Psalm 97

From: Short Meditations on the Psalms: Chiefly in Their Prophectic Character By: John Gifford Bellett

Psalm 97 • 1 min. read • grade level: 7

This Psalm is another exercise of the heart of the Remnant anticipating the kingdom. It is as though they were even now bringing the First-begotten into the world the second time, or in His glory; not in His sufferings as at His first coming; and joyously they rehearse, in spirit, His discomfiture of all His foes.

But here again, as in Psalm 95:7-11⁷For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, ⁸Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: ⁹When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. ¹⁰Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: ¹¹Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. (Psalm 95:7‑11), the Lord by His Prophet breaks in on all this joy with words of admonition (Psa. 97:10-12¹⁰Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. ¹¹Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. ¹²Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. (Psalm 97:10‑12)). He tells them that for the righteous all this light and glory is prepared; and warns them therefore to hate evil, and to cultivate tempers worthy of the coming kingdom.

Fire is to be the instrument of the divine judgments in this expected day of the Lord. The battle of the Lord is to be with burning and fuel of fire. (Isa. 9.) The throne of the Ancient of days is like the fiery flame, and a fiery stream comes forth before Him in the day of this judgment. (Dan. 7.) So in the vision of John, the Temple was filled with smoke, as the God of glory and power was preparing the vials of wrath (Rev. 15).

But Zion rejoices (Psa. 97:8⁸Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O Lord. (Psalm 97:8)). There will be tabrets and harps for the righteous then (Isa. 30:32³²And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it. (Isaiah 30:32)). For though light and gladness are only then sown for them, and not as yet reaped by them, still they can sing, as we observed already—anticipations are so sure; for “faith is the substance of things hoped for.”

Click here to show subject links in the text for more information.