Psalm 93

1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.

2 Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.

While the palm trees and cedars of Psalm 92 were representative of old age for humans, Psalm 93 reminds us that YHWH is older than the world itself. His glorious, eternal, sovereign nature and ruling power are on display in this psalm. The throne of God and the clothing of God are central in the first two verses. The repetitive, rhythmic statements of the opening verses of this psalm are fitting for a psalm that describes the pounding of the waves and the rising of the flood waters. The first rhythmic repetition focuses on YHWH’s clothing. He is robed in majesty and he puts on strength as his belt. The glorious beauty of God is on display here (his clothing), and underneath that glory is strength (his belt upon which everything is attached). Our view of God’s throne room is informed by other biblical texts in Isaiah, Ezekiel and Revelation. They help us envision a throne room filled with beams of light and rainbow colors. The furnishings are made of solid gold and other precious metals. Gems are scattered everywhere on the ground like gravel and embedded in every surface. These other texts describe throne attendants as flying angelic beings of magnificent glory and beauty and they are directing all attention to the One on the throne. The throne of God represents his rule. There can be no doubt who is in charge of the world and everything in it. He established the world (echoes of Psalm 24:1 here), so his rule precedes creation. This is how it must be. The universe is not eternal. It had a beginning, and it will have an end. Ponder the power of God that created and then set in motion the vast expanse of stars and galaxies. “When I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds your hands have made”. We now know that the stars are beyond number, and how many of them must have planets and moons that outnumber even the stars. Yes, YHWH has established the world, and we see reflections of his beauty and glory everywhere in creation. No matter what happens today in your life or in the world, know that God’s sovereign rule does not change. He is still in charge working out his plan to the praise of his glorious grace. 

3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their roaring.

4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty!

If verses 1 and 2 established God’s supremacy over the earth, these verses speak of God’s greatness over the waters. The waters were both life giving and life destroying in the ancient world, and the metaphor of water in the Psalms is used in both ways. Here it is a reference to the destructive power of the waters. First, we have the floods. The actual word is “rivers”, but  one can see that all of the rivers flow into the sea so they are connected. Secondly, floods were experienced along rivers and creeks that rose quickly during a storm. This is also where people tended to live because of the easy access to drinking water and food that the river provided. Three times the psalmist tells us that the rivers have lifted up, the floodwaters are rising and their sound grows louder with each phrase. As loud as these roaring rivers may be, they become louder when they meet the sea where waves crash relentlessly and rhythmically against the shore. This is the location of the epic battle between the land and sea that goes on continuously. Consider all the might, sound and fury of a flooding river along with the power of waves pummelling the shore. Add all of that volume and power together across the entire planet, and YHWH on high is mightier. His voice is louder, exceeding all other things. In the ancient world, people believed that there were river gods and sea gods and these were in conflict with the various gods of the land. This psalm declares YHWH supreme even if you believe in such gods. This psalm declares that God is universal. He is not just a local deity, a regional god who only affects the nation of Israel. Finally, this psalm declares that God is speaking metaphorically through creation. The language of “voice” is found here, reminding us of the message of Psalm 19 -- the heavens are declaring the glory of God, the skies proclaiming the work of his hands. In Psalm 93, the rivers and oceans join that same song. Water is also a frequent metaphor for trials and near death experiences. Believers may find themselves up to their necks in trouble, drowning in terrible circumstances, and yet this psalm reminds us that God is greater than the waters. Whatever trial or hardship we are facing, it is no match for YHWH. To make that clear, the psalmist repeats each of these phrases three times for emphasis.

5 Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.

God’s throne is established on the earth and he exercises dominion over the waters. The third and final image is of God’s relationship with human beings. He has given us his word and he has moved into our neighborhood. First, his testimonies are very trustworthy. There are at least eight terms for the “word of God” in the Bible. This one is usually translated as witness or testimony, so it is a legal term. The testimony of a witness in court was guaranteed by harsh penalties for lying. “Bearing false witness” is one of the ten commandments. One of the ways that God has blessed mankind is through the giving of his law, the revelation of himself in human language. The law contains not only moral guidance, but the story of redemption, the history of God’s interactions with his people. And every bit of it is trustworthy. There is a tendency to judge the testimony of God by our modern standards and filter its demands through what we “know”, bending it to fit our own story (testimony). But God’s account of reality is VERY trustworthy, and since he is the sovereign creator and ruler of the universe, he probably knows a bit more than I do. So trust his judgment. The second attribute to reflect upon here is God’s holiness. His dwelling in heaven and on earth is decorated in holiness. Often God’s “house” is a reference to Solomon’s temple, but that depends on when this psalm was written and used. God dwells in the heavens but has a second home here on earth. The earth-bound temple is adorned in holiness, decorated with the finest art and craftsmanship that his people could offer. It was without a doubt the most beautiful building in Israel. God’s heavenly temple is more glorious than the sky, brighter the sun, more beautiful than the clouds, and has more splendor than the stars combined. His temple is adorned in his holiness, his utter transcendence and “otherness” that make him worthy of our worship. And he says to us, “be holy, as I am holy.” By following his testimony and adorning our earthly existence with holiness, we embody YHWH to a world that doesn’t know what it is hungry for. It is hungry for transcendence, for holiness.