Psalm 99
Psalm 99
The Holy God, Present and Revealed
Psalm 99 is a psalm of divine kingship, divine holiness, and divine presence. It continues the royal theme of the surrounding psalms, but it places special emphasis on the holiness of God. The psalm proclaims God’s holiness three times, in Psalm 99:3, Psalm 99:5, and Psalm 99:9. This threefold declaration anticipates the heavenly cry later heard by Isaiah and by John, “Holy, holy, holy.”
Psalm 98 ended with joyful praise before the Lord who comes to judge the earth with righteousness and equity. Psalm 99 reminds the worshiper that the God who reigns is not casual, common, or approachable on man’s terms. He is exalted. He is enthroned. He is present among His people. He answers prayer. He forgives. He disciplines. He is holy.
The psalm moves in three major sections. First, it declares the holy presence of God, He reigns and dwells between the cherubim. Second, it declares the holy strength of God, His rule is founded upon justice, equity, and righteousness. Third, it declares the holy revelation of God, He answered Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, revealed Himself in the cloudy pillar, forgave His people, and yet took vengeance on their deeds.
A. The Holy Presence of God
Psalm 99:1, God Is Present in His Sanctuary
Psalm 99:1, “The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.”
Psalm 99 begins with the great kingdom declaration, “The LORD reigneth.” This is the third psalm in this section that begins with this proclamation, also seen in Psalm 93:1 and Psalm 97:1. The repetition is deliberate. God’s people must never forget that the Lord is King. He does not merely exist. He reigns. He does not merely observe. He governs. He is not one religious option among many. He is the sovereign Lord over heaven and earth.
Psalm 93:1, “The LORD reigneth he is clothed with majesty the LORD is clothed with strength wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished that it cannot be moved.”
Psalm 97:1, “The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.”
Psalm 97 said, “let the earth rejoice.” Psalm 99 says, “let the people tremble.” Both responses are proper. The reign of God brings joy to the righteous and trembling to all who rightly perceive His majesty. Saints tremble with reverent awe, sinners tremble with terror. The same throne that comforts the redeemed exposes the rebel.
The command “let the people tremble” confronts the casual spirit of man centered religion. The presence of God is not entertainment. Worship is not a performance. God is not to be approached with flippancy, arrogance, or indifference. When the Lord’s reign is rightly understood, the proper response is reverence.
Hebrews 12:28-29, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.”
Psalm 99:1 also says, “he sitteth between the cherubims.” This refers to God’s enthroned presence. In the tabernacle and later the temple, the ark of the covenant was covered by the mercy seat, and above the mercy seat were the cherubim. The Lord was said to dwell between the cherubim, not because He was confined there, but because He chose to manifest His covenant presence there among His people.
Exodus 25:20-22, “And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high covering the mercy seat with their wings and their faces shall look one to another toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”
This imagery also points beyond the earthly sanctuary to the heavenly throne of God. The cherubim are not the weak, sentimental figures often pictured in religious art. In Scripture, they are mighty heavenly beings associated with the throne, presence, holiness, judgment, and glory of God.
Ezekiel 10:1, “Then I looked and behold in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.”
The verse concludes, “let the earth be moved.” If the Lord reigns and sits enthroned between the cherubim, then even the earth must be shaken before Him. The presence of God is not light. It moves creation. If the earth itself is moved before Him, how much more should man tremble before His holiness.
Psalm 99:2-3, God Is Present in Zion
Psalm 99:2-3, “The LORD is great in Zion and he is high above all the people. Let them praise thy great and terrible name for it is holy.”
Psalm 99:2 says, “The LORD is great in Zion.” God is omnipresent, meaning He is present everywhere, but Scripture also teaches that God has chosen to manifest His covenant presence in particular places for particular purposes. Zion, Jerusalem, has a special place in God’s redemptive and kingdom plan. The Lord is great in Zion because He chose Zion as the place associated with His king, His temple, His covenant promises, and the future reign of Messiah.
Psalm 132:13-14, “For the LORD hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell for I have desired it.”
Isaiah 2:2-3, “And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”
The Lord is not only great in Zion, He is “high above all the people.” This again emphasizes His exaltation. No nation stands above Him. No ruler rivals Him. No people group can claim independence from Him. He is high above all peoples, including Israel, the nations, kings, armies, judges, priests, and prophets.
Psalm 99:3 calls for praise, “Let them praise thy great and terrible name.” The word “terrible” in the KJV carries the sense of awe inspiring, fear inducing, and majestic. God’s name is great because His revealed character is great. His name is terrible because He is holy, sovereign, and not to be treated lightly.
The verse ends with the first great holiness proclamation, “for it is holy.” God’s name is holy because God Himself is holy. Holiness means separateness, set apartness, purity, and absolute distinction from all that is common, created, sinful, unjust, false, and corrupt. God is holy in His being and holy in all His works.
Isaiah 6:3, “And one cried unto another and said Holy holy holy is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Revelation 4:8, “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come.”
God’s holiness is not merely one attribute among many. It marks everything God is and does. His love is holy love. His power is holy power. His wisdom is holy wisdom. His wrath is holy wrath. His mercy is holy mercy. His sovereignty is holy sovereignty. God is not merely greater than man on the same scale. He is Creator, we are creatures. He is eternal, we are temporal. He is infinite, we are finite. He is morally perfect, we are fallen.
1 Samuel 2:2, “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.”
Holiness is the great distinction between God and all else. Therefore, the proper response to His name is praise, reverence, fear, and worship.
B. The Holy Strength of God
Psalm 99:4, The Strong Righteousness of God
Psalm 99:4, “The king's strength also loveth judgment thou dost establish equity thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.”
Psalm 99 now moves from the holy presence of God to the holy strength of God. “The king's strength also loveth judgment.” Earthly rulers often use strength to advance pride, conquest, tyranny, greed, or self preservation. God’s strength is different. His strength loves judgment, meaning His power is joined to justice. He is not an arbitrary ruler. He does not abuse His authority. He is strong, but His strength is righteous.
This matters greatly. Absolute power in the hands of sinful man becomes oppression. Absolute power in the hands of the holy God becomes perfect justice. The Lord’s throne is not a robber’s fortress. His kingdom is not built on corruption, favoritism, manipulation, or cruelty. His rule is clean because His character is clean.
Deuteronomy 32:4, “He is the Rock his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he.”
Psalm 89:14, “Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.”
Psalm 99:4 says, “thou dost establish equity.” Equity means uprightness, fairness, and just order. The Lord does not merely talk about justice. He establishes it. Men may use slogans about justice while practicing partiality, but God’s justice is real. He sets the standard. He judges by truth. He exposes falsehood. He defends righteousness. He will bring all crooked things under His authority.
The verse continues, “thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.” God’s justice is not theoretical. He executed judgment and righteousness among His covenant people. Israel experienced both His deliverance and His discipline. He did not treat Jacob as an exception to His holiness. Covenant privilege never canceled moral accountability. The people closest to His revelation were also responsible to walk in His ways.
Amos 3:2, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
This principle is serious. The nearer a people are to the light of God’s revelation, the greater their accountability. God’s people should never presume upon grace as though holiness no longer matters. The King’s strength loves judgment, establishes equity, and executes righteousness.
Psalm 99:5, The Proper Response to His Holy Strength
Psalm 99:5, “Exalt ye the LORD our God and worship at his footstool for he is holy.”
The proper response to God’s holy strength is exaltation and worship. “Exalt ye the LORD our God.” To exalt God does not mean man can make God higher than He already is. God is infinitely exalted in Himself. To exalt Him means to recognize, declare, honor, and submit to His exalted position.
The verse continues, “and worship at his footstool.” This phrase likely refers first to the ark of the covenant, which was associated with God’s enthroned presence between the cherubim. Scripture also uses the language of God’s footstool for Jerusalem and even the earth itself.
1 Chronicles 28:2, “Then David the king stood up upon his feet and said Hear me my brethren and my people: As for me I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God and had made ready for the building.”
Lamentations 2:1, “How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger!”
Isaiah 66:1, “Thus saith the LORD The heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?”
Matthew 5:35, “Nor by the earth for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great King.”
Acts 7:49, “Heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?”
To worship at His footstool is to submit humbly before His sovereign presence. It is the posture of a servant before the King. The worshiper does not come to negotiate terms. He comes to bow.
The verse ends with the second holiness proclamation, “for he is holy.” The first proclamation said His name is holy. The second says He Himself is holy. This repeated refrain is the theological center of the psalm. God is to be exalted because He is holy. He is to be worshiped because He is holy. His strength is worthy of praise because it is holy strength.
Holiness is the harmony of God’s perfections. His power is not separated from His goodness. His justice is not separated from His mercy. His sovereignty is not separated from His righteousness. His love is not separated from His truth. All that God is, He is in perfect holiness.
C. The Holy Revelation of God
Psalm 99:6-7, God Revealed to His Priests
Psalm 99:6-7, “Moses and Aaron among his priests and Samuel among them that call upon his name they called upon the LORD and he answered them. He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies and the ordinance that he gave them.”
Psalm 99 now moves from God’s holy presence and holy strength to His holy revelation. The psalmist names Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. These men stand as major intercessors in Israel’s history. They called upon the Lord, and He answered them.
Moses is not normally classified as a priest in the same formal sense as Aaron, yet he performed priestly functions. He mediated the covenant, sprinkled the blood of the covenant, oversaw the consecration of Aaron and his sons, and interceded for Israel repeatedly.
Exodus 24:6-8, “And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basons and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant and read in the audience of the people: and they said All that the LORD hath said will we do and be obedient. And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said Behold the blood of the covenant which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.”
Aaron was the first high priest of Israel, appointed by God to serve in the priestly office. Samuel, though not from Aaron’s direct priestly line in the same way, functioned as a prophet, judge, intercessor, and spiritual leader who called upon the Lord and was heard.
1 Samuel 7:8-9, “And the children of Israel said to Samuel Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. And Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel and the LORD heard him.”
Psalm 99:6 emphasizes that they “called upon the LORD and he answered them.” This is an encouragement to the faithful. God is holy and exalted, yet He is not silent toward those who call upon Him according to His will. The same God before whom the earth trembles also answers prayer.
Psalm 34:15, “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry.”
Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.”
Psalm 99:7 says, “He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar.” The cloudy pillar was the visible representation of God’s presence with Israel in the wilderness. It guided them, protected them, and signified that the Lord was among them.
Exodus 13:21-22, “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people.”
Exodus 33:9, “And it came to pass as Moses entered into the tabernacle the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle and the LORD talked with Moses.”
God’s revelation was not vague spiritual feeling. He spoke. He gave testimonies and ordinances. The verse says, “they kept his testimonies and the ordinance that he gave them.” Moses, Aaron, and Samuel were not perfect men, but their lives were marked by covenant faithfulness and obedience to the word God gave.
This is important. Prayer and obedience belong together. Men often want God to answer while refusing to keep His testimonies. But the pattern in Psalm 99 joins calling upon the Lord with keeping His word.
John 14:15, “If ye love me keep my commandments.”
1 John 2:3-5, “And hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his commandments. He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”
God’s holy revelation demands a holy response. He speaks, and His people must obey.
Psalm 99:8-9, God Revealed in Forgiveness and Holiness
Psalm 99:8-9, “Thou answeredst them O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy hill for the LORD our God is holy.”
Psalm 99:8 again emphasizes that God answered, “Thou answeredst them O LORD our God.” The Lord answered Moses, Aaron, Samuel, and the people for whom they interceded. This shows both the mercy of God and the power of intercession. The holy God is not distant from His covenant people. He hears. He responds. He reveals Himself.
The verse says, “thou wast a God that forgavest them.” This is a remarkable statement. Even Moses, Aaron, Samuel, and Israel needed God’s forgiveness. Great men of God are still sinners saved by grace. Faithful servants still require mercy. Spiritual leadership does not remove the need for forgiveness.
Exodus 34:6-7, “And the LORD passed by before him and proclaimed The LORD The LORD God merciful and gracious longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children's children unto the third and to the fourth generation.”
God forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin, yet He does not clear the guilty in a way that denies justice. This balance appears clearly in Psalm 99:8. God forgave, “though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.” The word “inventions” refers to their deeds, practices, or sinful actions. God’s forgiveness did not mean He ignored sin. He pardoned, but He also disciplined.
This may refer broadly to Israel’s sins, for which Moses, Aaron, and Samuel interceded. It may also include the fact that these leaders themselves experienced discipline from God. Moses and Aaron were not permitted to enter the promised land because of their sin at Meribah. Samuel’s household also had disorder among his sons.
Numbers 20:12, “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron Because ye believed me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”
1 Samuel 8:1-3, “And it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways but turned aside after lucre and took bribes and perverted judgment.”
The larger point is clear. God is faithful both in forgiveness and in discipline because He is holy. He does not forgive by pretending sin does not matter. He forgives on the basis of His mercy, and ultimately, in light of the full revelation of Scripture, on the basis of the atoning work of Christ. Yet He also disciplines His people for their good and for the honor of His name.
Hebrews 12:6-11, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”
Psalm 99:9 gives the final call, “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy hill.” The holy hill refers to Zion, the place associated with God’s chosen presence, worship, and kingdom purpose. Once again, the proper response is exaltation and worship. Doctrine must become doxology. The revelation of God’s reign, justice, forgiveness, discipline, and holiness must lead His people to bow before Him.
The psalm ends with the third holiness proclamation, “for the LORD our God is holy.” This is the final and supreme reason for worship. The Lord is holy in His presence, holy in His strength, holy in His justice, holy in His revelation, holy in His forgiveness, and holy in His discipline.
Psalm 99 therefore gives a complete vision of reverent worship. God reigns, so the people must tremble. God dwells between the cherubim, so the earth must be moved. God is great in Zion, so His name must be praised. God loves justice, so His strength must be trusted. God answered His servants, so His people should call upon Him. God forgives, so His mercy should be adored. God disciplines, so His holiness should be feared. The Lord our God is holy.
