ChristadelphianBooksOnline
George Booker
Psalms Studies - Book 4

Psalm 99

1. Structure

1,2.	Yahweh reigns; let all worship Him
3.	He is holy
4.	Yahweh is the Righteous Judge
5.	He is holy
6-8.	Examples of worshiping Yahweh
9.	He is holy

Note the three-fold use of “holy” in the refrain: vv. 3, 5, and 9. Whereas the AV has “it is holy” in v. 3, this is rightly given in the NIV and NEB as “he is holy” — thus matching vv. 5 and 9.

The three sections of the psalm, punctuated by the “holy” refrains, describe, respectively, He who is to come, He who is, and He who was (cp. Rev. 1:4,8; 11:17; and especially 4:8 — with the Cherubim!).

2. Historical setting

Like the others in this group, this psalm makes most sense when set against the background of the awe-inspiring theophany in Hezekiah’s reign, a manifestation which destroyed Sennacherib’s army and saved Jerusalem.

1.	The Lord reigneth (Psa. 93:1; 97:1). Despite the boastful blasphemy of Rabshakeh, Yahweh (and not Sennacherib) is the great King.
	Let the people tremble. Not only Assyrians, but “sinners in Zion” were afraid of the majesty of the Lord (Isa. 33:14).
	He sitteth above (not, between) the cherubim (Psa. 80:1; cp. Exod. 25:21,22; Lev. 16:2; 2 Chron. 7:1,2; Isa. 37:16), as described in Ezekiel 1:26-28; the ark of the covenant was his footstool (v. 5). “He sits enthroned upon the cherubim” (RSV).
	*Let the earth (eretz)* be moved** (or ‘quake’: RSV). “The Lord of all the earth” is a title of God especially connected with the Cherubim (see on Psa. 97:5). Evidently the great deliverance was also associated with earthquake (18:7,10; 97:4; Isa. 6:4).
2.	The Lord is great in Zion. The sight of the Shekinah Glory is particularly associated with this period (as with the time of Moses and Aaron): Isa. 6:2; 30:30-33; 37:36; 38:8.
3.	Let them praise thy great and terrible name. See Isa. 31:8,9. “Terrible” is certainly the right word!
6.	This reference to Samuel is appropriate enough, for through his intercession there was more than once a “theophany” and a deliverance of Israel: 1 Sam. 7:8-10 (and note how v. 14 had its counterpart in Hezekiah’s time); 8:7; 12:12 (‘the Lord reigneth’), 19,23 (Samuel’s intercession; cp. Hezekiah’s in Isa. 37:15-20).
8.	Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. Vengeance and forgiveness were the double experience of Hezekiah’s reign. Vengeance: Isa. 8:7; 10:5,6. Forgiveness — shown by the dramatic deliverance. The Name of Yahweh comprehends both awesome judgment and infinite mercy (Exod. 34:6,7).

3. Messianic fulfillment

1.	The Lord reigneth. The Lord is not only King, but is seen to be King when His Messiah reigns in Zion (v. 2).
	Let the earth be moved. How many prophecies of the kingdom have terrifying pictures of earthquakes (Isa. 2:10,19; Zech. 14:4; Rev. 6:12; 11:19; 16:18)!
3.	Beside thy terrible name, the terrors of the super-powers will pale into insignificance.
6.	Moses, Aaron, and Samuel will be present in this great crisis, but with them One yet greater to intercede and act on behalf of God’s people.
7.	He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: Exod. 13:21; Num. 12:5; 14:14; Deut. 31:15. Compare also the description of Christ’s coming, “in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:30; see Psa. 97:2, notes). This will be God’s ultimate, and climactic, “speaking” with men!
8.	Thou wast a God that forgavest them. This is only possible when God’s people repent: and it will be such a repentance that brings the Second Coming (see references, Psa. 81:13,14).

4. Other details

1,9.	The Lord reigneth... the Lord our God is holy. The same features are evident in Psalms 93 and 97.
3.	For it is holy. Or, “he is holy” (see Par. 1).
4.	Strength... establish are specific allusions, again, to Boaz and Jachin — the twin pillars of the Temple (1 Kings. 7:21).
	The king’s strength also loveth judgment. This is a very abrupt switch of ideas and emphasis. The RSV changes this to: “Mighty King, lover of justice”. And the NEB to: “He is mighty, a king who loves justice”.
5.	His footstool = the Ark of the Covenant, and the Temple — where the Almighty resides (Psa. 132:7; Lam. 2:1; 1 Chron. 28:2; Isa. 60:13; 66:1).
	He is holy: “And the four beasts... rest not day and night, saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy (3 times!: cp. vv. 3,5,9 here), Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come’ ” (Rev. 4:8).
6.	Moses and Aaron were prophet and priest. Samuel was both. All these offered sacrifice, made a covenant, interceded (Samuel means ‘God hears him’: see on Par. 2, v. 6), and had experience of the cloudy pillar. And all three knew both the vengeance and the forgiveness of God.
	Moses and Samuel are mentioned together again in Jer. 15:1, as outstanding examples of intercessors on behalf of Israel; thus, in a slightly more general sense than Aaron, they were both his priests also.
8.	Though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions (‘misdeeds’: NEB, NIV), that is, upon the inventions or misdeeds of their days: (1) of Moses and Aaron’s days: the golden calf; (2) of Samuel’s day: the ark being superstitiously carried into battle. And — of Christ’s day — the various “traditions of men” that nullified the gospel message he preached.