Weekly Devotional 14th of June, 2024
by Bruce Billington
Weekly Devotional 14th of June, 2024
We are continuing to explore the knowledge of God as expressed in the Psalms. This week we continue to look at Psalm 97.
Psalm 97:6-8 – “The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory. Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images, Who boast themselves of idols; Worship Him, all you gods. Zion heard this and was glad, And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced, because of Your judgments, O LORD.”
We can easily ask what verse 6 means in saying that all the people have seen His glory. Paul explains this well in Romans Chapter 1 when he says,
Romans 1:18-20 – “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
Paul is rightly claiming that the glory of God is all over creation and is there to be seen by everyone. It is a witness to His great and wondrous works. Although many will not acknowledge it, it is a revelation of his greatness, his wisdom, and his power.
Verse 7 – the Psalmist here follows on (as does Paul in Romans 1) to address those who trust in worthless idols (V7). The warning is serious. Those who serve and boast in idols will be confounded or shamed. Idol worshippers will sink in disgrace on that day when their gods are proven to be nothing but lifeless objects and the satanically inspired creations of human imagination.
As if the pagans’ false gods had life and were capable of doing so, the psalmist commanded them to bow down and worship the Lord. Some commentators feel that gods refer to demons, as they are the powers behind idol worship.
However, Commentator J. J. Stewart Perowne sees a reference to the Philistine idol Dagon falling down before the ark of God (1 Samuel 5:1–5). He says,
“As all the worshipers are confounded, so must all the objects of their worship be overthrown … all must yield before Him who is the Lord of the whole earth.”
Indeed, every being in every dimension will one day bow down and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 3:9–11).
Verse 8 – When Zion hears that God has appeared, and all the world and all the powers bow down to Him, she rejoices; for it is her God whose kingship has come to be acknowledged. And all the daughter churches of the Jewish land exalt together with the mother church over the salvation which dawns through judgments. As the women of Judah went forth to meet David in the dance, singing his victory over the Philistines, so shall they chant the triumphs of David’s son and Lord.
Sinners tremble, but saints rejoice at God’s holiness. Although God hates sin, He freely loves the repentant sinner who believes in Christ. At the return of Christ, He will make a final separation between the person He loves and the sin He hates and will sanctify His people wholly, body, soul, and spirit.
God bless you.
Bruce Billington