Psalm 99
The King gets the most respect
Big in Jerusalem
1The LORD is king.He sits on his throne above the cherubim. [1]
He’s shaking things up.
The earth quakes and people are trembling.
2The LORD is big in Jerusalem. [2]
No one’s any bigger.
He’s the most respected of all.
3May everyone praise you for who you are
And for the awesome reputation of your name.
Holy, [3] you are holy.
4We have a strong king who loves justice.
You developed a plan and set it up.
Then you made the descendants of Jacob
Fans of justice and doing the right thing.
5Treat the LORD our God honorably.
Worship him in a sacred place. [4]
Holy, that’s our LORD.
They called, God answered
6Moses and Aaron were his priests.Samuel was one of many who talked to him.
When these people called out for the LORD,
He answered.
7He spoke long ago from a column of cloud.
The people did as instructed
In the laws he gave them.
8LORD our God, you answered their questions,
You forgave their sins,
Yet you held them accountable for hurting others.
9Honor the LORD our God.
Worship him in a sacred place
Because he is holy,
The LORD our God.
Footnotes
Jews taught that God’s footrest was the lid on the Ark of the Covenant, the gold-covered chest that held the Ten Commandments (1 Chronicles 28:2). Two winged beings called cherubim rested at each end of the lid.
Literally “Zion,” a term of endearment, and another name for Jerusalem. It’s a bit like “The Big Apple” for New York City, “The City of Love” for Paris, and “Sin City” for Las Vegas, though some wouldn’t call that a term of endearment.
“Holy” is a word that means “separated” from others and “devoted” to one thing. A holy bowl in the Temple was not kept in some kitchen cupboard and used to serve supper. It was kept away from other bowls. It was devoted to one purpose, to worship rituals in the Temple. God is uniquely perfect and pure and good as kids on Christmas Eve; maybe better. That separates him from everyone else. “Holy” is a word that attempts to express that.
Literally, it’s “worship at his footstool.” The “footstool” was King David’s nickname for the Ark of the Covenant, the gold-plated box that held the Ten Commandments (1 Chronicles 28:2). This was Israel’s most revered object, which they kept in the most sacred room in the Temple.
Discussion Questions
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