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.
3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring. /ˈrɔːrɪŋ/
4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
mightier than the waves of the sea,
the Lord on high is mighty!
5 Your decrees are very trustworthy;
holiness befits your house,
O Lord, forevermore.
Title：From everlasting to everlasting, God reigns！
【Introduction】
Peace be with you, brothers and sister!
Two weeks ago, my family went to the affordable art fair. The exhibition featured 80 galleries, with two floors of exhibition halls filled with a variety of paintings, with countless styles and categories, from abstract to realistic, from colorful to far-reaching, to childlike wonder. We were really amazed. We all had a wonderful time, really enjoyed this visual feast. Even after getting back home, we couldn’t stop talking about those favorite pieces for days.
Not just paintings, poetry can also give people visual and other sensory stimulation. Have you ever felt that way?
Good poetry can paint vivid pictures in our minds. Even though we don’t see the actual painting with our eyes, the words and description gives us free space to imagine and to create our own painting in our minds.
【The images and messages of Psalm 93】
Psalm 93 is such a piece of art. It uses only a few lines to paint an impressive portrait of God as the king, with all-ruling power and authority. He is majestic and glorious, sitting on his everlasting throne, eternally unchanging. It is not just one static image, but a series moving ones which depicting the interaction of God and the created world.
Now, I’d like to invite all of you to read Psalm 93 with me, then please draw a picture based on what you read and share with the sister or brother next to you, abt your drawing.
Now let’s read it, psalm 93…
now please draw it.
With this practise, you already entered the world of psalm 93, seeing the majestic God, the powerful king, don’t you?
This is the picture I found on the internet：the top of it is resplendent and majestic, full of glory. The Lord God sits on His throne above, so glorious that it is hard to look directly at Him. The bottom of the painting is a black, turbulent sea.
There are several Psalms, specifically praising the sovereignty of God; they are collectively referred to as the Royal Psalms. Our church preaches the royal psalms around advent last year and this year. We also specifically designed the PPT background for them.
Psalm 93 is the shortest among them, Eugene Peterson appraises it in this way, saying that “Psalm 93 is prominent among (them). Regal /ˈriːɡl/ in its artless simplicity, imposing in its unpretentious brevity /ˈbrɛvɪti/, memorable in its strong rhythms, it attracts and convinces.” (“Where your treasure is” by Eugene Peterson)
It has a strong visual impact. It first describes the clothes and throne of God, the King, then God’s victory over the raging and surging flood waves. Finally, it focuses on His stable and faithful decrees and the holy temple.
- God reigns in eternity
- God is mightier than the floods
- God is holy, He does not rule with violence but His decree
- God reigns in eternity
The poem begins by directly proclaiming: The Lord Reigns!
behold，He is no normal earthly king, His robe is not made of fine and precious fabrics, but of majesty. The abstract word “majesty” has actually become a concrete garment on God?!
We don’t need to figure out the texture, style, and color of that robe. Of course, this is a personification which makes it easier for us to understand God’s kingly authority and feel His glory and majesty.
God also robes strength and put on strength as his belt! Now He equips himself, and specifically does so for battle with strength and might.
The poem then declares the ongoing consequences of God’s assertion of kingly authority: the world stands firm, like the kingship in the hands of Solomon. The “world” in the original text refers to the world of humanity rather than the physical world. The world of humanity stands firm because it has God as its king and protector.
God rules over not just the nation of Israel, but the entire human world. With God as its king and protector, the world is firm and stable. It will not always in turbulence, neither will it collapse one day due to natural disasters or mankind self -destructive actions.
When did God start to be king and rule the world? At the beginning when the world was being created and shaped, He was already the king of the entire created world, the king of governance and care; and He is still the king in the present time, having redeemed and renews the world day by day; the last phrase points to eternity, at the end when the new creation is fully realized, He will still be king.
There’re 4 lines in the opening stanza. Every line is composed with 2 parts, which rhyme in meanings.
1The 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.
Peterson looks at them this way:
“the four paired lines build a foursquare solidity. God’s sovereignty is a structural fort.” (“Where your treasure is” by Eugene Peterson) .
The rest of this poem was built upon this strong fort.
- God is mightier than the floods
Next, the color theme of the painting changed, the loud roaring flood came into our view:
The floods have lifted up, oh Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring.
This is not the calm sea, but the roaring and surging waves, which can overturn huge ships, sweep away houses on the shore, and smash tall rocks.
This is not the river or spring that nourishes life, but the flood that overflows very fast, coming down from high places after continuous heavy rain, with a loud noise, causing great damage. Wherever it goes, tall trees will be uprooted, and sturdy buildings will be destroyed, and the people and objects inside will not be spared.
Floods and surging waves are used to metaphor chaos. For example, a country without government or government incompetence. We can also think of the situation in the market, society, and family. Within each scope, there are established rules and order. When everyone acts according to the rules, everything is in order, and the members get along well and enjoy the rights they deserve. But suddenly, someone or some people no longer abide by the rules, and the originally calm and harmonious state will suddenly become a mess.
The chaos of human society is in opposition to the ruling God. The three sentences are layered and progressive, with a tight rhythm. The flood rampages three times, rising up, roaring, and rolling, getting more and more fierce and terrifying. The flood vividly expresses the destructive power of social chaos, bringing disaster to culture, morality, and lives.
However, please remember that the ruling God is always above the flood no matter how fierce the flood can be! God is mightier than the roaring and surging flood. The flood rampages three times, and God also proves His mighty three times!
God’s power, God’s ruling, always overcomes the chaos, rebellion, and sin of human society.
- God is holy, He rules with His decree
the Lord on high is mighty! This sentence ends the conflict with absolute certainty and confidence. It brings the tranquility after the chaos, the stability beyond the rolling flood.
Psalm 93 turns into tranquility and stability：God’s decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits His house.
“The means by which God’s rule is put into effect is word not muscle, decrees not armies, creative speech not coercive act.”
Trustworthy can also be translated as Sure, Faithful, Steadfast, and Firm, it means affirmed, very sure. The decrees and laws from God are the foundation of the existence of the world and the advancement of human society.
Holiness is the unique attribute of God, distinguishes Him from all other beings in the created world. This sentence can also be translated as，“holiness adorns your house”， “your holiness glorifies your house”. God is holy, therefore God’s presence is always a holy presence. So it is no surprise that God’s house is decorated in holiness just as he himself is robed in majesty and strength. The holiness of God means that his power can only be used in accordance with his goodness and righteousness.
【Psalm 93 and the world we live in】
These are the messages of Psalm 93, which are not new to us.
- God is king, from everlasting to everlasting he reigns.
- God is above all
- God rules with his decree
Today, let us reflect further：Is there a gap between the message of Psalm 93 with our understandings of this world? is there a gap between these images and our life experience and observation? If yes, then how do we cross it?
The world has seen lots of evilness and violence throughout human history, from ancient times to the present. Nearly 80 years have passed since World War II, a global war that plunged the whole world into chaos, with most countries eventually being drawn into it. In the areas affected, devastation was widespread, and tens of millions of people had been injured or lost their lives.
The world situation is once again in great tense. The conflicts between different ideologies, religions, and economic interests, as well as long-standing unresolved issues left by history, are exacerbating the confrontation between superpowers and conflicts in local regions.
In the face of chaos and violence, we will have an impulse to suppress and overcome violence with violence using our own strength, to turn the chaotic situation, and to re-establish a stable order. Recently, Israel launched a military operation against Hamas in response to the terrorist attacks. Looking at this intense conflict, our hearts are really troubled.
B/S, we do not have to choose between Israel and Hamas. We should stand on God’s side and judge right from wrong and good from evil from God’s way of governing the world.
God is robed in majesty and strength, meanwhile He is holy. His power is not meant to frighten, nor is it a power that can be abused. It is not some strength that is used arbitrarily or to achieve goals at any cost. His strength is in perfect harmony with His goodness and justice. He would never take any actions that opposes His nature.
God rules the world by His decrees and laws, which are clearly written in the Bible. They are the foundation of the ruling and redemption work of God. The violence and arrogance of human society won’t be able to last long, they will eventually fade away. However, God’s word is firm and stable, and it will last forever.
Brothers and sisters, this world doesn’t need more violence. What it needs is more people meditating on the words of God, surrendering under the authority of God, declaring God’s reign and victory through prayer and love.
“The Lord on high is mighty!” is not a mere theoretical and theological statement, nor is it a conclusion from a group of privileged individuals. It is a testimony from those who are in a disadvantaged position, have been struck, oppressed, and wounded.
They were the Israelites, weak, insignificant, lived between great empires. These people witnessed God triumph over Egypt, lead them into the land of Canaan, rescue them from the oppression of the Philistines and the Midianites. They also witnessed God causing the downfall of Babylon and leading the remnant of Israel back home.
They are also the nearly two-thousand-year-old Christian Church, the many many many generations of Christians in the church. They have experienced misunderstanding, persecution, and the attack of heresies. They have also faced great temptation of power and greed, esp. after the establishment of Christendom in 313 AD in Europe, and have withstood the challenges of secularization and the supremacy of science in the modern era.
All of these people have lived in various chaotic times; however, they experienced the sovereignty of God, witnessing the even greater rule of God. The universe has a foundational order, and this order is firm and stable.
Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and a distinguished theologian, once said about God as the ruler of everything. “It means that there is nowhere God is absent, powerless or irrelevant; no situation in the universe in the face of which God is at a loss. Which is much the same as saying that there is no situation in which God is not to be relied upon.”
Declaration of the ruling of God does not let us deny the governance of nations and governments, but gives us a wider and broader view of history and the world. God is the ruler, He rules over all things in the universe, including any event, any person, any matter in the historical spacetime. Nobody, nothing in any corner is not under God’s power of governance.
Whether it is the Israelites thousands of years ago, or the believers of all ages, including us now, we all live in certain regions, governed by different forms of earthly governments.
We choose our leaders and we are obedient to these authorities, we fulfill our civic duties. At the same time, we know that not all leaders and governments respect God and recognize God’s rule. The reality is that since the Enlightenment, more and more governments have wanted to break away from God’s authority, to make decisions by themselves on national policies, economic development directions, diplomatic strategies, etc., even including using force to resolve disputes, doing deceptive brainwashing to control the people, hold their power, and keep interests within the inner circle.
Christians declare that God is King, which implies that earthly authority must be subject to God’s authority. Any leader, whether it be a prime minister, president, or dictator, is not a special person. They are simply entrusted with the responsibility of managing and enforcing laws and policies in a certain time period and within a certain geographical area.
Those who know that God is in control will consciously pay attention to the direction of national policies and the government’s initiatives. They will voice out or take proper actions on social issues. They will, according to the will of God, drive social progress, sometimes even through radical reforms.
【summary】
Psalm 93 declares the unquestionable sovereignty of God, His absolutely trustworthy words, and His unparalleled holiness. This proclamation doesn’t belong to just one individual or one nation. It is the most straightforward and sincere praise uttered by frail humanity under the eternal glory, mighty, and holy governance of God.
I cannot ascertain the musical tones the Jews used to sing this psalm in ancient times, but I am certain it must have been a grand and resounding expression, reaching the heavens. God’s sovereignty, all of His attributes, have already been revealed in our Lord Jesus Christ, so now，let all of us rise, sing this praise song, worship His Majesty as response song. May the music and the lyrics stay in our hearts and minds.
