A manual of the book of Psalms · Martin Luther
PSALM XCVII.
_The majesty of God’s kingdom.—The church rejoiceth at God’s judgments upon idolaters.—An exhortation to godliness and gladness._ The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad _thereof_. Clouds and darkness _are_ round about him: righteousness and judgment _are_ the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the LORD of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all _ye_ gods. Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced, because of thy judgments, O LORD. For thou, LORD, _art_ high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
This also, like the preceding, is a prophecy concerning Christ and his kingdom; and the sum of it is to proclaim, that Christ establishes and strengthens his spiritual kingdom by the gospel; wherein he preaches repentance, and whereby his lightnings and thunders terrify the whole world, and cause the mountains to melt like wax before the fire of his face: that is, by the gospel he condemns, casts down, and humbles all human righteousness, human wisdom, and human patience, throughout the world, and brings down every thing that is high and lifted up; as Isaiah saith, chapter 3, “And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.” For Christ alone is our “righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption,” and that by the counsel of God, as it is written, “There is no other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved, but Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Together also with these enemies of the gospel and these mountains of the world, the ceremonial kingdom of the Jews perisheth, and all the outward worship of the law, and, indeed, every thing that is not in Christ. For he (as the apostle Paul saith, Col. i.) “in all things hath the pre-eminence.” And again, “For there is one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus.” And so also, in Daniel, The stone cut out of the mountain filled the world, and broke in pieces all other kingdoms.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.