Psalm 97:2-6 - September 29, 2009

Ps 97:2-6 "Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3 Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. 4 His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory." NIV

Psalm 97:2-6 make a powerful contribution to our understanding of the Lord and His divine person and attributes. It is awesome to consider the physical dynamics of God’s presence. I am sure that this passage is a small reflection of the vastness that is God, when we consider that He has created all that IS created, when we consider that He holds the worlds in the palms of His hands and yet this same God of greatness can live inside of our spirits and speak to us intimately, but it still inspires the heart to exalt the Lord. Imagine His throne surrounded by dark, thunderous clouds and burning fire that consumes all of His enemies on every side. What an awesome image this is of our creator.
Imagine the holy fear that touches the heart of all who see His lightning light up the world. The Psalmist captures this thought succinctly by saying “the earth sees and trembles.” Consider the greatness of the highest mountain peaks known to man and yet before the power and glory of the Lord they “melt like wax.” Scientists know that the earth is a ball of fire at its core. Telescopic images depict the burning mass that is the sun pouring heat and light into the universe, multiplied by every star in the heavens! And still God is bigger. Still God holds all of this in the palms of His hands. The Psalmist’s reflection causes Him to declare this truth by saying “the heavens proclaim… and all the people see…” Truly God makes Himself known through the power of His creation! Certainly He reaches out to all men through the wonders that He has made.
These concepts are deeply moving and can be expanded on through hours of silent reflection or passionate study of the universe and yet the Psalmist is not content to present the throne of God with this as the limitation of its description. One of the wonders of Psalm 97:2-6 is that in the midst of this glorious description of the throne of God, one of the primary attributes that the writer exalts as central to God’s glory and habitation is the fact of His righteousness and justice. When the writer presents this description of God he is compelled by the Holy Spirit’s leading to include the reality that the foundation of God’s glory rests upon His character. In spite of all His visible attributes and the wonders He can perform, what makes God truly glorious and worthy of praise is that He is righteous and just! It is not the strength of His power, nor the beauty of His person but the glory of His character that is the center of His throne! He is worthy of this position of ultimate rule, worthy of the submission and praise of men first of all because He judges with absolutely right judgment and unchanging character! We can rest in God’s consistent integrity and wisdom in His dealings with us. This is the glory of God!