Psalm 93
Psalms 93 and 95–100 emphasize the sovereign rule of Jehovah, the King of Israel, in the affairs of the nations. (Ps. 94 focuses on God the Judge, which is an important aspect of His righteous rule.) Psalm 93 was perhaps written by one of the Levites who returned to Judah with the Jewish remnant after the Babylonian captivity. The Medes and Persians defeated Babylon in 539 BC, and the next year Cyrus, the new king, gave the Jews permission to return to their own land, rebuild their temple, and restore their nation. It was an especially difficult time for the Jewish remnant (see Ezra and Haggai), and their work was interrupted, attacked, and neglected. The leaders and the people needed encouragement to continue the work, and this encouragement could come only from the Lord. This brief hymn magnifies the Lord by presenting three divine assurances.
An Overcoming People (vv. 6–11) The psalmist shifts our attention to the enemies of the Lord who make life difficult for God's people. The Authorized Version calls them "brutish," which means "beastly, lacking values and discernment, savage, living only to satisfy the appetite." Other translations use "stupid, senseless, rude, uncultivated." The fool in Psalm 14 would qualify, and see also 49:10–12, 20; and 94:8–11. These people are like grass; they have no deep roots and their luxuriant growth passes quickly (90:5–6). God's faithful people, however, are like palm trees and cedars (v. 12). The "horn" is a symbol of power (v. 10), and God gives His people power to overcome their foes (75:4–5, 10; 89:17, 24; 1 Sam. 2:1, 10; Luke 1:69). Oil was used to anoint special people— kings, priests, and prophets—but the anonymous psalmist rejoiced because the Lord had anointed him with fresh oil. He may also have been speaking for all Israel and praising God for a special victory He had given them. God wants His people to be overcomers (Rom. 12:21; 1 John 2:13–14; 4:4; 5:4–5; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7), and this comes when first we are worshippers.
God Reigns Supremely (vv. 1–2) It was God who allowed Nebuchadnezzar to attack and conquer the kingdom of Judah and to destroy the temple and the Holy City. The Lord used Daniel in Babylon to teach this basic truth to Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 1—4; see especially Dan. 4:17, 25, 32), but Nebuchadnezzar's successor Belshazzar learned it when it was too late (Dan. 5). The Medes and Persians attacked Babylon and killed Belshazzar the very night he was boasting of his kingdom and blaspheming the Lord. "Jehovah is king!" (See 92:8; 96:10; 97:1; 99:1; Ex. 15:18; Deut. 33:5.) He is enthroned in heaven, robed in the majestic robes of glory, and armed with all the power He needs to humble puny rulers. His eternal throne is majestic, strong, and firmly established (65:6; 104:1), and the world He created is also firmly fixed (24:2; 78:69; 119:90). No matter what happens to human rulers on earth, the throne in heaven is safe and secure.
A Flourishing People (vv. 12–15) The senseless brutish crowd is like grass (v. 7), but the righteous are like trees (see 1:3; 52:8; Prov. 11:30; Isa. 1:30; 61:3; Jer. 11:16; 17:8). The wicked may look like sturdy trees, but they don't last (37:35–36; 52:5). The word flourish in verse 7 means "to be conspicuous, to shine," while the word in verses 12–13 means "to be vigorous, to flourish richly." The stately date palm and cedar were highly valued by people in the Near East,
God Is Greater Than Our Circumstances (vv. 3–4) The raging seas and the pounding waves are often used