The Lord reigns… Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name—he is holy. Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy. (Psalm 99:1a,2-3, 9)

Like Psalms 93 and 97, psalm 99 also begins with the declaration: “The Lord reigns.” Each of these psalms praise God for a different aspect of his kingship though.

The theme for psalm 99 is God’s holiness. Three distinct words on God’s holiness are given, which offers some echo or precedent to the hymn found in the heavenly throne rooms of Isaiah and Revelation where all cry out: “Holy, Holy, Holy” before the throne of God.

What is interesting is that Psalm 99’s definition of holiness differs somewhat from our own. Holiness here does not necessarily refer to purity or a sense of distance between God and ourselves. It starts there, perhaps, when we hear how God is exalted over all the nations. But the majority of the psalm marvels at how such an awesome God who rules over all the earth and all its peoples still has concern for Israel.

This is the second “holy” in the psalm. The fact that the King is mighty, that he loves justice—that he has established equity, even doing what is right and just in Jacob. Israel is reminded that God rules from Zion, that he sits enthroned between the cherubim of the Ark. So the psalm encourages the people to “exalt the Lord our God.” This Holy One who is already exalted over all the nations should receive exaltation among his own people too for his justice displayed before them.

The third “holy” in the psalm is the fact that God is not too distant from his people to hear their cries. This aspect of God’s holiness is all about prayer. When the people or their leaders have cried out to the Lord, the Lord has answered with forgiveness. The people still needed to follow in obedience, sure, and they were still punished for their misdeeds by this God of justice, yes. But when they cried out to the Lord their God, there was also forgiveness. A way out of their misery and hardship was provided. A salvation was given. This too is part of the holiness of God: his great forgiveness for his people.

In this psalm, the notion of God’s holiness transforms from any abstract theoretical sense of some fascinating, fearsome, far-off deity into something markedly more personal. The psalm speaks about Israel’s history with God, Israel’s experience of God. This is a people who has a relationship with God that defines what they mean when they say “holy is he.”

This is the High King over all who has nevertheless done what is right for us, listened to our cries, answered, and forgiven us. We know his name. He is our God. As Christians following in the footsteps of these psalms, we can say much the same. We also know this holy, listening, and forgiving God’s name: it’s Jesus.

For a peaceful setting of Psalm 99 by the Sons of Korah, you can click this link.