Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred fifty of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

The Title of Today’s Wisdom-Trek is: The Holy King Enthroned – Trembling Before the Trisagion <0.5#>

Today, we reach the summit of the Royal Psalms as we explore Psalm Ninety-nine, covering the entire hymn, verses one through nine, in the New Living Translation.

In our previous trek through Psalm Ninety-eight, we joined the global victory parade.   We saw the sea shouting, the rivers clapping, and the hills singing for joy because the Divine Warrior had won the battle for the cosmos.   It was a psalm of unbridled exuberance and noise.

Psalm Ninety-nine shifts the atmosphere from joyful noise to trembling awe.   While the previous psalms focused on God’s power and His reign, this psalm focuses intensely on His Holiness.   In fact, this psalm is structured around a threefold declaration—a Trisagion—that announces, "He is holy!" at the end of each stanza.

It reminds us that the King we celebrate is not just powerful; He is Other.   He is transcendent.   He is separated from all corruption and chaos.   And because He is holy, our approach to Him must be marked by reverence.   We move from the cheering crowd to the kneeling priesthood.

So, let us take off our shoes, for we are standing on holy ground.

The Lord is king! Let the nations tremble! He sits on his throne between the cherubim. Let the whole earth shake.  The Lord sits in majesty in Jerusalem, supreme above all the nations.  Let them praise your great and awesome name. Your name is holy!

The psalm begins with the familiar coronation cry: "The Lord is king!"

But notice the reaction commanded this time.   In Psalm Ninety-seven, the earth was told to "rejoice."   In Psalm Ninety-eight, it was told to "shout."   Here, the command is: "Let the nations tremble!" (rāgaz—to quake, shake, or be agitated).   And "Let the whole earth shake."

Why the fear? Because "He sits on his throne between the cherubim."

This is a powerful image that bridges heaven and earth.   In the earthly Temple, the Ark of the Covenant was the footstool of God's throne, flanked by golden cherubim.   But in the Ancient Israelite worldview, this was merely a copy of the true reality in the Divine Council.   Yahweh sits enthroned above the living Cherubim—the terrifying, powerful spiritual guardians of His holiness.   He is the Master of the spiritual realm.

For the "nations"—who have been serving lesser, rebel elohim—the realization that the High King has taken His seat "between the cherubim" is a cause for trembling.   It means their time of autonomy is over.   The True Emperor has returned to the capital.

He is "Supreme" (rām—high, exalted).   This asserts His absolute superiority over the gods of the nations.   He is not a local deity; He is the High God.

The proper response from the nations is to "praise your great and awesome name."

"Awesome" (nôrâ) means fear-inspiring or terrible.   We often use "awesome" lightly, like "that pizza was awesome."   But biblically, "awesome" describes something so overwhelming it makes you want to hide your face.

And then comes the first refrain: "Your name is holy!"

Holiness (qāḏôš) is the defining attribute of God.   It means He is utterly unique, completely separate from creation, and morally pure.   He is in a class by Himself.   The nations tremble because they are confronted with a Being who is totally unlike their capricious, limited idols.

Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established fairness. You have acted with justice and righteousness throughout Israel.  Exalt the Lord our God! Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!

The second stanza moves from God’s transcendent power to His moral character.   "Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established fairness."

In the ancient world, power and justice were often opposites.   The powerful did what they wanted.   But Yahweh is unique because He is a "lover of justice" (mishpat).   He doesn't just do justice; He loves it.   It is His passion.

"You have established fairness."   The word here is meysharim—equity or straightness.   God has created a moral structure for the universe.   He has set up the rules of the game so that they are fair.

God has a track record.   In His dealings with Jacob (Israel), He has proven that He upholds the law.   He punishes sin and rewards obedience.   He is not arbitrary.   This stability is a massive comfort.   A King with infinite power who was not a lover of justice would be a cosmic tyrant.   But a King who marries Omnipotence with Goodness is worthy of worship.

So the command is given: "Exalt the Lord our God! Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!"

To "exalt" (rûm) means to lift Him up high.   To "bow low" (ḥāwâ) means to prostrate oneself.   Specifically, we are to bow at His "feet" (literally, His "footstool").   In the temple imagery, the Ark of the Covenant was the footstool of God’s throne.   We are invited to come to the very edge of His presence, to the place where His feet touch the earth, and lay ourselves down.

And for the second time, the reason is given: "for he is holy!"   His moral perfection demands our submission.

Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also called on his name. They cried to the Lord for help, and he answered them.  He spoke to Israel from the pillar of cloud, and they followed the laws and decrees he gave them.  O Lord our God, you answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, but you punished them when they went wrong.  Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain in Jerusalem, for the Lord our God is holy!

The final stanza brings this transcendent, just King into relationship with humanity through mediators.   "Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also called on his name."

Why these three men?   Moses, Aaron, and Samuel were the great intercessors of Israel’s history.   They were the men who stood in the breach when God’s holiness was about to consume the people for their sin.   They prove that the Holy God is approachable, provided you approach Him through His appointed representatives and in His appointed way.

This is the miracle of prayer.   The God who sits between the Cherubim, who makes the nations tremble, listens to the cry of a man.   He is not so high that He is deaf.

Communication flows both ways.   God answers prayer, and God speaks His will.   The "pillar of cloud" recalls the wilderness journey, the visible sign of God’s presence and guidance.   The relationship is based on revelation and obedience.   God speaks; we follow.

Then, the psalmist captures the complex, beautiful tension of living with a Holy God: "O Lord our God, you answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, but you punished them when they went wrong."

This is the most profound theological statement in the psalm.   God is a "forgiving God" (El nosé—a God who lifts up or carries away sin).   Yet, He is also an "avenger" (noqēm) of their deeds.

How can He be both?   He forgives the sinner (restoring the relationship), but He punishes the sin (imposing consequences).   Moses was forgiven for striking the rock, but he was still barred from the Promised Land.   David was forgiven for his adultery, but the sword never departed from his house.

God’s holiness means He cannot pretend sin didn't happen.   He must address it.   His justice demands consequences ("punished them when they went wrong").   But His love provides a way for the relationship to continue ("You were a forgiving God").   This balance prevents us from treating grace cheaply or despairing under discipline.   It teaches us to fear Him and to love Him simultaneously.

The psalm concludes with a final, amplified call to worship: "Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain in Jerusalem, for the Lord our God is holy!"

This is the third and final declaration: "For the Lord our God is holy!"

We are called to His "holy mountain."   Worship is an ascent.   It requires effort.   It requires leaving the common plains and climbing up to where God is.

Psalm Ninety-nine leaves us on our knees.

It teaches us that God is the King who makes the earth shake.   He is the Judge who loves equity.   And He is the Person who speaks, listens, forgives, and disciplines.

His holiness is not a barrier to keep us out; it is the very thing that makes Him trustworthy.   If He were not holy, He might be corrupt.   If He were not holy, His forgiveness would be meaningless.

So, as we walk our trek today, let us carry a sense of holy trembling.   Let us rejoice that we have a King who answers when we cry, but let us never forget that He sits between the Cherubim.   Let us worship Him in the beauty of holiness.

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Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.   As we take this Trek of life together, let us always: Live Abundantly.   Love Unconditionally.   Listen Intentionally.   Learn Continuously.   Lend to others Generously.   Lead with Integrity.   Leave a Living Legacy Each Day.

I am Guthrie Chamberlain, reminding you to’ Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ and ‘Create a Great Day…Everyday! See you next time for more daily wisdom!