The Heavens Proclaim His Righteousness

[Christsfreeservant]

“The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;​

let the many coastlands be glad!​

Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;​

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.”​

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“The heavens proclaim his righteousness,​

and all the peoples see his glory.​

All worshipers of images are put to shame,​

who make their boast in worthless idols;​

worship him, all you gods!” (Psalms 97:1-2,6-7 ESV)​

Who is the Lord? He is our God, the one and only true God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – three distinct persons and/or personalities in one God. He is also our creator God who made the earth and all that has life in it on the earth. He always existed and he will always exist, which is difficult for our human minds to comprehend. And he is fully supreme and sovereign and in control and in power and authority over all that he has made. And no one and nothing can thwart his purposes or overcome him.

And righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. And what is righteousness? It is all that God deems right, that he approves. And so it is honesty, integrity, moral purity, faithfulness, uprightness, kindness, love, repentance, compassion, and obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in practice. And what is justice? It is fairness, righteousness, honesty, integrity and judgment which separates good from evil, and right from wrong, and which makes just and righteous decisions regarding right and wrong.

In Romans 1:18-23 we read these words (ESV):

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”​

So, this parallels what we just read in Psalms 97 with regard to the sovereignty of God, and his righteousness, and his judgments, and with regard to the heavens proclaiming his righteousness so that all the people see his glory. So God is not hidden from the people of the world. We can all see him and his attributes via his created works. And this also parallels what Psalms 97 talks about on the subject of idols and idolatry, as well. For even though the knowledge of God is not hidden from humanity, many people go after the gods of this world to worship them instead of the only true GOD.

And the sad reality is that it is many who profess faith in Jesus Christ who are worshipers of idols and false gods in place of true worship of the God of the universe who made all created things. For an idol or a false god is not just a physical statue of someone given the name of a false god. But it is anything that we give our loyalties, devotion, time, affections, passion, and worship to above and/or in place of true worship of our creator God. And true worship of God is in surrendering our lives to him fully. And it is a refusal to be conformed to the ways of this sinful world (Romans 12:1-2).

Therefore, because our God is righteous, and he is just, and he judges all human beings according to his righteousness and justice, and because he made us and he is sovereign over all that he has made, and thus he sets down the rules that we are to follow, and because God has made himself known to us, so that we are all without excuse if we choose sin and idolatry over him, we are being called upon here to give our worship only to God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and to no other gods. And so we are also being called upon to live righteously and no longer in sin and in idolatry.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

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