Psalm 99
A Gracious Throne (vv. 6–9) You could not approach the throne of the king of Persia unless he held out his scepter and gave you permission (Est. 4:10–11), but access to God's throne is available to His children through Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:19–25). Under the old covenant, God provided priests who ministered at the altar and were mediators between His needy people and their Lord, but today Jesus Christ is the Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5) who constantly intercedes for us (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25). To the lost sinner, God's throne is a throne of judgment, but to the believer, it is a throne of grace (Heb. 4:14–16), and we can come to Him with our worship and praise as well as our burdens and needs.
This is the sixth of the "royal psalms" (93, 95—100), all of which magnify the sovereign rule of Jehovah the King. Like 93 and 97, it opens with "The Lord reigns," and it emphasizes that Jehovah is exalted above all the nations (v. 2) and not just Israel. The psalmist describes the throne of the Lord and encourages the people to exalt the Lord as they worship Him (vv. 5, 9).
An Awesome Throne (vv. 1–3) Jehovah sits upon the throne in heaven (9:11; 110:2; 146:10), but in the psalmist's day, He was also enthroned on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies of the sanctuary on Mount Zion (see 80:1; 1 Sam. 4:4; 2 Sam. 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15 [Isa. 37:16]; 1 Chron. 13:6). It was there that God's glory rested, and from there God spoke to Moses and ruled the nation of Israel (Num. 7:89). God chose the Jews to be His vehicle for telling the Gentile nations about the true and living
Often Moses, Aaron, and Samuel had to intercede for the disobedient people of Israel, and the Lord heard them and answered (Ex. 17:1; 32—33; Num. 14:11–38; 16:48; 1 Sam. 7, 12). God named Moses
Psalm 99—100
24:15–24). Worship leads to service, and true service is worship. If we sing in the Spirit and with understanding, our songs are received in heaven as sacrifices to the Lord (Heb. 13:15).
and Samuel as great men of prayer (Jer. 15:1). God's gracious ministry to His old covenant people is still available to His new covenant family: He speaks to us from His Word (Ex. 33:9; Num. 12:5–6; 1 Sam. 3:3), hears our prayers and answers, disciplines us when we sin, and forgives us when we confess (1 John 1:9). How many times the Lord forgave Israel and gave them another opportunity to serve Him (103:13–18)! The throne and the altar were not far apart in the sanctuary (see Isa. 6:1–7).
Submissive (v. 3) The verb "know" means "to know by experience." It also carries the meaning of "acknowledge." What we have experienced in our hearts we openly confess to others and bear witness of our glorious God. (See 1 Kings 18:39.) The phrase "made us" means much more than "He created us," for He also created the nations that do not know Him. It means "Jehovah constituted us as a nation, His chosen people." (See 95:6–7; 149:2; Deut. 32:6, 15; Isa. 29:23; 60:21.) The phrase "not we ourselves" can also be translated "and we are his." This connects with the next statement, "We are his people …" (see Isa. 43:1). The image of God's people as a flock of sheep is frequently found in Scripture (74:1; 77:20; 78:52; 79:13; 80:1; 95:7; Gen. 48:15; 49:24; Num. 27:17; Isa. 40:11; John 10; 21:16–17; Heb. 13:20–21; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:1–4). This verse is a simple statement of faith: Jehovah is God, Creator, Redeemer, and Shepherd, and we are submitted to Him. If the sheep do not submit to their shepherd, they will stray into danger.
How should we respond to this kind of a God who sits on this kind of a throne? We must worship Him (vv. 5, 9), praise and exalt Him (vv. 3, 5, 9), and remember that He is holy (vv. 3, 5, 9). We must pray to Him and seek to glorify His name by our obedience and service. The next psalm describes all of this and climaxes the "royal psalm" series.