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Commentary on Psalms 97 verses 1–7
What was to be said among the heathen in the foregoing psalm (Psa 97:10) is here said again (Psa 97:1) and is made the subject of this psalm, and of psalm 99. The Lord reigns; that is the great truth here laid down. The Lord Jehovah reigns, he that made the world governs it; he that gave being gives motion and power, gives law and commission, gives success and event. Every man's judgment proceeds from the Lord, from his counsel and providence, and in all affairs, both public and private, he performs the thing which he himself has appointed. The Lord Jesus reigns; the providential kingdom is twisted in with the mediatorial and the administration of both is in the hand of Christ, who therefore is both the head of the church and head over all things to the church. The kingdom of Christ is so constituted that,
I. It may be matter of joy to all; and it will be so if it be not their own fault. Let the earth rejoice, for hereby it is established (Psa 96:10); it is honoured and enriched, and, in part, rescued from the vanity which by sin it is made subject to. Not only let the people of Israel rejoice in him as King of the Jews, and the daughter of Zion as her King, but let all the earth rejoice in his elevation; for the kingdoms of the world shall, more or less, sooner or later, become his kingdoms: Let the multitude of isles, the many or great isles, be glad thereof. This is applicable to our country, which is a great isle, and has many belonging to it; at least, it speaks comfort in general to the Gentiles, whose countries are called the isles of the Gentiles, Gen 10:5. There is enough in Christ for the multitude of the isles to rejoice in; for, though many have been made happy in him, yet still there is room. All have reason to rejoice in Christ's government. 1. In the equity of it. There is an incontestable justice in all the acts of his government, both legislative and judicial. Sometimes indeed clouds and darkness are round about him; his dispensations are altogether unaccountable; his way is in the sea and his path in the great waters. We are not aware of what he designs, what he drives at; nor is it fit that we should be let into the secrets of his government. There is a depth in his counsels, which we must not pretend to fathom. But still righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne; a golden thread of justice runs through the whole web of his administration. In this he resides, for it is his habitation. In this he rules, for it is the habitation of his throne. His commandments are, and will be, all righteous. Righteousness and judgment are the basis of his throne (so Dr. Hammond); for therefore his throne is for ever and ever, because his sceptre is a right sceptre, Psa 45:6. The throne is established in righteousness. Even the heavens declare his righteousness (Psa 97:6); it is as conspicuous and as illustrious as the heavens themselves. The angels of heaven will declare it, who are employed as messengers in the administration of his government and therefore know more of it than any of his creatures. His righteousness is incontestable; for who can contradict or dispute what the heavens declare? Psa 50:6. 2. In the extent of it in the upper and lower world. (1.) All the men on earth are under his government; either he is served by them or he serves himself by them. All the people see his glory, or may see it. The glory of God, in the face of Christ, was made to shine in distant countries, among many people, more or less among all people; the gospel was preached, for aught we know, in all languages, Act 2:5, Act 2:11. Miracles were wrought in all nations, and so all the people saw his glory. Have they not heard? Rom 10:18. (2.) All the angels in heaven are so. Perhaps we should not have found this truth in those words (Psa 97:7), Worship him, all you gods, if we had not been directed to it by the inspired apostle, who, from the Septuagint version of those words, makes the Messiah to be introduced into the upper world at the ascension with this charge (Heb 1:6), Let all the angels of God worship him, which helps us to a key to this whole psalm, and shows us that it must be applied to the exalted Redeemer, who has gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God, which intimates that all power is given him both in heaven and earth, angels, authorities, and powers, being made subject unto him, Pe1 3:22. This speaks the honour of Christ, that he has such worshippers, and the honour of all good Christians, that they have such fellow-worshippers.
II. Christ's government, though it may be matter of joy to all, will yet be matter of terror to some, and it is their own fault that it is so, Psa 97:3-5, Psa 97:7. Observe,
1.When the kingdom of Christ was to be set up in the world, after his ascension, it would meet with many enemies, and much opposition would be given to it. He that reigns, to the joy of the whole earth, yet, as he has his subjects, so he has his enemies (Psa 97:3), that not only will not have him to reign over them, but would not have him to reign at all, that not only will not enter into the kingdom of heaven themselves, but do all they can to hinder those that are entering, Mat 23:13. This was fulfilled in the enmity of the unbelieving Jews to the gospel of Christ, and the violent persecution which in all places they stirred up against the preachers and professors of it. These enemies are here called hills (Psa 97:5), for their height, and strength, and immovable obstinacy. It was the princes of this world that crucified the Lord of glory, Co1 2:8; Psa 2:2.
2.The opposition which the Jews gave to the setting up of Christ's kingdom turned to their own ruin. Their persecuting the apostles, and forbidding them to speak to the Gentiles, filled up their sin, and brought wrath upon them to the uttermost, Th1 2:15, Th1 2:16. That wrath is here compared, (1.) To consuming fire, which goes before him, and burns up his enemies, that have made themselves like chaff and stubble, and have set the briers and thorns before him in battle, Isa 27:4. This fire of divine wrath will not only burn the rubbish upon the hills, but will even melt the hills themselves like wax, Psa 97:5. When our God appears as a consuming fire even rocks will be wax before him. The most resolute and daring opposition will be baffled at the presence of the Lord. His very presence is enough to shame and sink it, for he is the Lord of the whole earth, by whom all the children of men are manageable and to whom they are accountable. Men hate and persecute God's people, because they think him absent, that the Lord has forsaken the earth; but, when he manifests his presence, they melt. (2.) To amazing lightnings (Psa 97:4), which strike a terror upon many. The judgments God brought upon the enemies of Christ's kingdom were such as all the world took notice of with terror: The earth saw and trembled, and the ears of all that heard were made to tingle. This was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation by the Romans, about forty years after Christ's resurrection, which, like fire, wholly destroyed that people, and, like lightning, astonished all their neighbours (Deu 29:24); but the heavens declare God's righteousness in it, and all the people, to this day, see his glory, in those lasting monuments of his justice, the scattered Jews.
3.Idolaters also would be put to confusion by the setting up of Christ's kingdom (v. 7): Confounded be all those who serve graven images, the Gentile world, who did service to those that by nature are no gods (Gal 4:8), who boasted themselves of idols as their protectors and benefactors. Did those that served idols boast of them, and shall the servants of the living God distrust him, or be ashamed of him? Let those be ashamed that serve graven images. (1.) This is a prayer for the conversion of the Gentiles, that those who have been so long serving dumb idols may be convinced of their error, ashamed of their folly, and may, by the power of Christ's gospel, be brought to serve the only living and true God, and may be as much ashamed of their idols as ever they were proud of them. See Isa 2:20, Isa 2:21. (2.) This is a prophecy of the ruin of those that would not be reformed and reclaimed from their idolatry; they shall be confounded by the destruction of Paganism in the Roman empire, which was fulfilled about 300 years after Christ, so much to the terror of idolaters that some think it was the revolution under Constantine that made even the mighty men say to the rocks, Fall on us and hide us, Rev 6:15, Rev 6:16. This prayer and prophecy are still in force against antichristian idolaters, who may here read their doom: Confounded be all those that worship graven images, Psa 97:7. See Jer 48:13.
"The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord" [Psalm 97:5]. Who are the hills? The proud. Every high thing raising itself against God, at the deeds of Christ and of the Christians, trembled, yielded, and when I say, what has been already said, "melted," a better word cannot be found. "The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord." Where is the elevation of powers? Where the hardness of the unbelieving? The Lord was a fire unto them, they melted at His presence like wax; so long hard, until that fire was applied. Every height has been levelled; it dares not now blaspheme Christ: and though the Pagan believes not in Him, he blasphemes Him not; though not as yet become a living stone, yet the hard hill has been subdued. "At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth:" not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles also, as the Apostle says; for He is not the God of the Jews alone, but of the Gentiles also. [Romans 3:29] He is therefore the Lord of the whole earth, the Lord Jesus Christ born in Judæa, but not born for Judæa alone, because before He was born He created all men; and He who created, also new created, all men.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 97:5 vividly portrays the overwhelming power and universal sovereignty of God, depicting even the most stable elements of creation—the hills—dissolving like wax in His manifest presence. This dramatic imagery serves to underscore the absolute dominion of the LORD, who is declared as the "Lord of the whole earth," before whom all creation stands in awe and submission. The verse is a powerful declaration of God's unmatched majesty and ultimate authority over all things, both natural and spiritual.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 97:5 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of divine majesty and overwhelming power. The most prominent is Simile, vividly evident in the phrase "melted like wax," which compares the dissolution of mighty hills to the effortless melting of a soft substance. This comparison effectively communicates the ease and completeness with which God's presence overwhelms even the most solid elements of creation. Hyperbole is also at play, as the literal melting of hills is an exaggeration used to emphasize the immense, unimaginable power of God. This dramatic overstatement serves to evoke profound awe and wonder, highlighting God's transcendence. Furthermore, Repetition of the phrase "at the presence of" ("at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth") serves to emphasize the direct cause of the cosmic reaction and to underscore the profound and inescapable impact of God's manifest being. Underlying these devices is the broader concept of Theophany, the visible manifestation of God, which is the central theme of Psalm 97 and provides the dramatic context for this verse's powerful imagery.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 97:5 is a profound theological statement on the absolute sovereignty and transcendent power of God. It asserts that the Creator is utterly distinct from and superior to His creation, capable of effortlessly reshaping or dissolving even its most enduring features. This imagery challenges any notion of creation having an independent, ultimate power and instead points to a God who holds all things in His hand. The "melting" signifies not destruction for its own sake, but the complete submission of all things to the divine will and presence. Theologically, this verse reinforces the concept of God's holiness and otherness, before whom no created thing can stand unbowed. It also lays a foundation for understanding divine judgment, where the very elements of creation respond to God's righteous wrath or glorious manifestation, demonstrating that His dominion is absolute and inescapable.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a world that often feels chaotic, unpredictable, or dominated by seemingly insurmountable forces, Psalms 97:5 offers a profound anchor for the soul. The imagery of the mighty hills dissolving like wax before the Lord's presence serves as a powerful reminder that there is no power, no problem, and no opposition that can ultimately withstand the sovereign will of God. This truth should evoke both deep reverence and immense comfort. It calls us to relinquish our anxieties and trust in the One who holds all creation in His hands. If the physical earth trembles and yields to His presence, how much more should our hearts and lives be submitted to Him? This verse encourages us to cultivate a profound sense of awe for God's majesty, to worship Him not just for His goodness but for His raw, uncontainable power, and to find confidence in His ability to bring about His purposes, even when circumstances seem overwhelming. It reminds us that our ultimate security lies not in the stability of earthly structures or human institutions, but in the unchanging, all-powerful presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does the psalm use such dramatic imagery as "hills melted like wax"?
Answer: The dramatic imagery of "hills melted like wax" is a powerful literary device, primarily hyperbole and simile, used to convey the overwhelming and incomparable power of God. Hills, often seen as symbols of permanence, stability, and strength in ancient cultures, are depicted as utterly dissolving and losing their form before God's manifest presence. This vividly illustrates that no created thing, however mighty or enduring, can withstand or resist the Lord's power. It's meant to evoke a profound sense of awe and reverence, emphasizing God's absolute sovereignty over all creation and His ability to effortlessly reshape or dissolve anything in His path. This imagery is consistent with other biblical descriptions of God's theophanic appearances, where nature responds dramatically to His presence, as seen in Exodus 19:18 and Micah 1:4.
What is the significance of calling God "Lord of the whole earth" in this context?
Answer: The title "Lord of the whole earth" (Hebrew: אֲדוֹן כָּל־הָאָרֶץ, ʾăḏôn kāl-hāʾāreṣ) is profoundly significant because it declares God's universal and undisputed authority, transcending any localized or nationalistic understanding of deity. In a polytheistic ancient world where many gods were associated with specific regions or peoples, this title unequivocally asserts that the God of Israel is the sovereign ruler over all nations, all lands, and the entire cosmos. Coupled with the imagery of melting hills, it reinforces that His power is not confined to one place but extends globally, affecting every part of creation. This universal dominion means that His judgments, His righteousness, and His ultimate reign encompass all humanity and the entire physical world, as celebrated in psalms like Psalms 24:1.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 97:5, with its majestic portrayal of God's overwhelming power and universal dominion, finds its ultimate fulfillment and clearest manifestation in the person of Jesus Christ. The very "presence of the LORD" before whom the hills melt is fully embodied in Christ, who is the "radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature" Hebrews 1:3. The power that causes creation to yield is seen in Jesus, through whom "all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible... all things were created through him and for him" Colossians 1:16. He is not merely a representative but the very "Lord of the whole earth" in human flesh, demonstrating His authority over creation by calming storms Mark 4:39 and walking on water Matthew 14:25. Ultimately, the universal sovereignty declared in Psalms 97:5 culminates in Christ's exaltation, where "every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" Philippians 2:10-11. The final vision of Christ's return, where "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him" Revelation 1:7, echoes the cosmic response to the divine presence, confirming that the power before which the hills melt is fully realized in the King of kings and Lord of lords.