Psalm 97
The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice! Let the farthest coastlands be glad. Dark clouds surround him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire spreads ahead of him and burns up all his foes. His lightning flashes out across the world. The earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness; every nation sees his glory. Those who worship idols are disgraced – all who brag about their worthless gods – for every god must bow to him. Jerusalem has heard and rejoiced, and all the towns of Judah are glad because of your justice, O Lord! For you, O Lord, are supreme over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord and praise his holy name! Psalm 97 (NLT)
Psalm 97 is considered an enthronement hymn specifically for praising God as “king.” It is thought that originally it may have been sung at a festival celebrating the Lord as the universal king. This understanding of Psalm 97 made me think of the beautiful music at Southwood and how this Psalm would be orchestrated. First, hearing the drums beat like a thunderstorm showing God’s mysterious presence in verses 1 through 5. Next, the cymbals clashing during the storm from God’s heavenly kingdom announcing His power in verses 6-7, followed by the trumpets declaring God’s kingdom reigning over the earth in verses 8-10. Finally, the flute and strings gently reminding us that God’s light dawns for all who believe and give thanks for his holy and loving presence among us in verses 11 and 12. A beautiful hymn of instrumentation accompanying the angelic voices of a choir singing the words to this hymn of praise.
May our hearts be open and reminded of these words as we continue through this Easter season praising and thanking God for all He has done and will continue to do for his believers.
Questions for Reflection:
- In what ways do you worship God in your daily life?
- What music moves you to praise God?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We praise you for your holy word. Thank you for the music we hear that reminds us to focus on you and your loving presence in our lives. Amen.
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