Psalm 99
1The LORD is king; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
2The LORD is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
3Let them praise your great and awesome name.
Holy is he!
4Mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
5Extol the LORD our God;
worship at his footstool.
Holy is he!
6Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called on his name.
They cried to the LORD, and he answered them.
7He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
they kept his decrees,
and the statutes that he gave them.
8O LORD our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
9Extol the LORD our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the LORD our God is holy.
5Extol the LORD our God…
Extol isn’t a word we hear very often in casual conversation. According to Miriam Webster, it means to praise rapturously, or to revere. The image that comes to my mind for that definition is hundreds of screaming girls at an Elvis concert (yes, I’m THAT old).
In the “coronation psalms”, God is pictured as the greatest king that could ever be. God reigns in heaven, surrounded by heavenly beings who worship around God’s throne day and night. God is great and terrifying in God’s majesty and strength. And yet, God rules with justice, mercy, and love.
In order to extol God, we have to be a little bit afraid and a lot awestruck. It’s only when we recognize the power and glory of the One who created us and holds the power of life and death over us, that we can truly appreciate God’s gentle care for us.
Prayer: Holy, mighty, magnificent, glorious and awesome God: I bow before you in humble adoration and rejoice in your tender love for all your children. AMEN