Psalm 97:12
“Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous;
and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.”
~ Psalm 97:12
God’s holiness is commended to our remembrance. It is not the doctrine of God’s holiness that we are to remember, but His real holiness. His actual holiness causes the righteous to rejoice and give thanks. They rejoice and are thankful for His holiness. God’s holiness is set forth throughout this Psalm. Let us come aside and remember His holiness.
HIS HOLINESS IS SUPREME, for “The LORD reigneth” (Psalm 97:1). None can ascend above God or be comparable to Him. None can even reckon the extent of His dominion—it encompasses all things seen and unseen. Even man’s imagination cannot place a figment above God for all the pagan worshipers are confounded by His holiness (Psalm 97:7). How can they figure it? How can they fashion it? How can they make a likeness of it? Though they boast, they utterly fail—“For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods” (Psalm 96:9).
Even the idols must bow to Him, “worship him, all ye gods” (Psalm 97:7). Idolaters make no progress against His holiness; it is even as Paul told Timothy of those who “resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.” They fight against God, “But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men” (2 Timotthy 3:8-9).
HIS HOLINESS IS TERRIBLE, for “Clouds and darkness are round about him” (Psalm 97:2). His holiness abides in righteousness and judgment. In these, God delights. His righteousness means He is faithful. Of what He has purposed, not one tittle shall fail.
In holiness, He dwells in judgment—pleading the cause of the oppressed, the fatherless, and the widow. He hears the cry of their righteous blood and vindicates them. If God calls you a worm, rejoice—it means He is taking up your cause. For thus He spoke to Jacob, “Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 41:14). He did not speak to Jacob thus to grind him into the dust, rather to lift him out of the dust. In the Scripture, we find ourselves as weak, full of sores, a frame of dust, a flower of the field, a vanishing vapor, etc. In all this, we are weak and helpless, but He will take us up, plead our cause, and vindicate us with His holy judgment.
HIS HOLINESS IS NOT PASSIVE, for “A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about” (Psalm 97:3). Neither is His holiness contained or subdued. His holiness is then victorious consuming His enemies. What have we then to fear? The earth trembles at His light (Psalm 97:4); “The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth” (Psalm 97:5). Who shall oppose any that are on the Lord’s side?
HIS HOLINESS IS NOT HIDDEN. Even the heavens cannot remain silent or indifferent, “The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory” (Psalm 97:6). The fool says there is no God. The wicked refuse to acknowledge Him and look blindly in the light of the noon sun. However, are not the works of His holiness entered into the eyes and ears of His people? “Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD” (Psalm 97:8). Do you not hear the chorus of birds singing praise to their maker? Do you not see the glory of the sun spreading its light to illuminate the creation of the Holy God before our eyes? Does not the corn and wheat stand in the field waving an offering to the one who is righteous, faithful to send the sun, wind, and rain upon the earth so that it responds by bearing forth its fruits?
HIS HOLINESS IS HAD FOR HIS PEOPLE. “He preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart” (Psalm 97:10-11). What a ground and anchor is the Lord’s holiness! Those who love Him love His holiness and therefore, “hate evil” (Psalm 97:10).
Why then are we troubled? Why then are we downcast? Why then do we presume to be trodden under foot? His holiness is the rejoicing of our heart and the very knife cutting the taut sack, which bursts open with gratitude. His holiness is an impeccable light and there we have fellowship with Him.
What a shame that any of His people should need reminded to remember His holiness and give thanks. May our hearts and minds soar upward in the quiet gray of the morning when we render thanks unto Him for the day He has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in the light of the day that declares His righteousness unto us. “Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness” (Psalm 97:12).
Deuteronomy 4:39
“Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart,
that the LORD he is God in heaven above,
and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”
~ Deuteronomy 4:39
It should be the life quest of every individual to know God and to increase our present knowledge of Him. We are instructed in the scriptures, “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee” (Job 22:21). The worldly man loves to glory in all his accomplishments. He adores his beauty and youthful strength. He glories in his wisdom and earthly successes. He revels in his riches and spends his days flattering himself. All such glorying is vain, foolish, and wicked. God says, “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:24). So far from pondering our own greatness, our text instructs us to know and consider God.
We see at once the sovereignty of God set before us for consideration. He rules with great power in heaven and upon “the earth. A king on the earth is only king of his kingdom. Once outside his country, he has no executive powers. However, God is the king of a vast domain. Of a truth, He “inhabiteth eternity.” His power knows no limits of potency or jurisdiction. He does whatever pleases Him to do.
“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1). The agnostic has said, “Well, there is a God. But He is in the heavens and we can’t know Him or worship Him. All such religion is futile.” They go on their way unconcerned about the unknown God. They think Him far away and obscure. “He is in heaven and we are on earth. What do we have to do with Him?” This only gives more reason to fear Him. “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased” (Psalm 115:3). It is not only in heaven that He does His will, but also “among the inhabitants of the earth.” The hymn writer expressed it thus,
There’s not a sparrow, or a worm, But’s found in His decrees;
He raises monarchs to their throne, And sinks them as He please.
As absolute sovereignty demands, He is the one true God. Ten times in the scriptures when talking about God, we are told there is “none else.” Our text is one of those occurrences. “For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (I Corinthians 8:5-6).
The world worships many gods. There is no shortage of knowledge of false gods. However, there is a dearth of knowledge of the one true God. He declares there is “none else.” God has no peers. He alone is God. “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8). He alone is worthy to be praised. God has no real rivals though His enemies are numerous. There is none else. There is none even close. He alone is God.
