Psalm 97: The Appearance of "The Lord of All the Earth"
After the world was destroyed by a flood by the Lord of all the earth, God promised that He would never destroy it again that way. (Genesis 9:11) Next time it will be by fire. “The psalmist’s"- perhaps Moses'- "mind is saturated with old sayings, which he finds flashed up into new meaning by recent experiences. He is not ‘original,’ and does not try to be so; but he has drunk in the spirit of his predecessors, and words which to others were antiquated and cold blaze with light for him, and seem made for his lips. He who reads aright the solemn significance of today will find it no less sacred than any past, and may transfer to it all which seers and singers have said and sung of Jehovah’s presence of old.” (Biblical Illustrators)
1 Yahweh reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad! 2 Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. 3 A fire goes before Him, and burns up His enemies round about.
“‘Yahweh reigns” or the Messiah has "ascended His throne.” (Pulpit Commentary) "Let the [new] earth rejoice’— living as well as the natural as in the last psalm and teachings of Paul— “For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.” (Romans 8:19) “‘Let the multitude of isles be glad!’ He shows that where God reigns, there is all happiness and spiritual joy.” (Geneva Study Bible)— "for He whose right it is occupies the throne and all unrighteousness, wickedness and idolatry will be banished.” (Arno Gaebelein)
“‘Clouds and darkness are round about Him - which is Sinaitic, resting “on Exodus 19:16; 19:18; Deuteronomy 5:22. The clouds, darkness and lightnings, the awful accompaniments of Yahweh's manifestation at the giving of the Law on Sinai, are the type and presage of the same accompaniments on a grander and more awful scale at the final consummation of the Law and the Gospel at the Lord's second coming (Psalms 50:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). The dark clouds ominously intimate the lightnings of wrath which break forth against the idolaters (Psalms 97:3; Psalms 97:7). ‘Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne.’ Translate, 'the firm basis (the prepared ground) of His throne.’” (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown) These precepts are “the habitation of His throne;’ the seat, basis, and support of it." (John Gill)
""A fire goes before Him, and burns up His enemies round about.' St. Paul tells us (2 Thessalonians 1:8) that the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in faming fire; and St. Peter, ( 2 Peter 3:7, 2 Peter 3:10, 2 Peter 3:11;), that when the Lord shall come to judgment the heavens and the earth shall be destroyed by fire, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the elements melt with fervent heat, and the earth and its works be burnt up.” (Adam Clarke)
4 His lightnings light the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory.
“’His lightnings light the world; the [old] earth sees and trembles.’ The earth is represented as a sentient being. It saw the terrible majesty of God; and trembled through terror, fearing it should be destroyed on account of the wickedness of its inhabitants.” (Adam Clarke) And indeed as expected by the remnant: “The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, this Sinai, at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.” (Judges 5:5) For surely as the prophets predicted: “The mountains will melt under Him and the valleys will be split, like wax before the fire, like water poured down a steep place.” (Micah 1:4; Cp. Isaiah 64:1) They “melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of ‘the Lord of the whole earth.’ (V. 5) An expression first met with exactly in Joshua 3:11-13, though Abraham speaks of God as judge of the whole earth (Genesis 18:25). Compare Micah 4:13; Zechariah 4:10; Zechariah 6:5.” (C. J. Ellicott) Thus though Jesus is a tribal God, “yet in marked distinction to surrounding tribes Israel regarded Him as having universal dominion.” (C. J. Ellicott) Not Israel only: “The heavens declare His righteousness,’ that is, the heavenly messengers;— and all the people see His glory.’— the glory of His justice in the destruction of the end-time generation.
Yet, the Word is a Fount of refinement for the remnant: “Here, it may be truly said, the fire of His sacred Word hath a most powerful effect, to burn up all the briers and thorns that would oppose the Lord's way. The enlightening Word of His grace, and the illumination of the Holy Ghost, open light in the soul, to make the sinner tremble; and the heart, like wax, is brought down, from hardness like a stone, to all the melting affections of the love of Jesus. See those Scriptures, Jeremiah 23:29; Isaiah 27:4; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Psalms 68:2; Nahum 2:10.” (Robert Hawker)
7 Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, who boast of idols. Worship Him, all you gods. 8 Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice because of Your judgments, O Lord. 9 For You, Lord, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.
“‘Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, who boast of idols.’ He signifies that God's judgments are ready to destroy the idolatry. ‘Worship Him, all you gods.’ Let all who are esteemed in the world fall down before Him.” (Geneva Study Bible)— even the angels of Heaven. Yet, men and women worship the creature rather than the Creator. “The LXX and the Vulgate read, ‘worship Him all His angels.’ In this manner the apostle cites the passage in Hebrews 1:6.” (Joseph Sutcliffe)
“‘Zion'- the church- 'hears and is glad,’ Heard what? the downfall of the devil’s kingdom, and the erecting of Christ’s sceptre; this was good news to the Church, and her children. Berne was the first town that after the Reformation burnt their images. Zurich followed on an Ash Wednesday, which they observe and celebrate every year to this day, with all mirths, plays, and pastimes, as an Ash Wednesday of God’s own making.— "‘and the daughters of Judah'- the remnant of Israel- 'rejoice because of Your judgments, O Lord.— For You, Lord, are most high above all the earth’— Declared now to be so with power, as Romans 1:4, and the world convinced of singular sottishness in fancying other divinities. ‘You are exalted far above all gods’— Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, Ephesians 1:21. Here, then, we have the super-exaltation of Christ’s person; and the apostle manifestly alludeth to it, Ephesians 4:10, Philippians 2:9.” (John Trapp)
10 You who love Yahweh, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in Yahweh, you righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
“'You who love Yahweh, hate evil!' A rule is here given to judge of real love. If I love Jesus, I shall love His people. If I love Him, I love what He loves, and hate what he hates… for 'He preserves the souls of His saints;’ etc. This is a proper thought to be kept alive in the mind of a believer. ‘Light is sown,’ not gathered, nor reaped, though sure. Hence the patience of the husbandman is recommended in waiting for it, James 5:7; Galatians 6:9... (Robert Hawker) “Rejoice in Yahweh, you righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.”- Yah is salvation.