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Psalm chapter 99

What does Psalm chapter 99 mean?

Psalms 95 through 99 are often called "royal psalms" or "enthronement psalms." These celebrate the idea of God being the unquestioned ruler of the world. Other examples are Psalms 24, 27, and 93. The songs have a dual purpose: acknowledging the Lord's current authority and looking forward to when He rules the world directly (Revelation 20:4).

The psalm opens with a statement that God is sovereign. He is the unchallenged master of all creation. He is not only ruler over the people of Israel; He also has authority over the Gentile nations, referred to here as "the peoples." Knowing this about the Lord should result in a reverent, respectful form of fear (Proverbs 1:7). Cherubim are a type of angel which are almost always seen in God's presence. Two cherubim were represented on the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:18–22). God's throne is "upon," or "above," these angelic beings (Psalm 99:1–3).

The Lord's power has created fairness, justice, and goodness. His love and loyalty to Israel demonstrate this—God renamed Jacob as "Israel" and made him the founder of the nation. An appropriate response to the love of a holy God is humble worship (Psalms 99:4–5).

Moses (Exodus 33:11), Aaron (Numbers 3:6–9), and Samuel (1 Samuel 3:21) are among the most famous examples of those who heard from God and passed those messages along to Israel. Unfortunately, the nation of Israel did not always obey (Judges 2:16–19). This resulted in consequences such as the Babylonian exile (Jeremiah 25:8–11). Yet Israel was never destroyed or wiped out. This gives God's people good reason to praise and worship Him (Psalm 99:6–9).
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