Psalms 99-101

Thoughts

Psalm 99

The Lord Our God Is Holy

• Psalm 99 has no title, and it declares God’s holiness three times just like Isaiah does in his vision in Isaiah 6”3

The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
The Lord is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
Let them praise your great and awesome name!
Holy is he!

• Opens with the repeated theme “The LORD reigns.”
• “Enthroned upon the cherubim” visualizes the earthly (ark) and heavenly presence 

The King in his might loves justice.
You have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
Exalt the Lord our God;
worship at his footstool!
Holy is he!

• God loves justice
• “Established equity” = God sets up what is fair 
• “Footstool” likely refers to the ark

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.
They called to the Lord, and he answered them.
In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;
they kept his testimonies
and the statute that he gave them.
O Lord our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
Exalt the Lord our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the Lord our God is holy!

• Israel’s history: Moses, Aaron, Samuel 
• God speaking “in the pillar of cloud” ties the psalm back to Sinai 
• God is both forgiving and an avenger of wrongdoing 

Psalm 100

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

• Universal call to worship
• Worship is meant to be joyful, loud, and glad

Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

• Worship flows from truly knowing God
• “We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture”shows God’s care and protection.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

• The imagery shifts to the temple with “gates” and “courts” 
• “enter,” “give thanks,” “bless” show worship as active, not passive. 

For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

• This closes Book IV’s worship sequence (Psalms 95–100) 

Psalm 101

I Will Walk with Integrity. A Psalm of David. 

I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.

• two qualities that define God’s rule: steadfast love (חֶסֶד, hesed) and justice (מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat).

I will ponder the way that is blameless.
Oh when will you come to me?
I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;

• “Ponder the way that is blameless” shows intentionality 
• “When will you come to me?” David desires God’s presence

I will not set before my eyes
anything that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will know nothing of evil.

• David commits to guard his eyes
• “Know nothing of evil” will not partner with evil

Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly
I will destroy.
Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart
I will not endure.

• Secret slander destroys community and David will not allow it
• David cares for the attitude of his community

I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he who walks in the way that is blameless
shall minister to me.

• David chooses his inner circle intentionally
• Leaders who want righteousness must surround themselves with righteous people.

No one who practices deceit
shall dwell in my house;
no one who utters lies
shall continue before my eyes.

• Truthfulness is essential

Morning by morning I will destroy
all the wicked in the land,
cutting off all the evildoers
from the city of the Lord.

• “Morning by morning” ongoing

Questions

Application

Psalm 99  shows how God relates to His people: He answers, He forgives, and He also disciplines. Psalm 100 tells us exactly how to come near to God with thanksgiving and praise. Psalm 101 gives a picture of what godly leadership looks like. David makes changes not only within the community, but also his inner circle and his own heart.He refuses to let worthless things or corruption influence him.