One psalm that is often read in church services at Christmas time is Psalm 97. This psalm proclaims the awesome majesty of the Lord God. During Christmas time we focus on the little Baby Jesus, lying in a manger, but this psalm reminds us that, though Jesus was born into this world as a tiny human baby, He is, and always was, the mighty God of heaven and earth. Let’s take a quick look into Psalm 97.
The psalmist opens with a proclamation that the Lord, Yahweh, is King (vs. 1). He reigns, not only in Israel, among the Jewish people, but He is King over all the earth, over all Gentile people and pagan gods. Looking at the world today, with all the political turmoil going on in so many countries and places, it is good to remember that God reigns over all the earth. Various presidents and kings, dictators and military leaders may think that they hold ultimate power. We may get worried that this or that person may get elected or re-elected as president or prime minister, but we need have no fear, as the Lord reigns. This world belongs to Him.
As our psalm continues, the psalmist paints a picture of God’s awesome majesty as shown through the powerful forces of nature (vs. 2-6). When I read in verse 2 that “clouds and darkness surround Him” my mind pictures some of the amazing photographs taken by some of the high-powered telescopes of galaxies and nebulas way out in the universe. I picture the “Pillars of Creation” found in the Eagle Nebula, or the “Mystic Mountain” found in the Carina Nebula. Clouds like that surround the throne of Yahweh in heaven, showing His unapproachable holiness. Mankind is unable to find Him on their own. It is only through the Blood of Jesus that we can approach God.
Living in the Chicago area, we get frequent strong thunderstorms during the spring and summer. I will often go out on the front steps and watch the storms, with the dark cumulonimbus clouds, thunder, and lighting. Fire and lightning show His incredible power (vs. 3-4). The whole earth trembles before Yahweh. His power and majesty is so great that it can even cause the mighty mountains to melt or crumble in His presence (vs. 5). Nature doesn’t bow to any of the other false, pagan idols, nor can any human rulers claim power over the forces of nature. In the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus there will be no false gods or religions allowed (vs. 7).
In the middle of this psalm of praise to the Lord, a psalm that describes His great majesty and holiness, the psalmist stops to speak a brief comment to us readers, which we find in the beginning of verse 10. Here all of us who love the Lord God are told to hate evil. Some people say that we should never hate anything. There are some who say one should never even use the word “hate”. Yet right here in God’s Word, we are told to love what God loves, and to hate what He hates. In order to know what He loves and what He hates we have to get to know Him. The only way to truly know God is to read His Word, the Bible. In His Word we discover what is good and what is evil. Believers should never play around with anything the Bible says is wrong, is a sin, or is evil. We should never make excuses for it, or even keep it near us. If we want to please God, and all Christians should, we need to align our desires with His desires. If we love the Lord, we will hate what is evil. As our love for Him grows, our distaste for anything that dishonors or displeases Jesus should increase.
Verse 10 also is another verse that declares the eternal security of the believer. The Lord preserves the souls of His saints. He will guard, keep watch, and protect the souls of believers, not only in this life, but in the life to come. Once we belong to Jesus, we are His forever!
In closing, we are told that we need to rejoice in the Lord. Whenever we think of the Lord Jesus and all that He has done for us, such as coming to earth as our Savior at Christmas, we should give thanks to His Holy Name.
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