Psalm 99.
This Psalm is a further development of the millennium theme: The Lord (Jehovah) reigns.
“The peoples” (verses 1 and 2) refers, not to Israel, but to the Gentile nations who will be blessed and brought into divine favor through Israel. So, “He sitteth between (or dwells above) the cherubim,” once the place of God’s dwelling in the midst of Israel (Numbers 7:8989And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him. (Numbers 7:89); 1 Samuel 4:44So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. (1 Samuel 4:4); 2 Samuel 6:22And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. (2 Samuel 6:2); 2 Kings 19:1515And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. (2 Kings 19:15); 1 Chronicles 13:66And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the Lord, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it. (1 Chronicles 13:6); Isaiah 37:1616O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth. (Isaiah 37:16); Psalm 80) points to the place that He will then have taken as the Judge or Governor of the nations, as well as of Israel.
Cherubim (verse 1) are always seen in Scripture in connection with God’s ways in government. When man had lost that original state of innocencecy, and as a sinner was driven out of the garden of Eden, they were set to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:2424So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24)). In symbolic figures they were in the tabernacle, over the ark of the covenant, shadowing the mercy seat (Exodus 25 and 37; Hebrews 9:55And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. (Hebrews 9:5)); afterward in Solomon’s temple the figures of two cherubim were in the holiest (2 Chronicles 3 and 5; 1 Kings 6 and 8).
Seraphim are seen in Isaiah 6; and the living creatures (mistakenly called “beasts”) in Revelation 4 and 5 combine the characters of cherubim and seraphim. The seraphim give the thought of the consuming holiness of God.
“And the strength of the King that loveth justice” (verse 4)—The King is the Messiah, but also the LORD (Jehovah); He it is that will bring equity and establish judgment and righteousness in Jacob, who for a long time has been far from God in heart and way.
The Holy Spirit here turns back to those faithful men of old, Moses and Aaron and Samuel; they had called to Jehovah in the days of their pilgrimage, and He had answered them; they kept His testimonies. And He was a forgiving God to them, though He never forgot His government in dealing with them; He “took vengeance of their inventions,” or doing.
This will be His way in the time to which these. Psalms refer, yet it has always been His way: grace to all who will receive it, and government as holy and true as He is. The Israel that will be, is thus linked with the Israel of early days.
It will be noticed that the holiness of the Divine Person who reigns is emphasized in this Psalm, as His faithfulness was in the 98th, and His righteousness in the 97th.
ML 07/26/1931