For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Psalm 99

1 The Lord reigns,
    let the nations tremble;
he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
    let the earth shake.
2 Great is the Lord in Zion;
    he is exalted over all the nations.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name –
    he is holy.

4 The King is mighty, he loves justice –
    you have established equity;
in Jacob you have done
    what is just and right.
5 Exalt the Lord our God
    and worship at his footstool;
    he is holy.

6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
    Samuel was among those who called on his name;
they called on the Lord
    and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;
    they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

8 Lord our God,
    you answered them;
you were to Israel a forgiving God,
    though you punished their misdeeds.
9 Exalt the Lord our God
    and worship at his holy mountain,
    for the Lord our God is holy.

A. Find Out:    

1. What does the Lord do, and what response should that evoke? v.1
2. Where is the Lord seen and what should be the response? v.2,3
3. What does the Lord love and what has He done? v.4
4. Who called on the Lord and what did He do? v.6,7
5. How was the Lord seen, and what did He do? v.8
6. What is a proper response to all this? v.5,9

B. Think:

1. How is the Lord’s POSITION a cause for worship?
2. How is the Lord’s ACTIVITY a cause for worship?
3. How is His activity shown to be personal?

C. Comment:

Twice in this psalm we are exhorted to exalt or lift up the Lord (v.5,9). Twice we are called to worship – at His footstool (v.5) and at the mountain of the Lord (v.9), to meet with the Lord who displays His glory between the cherubim (v.1) in the tabernacle or the Temple . Three times we are reminded that He is holy (v.3,5,9), utterly different, perfect.     

This holiness seems revealed in three ways. First, as He manifests Himself in the Temple or Tabernacle in the midst of Israel . He is the God who unites Himself with one particular nation, to be revealed through them to the world. He is the God who reveals His glory in the meeting place with His people.

Second, He is seen as holy in the way He deals with the nation Israel . He establishes justice and equity in this people (v.4). Justice comes with the Law, equity with mercy or grace. In all He does, He deals with His people justly and rightly. he can never be criticised.

Third, He is seen as holy in the way He interacts with the leaders of His people – Moses, Aaron and Samuel for example (v.6). he spoke to them (v.7) and gave them His laws to follow. They cried to Him (v.6) and He answered them (v.7) even though they sometimes got it wrong (v.8). When they asked for forgiveness, He gave it. Sometimes He brought discipline when they disobeyed His social laws. He gave laws of offerings to deal with those failures.

D. Application:

1. God works with His people to make them holy as He is holy.
2. God works in you and me to make us holy.