Commentary - Psalm 99:1-3

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 99 is one of the great enthronement psalms, a series of hymns that celebrate the fact that Yahweh is King. This is not a future hope, but a present and eternal reality. The psalm opens with this thunderous declaration of God's sovereign rule and describes the necessary, twofold reaction in the created order: the peoples tremble and the earth quakes. God's throne is not remote; it is established in Zion, His chosen place of dwelling, from which His authority extends over all nations. The required response to this majestic reality is the praise of His great and awesome name, a name whose character is defined by the psalm's central refrain: "Holy is He." This passage establishes the absolute sovereignty of God, the terror of His reign for the rebellious, and the worshipful awe it inspires in the righteous.

The structure is a crescendo. It begins with the fact of His reign, moves to the location of His earthly government, and climaxes with the fundamental attribute of His character that makes His reign what it is: His holiness. This is a call for all the earth to recognize the King who is, and to order themselves accordingly. There is no middle ground, no neutral territory. Before this King, you either tremble in rebellious fear or you tremble in worshipful adoration.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 99 belongs to a group of psalms, from Psalm 93 to Psalm 100, often called the "Enthronement Psalms." The central theme that unites them is the triumphant shout, "Yahweh reigns!" (cf. 93:1; 96:10; 97:1). These are not psalms that look forward to a day when God will finally become king. They are bold declarations that He is King right now, and has always been King. They were likely used in the temple worship of Israel to celebrate God's universal sovereignty. This psalm, in particular, emphasizes the holiness of the King, with the refrain "Holy is He" or "Holy are You" appearing three times (vv. 3, 5, 9), structuring the entire psalm. It stands as a powerful corrective to any attempt to domesticate God or to treat Him as a tribal deity. The God of Israel is the King of all the earth, and His reign is founded upon His unassailable holiness.

Key Issues

The Trembling Throne

The first thing we must get straight in our heads is that the declaration "Yahweh reigns" is the central message of the entire Bible. It is the gospel in miniature. This is not a statement of abstract theology; it is a political announcement with cosmic implications. When a new king took the throne in the ancient world, a herald would announce his reign, and everyone had to adjust their lives accordingly. The psalmist is that herald, and he announces that the true King has taken His throne. This is not a democratic election; it is a statement of unassailable fact. And because this fact is true, certain consequences necessarily follow. The world is not a random collection of atoms bumping around. It is a kingdom under the absolute authority of a sovereign. This psalm is about that King, that kingdom, and the only sane responses to His rule.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Yahweh reigns, let the peoples tremble; He sits enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth quake!

The psalm opens with the foundational statement of all reality: Yahweh reigns. The verb is in a tense that indicates a settled, ongoing state of affairs. He is not campaigning for the throne; He possesses it. The immediate consequence of this reign is that the peoples, the nations, must tremble. This is not a suggestion; it is an imperative that flows from the reality of His kingship. The nations rage and plot in vain (Psalm 2), but when confronted with the reality of the true King, the only appropriate response is to tremble. This can be the trembling of a terrified rebel before the executioner, or the trembling of a worshiper overwhelmed with awe. But there will be trembling. His throne is not abstract or distant; it is specifically located. He is enthroned above the cherubim. This is a direct reference to the Ark of the Covenant, where golden cherubim overshadowed the mercy seat. This means His throne is a throne of justice and mercy, a throne of atonement. He rules from the place where sin is dealt with. And just as the peoples must tremble, so the earth itself must quake. His reign is not just over the hearts of men, but over the very fabric of creation.

2 Yahweh is great in Zion, And He is exalted above all the peoples.

The global King has a capital city. His greatness is particularly located and demonstrated in Zion. For the Old Testament saint, this was Jerusalem, the city of the great King, the place where His temple stood. This was the beachhead of His kingdom on earth, the place from which His law went forth. But this greatness in Zion is not for Zion's sake alone. It is the base of operations for His exaltation over all the peoples. God always works from the particular to the universal. He chose Abraham to bless all nations. He chose Israel to be a light to the Gentiles. He established His throne in Zion to claim the entire world. For the New Covenant believer, Zion is the heavenly Jerusalem, the Church of the firstborn (Heb. 12:22-23). The Church is now the place where God's greatness is displayed, and from which the news of His exaltation over all nations is to be proclaimed. The greatness of God among His people is the engine of world evangelization.

3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name; Holy is He.

Given the reality of His reign and His greatness, what is the proper response? Praise. But not just any praise. The object of the praise is His great and awesome name. In Scripture, a name represents a person's character and reputation. To praise His name is to declare who He is and what He is like. His name is great because of His power and sovereignty. His name is awesome, or fearsome, because of His holiness. And this is precisely where the verse lands. The foundation for all of it, the reason His name is great and awesome, the reason the peoples tremble, is summed up in two words: Holy is He. This is the central refrain of the psalm. Holiness means to be set apart, to be other, to be in a class all by oneself. God's holiness is the essence of His divine nature. He is not a bigger, better version of us. He is utterly different, transcendent, and morally perfect. This holiness is what makes His presence both terrifying and glorious. It is the white-hot center of His being, and it is the reason He must be worshiped.

Application

This psalm confronts our casual, buddy-buddy approach to God. We live in an age that has lost the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. The truth that "Yahweh reigns" is not a comforting platitude to be cross-stitched on a pillow. It is a world-altering, politically charged declaration. It means that Caesar does not reign. It means that the president, the supreme court, and the united nations do not reign. Yahweh reigns, and He does so from a throne of grace, the mercy seat.

Therefore, we are to live as loyal subjects of this great King. Our lives should be characterized by a joyful trembling, an awesome reverence for His holiness. When we gather for worship, we are coming to Zion, the city of the living God. Our worship should reflect the reality of His awesome name. It should be serious, joyful, and reverent. Furthermore, because our King is exalted above all peoples, we have a mission. We are heralds, sent out from Zion to announce to all the nations that their rightful King reigns, and to call them to bow the knee and praise His great and awesome name. We do this with confidence, not because our techniques are clever, but because our King is holy, and His kingdom cannot be shaken.