Verse Seventeen & Eighteen: Psalm 97:1 & 8

Psa 97:1

The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice! Let the farthest coastlands be glad. 

Psa 97:8

Jerusalem has heard and rejoiced, and all the towns of Judah are glad because of your justice, O LORD! 

17 and 18 of 44 of H1523

Well what do you know! Psalm 97 is very much a continuation of what we saw in Psalm 96.  Again, we have the combination of the earth and nature rejoicing and fearing the Lord as well as the proclamation that the lesser gods and idols have nothing on Him. 

Verse 7, "Those who worship idols are disgraced— all who brag about their worthless gods— for every god must bow to him."

Verse 9, "For you, O LORD, are supreme over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods." 

It's a good argument, really. Why bow to something like an idol rather than God when it's bowing to God? Even if you believe this thing to be greater than you, it seems we have a choice of giving our worship to one entity. Why put it on the lesser? 

In my little United States day to day life I don't really know anyone who worships idols like they did in those days. But the concepts of fear and worship go hand in hand. They both set something up higher than you. What you fear, you are also worshiping. And the word "fear" doesn't always mean terror, it is synonymous with revere as well. In our life we have idols, things we put our fear to, things we believe are too big for us. We expend anxiety and worry on these things, we fret about them and think more about them than Truth. Truth like: For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Phil 4:13). 

So much of what God's word has for us is for our betterment. I have heard it referred to as a rule book all my life. So many people believe this! But it's more like advice, the best advice you could ever get, and who would go against advice like that? When God commanded us not to put any other god before Him, do you think it was really just because He doesn't like competition? I have the feeling it's more likely that He knows how easily we put other things before Him and His truth. We completely forget that we "can do everything through Christ" and focus on the things we are afraid of. 

The earth can see how glorious God is. It does not war with Him as it does with the other mythological gods. Its a testimony of simple faith and seeing the truth all around us.