Psalm 93 - The Lord Reigns

Psalm 93:1-5 NIV

The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;
indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
Your throne was established long ago;
you are from all eternity.

The seas have lifted up, Lord,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the Lord on high is mighty.

Your statutes, Lord, stand firm;
holiness adorns your house for endless days.

Psalm 93 is only 5 verses long. It celebrates the majesty and authority of God over the earth. Even the seas celebrates the Lord's mighty power with their crashing waves of glorious praise. Though the ocean waves are awe inspiring they are nothing compared to the presence of the Almighty.

"The Lord reigns", the psalm proudly begins. Yahweh, the God of Israel, has established His throne from all eternity. Before humanity ever began recording time, before the seas were bordered off by rising continents, the Lord ruled. And because The Lord reigns, the earth is firmly established.

The Bible speaks of the foundations of the earth or the pillars of the earth. The ancient world thought of the earth as flat with a protective dome overhead and pillars below holding up the earth above chaotic waters. God made this safe place for life to flourish, between the waters above the dome and the waters below the earth. Because God has ultimate authority over creation as creator, what God has established is completely secure. And since there is no real contender to the authority of our creator, then His reign is forever secure. There are those chaotic forces that resist God, and while they may wreak havoc, they have no real power over the authority of Him who reigns on high.

The psalm comes from the people of God, Israel His chosen nation. They are the people of the covenant. God led them out of slavery in Egypt and gave them the law through Moses to establish a holy nation, a nation of priests.

The Lord said to Moses,

Exodus 19:4-6a NIV

‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

The psalm acknowledges the law of Moses as secure as the throne of Yahweh, as firmly established as the earth itself. Just as God set boundaries for the waters to form into oceans and seas, God set boundaries for Israel to keep them as a holy people, set aside solely for God's purposes. God dwells among His holy people as they faithfully adhere to His commandments and statutes. By this law they shall live with God and God will bless them.

God dwells among His holy people at the temple in Jerusalem, His throne on earth. In the holy of holies, behind the veiled curtain, sits the ark of the covenant covered in gold. Atop the ark sits two cherubim. God reigns on earth here above the cherubim. It's where's heaven and earth meet. The priests make offerings daily and burn incense before the Lord. There they serve Him, giving the Lord the honor due Him. The temple is holy, having no other purpose than the worship of The Most High. The house of God is beautiful and awe inspiring by its architecture and adornments, but what makes it so special is the presence of the Lord. His holy presence adorns the place and all the people bow down and cry, "Holy! Holy! Holy is the Lord God Almighty!"

Today that holy place is in you through the Christ who made it possible. Through Him we have access to the Father through the Spirit. So come boldly before the throne of the Eternal One who reigns. He's dwelling within you in the holiest place. Because He is firmly established, then so is your life through your obedient faith in Jesus.