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Psalm 97 | King James Audio Bible
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Psalm 97 commences with a declarative burst: ‘The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.’ The proclamation sets the tone for universal celebration, urging the earth and its distant isles to exult in response to the Lord’s sovereign rule. The very essence of the psalm lies in the rejoicing prompted by recognition of the Lord’s reign—a theme that resonates through each verse.
Verse two introduces striking imagery of God’s presence: ‘Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.’ Here, the psalmist envisions God seated on a throne enveloped in clouds and darkness, emphasizing the mysterious and awe-inspiring nature of the divine presence. Within this celestial dwelling, righteousness and judgment reign supreme, forming the bedrock of God’s eternal authority.
The psalm takes a dramatic turn in verse three: ‘A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.’ Imagery of a consuming fire preceding God vividly portrays God’s formidable power and the swift destruction of adversaries. This portrayal of divine justice aligns with an overarching theme of righteousness and judgment as inherent attributes of God’s reign.
Verse four intensifies this cosmic drama: ‘His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.’ This manifestation of God’s power is likened to lightning illuminating the world, causing earth itself to quiver in awe. Such awe-inspiring display of God’s might is not only a source of illumination but a catalyst for reverential fear.
Such imagery unfolds in verse five: ‘The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.’ This portrayal of melting hills underscores profound impact of God’s presence, emphasizing God’s dominion over the entire earth. This visual metaphor captures the transformative power inherent in the divine encounter.
Celestial elements become witnesses to God’s righteousness in verse six: ‘The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.’ Here, the psalmist elevates the heavens as cosmic heralds, proclaiming righteousness of God. The visibility of God’s glory becomes a testament accessible to all people, transcending geographical and cultural boundaries.
The psalm declares primacy of God: ‘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.’ In these verses, the psalmist condemns worship of idols and challenges the false gods. Zion, representing the chosen people, rejoices in the divine judgments, aligning allegiance with the righteous rule of God.
Verse nine reiterates supremacy of God: ‘For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.’ The psalmist emphasizes the exalted position of God, surpassing all earthly powers and false gods. This assertion serves as a theological anchor, reinforcing a central theme of divine majesty and sovereign authority.
The psalm is didactic in verse ten: ‘Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.’ The psalmist imparts wisdom, urging those who love God to abhor evil. Promise of divine preservation and deliverance from the hands of the wicked becomes a source of encouragement for the faithful.
Verse eleven expresses a profound metaphor: ‘Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.’ Imagery of light being sown for the righteous encapsulates a concept of divine illumination and joy bestowed upon those who possess upright hearts. This symbolizes inherent connection between righteousness and radiance of divine favour.
Psalm 97 concludes with an exhortation: ‘Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.’ This call to rejoice and give thanks is fitting response to remembrance of God’s holiness. This verse encapsulates the psalm’s overarching theme—a call to joyous celebration in acknowledgment of the God’s reign and holiness.
Psalm 97 | King James Audio Bible KJV | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ
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.
Psalm 97 | King James Audio Bible KJV | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ
- Divine Sovereignty: Psalm 97 exalts in the proclamation of the Lord’s reign, emphasizing His supreme authority over the earth and its inhabitants.
- Majestic Imagery: The psalm employs vivid imagery, including clouds, darkness, fire, lightning, and melting hills, to depict the awe-inspiring nature of the Lord’s presence and power.
- Righteousness And Judgment: Central to the psalm is the theme of righteousness and judgment as foundational aspects of the Lord’s character, shaping His eternal throne.
- Cosmic Witness: The heavens and celestial elements serve as witnesses, declaring the righteousness of the Lord to all people and transcending geographical and cultural boundaries.
- Condemnation Of Idolatry: The psalm condemns the worship of idols and challenges false gods, advocating worship exclusively for the Lord.
- Rejoicing In Divine Judgments: Zion and the daughters of Judah rejoice in the divine judgments, aligning themselves with the righteous rule of the Lord.
- Supremacy Of The Lord: The psalm emphasizes the Lord’s exalted position above all the earth and far beyond all gods, reinforcing His sovereign authority.
- Instruction For The Faithful: Wisdom is imparted to those who love the Lord, urging them to hate evil. The promise of divine preservation and deliverance is offered as encouragement.
- Metaphor Of Light: The metaphor of light sown for the righteous symbolizes divine illumination and joy, emphasizing the connection between righteousness and divine favour.
- Exhortation To Rejoice: The psalm concludes with an exhortation for the righteous to rejoice in the Lord and give thanks, emphasizing the celebration of His reign and holiness.
Sometimes, when I read my Bible, I pause in the reading and say to myself: ‘This bit’s real.’ It would be fair to say, I have issues with Mary, because, contrary to what we are taught to say, Mary isn’t my mother. Rather: Mum is. One bit of the Bible-text says this: And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, “He is beside himself.” … And his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Mark 3: 21; 31-35.) Here she comes. She is in considerable distress. I can imagine that. I can relate to that. To save her boy from whatever he’s got himself into this time. And you’re not telling me there isn’t something inside that. Her boy is beside himself. Radical. Radicalized. Radicalizing. A misunderstood word. /ˈradɪk(ə)l/ adjective & noun. 1 Forming the root, basis, or foundation; original, primary. 2a Inherent in the nature of a thing or person; fundamental. b Of action, change, an idea: going to the root or origin; far-reaching, thorough. c Advocating thorough or far-reaching change. d Characterized by departure from tradition; progressive; unorthodox. ‘He has a demon! And he is mad!’ – thus ‘the Jews’. (e.g. John 10: 20.) Come home! It’s all she wants. His family want him back now. But it is an exclusive cult: there is an inside and there is an outside; and on the outside, they are not meant to understand, lest they be converted. He has defined himself as different from anything she was. Only at the end does Jesus say to his Mum – and with savage, bitter irony: ‘Woman, behold your son.’ And then he dies. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. We ask that we might find Mary in our hearts as a Yes! place for Jesus. It is also recommended that we pray to Jesus that we may be further in oneness with Mary. It is self-emptying, such that we only exist insofar as we are responsive to God’s Word. * Last term, and put-out to pasture, the old Archbishop Emeritus came over to stay for a few days and did the odd class with us. He spoke of Yes! as the meaning of Mary’s virginity. And we were not very nice about him. One or two took umbrage. One or two got the hump. In a sense, his Grace, the Arch, basically wanted to move anyone he’d ever known from a high-place – a mountain – received theological ‘truth’ – to an imminent, human plane. Earthing the spiritual. Recalibrating metrics of life’s believability toward a spiritual sense of things. He might have asked the impermissible question: what happened? His Grace described it. God’s love as a cloud. This descended upon Mary – and subsumed her. Within the cloud, Mary capitulated utterly. She became only and purely a response to God’s love. As he spoke, the Arch cradled her. He carried her in his lap – in his hands. His Grace was a consecrated bishop. He was faith. He sat squat, a rounded man, hands cupped and ankles crossed, fingers interlocked, with parted thighs. Rumpled, washed, speckled. A lifetime’s skin… There could be no doubt His Grace spoke through long-term personal relationship with Mary. It was Julian went for him: ‘So are you saying Mary was a Virgin? Or are you not saying Mary was a Virgin?’ Nasty. No, it wasn’t pretty. Julian twisting his silver ring. For a moment, what Julian had said to the Arch simply failed to communicate. No, for a moment, that dumped on the air meant nothing. Then His Grace said: ‘There is a range of possible meanings we may understand in the question of Mary’s virginity. For example, there are understandings of the word virginity entailed in the action of giving birth.’ Julian said: ‘Duh! So had she had sex or hadn’t she?’ Trigger words. No, it wasn’t pretty. On that went for a little while. At length, Julian’s point seemed reluctantly conceded. Then the Arch told us a new story, an additionally human event, the more to baffle us. Controversially, he told us that Mary could not have been Joseph’s first wife, for this would not have been the way of things in the society of that time. His belief was that Joseph must have taken Mary into his household through pity. That would be normal, he said, for Joseph to bring a young, vulnerable girl, who is about to have a baby, within his protection, not meaning to enjoy with her marital relations, but through kindness. ‘And this story of the inn and stable,’ the Archbishop said, ‘it can’t have been like that really. Joseph has travelled with Mary to stay with his family, at home in Bethlehem, and they don’t want Mary in their house, for reasons which I am sure we can understand. It must have been there was considerable resistance to Mary. But Mary gives birth, and who can resist a baby? That’s what happened. It must have been. ‘I’m convinced that must have been how it happened really.’ Later that term, toward the beginning of Advent, we met boys who had been here before, in Valladolid, and now were in regular seminary. They had heard and recited verbatim all the Archbishop had said to them. Their spot-on impressions of each of the fathers were scathing. […]
In this reading from the Longer Rules for Monks, Saint Basil the Great reflects on the origin of love for God and its place in the moral life. Basil’s starting point is significant: love of God is not presented as something imposed from outside or learned through instruction alone. Instead, Basil argues that the capacity to love God is already present within human nature [ … ]
Today’s Gospel verses invite us once more to consider the true identity of Jesus. This scene is filled both with a sense of preconceptions and expectations, and with the over-riding knowledge of the new, which is the truth of Jesus. Additionally, we are asked by Jesus to declare the truth of our knowledge of who Jesus is. We are invited by Jesus to confess our Christian faith [ … ]
