The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice. Psalm 97 The reign of God over the world Homilist. I. THE REIGN OF GOD OVER THE WORLD (ver. 1). 1. His laws are righteous. 2. His purpose is benevolent. II. THE PROVIDENTIAL PROCEDURE OF GOD IN THE WORLD. 1. If is inscrutable. "Clouds and darkness." 2. It is righteous. 3. It is terrible (vers. 3, 4). III. THE MORAL TRIUMPHS OF GOD IN THE WORLD (vers. 6-11). 1. The false are confounded (ver. 7). Idolatry is crushed. 2. The true are blessed (ver. 8). Why glad? (1) Because their God is exalted (ver. 9). (2) Because they are delivered (ver. 10). (3) Because their happiness must progress (ver. 11). ( Homilist. ) The Lord reigneth J. H. Jowett, M.A. "The Lord reigneth." Where shall we put the emphasis? Shall we put it here — " The Lord reigneth"? Yes, let the emphasis be first placed upon the lordship of God. Whatever appearances may seem to dictate, and, in spite of all evidence which suggests the sovereignty of the devil, the Lord is upon the throne. Where, again, shall we place the emphasis? Shall we place it here — "The Lord reigneth ? Yes, let us vary the music by changing the emphasis. The Lord reigneth ; He does not hold the sceptre loosely, giving part of His sovereignty to another; He never relaxes His hold of dominion, and, amid all the changing seasons, He pursues His sovereign will. Now, what kind of man should this great evangel make of me? What ought to be the tone and disposition of my life? I think the psalmist proceeds to give the answer. Let the earth rejoice." The word rejoice is significant of movement, of nimble movement, of dancing, of a certain busy activity of limb. It suggests the busy habits of birds on a bright spring morning. "A bit of sunshine makes all the difference." And here in my text the sun is up and shining; "the Lord reigneth," and we His children are to be as busy as His birds on the bright spring day. "Let the multitude of isles be glad." The soul must not only be vigorous; its vigour must be set to music. And now I am startled by the succession of the psalm. The fact of the sovereignty of God should make me blithe and busy as a bird. But all this seems to be challenged by the words which immediately succeed. Why should the psalmist introduce the ministry of the cloud? He knew that joy that is not touched with reverence is superficial or unreal, Joy is never at its sweetest until it is touched by awe. And, therefore, the suggestion of the mysterious dispensations of God is not intended to smother the song, but rather to deepen and enrich it. Every grace needs the accompaniment of reverence if it is to be perfected. But now, in order that the gathering cloud and darkness may not paralyze men, something is told us as to what dwells in their innermost place. "Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne." The darkness may throw men into perplexity, and yet the darkness itself is regulated by the Lord of the noonday. In the very midst of the cloud and the darkness there is the throne of righteousness and judgment. Therefore must my reverence be inspired with confidence, and not be stricken with cringing fear. "A fire goeth before Him and burneth up His enemies." We need the pure flame of His presence; we need the ever-burning atmosphere in which all defilement is consumed. And now the psalmist turns away to retrospect. He has proclaimed the sovereignty of God, and now he turns to the things of yesterday to find the evangel confirmed. "His lightnings lightened the world." Who does not know the lightning interposition of God? He flashes upon us unexpectedly; the Divine is obtruded when we least expect it. We had almost forgotten the Divine. The nearness and the depression of the cloud had caused us almost to forget Him. Or we were wondering if He would ever return. And suddenly He appeared!" The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord." The Divine suddenly interposes and the obstacles melt away. Have we not known the experience? The difficulties towered in front of us like gigantic hills, and we saw no way over the tremendous heights. And then suddenly, half-unexpectedly, the hills melted, and the difficulties vanished away. Missionary literature abounds in such experience. Every Christian could produce confirmatory witness. God has suddenly interposed, and the difficulty has withered away, and the "outsiders" have seen the glory of the Lord, and His leadership and righteousness have been declared. It is the lightning interposition which confounds the ungodly. They are turned pale by the passing of the hills, and by the triumph of the meek and lowly in heart. "But Zion heard and was glad." Now, in the face of this evangel, "The Lord reigneth," and with this corroboration from the witness of experience, what shall we do? The psalmist supplies the answer. "Ye that love the Lord hate evil." This is the foundation of everything. And what shall be our reward if we are possessed by this love-hatred, this twin ministry, this mortifying grace? "He preserveth the souls of His saints." We shall be kept by God, He will erect fences to guard us from peril. "Light is sown for the righteous." We are not only to be preserved, we are to be illumined. God will give to us the light we need. "And gladness for the upright in heart." Then my light is not only to be sure, it is to be glad light, sunlight! It is to minister to the warmth of my heart as well as to the illumination of my mind. It is to comfort me as well as lead me. It will be a genial presence as well as a counsellor. ( J. H. Jowett, M.A. ) Jehovah is King R. C. Ford, M.A. I. EARTHLY DOMINION IS THE GIFT OF GOD. David and Solomon were the ideal kings of the Israelites. They did not only represent the Divine power, but also Divine righteousness. We apply the title of "majesty" to earthly monarchs, though, strictly speaking, it is an attribute which can only he ascribed to God. The grandeur of the going forth of earthly monarchs is but a feeble and material imitation of the going forth of God so eloquently described in this psalm. II. GOD RULES OVER ALL SPIRITUAL POWERS. It was at first the belief of the Hebrews that there were "gods many and lords many." They would have been no more tempted to worship them, if they had been convinced that they had no real existence, than we should be tempted to worship Juggernaut. The Assyrians thought Asshur the most powerful god, who alone could give victory in battle; hence they worshipped him. Croesus sent to the oracles of all the gods to inquire what he should be doing on a certain day; and he worshipped the god whose oracle declared most accurately the future. Israel worshipped Jehovah, not only because He possessed power and foreknowledge, but most of all for His character. He was exalted above the other gods by His righteousness. III. THE CONSIDERATION OF THESE FACTS A CAUSE OF JOY TO THE BELIEVER. It is the conviction that a wise and loving power is at the back of all we see around us, and working through all history to accomplish gracious purposes, which made Israel the greatest of all the ancient peoples — great, not in having the best soldiers and lawgivers, like the Romans, or the wisest philosophers, like the Greeks, but the noblest, truest, and best men. That faith which made the nation immortal will also make the individual immortal. God is on the side of our holiest aspirations and deepest yearnings, and against that which is base and miserable and sinful. Every desire must be brought into subjection, and God be all in all. ( R. C. Ford, M.A. ) The reign of God R. Watson. I. THE SUBJECTS OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT. We speak now of God's moral government only. And beneath it are angels, devils, man, as a race, as nations, as individuals. II. CERTAIN CHARACTERS WHICH MARK HIS ADMINISTRATION. 1. It is sovereign and uncontrolled. 2. It does not interfere with human liberty. 3. Is in the hands of a Mediator. Jesus governs the world with reference to the interests of His religion. III. PROOFS OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE TEXT which late occurrences have furnished. 1. The great evils of bigotry and opposition to the rights of conscience have been permitted to display themselves. Also — 2. Infidelity has shown its full character for the warning and instruction of mankind. 3. See what God has done. He has preserved our country from invasion, punished persecuting and wicked nations: France and Napoleon especially have been overthrown, and God has made us the principal agent in accomplishing this. ( R. Watson. ) The Divine government of the universe W. Morrison, D.D. I. THE FACT. 1. The sacred singer here speaks of a God who exercises a personal agency in the universe. The Lord "reigneth." That implies power. All energy that has play anywhere is in a true sense His. Gravitation, electricity, heat, what are these but names which we have given to the operations of the everywhere-present Deity? Even that force of will, and nerve, .and muscle which we and other creatures exert is from Him "in whom we live, and move, and have our being." 2. This personal agency of God is carried on in a regular and orderly way. The history of the universe is the development of His plan. He sits at the great loom, and, while the shuttles that carry the threads move, so to speak, consciously and of purpose, it is God who weaves the broad result, fabric and design being His. He reigns over beings who have not respect for His will, but are opposed to it, by working out, in His superior wisdom, His plans by means of their very opposition. II. ITS MYSTERY AND AWFULNESS (ver. 2). The symbol here expresses three ideas. 1. The majesty of the Divine government. Great clouds and darkness are ever suggestive of the sublime. And God's is a lofty and glorious rule. When we try, by the aid of astronomy, to realize the extent in space of God's material universe, and by the aid of geology to conceive of its past duration; when we think of the different generations of the human race which have existed, and of all the higher intelligences; and when we try by imagination to explore the eternal future, with its ever-opening vistas of life and crowding events which are to form history as real as that of the days that are gone by, we feel a necessity of adoration to relieve our hearts of the burden of their awe. 2. The incomprehensibility of the Divine government. God is within the "cloud and darkness." We do not see Him at all. His rule in every department is to us a thing of faith. Philosophers cannot tell what is the connection between cause and effect in the material world. And how, in the moral world, God works out His purposes by means of the free action of His rational creatures, and makes "His people willing in the day of His power," while their wills are still theirs, we cannot comprehend. But such are the facts. God does rule in these ways, as the uufoldings of history show. 3. There is the idea of the Divine government being characterized by judgments. Out of the "clouds and darkness" proceed "hailstones and coals of fire." "A fire goeth before Him, and burneth up His enemies round about." I, for my part, could not understand God's dealings with the world if I did not recognize the fact of there being sin in it, which leads to the expression of the Divine displeasure, and also to the use of the means of discipline. III. ITS MORAL EXCELLENCE (ver. 2). This "King" can "do no wrong." It is impossible from His very nature. That nature gloriously necessitates the working of righteousness. To a properly constituted mind there is no sight more sad than that of an unjust judge, an unrighteous government. The world has not been, and unhappily is not now, free from the baleful presence of such miscalled governments. But it is consolation, in view of them, that "justice and judgment are the habitation of God's throne." ( W. Morrison, D.D. ) How may our belief of God's governing the world support us in all worldly distractions S. Slater, M.A. ? — I. WHAT IS GOVERNMENT? It is the exerting or putting forth of that power which any one is justly clothed with, for the ordering and directing of persons and things to their right and proper ends. 1. In all government there is an end fixed and aimed at; which end is either supreme and ultimate, or inferior and subordinate.(1) The supreme and ultimate end is, and ought and deserves to be, the glory of God, the exalting of His name, the preserving, securing, and enlarging of His interest, the maintaining and promoting of religion and godliness.(2) The inferior and subordinate end is the good of the communities, the happiness and welfare of the whole country, the peace, comfort, and prosperity of all the people, over whom governors are set. 2. In all government there is supposed a power sufficient for the ordering of things unto these ends. Not only natural power, but also moral authority, lawfully come by; for, without that, there can be no just, right, and good government. 3. In government this power is reduced into act: there is a prudent, seasonable exerting and putting forth of the power in order to the attaining of these ends. II. PROVE THAT GOD GOVERNS THE WORLD. 1. The light of nature has discovered this. Even some among the heathen call God "the Rector and Keeper of the world," "the Soul arid Spirit of the world," and do expressly compare Him to the soul in the body, and to the master in a ship, who doth command, rule, direct, steer, and turn it what way and to what port He Himself thinks good. 2. Scripture is full of testimony to this effect ( Job 5:9-13 ; Isaiah 14:5-7 ; Psalm 34:16, 17 ; Ephesians 1:11 ; Daniel 4:34, 35 ; Matthew 10:29 ; Psalm 103:19 ). 3. God has a most unquestionable right to order and govern the world. 4. For God to govern the world is no dishonour to Him. Is it possible that His doing so should render Him cheap to the children of men? Nay, is it not enough to commend Him to all wise and thinking persons, that He is so great a God as that He can extend His care to so many millions of objects, and so graciously condescending as to look after the lowest of the works of His hands? 5. God is abundant in mercy and goodness. He built this huge and stately fabric, and He furnished it with all its inhabitants, from the highest and most glorious angel to the meanest and most contemptible insect. And how can we possibly think otherwise, but that the pity and love which He hath for the works of His own hands will draw out His wisdom and power and care for the ruling and directing of them? III. HOW OUR BELIEF OF GOD'S GOVERNING THE WORLD MAY SUPPORT US IN ALL WORLDLY DISTRACTIONS. 1. God is most fit and accomplished for this great work. Men have unruly passions; they interfere in their several interests, and, while they are carrying them on, quarrel and jostle one another: and who but God can order all, and direct them to most noble and excellent ends? Who but God can take these several scattered shreds, and unite them together in one curious and amiable piece of workmanship? Who but God can take these jarring discords, and turn them into an admirable and delightful harmony? 2. Consider the extent of God's governing providence. It reaches to — (1) All creatures. (2) All motions and actions. (3) All issues and results of things both good and evil. 3. The properties of God's government. He governs the world — (1) Mysteriously. (2) Wisely. (3) Powerfully. (4) Most righteously. ( S. Slater, M.A. ) The Divine government Evangelical Preacher. I. SOME OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE DIVINE DOMINION. 1. It is a righteous dominion, and it is founded upon unquestionable right. Sovereignty alone, without these virtues, is often the greatest curse. God's government is regulated by His moral perfections: these blend to form an administration absolutely perfect. Justice regulates it (ver. 2). Holiness ( Psalm 145:17 ). Faithfulness ( Psalm 36:5 ). Mercy ( Psalm 145:9 ). 2. The Divine government is universal. The extent surpasses our conceptions. The earth is but a fraction. Our system is but a speck. 3. The Divine government is directed to the greatest ends. The dominion of such a Being must be adapted to the worthiest purposes. (1) The glory of the Governor. (2) The happiness of His subjects. II. THE VARIOUS RESPONSIBILITIES WHICH DEVOLVE UPON US IN CONSEQUENCE OF THIS CHARACTER OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 1. Joyful praise. 2. Cheerful obedience. 3. Unlimited confidence. Personal, national. 4. Look forward to the day of account. ( Evangelical Preacher. ) The Divine government the joy of our world S. Davies, M.A. Men are placed here to be formed by a proper education for another world, for another class, and other employments; but civil rulers cannot form them for these important ends, and therefore they must be under the government of one who has access to their spirits, and can manage them as he pleases. "The Lord reigneth" — I. UPON A THRONE OF LEGISLATION. "Let the earth rejoice" — 1. That God has clearly revealed His will to us, and not left us in inextricable perplexities about our duty to Him and mankind. 2. That God's laws are suitably enforced with proper sanctions, such as become a God of infinite wisdom, almighty power, inexorable justice, untainted holiness, and unbounded goodness and grace, and such as are agreeable be the nature of reasonable creatures formed for an immortal duration. How happy is it to live under a government where virtue and religion, which in their own nature tend to our happiness, are enforced with such resistless arguments! On the other band, the penalty annexed by the Divine Lawgiver to disobedience is proportionably dreadful. 3. That the Divine laws reach the inner man, and have power upon the hearts and consciences of men. II. BY HIS PROVIDENCE. 1. Over the kingdoms of the earth. 2. Over the Church. 3. Over all contingencies that can befall individuals. 4. Over evil spirits. He keeps the infernal lions in chains, and restrains their rage. He sees all their subtle plots and machinations against tits feeble sheep, and baffles them all. III. UPON A THRONE OF GRACE. This is a kind of government peculiar to the human race; the upright angels do not need it, and the fallen angels are not favoured with it. This is invested in the person of immanuel ( Ephesians 1:22 ; Matthew 11:27 ; Matthew 28:18 ). This is the kingdom described in such august language in Daniel 2:44, 45 ; Daniel 7:14 ; Luke 1:32, 33 ). To His throne of grace He invites all to come, and offers them the richest blessings. From thence He publishes peace on earth, and good will towards men. From thence He offers pardon to all that will submit to His government, and renounce their sins, those weapons of rebellion. From thence He distributes the influences of His Spirit to subdue obstinate hearts into cheerful submission, to support His subjects under every burden, and furnish them with strength for the spiritual warfare. IV. The Lord will reign ere long UPON A THRONE OF UNIVERSAL JUDGMENT, conspicuous to the assembled universe. 1. In that day the present unequal distributions of Providence will be for ever adjusted, and regulated according to the strictest justice. 2. In that day the righteous shall be completely delivered from all sin and sorrow, and advanced to the perfection of heavenly happiness. ( S. Davies, M.A. ) The Divine government matter o/ universal joy C. Backus, M.A. I. THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT. 1. God's right to govern the world must be original and inalienable. 2. God alone can uphold creatures in being. 3. The government of God is universal. 4. All second causes are under His direction and control. II. THE CAUSES OF REJOICING WHICH THIS AFFORDS. 1. The benevolence of its design. When we consider the character of the God of love as opened in His Word, we are sure that His conduct is governed by an ultimate regard to the highest felicity and glory of His moral kingdom; whether He pardon transgressors, or make them feel His wrath in the present world, or exclude them from happiness in the next. 2. The certainty of its accomplishment. It is promoted by all events in providence; and will fill its enemies with confusion, and its friends with joy, in the day when all creatures shall appear at the bar of God, and His righteous judgment shall be revealed before the assembled worlds. ( C. Backus, M.A. ) The fact and consequence of the Divine government G. M. Mackie, M. A. I. VISIBLE EVILS CALL FORTH THE EXPRESSION OF THE PSALMIST'S FAITH. Some powerful form of evil had been judged and overthrown. II. THE FACT CONCERNING WHICH THE PSALMIST UTTERS HIS CONVICTION — THAT GOD REIGNS. God is overhead counteracting the shortsighted selfishness of the wicked. In the psalmist's day, men looked on the idols of the heathen as wicked spirits, less powerful than the righteous Jehovah. We are too advanced to believe in the gods of other people. We can scarce believe in a devil, though that would be less awful than to be in the grasp of nature. It would have been "some comfort could I have fancied myself tormented of the Devil," said Carlyle once. Those who think the universe a vast machine find it terrible to contemplate a fall amidst its ponderous wheels. Better a devil than a blind force. But Jehovah is a living God, and not hostile to us. Righteousness and judgment are the base of His throne. And He is a God of love. III. THE OCCASION HEREIN FOR JOY. It was this thought that inspired Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus." "Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth... King of kings, and Lord of lords. Hallelujah!" And it is a glorious conviction to reach. Those who hold it may rejoice in the midst of injustice. Or while patiently doing deeds of unappreciated lovingkindness, they may, like the Saviour, have respect unto the recompense of reward. In the storms of life they may say, as did the happy child to the anxious passengers: "My father is at the helm." And when Death knocks his dire summons at the door, since God reigns, they may remember that he is but a messenger from the courts of heaven. And when the Lord comes to judgment, and the wicked call upon the rocks and hills to hide them, the saints may shout for joy, since this God is their God for ever and ever. ( G. M. Mackie, M. A. ) Jehovah's sovereignty H. Burton, B.A. I. IN THE MATERIAL WORLD. What men call a "law of nature" is nothing else than God in action; it is infinite power carrying out the plans that infinite wisdom has devised. Is God then present as the presiding Deity? He is. The world proclaims it by its infinite variety; by its beauty and harmony of arrangement; by its constancy of succession. "Yes," you say, "we do not doubt that, but what of these disturbances, these irregularities? Sometimes our fruits are nipped by an early frost; our herds are swept away by disease, our fields wasted by the flood. What of these? Is there a providence in them?" We must remember that the grand centre of the world is man; that all things are made for him. Vegetation blooms for him; minerals are stored in the hills for him; beasts graze in the fields for him, and around him the world revolves. But there is a soul as well as a body, and as the world ministers to the body and is in subjection to it, so in turn the body ministers to the soul and is in subjection to it. Here, then, come in the grander purposes of God. He is preparing a race of intelligent beings for Himself; and so what we call His natural government must be subject to His moral government. Man may transgress the Divine law, but that transgression must be punished; he may mistake, and that mistake, while it brings no guilt, may bring loss. It still may be infinite wisdom that sweeps away the promise of a harvest, for this temporal loss may be the one ingredient needed in order to bring spiritual gain. II. IN THE POLITICAL WORLD. We judge of events from the low standpoint of expediency or of self-interest. When we sum up the results of the war we borrow the language of diplomacy, and tell of an indemnity at so much, and certain boundaries altered. But God cares not for these. They are but as trifles, motes in His vast heavens, so small they do not cast a shadow. We want to get up — up where God is; up where Infinite Wisdom looks down! Then shall we discern the harmony, and learn that in the grand march of nations the music is set to two keys only — God's promises and God's purposes! III. IN THE INDIVIDUAL LIFE. Even those lives that run contrary to His will He checks and controls, and makes them subserve His own purposes; nor is there one life, however dissipated, however wild, but some time or other it gets into one of God's sluices, and turns one of His thousand wheels. But when the heart is submitted to Him, He does more than control the life, He guides it and shapes it to His will. But how far does this intervention of Providence extend? Does He not leave us to follow our own judgment; and is not that judgment the only cloud we follow? Even granting that it is, still that judgment is influenced by Him, for "The meek will He guide in judgment; the meek will He teach His way." Many a time when we fancy our decisions are merely the result of the exercise of common sense and ordinary prudence, God has been secretly influencing our minds to the choice. But then many of the actions of life are so insignificant, what can God have to do with them? He has worlds to look after, why should the little motes of my life cause Him any concern? We do wrong in thus thinking, in thus banishing God from what we call life's trifles. What is our life made of? Of so many days. And what is each day made of? Of so many moments and so many little deeds. But what is a little action? I put a piece of bread in my mouth. A little thing you call that, you do it frequently. But stay. That crumb may choke me, may end my life, and leave all my plans undone. Is it a little thing now? I set my foot down upon the pavement. Ah, that's a little thing, you do it thousands of times a day. Yes, but I step upon some orange peel and slip. That fall gives me a broken limb, unfits me for some intended pursuit, and completely changes the current of my life. Is it a little thing now? And does not God mark these little events that fill up each day of my life when such vast interests may depend upon them? ( H. Burton, B.A. ) The consolation of God's sovereignty W. Clarkson, B.A. I. THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON THIS EARTH. 1. Necessarily autocratic in its form. 2. Singular in its basis. 3. Universal in its range. 4. Profound in its reach. 5. A present, active, accessible power.God is with us — not locally and geographically merely, but spiritually, sympathetically, practically, actively with us; controlling, cooperating, counteracting; directing, defeating, determining; making effectual or bringing to nothing the designs of the children of men. And we do well to go to Him, not trembling, as Esther to Ahasuerus, but with holy confidence in all times of personal, family, social, national necessities, to ask for His pity, to pray for His delivering power. II. THE CONSOLATION WHICH THE FACT OF GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY GIVES TO THE GOOD. 1. It is a consolation that the Evil One does not reign: that strong as are the forces of evil in this world, they are not supreme; that greater is He that works for righteousness than all they that work for sin and ruin; that our great adversary has himself an Adversary who is mightier than he; that though we may be in danger of being "led captive at his will," he is under the control of the Omnipotent. 2. It is a consolation that mere force does not reign. All the forces that are at work are "under law," and law is under the control of the Divine Law-maker; and He can act upon and control His own laws, touching links out of sight with His skilful hand, changing the aspect and the issue of things at His holy will and in accordance with His far-seeing wisdom, evolving the bright and the blessed out of the dark and the distressing. 3. It is a consolation that man does not reign. There have been times when the destinies of a continent have seemed to be in the hands of a Cyrus, a Caesar, a Napoleon; and now it may seem that very large issues hang on the decision of a few controlling minds in London, St. Petersburg, Berlin. Yet God can and will determine results, and He can overrule all events, either saving from calamity, or compelling disaster itself to yield "peaceable fruits of righteousness." 4. We may all rejoice that we ourselves do not reign over our own lives. "The Lord reigneth" — the loving Lord, who wills the happiness of His children; the holy Lord, who wills their true and pure well-being; the wise Lord, who will not withhold any good thing, but will withhold that which seems to be so but is not; the mighty Lord, who can compel the saddest and strangest events to contribute to our well-being; the faithful Lord, who will make good the kindest of His promises — "The Lord reigneth," and not we ourselves; "let us rejoice and be glad." ( W. Clarkson, B.A. ) Clouds and darkness are round about Him; righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne. Psalm 97:2 The providence of God G. W. M'Cree. I. ITS MYSTERY. Infinite plans require an infinite mind to comprehend them. Before you can justifiably impugn the ways of God, you must be able to understand the majestic march of all events from "everlasting to everlasting." You must see the past, the present, and the future in a moment. But canst thou comprehend all that has been, and is, and is to come? No. How, then, canst thou explore the mysteries of the providence of God? II. ITS PERFECTION. 1. In nature. From the beginning the earth has proclaimed the glory of God. The four seasons are four witnesses for Him. Seedtime and harvest, summer and winter, cold and heat, come in grand procession, each the messenger of plenty; all of them the gifts of God. 2. In the rise and fall of nations. There is no natural decay in nations as there is in a tree. "Righteousness exalteth a nation," and so long as nations act on righteous principles they prosper; but God hath ordained that warlike, oppressive, cruel, profligate nations shall perish. Let history bear witness to this fact. 3. In the rewards of the good. Read the histories of Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, and Job — study them well, and you will learn how perfect is the providence of God. You will see how He led them, comforted them, vindicated them, raised them to honour, did them good, and not evil, even when He permitted their afflictions, and how He made their peace to flow like a river, and their righteousness to shine like the morning stars. III. ITS GLORY. 1. In the fertility and beauty of the earth. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." And how great is that fulness! Think of the mountains; the pastures covered with flocks; the valleys filled with corn; the cattle on a thousand hills! Oh! see in all these the goodness of God. Behold the glory of God's providence in His care of all living creatures. He made them by His power; He protects them in His love. 2. In the redemption of men. The Cross of Christ is the most eloquent exponent — the truest interpreter — of the providence of God. Speak ye of God, of His justice and mercy? Speak ye of man, of his guilt, death, and future? Turn to the Cross. There in your Saviour you have a vindication of God's law and a manifestation of God's love. 3. In the judgment to come. He will then appear as He is — almighty, merciful, and holy — and He will show forth before men and angels and fallen spirits the glory of His name. None will then reply against Him. ( G. W. M'Cree. ) The majesty of God obscured by the sinfulness of man Essex Remembrancer. View this subject with respect try — 1. Our own conceptions of the Divine Being. 2. the providential government of God. 3. The dispensation of sovereign grace. 4. The final judgment. ( Essex Remembrancer. ) The mysteries of Providence D. A. Clark. 1. The limited spread and small success of the Gospel. 2. The success that has attended the propagation of error. 3. The gifts bestowed upon bad men, who abuse them, while many men of piety have smaller talents. 4. The afflictions of good men, while the wicked are so extensively prosperous. 5. The poverty of the liberal, while the churl is opulent. 6. The small degrees of sanctification in God's people. ( D. A. Clark. ) God's ways, though inscrutable, are righteous and just R. Hall, M.A. I. "CLOUDS AND DARKNESS ARE ROUND ABOUT GOD." The appearances of God to the saints in old times are the origin of the figure in the text ( Exodus 14:19, 20 ; Exodus 19:16, 18, 20 ; 1 Kings 8:10, 11 ; Matthew 17:5 ; 2 Peter 1:17 ). Clouds are emblems of obscurity; darkness of dist

Benson Commentary Psalm 97:1 The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof . Psalm 97:1 . The Lord reigneth — He that made the world, governs it; he that called the universe into existence, upholds and presides over it; and he rules, judges, and rewards, or punishes his intelligent, free, and immortal creatures, whether men or angels. The Lord Jesus reigns; the providential kingdom is interwoven with the mediatorial, and the administration of both is in the hand of Christ; who is therefore both head of the church, and head over all things to the church: see on Psalm 93:1 ; Psalm 96:10 . Let the earth rejoice — The inhabitants of the world everywhere; for hereby they are honoured and benefited unspeakably: they are blessed with sure protection, a wise and equitable government, holy, just, and salutary laws, and an ample provision for the supply of all their wants. Let the multitude of isles be glad thereof — Not only let the people of Israel rejoice in him, as king of the Jews, and the daughter of Zion, as her king, but let all the earth rejoice in his exaltation; for the kingdoms of the world shall, sooner or later, become his kingdoms. There is enough in Christ for the multitude of isles to rejoice in; for, though millions have been made happy in him, yet still there is room. Psalm 97:2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. Psalm 97:2 . Clouds and darkness are round about him — His dispensations are mysterious and altogether unaccountable; his ways in the sea, and his path in the great waters. We are not aware what his designs are, nor is it fit that we should be made acquainted with the secrets of his government. But, though there is a depth in his counsels which we must not pretend to fathom, still righteousness and judgment — That is, righteous judgment, or righteousness in judgment, are the habitation — Or, as Dr. Hammond renders the word ???? , mechon, the basis, of his throne — That is, the foundation, or establishment of it; for the throne is established by righteousness. Proverbs 16:12 . All his laws, decrees, and administrations, are grounded upon and managed with justice and equity. Therefore his throne is for ever and ever, because his sceptre is a right sceptre, Psalm 45:6 . Psalm 97:3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. Psalm 97:3-5 . A fire goeth before him, &c. — “The judgments of God, and their effects upon the world, are here set forth, under the usual similitude of lightning and fire from heaven, causing the earth to tremble, and the mountains to melt and dissolve away.” And by these terrible appearances in the natural world are especially signified those dreadful judgments of God, which were to be inflicted upon the Jews and others for their contempt and rejection of the Messiah, which was foretold in the Old Testament, and accomplished in the New. His lightnings enlightened the world — This phrase signifies, not so much illumination as terror and judgments, as appears, both from the following words, and from the constant use of the phrase in that sense. The hills melted — The strongest and loftiest parts of the earth, by which he may intend the great potentates of the world, who set themselves against the Messiah; at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth — Whose dominion shall not then be confined in Canaan, as now, in a manner, it is, but shall be enlarged over the whole earth. “The exaltation of Christ to the throne of his kingdom was followed by a dreadful display of that vengeance which broke in pieces the Jewish nation, and brought their civil and religious polity to an utter dissolution. In the history of their destruction the world of the ungodly may view a striking picture of the great and terrible day when the Lord Jesus shall render a recompense to all his enemies. He is then to descend in flaming fire; lightnings shall be his harbingers; the earth shall tremble, and the hills shall literally melt like wax at the presence of Jehovah.” — Horne. Psalm 97:4 His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. Psalm 97:5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. Psalm 97:6 The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. Psalm 97:6 . The heavens declare his righteousness — It is as conspicuous and illustrious as the heavens themselves. Or the angels, yea, God himself gives testimony from heaven to the righteousness of Christ. And all the people see his glory — Both Jews and Gentiles shall partake of the glorious fruits and benefits of his coming. Dr. Horne, however, interprets this verse differently, thus: “The heavens, by the manifestation of vengeance from thence, reveal, declare, and proclaim the righteous judgments of Messiah; and all the people upon earth are witnesses of the glory of his victory over every thing that opposeth itself to the establishment of his kingdom.” Psalm 97:7 Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. Psalm 97:7 . Confounded be all they that serve graven images — That is, the Gentile world, who did service to them who by nature were no gods, Galatians 4:8 . Let them be ashamed of their former folly herein, and be thereby brought to detest and forsake their idols. Thus interpreted, the words are a prayer for the conversion of the Gentiles, that those who had been so long serving dumb idols might be convinced of their error, ashamed of their folly, and might be brought, by the power of Christ’s gospel, to serve the only living and true God, and be as much ashamed of their idols as ever they were proud of them, Isaiah 2:20-21 . Or, they shall be confounded. And so this is a prophecy, predicting the ruin of those that would not be reclaimed from their idolatry; they shall be confounded by the destruction of paganism in the Roman empire, which was fulfilled about three hundred years after Christ, so much to the terror of idolaters that even the mighty men among them are represented, Revelation 6:15-16 , as saying to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, &c. This prayer and prophecy are still in force against anti-christian idolaters, who may here read their doom. Psalm 97:8 Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. Psalm 97:8-9 . Zion heard — The people dwelling in Zion, or Jerusalem and Judah, to whom Christ came, and to whom the gospel was first preached. Or God’s church and people, who, both in the Psalms and prophetical writings, are often called Zion; heard the fame of thy judgments, as the following words declare; the ruin of idolatry, and the setting up of the kingdom of the Messiah in the world. And was glad — Very glad to hear of the conversion of some and the confusion of others, of the victory of Christ over all opposing power, and of the overthrow of the kingdom of Satan among men. And the daughters of Judah — Particular churches, or individual members of Christ’s universal church, rejoiced — According to the exhortation of the prophet; Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, for behold thy king cometh unto thee. Because of thy judgments, O Lord — Thy judgments on thine enemies, whereby thou hast evinced thyself to be superior to the powers of the earth, and the gods of the nations. Not that they take pleasure in the ruin of others, but because the execution of the divine judgments upon idols and idolaters, and other daring sinners, makes way for the advancement of God’s glory, and the enlargement and establishment of Christ’s kingdom in the world. Thus, at the fall of Babylon it is said, Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her. And Eusebius, speaking of the times under Constantine, says, “A bright and glorious day, no cloud overshadowing it, did enlighten, with rays of heavenly light, the churches of Christ over all the earth; and among all Christians there was an inexpressible joy and a kind of celestial gladness.” — Eccl. Hist., book 10. For thou art exalted above all gods — As thou always wast in truth exalted, so thou hast now proved and declared thyself to be so in the eyes of the whole world, by subduing them under thy feet. Psalm 97:9 For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. Psalm 97:10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Psalm 97:10 . Ye that love the Lord — O all you that love and worship the true God, and rejoice in the establishment of his kingdom; hate evil — Show your love to him by hating all sin in temper, word, and work. Thus the psalmist, “having sung the glory of the Redeemer, now delineates the duty of the redeemed. They are characterized by their love of God; they are enjoined to hate evil; the hatred of which indeed is a consequence and a sure proof of that love, when it is genuine and sincere. Religion must be rooted in the heart and spring from thence. A Christian must not only serve God outwardly, but must inwardly love him; he must not content himself with abstaining from overt acts of sin, but must truly hate it. They who do so are the saints of God, whose souls he preserveth from evil, and will finally deliver from the evil one and his associates, by a happy death and a glorious resurrection.” — Horne. Psalm 97:11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:11-12 . Light is sown for the righteous — Joy and felicity, as the word light often signifies, are prepared or laid up for them, and shall in due time be reaped by them, possibly in this life, but undoubtedly in the next; and therefore the followers of Christ, who are taught to expect tribulation in this world, may well bear their afflictions with patience and cheerfulness, for, though they sow in tears, they shall, without fail, reap in joy. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous — Let the streams of comfort which flow to you through the channel of Christ’s kingdom lead you to the fountain, and cause you to rejoice in God your Saviour; and give thanks in remembrance of his holiness — In consideration of his holy and righteous nature and government, or of his faithfulness in fulfilling his promises, in sending the Messiah into the world and establishing his kingdom among men. Observe, reader, whatever is the matter of our rejoicing ought to be the matter of our thanksgiving, and particularly the holiness of God. They that hate sin themselves are glad that God hates it, in hopes that therefore he will not suffer it to have dominion over them. Psalm 97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. Benson Commentary on the Old and New Testaments Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com . Used by Permission.

Expositor's Bible Commentary Psalm 97:1 The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof . Psalm 97:1-12 THE summons to praise the King with a new song { Psalm 96:1-13 } is followed by this psalm, which repeats the dominant idea of the group, "Jehovah is King," but from a fresh point of view. It represents His rule under the form of a theophany, which may possibly be regarded as the fuller description of that coming of Jehovah to judgment with which Psalm 96:1-13 closes. The structure of both psalms is the same, each being divided into four strophes, normally consisting of three verses each, though the last strophe of Psalm 96:1-13 runs over into four verses. In this psalm, the first group of verses celebrates the royal state of the King ( Psalm 97:1-3 ); the second describes His coming as a past fact ( Psalm 97:4-6 ); the third portrays the twofold effects of Jehovah’s appearance on the heathen and on Zion ( Psalm 97:7-9 ); and the last applies the lessons of the whole to the righteous, in exhortation and encouragement ( Psalm 97:10-12 ). The same dependence on earlier psalms and prophets which marks others of this group is obvious here. The psalmist’s mind is saturated with old sayings, which he finds flashed up into new meaning by recent experiences. He is not "original," and does not try to be so; but he has drunk in the spirit of his predecessors, and words which to others were antiquated and cold blaze with light for him, and seem made for his lips. He who reads aright the solemn significance of today will find it no less sacred than any past, and may transfer to it all which seers and singers have said and sung of Jehovah’s presence of old. The first strophe is mosaic-work. Psalm 97:1 (lands = isles) may be compared Isaiah 42:10 ; Isaiah 51:5 . Psalm 97:2 a-is from Exodus 19:9 ; Exodus 19:16 , etc., and Psalm 18:9 . Psalm 97:2 b is quoted from Psalm 89:14 . Psalm 97:3 a recalls Psalm 1:3 ; Psalm 18:8 . The appearance of God on Sinai is the type of all later theophanies, and the reproduction of its principal features witnesses to the conviction that that transient manifestation was the unveiling of permanent reality. The veil had dropped again, but what had been once seen continued always, though unseen; and the veil could and would be drawn aside, and the long-hidden splendour blaze forth, again. The combination of the pieces of mosaic in a new pattern here is striking. Three thoughts fill the singer’s mind. God is King, and His reign gladdens the world, even away out to the dimly seen lands that are washed by the western ocean. "The islands" drew Isaiah’s gaze. Prophecy began in him to look seawards and westwards, little knowing how the course of empire was to take its way thither, but feeling that whatever lands might lie towards the setting sun were ruled, and would be gladdened by Jehovah. Gladness passes into awe in Psalm 97:2 a, -as the seer beholds the cloud and gloom which encircle the throne. The transcending, infinitude of the Divine nature, the mystery of much of the Divine acts, are symbolised by these; but the curtain is the picture. To know that God cannot be known is a large part of the knowledge of Him. Faith, built on experience, enters into the cloud, and is not afraid, but confidently tells what it knows to be within the darkness. "Righteousness and judgment"-the eternal principle and the activity thereof in the several acts of the King-are the bases of His throne, more solid than the covering cloud. Earth can rejoice in His reign, even though darkness may make parts of it painful riddles, if the assurance is held fast that absolute righteousness is at the centre, and that the solid core of all is judgment. Destructive power, symbolised in Psalm 97:3 by fire which devours His adversaries, the fire which flashed first on Sinai, is part of the reason for the gladness of earth in His reign. For His foes are the world’s foes too; and a God who could not smite into nothingness that which lifted itself against His dominion would be no God for whom the isles could wait. These three characteristics, mystery, righteousness, power to consume, attach to Jehovah’s royalty, and should make every heart rejoice. In the second strophe, the tenses suddenly change into pure narrative. The change may be simply due, as Cheyne suggests, to the influence of the earlier passages descriptive of theophanies, and in which the same tense occurs; but more probably it points to some event fresh in the experience of Israel, such as the return from Babylon. In this strophe again, we have mosaic. Psalm 97:4 a-is quoted from Psalm 77:18 . With Psalm 97:4 b may be compared Psalm 77:16 . Psalm 97:5 a-is like Micah 1:4 , and, in a less degree, Psalm 68:2 . "The Lord of the whole earth" is an unusual designation, first found in a significant connection in Joshua 3:11 ; Joshua 3:13 , as emphasising His triumph over heathen gods, in leading the people into Canaan, and afterwards found in Zechariah 4:14 ; Zechariah 6:5 , and Micah 4:13 . Psalm 97:6 a comes from the theophany in Psalm 1:6 : and Psalm 97:6 b has parallels in both parts of Isaiah- e.g., Isaiah 35:2 ; Isaiah 40:5 ; Isaiah 52:10 -passages which refer to the restoration from Babylon. The picture is grand as a piece of word painting. The world lies wrapped in thunder-gloom, and is suddenly illumined by the fierce blaze of lightning. The awestruck silence of Nature is wonderfully given by Psalm 97:4 b: "The earth saw and trembled." But the picture is symbol, and the lightning flash is meant to set forth the sudden, swift forth-darting of God’s delivering power, which awes a gazing world, while the hills melting like wax from before His face solemnly proclaim how terrible its radiance is, and how easily the mere showing of Himself annihilates all high things that oppose themselves. Solid-seeming and august powers, which tower above His people’s ability to overcome them, vanish when He looks out from the deep darkness. The end of His appearance and of the consequent removal of obstacles is the manifestation of His righteousness and glory. The heavens are the scene of the Divine appearance, though earth is the theatre of its working. They "declare His righteousness," not because, as in Psalm 19:1-14 , they are said to tell forth His glory by their myriad lights, but because in them He has shone forth, in His great act of deliverance of His oppressed people. Israel receives the primary blessing, but is blessed, not for itself alone, but that all peoples may see in it Jehovah’s glory. Thus once more the psalm recognises the world wide destination of national mercies, and Israel’s place in the Divine economy as being of universal significance. The third strophe ( Psalm 97:7-9 ) sets forth the results of the theophany on foes and friends. The worshippers, of "the Nothings" { Psalm 96:5 } are put to confusion by the demonstration by fact of Jehovah’s sovereignty over their helpless deities. Psalm 97:7 a, b, Isaiah 42:17 ; Isaiah 44:9 . As the worshippers are ashamed, So the gods themselves are summoned to fall down before this triumphant Jehovah, as Dagon did before the Ark. Surely it is a piece of most prosaic pedantry to argue, from this lash of scorn, that the psalmist believed that the gods whom he had just called "Nothings" had a real existence, and that therefore he was not a pure Monotheist. The shame of the idolaters and the prostration of their gods heighten the gladness of Zion, which the psalm describes in old words that had once celebrated another flashing forth of Jehovah’s power. { Psalm 48:11 } Hupfeld, whom Cheyne follows, would transpose Psalm 97:7 and Psalm 97:8 , on the grounds that "the transposition explains what Zion heard, and brings the summons to the false gods into connection with the emphatic claim on behalf of Jehovah in Psalm 97:9 ." But there is no need for the change, since there is no ambiguity as to what Zion heard, if the existing order is retained, and her gladness is quite as worthy a consequence of the exaltation of Jehovah in Psalm 97:9 as the subjugation of the false gods would be. With Psalm 97:9 compare Psalm 83:18 , and Psalm 47:2 . The last strophe ( Psalm 97:10-12 ) draws exhortation and promises from the preceding. There is a marked diminution of dependence on earlier passages in this strophe, in which the psalmist points for his own generation the lessons of the great deliverance which he has been celebrating. Psalm 97:12 a-is like Psalm 32:11 ; Psalm 97:12 b is from Psalm 30:4 ; but the remainder is the psalmist’s own earnest exhortation and firm faith cast into words which come warm from his own heart’s depths. Love to Jehovah necessarily implies hatred of evil, which is His antagonist, and which He hates. That higher love will not be kept in energy, unless it is guarded by wholesome antipathy to everything foul. The capacity for love of the noble is maimed unless there is hearty hatred of the ignoble. Love to God is no idle affection, but withdraws a man from rival loves. The stronger the attraction, the stronger the recoil. The closer we cleave to God, the more decided our shrinking from all that would weaken our hold of Him. A specific reference in the exhortation to temptations to idolatry is possible, though not necessary. All times have their "evil," with which God’s lovers are ever tempted to comply. The exhortation is never out of place, nor the encouragement which accompanies it ever illusory. In such firm adherence to Jehovah. many difficulties will rise, and foes be made; but those who obey it will not lack protection. Mark the alternation of names for such. They are first called "lovers of God"; they are then designated as His "favoured ones." That which is first in time is last in mention. The effect is in view before it is traced to its cause. "We love Him because He first loved us." Then follow names drawn from the moral perfecting which will ensue on recognition and reception of God’s favour, and on the cherishing of the love which fulfills the law. They who love because they are loved, become righteous and upright hearted because they love. For such the psalmist has promise as well as exhortation. Not only are they preserved in and from dangers, but "light is sown" for them. Many commentators think that the figure of light being sown. as seeds are buried in the ground to shoot up in beauty in a future springtime is too violent, and they propose to understand "sown" in the sense of scattered on, not deposited in, the earth, "so that he, the righteous, goes forward step by step in the light" (Delitzsch). Others would correct into is risen" or arises." But one is reluctant to part with the figure, the violence of which is permissible in an Eastern singer. Darkness often wraps the righteous, and it is not true to experience to say that his way is always in the sunlight. But it is consolation to know that light is sown, invisible and buried, as it were, but sure to germinate and fruit. The metaphor mingles figures and offends purists, but it fits closer to fact than the weakening of it which fits the rules of composition. If we are God’s lovers, present darkness may be quieted by hope. and we may have the "fruit of the light" in our lives now, and the expectation of a time when we shall possess in fulness and in perpetuity all that light of knowledge, purity, and gladness which Jesus the Sower went forth to sow, and which had been ripened by struggles and sorrows and hatred of evil while we were here. Therefore, because of this magnificent theophany and because of its blessed consequences for loving souls, the psalmist ends with the exhortation to the righteous to rejoice. He began with bidding the world be glad. He now bids each of us concentrate that universal gladness in our own hearts. Whether earth obeys Him or not, it is for us to clasp firmly the great facts which will feed the lamp of our joy. God’s holy memorial is His name, or His self-revealed character. He desires to be known and remembered by His acts. If we rightly retain and ponder His utterance of Himself, not in syllables, but in deeds, we shall not be silent in His praise. The righteous man should not be harsh and crabbed, but his soul should dwell in a serene atmosphere of joy in Jehovah. and his life be one thanksgiving to that mighty, never-to-be-forgotten Name. The Expositor's Bible Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com . Used by Permission.