When “God is Great” Sounds Like Charlie Brown’s Teacher
Psalm 93
Psalm 93 is a perfect example of why I struggled to pray the Psalms for so long.
This is a short song of praise, only five verses. It begins by praising the reign of God (1), using various images for His rule: throne (2), royal robe (1), and majesty (1). The psalmist rejoices in the truth that God reigns over the world (1) and that nothing can displace His reign. His reign is from eternity past (2) and will last through eternity future (2).
The psalmist then contrasts the power and reign of God with the powers of nature (3-4). If we stop and think about it, the most powerful displays of raw power in the ancient world would have been the forces of nature: sudden flashes of lightning, earth-shaking peals of thunder, flash floods that wiped cities off the map, and mighty waves of the open seas that overwhelmed the most skillful of sailors. The psalmist lists these displays of power as roaring floods, mighty thunders and waves of the sea. Thinking of the biggest displays of power, the psalmist declares that the Lord on high is mightier (4). Or to use a simpler image, God wears strength like a belt (1).
In other words, God’s power is so great that the most powerful force of nature is little more than a fashion accessory to His greatness.
The Psalm ends by calling God’s people to respond to this powerful reign. What would you expect the psalmist to say?
I would expect the Psalm to call the people of God to humble themselves before this mighty God, to fear the Lord, and to obey His commands. How else should God’s people respond to the description of God’s power and reign?
Before we look at the last verse, let’s push “pause.”
The praise songs of the Psalms can often sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher: indistinct background sounds. God is great. Blah, blah, blah. God is good. Blah, blah, blah. God reigns over all the earth. Blah, blah, blah. Of course, we would never say that out loud, but I can’t be the only Christian who has ever thought that.
And this is where the Psalms snatch me out of my sleepwalking spirituality with an unexpected twist at the end. Instead of responding to the reign and power of God by calling God’s people to fear the Lord and obey His commands, the psalmist ends this short song another way.
Your decrees are very trustworthy;Holiness befits Your house,
O Lord, forevermore.Psalm 93.5
The Creator and Sustainer of all things, the One who sits on an eternal throne, the Majestic One who is mightier than the most powerful things we can imagine—our confidence in His trustworthiness praises this transcendent God. His decrees are trustworthy, actually, very trustworthy. His decrees (ESV), statutes (NIV), testimonies (CSB), and rules (NET) are trustworthy (ESV), stand firm (NIV), are completely reliable (CSB), and are fully confirmed (NET).
The transcendent God blesses His people with His immanence. The God who is “way out there” is near to us, telling us how to live, walking beside us day by day.
Think about it. The rule and power of God could be bad news. Imagine an earthly dictator who has unlimited power, but who uses it for evil. We would hate his power.
But we can rejoice in God’s rule and power because “holiness befits” His house – adorns His house. Notice the shift from throne (2) to house (5). Subtle, but so important. We rejoice in God’s rule and power because we can be part of His house, adopted into His family through Christ.
Father, thank You for the simplicity of short psalms like Psalm 93, for the sake of those of us with short attention spans. Thank You for Your eternal power and reign over all things. And thank You that through Christ, I can be part of Your holy house, forgiven and redeemed through the atoning work of Your Son. And thank You for loving me enough to reveal Your commands, testimonies, rules, and ways so that I can know how to walk in Your ways.
The Lord reigns; He is robed in majesty.