Psalm 99 ~ The Lord reigns

CBS News and others announce Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar said ancient fortifications recently excavated in Jerusalem date back 3,000 years, to the time of King Solomon, supporting the biblical narrative. This finding would be an indication Jerusalem was home to a strong central government having resources and manpower needed to build massive fortifications in the 10th century B.C. That's a key point of dispute among scholars, it matches the Bible's account the Hebrew kings David and Solomon ruled from Jerusalem. ~ CBS Story


Psalm 99

[1] The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!

[2] The LORD is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.

[3] Let them praise thy great and terrible name!
Holy is he!

[4] Mighty King, lover of justice,
thou hast established equity;
thou hast executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.

[5] Extol the LORD our God;
worship at his footstool!
Holy is he!

[6] Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called on his name.
They cried to the LORD, and he answered them.

[7] He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
they kept his testimonies,
and the statutes that he gave them.

[8] O LORD our God, thou didst answer them;
thou wast a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrongdoings.

[9] Extol the LORD our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the LORD our God is holy!

It looked on Good Friday as if God's Son had been killed.
Jesus said this about the Psalms:

Luke 24:44 Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.

Yesterday we talked about how satisfying it would be to hear David tell us of the Psalms he wrote about his life and what life taught him about the nature of God. God Himself wrote through David; Jesus told his disciples many of the Psalms are written for Jesus 10 centuries before Jesus lived on earth. Just as archeology tells us David existed in the Bible, as written, David explained Jesus.


[1] The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!

Matthew 27:51-54

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

[2] The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples.

Matthew 28:5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

[3] Let them praise thy great and terrible name! Holy is he!

Acts 1:3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

[4] Mighty King, lover of justice, thou hast established equity; thou hast executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.

In Jesus Christ, God's salvation is not for only one country, He grafts us into His Family:

Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

[5] Extol the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!

John 20:28,29
Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

[6] Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called on his name. They cried to the LORD, and he answered them.

Matthew 14:27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

[7] He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept his testimonies, and the statutes that he gave them.

Luke 24:36-48 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

[8] O LORD our God, thou didst answer them; thou wast a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings.


John 21:14-19
This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love (agape) me more than these?" [Agape - Godly, encompassing love] "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love (philo) you." [Philo- brotherly love] Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you love (agape) me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love (philo) you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love (agape) me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love (agape) you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

[9] Extol the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!

Acts 3:11-21 ¹¹ While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. ¹² When Peter saw this, he said to them: "People of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.

You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. ¹⁴ You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. ¹⁵ You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. ¹⁶ By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

¹⁷ "Now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. ¹⁸ But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. ¹⁹ Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ²⁰ and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. ²¹ Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

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