Psalms 97:1 - Meaning and Application

What was said among the nations in the earlier psalm (Psalm 96:10) is repeated here (Psalm 97:1), and it becomes the main message of this psalm and Psalm 99: “The Lord reigns.” That is the great truth set before us. The Lord Jehovah reigns, the One who made the world also governs it. He gives life, motion, strength, law, commission, success, and the outcome of all things.

Every person’s judgment comes from the Lord, from his wise plan and providence. In public matters and private matters alike, he carries out what he has decided. The Lord Jesus also reigns. His rule over providence is joined with his rule as Mediator, the One who brings God and people together, and both are in Christ’s hand. That is why he is both the head of the church and ruler over all things for the church.

Christ’s kingdom is set up in a way that should bring joy to everyone, and it will, if they do not make themselves unwilling. Let the earth rejoice, because this reign gives it stability (Psalm 96:10). It honors the world, enriches it, and partly rescues it from the emptiness that sin has brought on it. Not only Israel should rejoice in him as King of the Jews, and Zion as her King, but all the earth should rejoice in his exaltation. The kingdoms of the world will, in one way or another, sooner or later, become his kingdoms. Let the many isles be glad about this. This can speak to our own country as a great island with many smaller islands under it. At the least, it offers comfort to the Gentile nations, which are called the isles of the Gentiles (Genesis 10:5). There is enough in Christ for all the isles to rejoice in, and even though many have already found happiness in him, there is still room for more.

Everyone has reason to rejoice in Christ’s rule because it is righteous. There is clear justice in all the actions of his government, both in making laws and in judging. At times, clouds and darkness seem to surround him. His dealings can be hard to understand. His path is in the sea and his way in deep waters, so we do not always see what he intends or where he is leading. It is not fitting that we should be brought into the hidden counsel of his rule. There is depth in his plans that we must not try to measure. Still, righteousness and justice are the home of his throne. A golden thread of justice runs through all his rule. Justice is where he lives, because it is the home of his throne. His commands are, and will remain, completely righteous.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne, as Dr. Hammond says, and therefore his throne stands forever, because his scepter is a right scepter (Psalm 45:6). His throne is established in righteousness. Even the heavens declare his righteousness (Psalm 97:6), and it shines as clearly and brightly as the heavens themselves. The angels in heaven will declare it, since they are used as messengers in his government and therefore know more about it than any other creatures. His righteousness cannot be challenged, because who can argue against what the heavens declare? (Psalm 50:6)

Christ’s rule also reaches throughout the upper and lower worlds. All people on earth are under his authority. Either they serve him, or he uses them to carry out his purposes. All the peoples see his glory, or at least they may see it. The glory of God, seen in the face of Christ, was made to shine in distant lands among many peoples, and in some measure among all peoples. The gospel was preached, as far as we know, in many languages (Acts 2:5, 2:11). Miracles were done in all nations, and in that way all the peoples saw his glory. Have they not heard? (Romans 10:18)

All the angels in heaven are under his rule as well. We might not have seen this clearly from the words “Worship him, all you gods” (Psalm 97:7) if the inspired apostle had not helped us by applying them to Christ. From the Septuagint translation of those words, he says that when the Messiah entered heaven at his ascension, this command was given: “Let all God’s angels worship him” (Hebrews 1:6). That gives us the key to this whole psalm and shows that it must be applied to the exalted Redeemer, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand. This means all power in heaven and on earth has been given to him, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him (1 Peter 3:22). This shows the honor of Christ, that he has such worshipers, and the honor of true Christians, that they have such fellow worshipers.

Yet Christ’s government, though it should bring joy to all, will also bring fear to some, and that is their own fault (Psalm 97:3-5, 7). When Christ’s kingdom was being set up in the world after his ascension, it met strong enemies and heavy opposition. He reigns to the joy of the whole earth, yet, like every ruler, he has subjects and enemies. Some not only refuse to have him rule over them, but do not want him to reign at all. They not only keep themselves out of the kingdom of heaven, but also try to stop others from entering it (Matthew 23:13). This was fulfilled in the hatred of the unbelieving Jews toward the gospel of Christ, and in the violent persecution they stirred up everywhere against those who preached and followed it. These enemies are called hills (Psalm 97:5), because of their height, strength, and stubborn refusal to move. It was the rulers of this world who crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8; Psalm 2:2).

The Jews’ opposition to the setting up of Christ’s kingdom brought ruin on themselves. Their persecution of the apostles, and their efforts to stop them from speaking to the Gentiles, filled up the measure of their sin and brought wrath upon them to the end (1 Thessalonians 2:15-16). That wrath is compared here to consuming fire, which goes before Christ and burns up his enemies, who have made themselves like chaff and stubble and have set thorns and briars against him in battle (Isaiah 27:4). This fire of divine wrath will not only burn up the rubbish on the hills, but will make the hills themselves melt like wax (Psalm 97:5). When our God appears as a consuming fire, even rocks become like wax before him. The strongest and boldest resistance is defeated in the presence of the Lord. His presence itself is enough to shame and bring it down, for he is Lord of the whole earth, and all people are answerable to him.

People hate and persecute God’s people because they think he is absent, as if the Lord has left the earth. But when he shows his presence, they melt away. His judgments are also compared to fearful lightning (Psalm 97:4), which strikes terror into many. The judgments God brought on the enemies of Christ’s kingdom were so striking that the whole world noticed them in fear. The earth saw it and trembled, and the ears of everyone who heard about it tingled.

This was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation by the Romans, about forty years after Christ’s resurrection. That judgment, like fire, completely destroyed that people, and, like lightning, shocked all their neighbors (Deuteronomy 29:24). Yet the heavens show God’s righteousness in it, and all people still see his glory in those lasting signs of his justice, the scattered Jews.

Idolaters also would be put to shame by the setting up of Christ’s kingdom, as verse 7 says: “Let all who serve carved images be ashamed.” This means the Gentile world, people who served those who are not gods by nature (Galatians 4:8), and who boasted in their idols as their protectors and benefactors. Did those who served idols boast in them, and should the servants of the living God distrust him or be ashamed of him? Let those who serve carved images be ashamed.

This is a prayer for the conversion of the Gentiles. It asks that those who have long served silent idols would be shown their error, ashamed of their folly, and brought by the power of Christ’s gospel to serve the only living and true God. Then they would be as ashamed of their idols as they once were proud of them. See Isaiah 2:20-21.

It is also a prophecy of the ruin of those who would not be corrected and turned from idolatry. They would be ashamed by the destruction of pagan worship in the Roman Empire, which was fulfilled about 300 years after Christ. It was so frightening to idolaters that some think the change under Constantine was what made even mighty men cry to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us” (Revelation 6:15-16). This prayer and prophecy still stand against antichristian idolaters, who may read their doom here: “Let all who worship carved images be ashamed” (Psalm 97:7). See Jeremiah 48:13.