Psalms 98:2

Psalms 98:2-3, “The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”

The truth about the gospel of Jesus Christ is all over the world. God wants everyone to be saved. God is love. God does not want anyone to go to hell. People who says like, “Well what about a person living in a small tribe in a jungle that has never heard the Gospel?”

But these verses in Psalms make it clear that God offers His truth to every human being in the world. To answer this question that people sometimes ask we have to understand how God chooses to reveal his truth.

Jesus said in Luke 11:9, “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

One explanation for why some perhaps do not get the opportunity to hear certain truths about life is because they do not ask God. Ask and ye shall receive. If you do not ask God to save you He is not going to because salvation requires a person to reach out to God to respond to God when God reaches out to them.

Jesus said in Luke 8:18, “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”

Another explanation has to do with how a person responds to whatever truth they have already been given. If you turn away from the truth you already know then why should God give you any greater revelation of truth?

This two statements of Jesus seem to answer the question, “Well what about a person living in a small tribe in a jungle that has never heard the Gospel?”

In fact, one of the greatest ways that we know that God has revealed his truth to all men is through the nation of Israel. Even though we live in the age of the church, a time when God has set aside the nation of Israel, Israel still stands as a testimony to the truth that God keeps his promises. We know this because Israel still exists as a people after thousands of years of not even being a nation. If this was to happen to any nation of people that people would cease to exist because it has happened to other nations. Israel still exists. This shows that God keeps his promises, that God is merciful. It is actually an illustration about salvation.

When a person turns from their sins to Jesus that person is saved. Once saved always saved. Because salvation is based on the work of Christ and not our own works we cannot lose our salvation. Every day that goes by anyone in the world can think about the fact that Israel still exists as a people and they have the opportunity to understand this truth. So it is true that the salvation of God has been made known unto all the ends of the earth.

Psalms 98:4-8 says, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together.”

One of the great results of turning from your sins to Jesus is joy. We are not talking about earthly joy based on temporary human pleasures but we are talking about a spiritual joy which is eternal and has its basis in the great love of God. People that are filled with joy often delight in music.

God loves music. There is music in heaven. If you want to live life on earth the way you will be living it in heaven then enjoy good Godly music: music that will increase your joy in the Lord and teach you about the things of God and His creation, especially music about the gospel of Jesus Christ. The greatest joys are found in the romance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Psalms 98:9 says, “Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.”

The world has a future destiny that destiny is the judgment of God. The great and wonderful truth about the judgment of God is that it shall be a judgment of perfect righteousness, a judgment of equity a fair judgment an equal judgment. Everyone will get what they deserve. Those who have turned to Jesus for forgiveness of their sins deserve eternal life because of what Jesus did for them on the cross. Those who deserve the fires of hell will get the fires of hell because they rejected Jesus and His message of love and forgiveness.

This is one of the great reasons’ Christians rejoice and one of the great reasons that we praise God. This is full of sufferings and sorrows and wrongs done unto us by other men. But we look forward to the day when God shall judge every deed and word of man in His righteousness.

Psalms 99:1, “The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.”

God is in control therefore we should be afraid. Some people worship angels but God created the angels. Why should we be afraid and worship God instead of His creation? Because God is the judge. God will judge you for your sins if you do not repent and turn from your sins to Jesus Christ.

Even the earth moves at the power of God. Should not the hearts of men be moved in knowing that Jesus is the King of kings?

“The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble.” To tremble means to have a strong and violently overwhelming emotion. People should be shaken to their knees with sorrow and shame at their own sinfulness, people should be frozen with fear at the terrible power of God. How blind we often are because of our sin. If only we could see the Holiness of God

Psalms 99:2, “The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.”

One of the common mistakes that human beings make is too think to highly of other people. There is nothing wrong with giving other people credit and recognition for the things they accomplish or the God given abilities they have. But we should remember that all human beings are sinners. We live in a society today where there is more idolatry then there ever has been in human history because of Hollywood and television.

There is no person higher than Jesus though. Jesus is the King of Kings. Jesus is Holy. Jesus Created man. God is love. Who or what could be higher than God? Nothing.

This is one reason people forget or do not see that the Lord reigneth. It is also a reason some people do not have the joy that they should have in their hearts. They fail to see that God is the highest above all.

Psalms 99:3, “Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.”

There is so much that can be said about the name of God; the name Jesus Christ. There is both majesty and joy in that name. There is the power of salvation in just a name. Psalms 99 verse 3 gives three words to describe the name of God: great, terrible, and holy.

What other name can compare to the name of Jesus? It is true there are other names that have some fame to them but none are as famous as the name of Jesus. It is true there are some names that are poetic but none as poetic as the name of Jesus. And the only name in this world that can claim to be holy is the name of God because only God is Holy. If you study the name of Jesus you will see the majesty in it. If you speak of Jesus you will hear the power in it. And if you believe on the name of Jesus you will experience the fullness of his name though the forgiveness of your sins and through the love of God.

Psalms 99:4-5 says, “The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.”

Judgment and holiness go together. Because God is holy God is the one who does judgment. Judgment without holiness would be injustice. This shows how much people do understand God. The lost people of the world often accuse God of being unjust simply because he punishes sin.

This shows how blind people can be to the error of their ways and to the grievousness of their own sins. Hopefully a Christian understands the judgment of God. The judgment of God is a good thing; something to look forward too, something to rejoice in because God is holy. The judgment of Jesus on the Cross was a holy judgment and the judgment of the end of this world will also be a holy judgment.

Psalms 99:6-9, “Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them. He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them. Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.”

In these verses the Holiness of God is mentioned again. Moses, Aaron, and Samuel are mentioned because of their testimony. Moses was certainly one of the holiest men of the Old Testament. What made these three men so holy? Verse 6 says, “they called upon the LORD.”

Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

John 3:23 says, “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”

There is great power in the name of Jesus: the power to make a person as holy as Moses and even holier because in Jesus you become as holy as Jesus is. A person that is crucified with Christ is a person that has the righteousness of Christ.

There is great joy in God’s salvation a whole universe of Joy. Perhaps this is why the very next Psalms is about the joy of the Lord.

Psalms 100:1-5 says, “A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

Psalms 100 is one of the more famous passages of the Bible. It is a Psalm about praising God and being thankful.

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. The Bible strangley and it might seem contradictory to say this but there is a verse that says sorrow is better than laughter. Ecclesiastes 7:3-4 says, “Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”

These verses are not contradicting each other. There should always be sorrow over one’s sins. But at the same time there is joy in the forgiveness of sins and in all the wonderful things that God does for us.

When the Bible says sorrow is better than laughter it is talking people that live their lives seeking pleasures. The pursuit of pleasure and joy becomes their primary goal in life. People like this can not handle the sorrows of life when they come their way. It breaks them down and destroys them. A certain kind of sorrow, a godly sorrow is good however. It makes a person stronger because it has its roots in the tree of the cross, in the blood of Jesus Christ.

The reason we are commanded to make a joyful noise unto the Lord is because there are so many things to be thankful for and to enjoy that God has given, especially in this age of grace. No matter how bad it gets in life you are still blessed by God if you have Jesus as your savoir. The truth is everything is a blessing, even the curses, and the sufferings, and the temptations, and the trails, they blessings of God too. No wonder it is commanded that we should come before His presence with singing.

In these verses the main reason listed for being thankful to God and coming before is prescence with singing is Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

God is God no one else is. Imagine if god was an evil being. You would have a very different life. But God is not. God is good. God is love. God is holy. God is merciful. God is forgiving. And God is almighty. Not only this but we are created in the image of God. That is something to be very thankful for. We were not created in the image of man or in the image of a stone or in the image of a monkey but in the image of a glorious majestic all powerful loving God. What a wonder that is. How valuable our lives are. How great this means is the future destiny of those who trust in Jesus as their Savior.

In the last part of Psalms 100 we are given 3 more great reasons to be thankful to and praise God. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations

The word good can mean that which is holy and beautiul and bountiful and full of pleasure. God is good therefore everything He does is good. God’s mercy is everlasting therefore even when you have reached the end of the road and sins and failed worse than the worse human being ever on the earth God has mercy still in store for you. His mercy will not run out. And truth will never fade away. His truth will never be corrupted. His truth, His word, the Bible, will be here for the next generation and the next generation and the generation, for all generations.

O yes there are many things to be thankful for. So many things.

Psalms 101:1 says, “I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.”

The book of Psalms talks a lot about being thankful to God, being joyful and doing so with singing. When we sing to the Lord what should we sing about? This verse tells us two of the important topics: mercy and judgment. Mercy and judgment are found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered the punishment for our sins. That is judgment and that is mercy. The judgment is on Christ. The mercy is on us.

Psalms 101:2-3 says, “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”

Psalms 101:2-3 are some of the great verses of Psalms. There are two main ideas here. The first idea is found in the word perfect. Verse 2 uses the word perfect twice, in two different phrases. In these phrases it is actually two different Hebrew words. In the first phrase, I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way, The word perfect in this phrase means without sin. It is talking about a person’s consistency to do what is right day by day in a practical sense.

In the second phrase, I will walk within my house with a perfect heart, the word perfect has to do with the integrity of the heart. In other words it refers to a person serving God, loving God with all their heart; not holding back anything.

In the second verse I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” There are two important phrases here. In the first phrase I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. The key word here is the word set. The word set here means to see but it also means more than just to see something it means to think upon it. If you see something evil it does not necessarily mean you have sinned. Sometimes we see things by accident like a commercial on tv or a billboard sign. But if you continue looking at it then you are likely to get yourself in trouble.

In the second phrase, it shall not cleave to me, the important word is the word cleave. To understand the word cleave lets look at two more verses. Deuteronomy 11:22, “if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him.”Genesis 2:24,Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

Do not look at things that are evil and do not think about them. It is important to remember that when you look at something you have a mind, a mind’s eye, a memory that thing which you look at is going to stay in your mind and in your memory. If you defile your mind you may very well find that in the future you have deep regrets when it the memory of it cleaves unto your mind. This is a terrible consequence which can be very hard at times to overcome.

If you set nothing wicked before your eyes then nothing will cleave unto you. If you set wicked things before your eyes, if you look at them and think about them it will cleave unto you and then you will find it much harder to walk before the Lord in a perfect way.

The Lord wants us to serve him. He wants to use us as a testimony. How much he will use you will partly depend on how you walk before Him. Fortunately we can sing of mercy and judgment. If you have failed to walk before the Lord in a perfect way it is never to late to repent and find mercy in Christ.

If you have never repented of your sins and trusted in Jesus as your Savior you can do so right now. Just pray to Jesus. Ask Him to save you and He will.

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