered, Samuel prayed and he was answered, and so ever it was with the pious Hebrew. He recognized the duty and power of human prayer. Prayer is an element of the Divine Government. 2. That His reign had respect to human forgiveness. How frequently did He forgive His people of old; He forgave Moses, Samuel, Aaron, David, etc. Thus under God's reign on earth forgiveness is dispensed, dispensed to all true penitents. "Let the wicked forsake his way," etc. IV. AS FELT IN CONSCIENCE (vers. 5, 9). Here the sublime sense of moral obligation in the author is touched, excited and speaks with an ill-imperial voice. "Exalt ye." It is at once the supreme interest and duty of every man to give Him in all things the pre-eminence in thought, sympathy, volition, aim. (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. |
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