The Lord reigns! What an amazing declaration. In fact, it’s worth taking time to stop and think about for a moment. Our God is King over absolutely everything, everywhere, all the time, no matter what. That’s a huge reality to take in! And that’s what Psalm 93 is about.
The interesting thing about this short psalm is that the words convey much more than great theological ideas. The Hebrew words used by the psalmist reveal powerful truths regarding God’s supreme rulership over all things. These are truths we can embrace and stand on.
The psalm begins by showing God reigning in ascending glory (or majesty) and encompassed or robed in weapons of strength. Everything God brings into being is established with absolute surety and certainty. In fact the stability of our world is grounded in God Himself, as the everlasting One.
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.
Psalm 93:1-2 (NKJV)
Furthermore, God’s place on the throne has never, ever, been in doubt. He has existed and He has reigned from all eternity. These are massive concepts to get our heads around. But knowing this makes us feel incredibly secure.
A challenge to God’s reign?
But suddenly in verse 3 there seems to be a challenge to God’s reign. Floods are seeking to make a claim of domination. While floods are torrents of water, the idea behind these floods has to do with wailing. So these wailing torrents of water are causing a commotion. The word “waves” has to do with crushing, dashing and roaring – like the pounding of mighty waves.
Have you ever felt like things are roaring around you? That you are being pounded on every side by mysterious and chaotic forces that are trying to crush you down? That’s what’s being portrayed here. Something is roaring and throwing itself around, bringing turbulence, conflict and confusion.
The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
The floods have lifted up their voice;
The floods lift up their waves.
The Lord on high is mightier
Than the noise of many waters,
Than the mighty waves of the sea.
Psalm 93:3-4 (NKJV)
But the Lord is on high. He is in an elevated place, far above. He is so much mightier, so much more superior and more majestic than the fury of many waters of chaos and destruction – even if they clamber up and pile on top of one another.
Knowing that God reigns
Often our view of God is too small. And we get too distracted by the noise and confusion caused by the “waves” that rise up to buffet us. Rather like the disciples in the boat, we are terrified by the storm (Matthew 8:23-27). But notice that Jesus was not terrified by the storm. He knew that He had authority over it – because He knew that God reigns.
And that is the affirmation of the psalmist in verse 5. What God says stands absolutely firm. It is very sure. God is so far above and beyond, that He cannot be compared to anything. God is holy, which means that He is set apart from everything else. His “set-apartness” is wonderful and glorious – and it’s what makes Him Who He is.
Your testimonies are very sure;
Holiness adorns Your house,
O Lord, forever.
Psalm 93:5 (NKJV)
Seated in heavenly places
The most amazing thing is that through Jesus Christ, we, as believers in Him, have the privilege of being raised up to be seated with Him in the heavenly realm. God’s reign now becomes personal for us. Here’s what the Apostle Paul says:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2:4-9 (NKJV)
That means the noisy waters of tumult and chaos are now under our feet. As we sit under God’s authority (eg. Matthew 8:7-10), we have authority as Jesus had over the “wind” and “waves” or the things that would buffet and roar around our lives. And we can also have the same peace Jesus had to sleep, despite what is going on around us.
So don’t allow the noise around you to unsettle you or distract you from who you are in Christ and where you are seated in God. He is from everlasting, and what He has decreed stands absolutely firm, no matter what!
