Introduction
This is a psalm which speaks of the sovereign reign of God over all things, Psalm 47 / Psalm 96-99. Figurative language is used to describe how God demonstrates His power over the world.
There is no heading for this psalm, so we don’t know who the author is, however, Jewish tradition accredits Psalms 90-100 to Moses. Other Psalms written by Moses are also found in Exodus 15, and Deuteronomy 32.
‘The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. The seas have lifted up, LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea—the LORD on high is mighty. Your statutes, LORD, stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days.’ Psalm 93:1-5
The psalmist begins by reminding us of an eternal truth and that is, the LORD reigns, 1 Chronicles 16:31 / Psalm 47:8 / Isaiah 52:7 / Revelation 19:6.
He is robed in majesty, Isaiah 6:1, and armed with strength, Matthew 5:38-41. His majesty and strength are established firm and secure, that is, the way God created the world cannot be moved unless He chooses to do so.
Not only did God establish His creation, but He also established His throne, which means that He is eternal, Psalm 90:2. He has always been and there is no one else like Him.
The seas which have lifted up their voices and the profound waves are figurative for those who oppose God, Jeremiah 50:32 / Jeremiah 51:8 / Revelation 18:1-2. They appear to be unstoppable and destructive in nature, but the threat of the nations who opposed God was only as of the sound of ocean waves.
Delitzsch, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The sea with its mighty mass of waters, with the constant unrest of its waves, with its ceaseless pressing against the land and foaming against the rocks, is an emblem of the Gentile world alienated from God and at enmity against Him. The rivers, floods, are emblems of worldly kingdoms, the Nile stands for Egypt, the Tigris for Assyria, and the Euphrates for Babylon.’
Despite the thunder of the great waves, despite the might of the breakers of the sea, despite the destructive nature of the seas, those who oppose God, are no match for God and the power He has, Psalm 65:7 / Job 38:11.
The psalmists knows that God’s sovereignty and strength are seen in that His statutes remain firm, John 1:11 / Ephesians 1:20-22 / Philippians 2:5-11, and His holiness adorns His house, 1 Corinthians 3:17 / 1 Peter 2:9.
God’s power, sovereignty, strength and holiness are eternal and unchanging, Psalm 23:6 / Revelation 21:22-22:5.
Conclusion
The psalmist spoke about the awesome power of God as seen in His creation and His control over the elements of the world. People often talk about ‘powerful’ speakers, but the real power is found in God’s Word itself.
Just as God has put His power into a seed to reproduce after its kind, He has put His power in the Gospel. It’s God’s system by which He could be just and still justify the sinner, Romans 3:25-26.
It is God’s power to root out the love, practice, guilt, and penalty of sin. It’s not God’s power to save politically, socially, financially, physically, or mentally, though all are influenced by it. It’s God’s power to salvation, both now and in eternity.
In the Gospel, we find ‘the righteousness of God,’ that is, the righteous acts which God ordained, Acts 10:34-35. The plan of salvation by which men are made righteous before God, 1 John 3:6. Because of sin, man’s right relationship with God was broken, Isaiah 59:1-2, and to restore that broken relationship means.
It is called the righteousness of God because it is made possible by Him without any help or merit of man. It is ‘revealed’ in the Gospel. The Gospel reveals God’s plan to make man righteous, to restore the sinner back to a proper relationship with God.
