Sermon
Psalms 99:1-9
A Matter of Authority
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Psalms 99:1-9
A Matter of Authority
Psalm 99 is one of six “royal psalms,” also known as, “enthronement psalms,” so named because they refer to God as King. That’s the aspect of the psalm I’d like to emphasize in the sermon this morning – that God is king and, as king, God is sovereign over us and all creation.
The sovereignty of God was the first lesson I learned when I became Presbyterian in 1991. I petitioned the Palo Duro Presbytery and began a long process of study and examination, including meeting once a week with a mentor. In our first session, he told me, “There are only two hard-and-fast rules in the Presbyterian Church: Rule Number One, God has the first and last word on all things. Rule Number Two, if in doubt, refer to Rule Number One.”
God is sovereign over us and all creation. That’s the thesis of the sermon this morning. And the question is: What’s it like to live under the authority of God? What’s it like to abide by God’s rules, not your own? What’s it like to be obedient and submissive to God – a power greater than yourself?
What I hope you’ll see is that it’s a matter of authority. And what I hope you’ll take home with you is this: Only as you’re willing to humble yourself and surrender to God’s claim on your life will you ever discover your true calling as a child of God and experience the promise of life in all its abundance. The psalm begins,
“Yahweh reigns! Let the peoples tremble.
He sits enthroned among the cherubim.
Let the earth be moved” (Psalm 99:1).
Not to be disrespectful, but this sounds pretty lame to me, and I doubt that I’m the only one. I suspect when most people hear, “Yahweh reigns! Let the peoples tremble,” they say to themselves, “Well, of course, Yahweh reigns; who would think otherwise?” and go about their business. The Pope’s Catholic. And your point is?
What do we know about the power and authority of a king, anyway? When I think of kings and queens and dukes and duchesses I picture the royal family of Great Britain. They get a lot of press when they appear in public, but that’s about all. Mostly it’s about their mannerisms and how they’re dressed. Some may fawn over seeing Bonnie Prince Charles or Fergie, but I doubt that there’s much trembling and quaking going on.
Not so, in Old Testament times. Back then kings held absolute sway. If the king levied a tax, you paid it. If the king required your service, you gave it. If the king condemned you to die, for whatever reason, you died.
Reading verse one in this way ups the ante: “Yahweh reigns! Let the peoples tremble.” The implication is they’d better. All God has to do is say the word, and they’d be toast.
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Psalm 111 reminds us that the “fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalms 111:10) We know that, but we’re quick to water it down. We say something like, “To fear God is to give God due respect, but not be afraid of God.”
Let’s rethink that. Giving due respect can mean a sense of reverence and awe, but it can also mean something as simple as a nod to God. I think you’d agree there’s more to it than that.
God is all-powerful. All creation falls under God’s dominion and authority. It’s God who brings us to life. As Job says,
“If he set his heart on himself,
If he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath,
all flesh would perish together,
and man would turn again to dust” (Job 33:4).
By the same token, it’s God who sustains our lives. Job goes on to say,
“If he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath,
all flesh would perish together,
and man would turn again to dust” (Job 34:14-15).
Jesus told his disciples, “I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit.” Then he went on to say, “for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Paul stressed the positive. He said, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) Either way, it’s a promise and warning: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) If God is not for us, we’re dead in the water. As Psalm 127 puts it:
“Unless Yahweh builds the house,
they labor in vain who build it” (Psalm 127:1).
Years ago I attended a preacher’s conference in which the keynote speaker made this statement: “Before you speak, listen for what God has to say because, until God speaks to you, you don’t have anything to share with others.”
That stuck with me. And it applies across the board: Before you act, consider what God would have you to do; before you make a decision, ask yourself: What is God’s will for my life in this situation?
The Good News is: With God all things are possible. Just be sure to put your emphasis on the first two words – with God – all things are possible. It’s a matter of authority.
The psalm goes on to say:
“The King’s strength also loves justice.
You do establish equity.
You execute justice and righteousness in Jacob” (Psalm 99:4).
It’s comforting to know that God is just, to think that everyone is going to get a fair shake. We naturally root for the underdog and applaud when those who are oppressed get the recognition they deserve. It’s in our DNA.
Like many of you, I recently read The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. Perhaps you’ve seen the movie. It’s set in Jackson, Mississippi and focuses on the role of domestic servants who serve wealthy families in the Old South.
It’s based on a unique plot: A daughter of a plantation family in the 50s wants to be a writer. She grew up being cared for by an older black woman named Constantine, who served as the family’s maid for many years. In many ways, Constantine was her surrogate mother.
So, she gets the idea of interviewing maids like Constantine and telling their stories of what it’s like to raise white children – all the way from changing diapers … to potty training … to learning to read and write … to developing table manners … to going off to college and getting married … only to see them become young adults employing maids of their own. Potentially, the same child you raised could grow up to be your boss.
She puts the interviews together in a book, and it becomes the talk of the town. But it turns out to be more than an exposé – it turns out to be a wakeup call and part of the larger catalyst for putting an end to segregation in the Old South, with its separate-but-equal inequities.
All this is to say God is just. God will not stand for one class of people to rule over another. When the scale is tipped too far, God will intervene and restore the balance.
The prophet Amos said it best. In his day, the Jewish leaders had become outwardly religious, but inwardly corrupt. They used their power and position to exploit the poor. He warned them,
“Thus says Yahweh:
‘For three transgressions of Israel, yes, for four,
I will not turn away its punishment;
because they have sold the righteous for silver,
and the needy for a pair of shoes;
They trample on the dust of the earth on the head of the poor,
and deny justice to the oppressed;
and a man and his father use the same maiden,
to profane my holy name;
and they lay themselves down beside every altar on clothes taken in pledge;
and in the house of their God
they drink the wine of those who have been fined'” (Amos 2:6-8).
He goes on to say:
Yes, though you offer me your burnt offerings and meal offerings,
I will not accept them;
neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat animals.
Take away from me the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like rivers,
and righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:22-24).
God is just. You can depend on that. But, be careful: God is also impartial.
One of my favorite passages of scripture is where Peter went to visit the home of Cornelius, a Roman centurion. At first, Peter didn’t want to go. All his life he’d been taught Jews and Gentiles don’t mix. But God called to him in a vision and, obedient to God, he went to the home of this Roman officer. He shared the Good News of God’s love in Jesus Christ, and, to his surprise, Cornelius and his whole household were filled with the Spirit and began speaking in tongues. Peter was astonished. He said,
“Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism;
but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness
is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:34-35).
God doesn’t play favorites. God chooses whomever he chooses and blesses whomever he decides to bless.
I saw a video clip recently shot by a hidden camera on the streets of Paris. It showed thousands of Muslim men on their knees bowing toward Mecca … interviews with civic leaders projecting the growing influence of Islam on the culture, both socially and politically … protestors vowing to push back.
According to the clip, Muslims now account for about 10 percent of the population of Paris. But their numbers are growing exponentially, thanks to a high birth rate and a continued influx of immigrants – you guessed it – working in the service sector. Anyone can see where this is going, not only in Paris, but across Europe and Scandinavia … and, perhaps, one day here in the USA.
So, where is God in all this? God only knows. Here’s what I think: If the Christian majority in Europe and Scandinavia – and yes, the United States – is largely dormant and unwilling to devote themselves to God, pursuing worldly pleasures instead, can you blame God for allowing Muslims to have their way?
Whether in Paris or London or Amsterdam or Hope, Arkansas, if those whom God calls to do his bidding are unfaithful, God will use whatever it takes to bring us to our senses.
God is all-powerful. God is just. On top of that, God is merciful. The psalmist gives us three examples: Moses, Aaron and Samuel. He writes,
“Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel among those who call on his name;
they called on Yahweh, and he answered them….
You are a God who forgave them,
although you took vengeance for their doings” (Psalm 99:6-8).
You can check this out for yourself:
• Moses disobeyed God at Mirabah. (Numbers 20:1-9)
• Aaron built a golden calf at Mount Sinai. (Exodus 32:1-20)
• Samuel trusted his sons at the temple of Shiloh, instead of God. (1 Samuel 2)
Each was disobedient and each suffered the consequences. Yet, in the end, each was given a place of honor in God’s heavenly kingdom.
God is merciful. That’s the Good News. God knows our fallen nature and loves us still. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Paul told the Romans,
“But God commends his own love toward us,
in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now justified by his blood,
we will be saved from God’s wrath through him” (Romans 5:8-9).
Let’s wrap it up. Psalm 99 began with this image: “Yahweh reigns! … He sits enthroned among the cherubim” So, get this:
• The king descended from his throne and became one of us. He lived among us and taught us how to live in peace with one another;
• Then he died for us, setting an example that he who seeks to save his life will lose it, but he who loses his life in devotion to God will save it;
• And when all this was accomplished, he ascended once more to reign over us and all creation in wisdom, power and love.
God is king – omnipotent, just and merciful. He brought you into this world; he knows you through and through; he loves you still with an unconditional and undying love. What remains to be seen is whether you will love him in return and be his loyal and devoted subject.
Friends, dare to humble yourself and surrender to God’s claim on your life. Not only will you discover your true calling as a child of God, you’ll know without a doubt that …
The kingdom of this world is become
The kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
And he shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings and Lord of lords,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible.
Copyright 2011, Philip McLarty. Used by permission.