This ninety-ninth Psalm is dedicated to the Holiness of the Great God of Israel. There are several psalms here in a series, dedicated to that proposition, yet this Psalm more than the others, states in grand style this central truth of the Holiness of God. O. Palmer Robertson divides this Psalm into three sections, "each ending with the assertion that "God is Holy.'"

The first part, verses one to three reveals God seated above His own created order. The footstool of the Ark bounded on two sides by the cherubim symbolizes His presence in the Temple. Certainly, that Ark of the Covenant was hidden from the view of the general population from Solomon's time in the Holy of Holies until it disappeared from history in the first destruction of Jerusalem. It is well, that the ark remained hidden from common view, because the bronze snake, from the wilderness, had to be destroyed because it became a sacred object in and of itself. Unlike the oriental potentates in the Middle East, the God of heaven could not be approached directly, but symbolically through the sacrifices and mediation of the priests in Israel.

One of the great things I learned from the "Son of Heaven" Exhibit in Columbus some years ago, was the fact that the throne room images in the scriptures were similar to the real throne rooms of the great kings and emperors of antiquity. The fourth chapter of Revelation became real to me when I saw the throne room of the Chinese "Son of Heaven" on display. In a large room, the personal space of the ruler on the throne was well defined. Throne rooms would be as large as practical, and in John's heavenly vision, the sea of glass surrounding the throne was awesome in its size.

Here in America, personal space is about two and a half to three feet, in Europe, people will stand about a foot or more closer. Years ago, one of my students was uncomfortable in her closeness, so I asked a female teacher to stand around a corner while I diplomatically as possible explained to the young lady that since I wasn't her grandfather, she needed to give me more space. That should give you only a tiny perspective of what the Holy of Holies and the grand throne room in Revelation symbolize. The absolute perfection of holiness will not be profaned by unholiness. This is why Isaiah and John fall down as if dead even in their visions of the presence of the Lord God Almighty of heaven and earth.

Before the unseen Creator God of all the earth, did the High Priest ascend once a year. The God of Israel and Judah was known by reputation all around the Middle East. Rumors of what He had done to the Power of Pharaoh preceded the people of Israel into Palestine. What the Great and Awesome God had done to the Assyrian Army camped outside of Jerusalem also brought fear and respect. The proud kings of Israel and Judah were eventually brought down because they had less respect for God than did many of their neighbors. Those nations to whom the fact of Israel's God was made known could have but one fearfully temblesome reaction, and even the earth itself could be shaken . This is the result of the revelation of the glory of God Himself, and that glory which is made visible was seated in Zion at the time of this psalm.

Please realize that our psalmist does not call men to bow before an a hidden Majesty, but before a God, who had revealed Himself in actions and thus made a Name for Himself in history. Great and awesome is His glorious Name! This portion is closed by the refrain "He is holy" which should remind us of the content of these verses: the fact that our Lord and God is above and over the created order in which He chooses to reveal Himself.

The next part, verses four and five raise the second fact of holiness. Here the distinction of holiness is made through the fact of God's righteousness and uncompromising justice. Our Psalmist affirms that He who is mighty loves justice and we are promised that He has established equity.

To support this idea we have the example of Jacob for whom the personal acts of judgment and righteousness have been accomplished. Now we know that Jacob was indeed a sinner, just as we are ourselves. Yet, Jacob was judged by God and God's own righteousness was imputed to him through the promised Messiah whom we know as Jesus. While the priests symbolized the greater Mediator Himself, never in the history of Israel was the common man to approach close to the eternal Father.

Only in the new administration of Christ are we encouraged to draw near to the Holy One of Zion. He is indeed our Savior and our Friend as some songs are apt to phrase it, but we still have to remember that He is still not our best Bud who we can go drinking and carousing with!

Years and years ago, I was once asked to preach at my home church while their pastor held communion at a neighboring congregation. Since I was just barely out of my teens another speaker was called in to share the worship with me. My text was Revelation four and the two talks were indeed a contrast. While my opposite was a bosom buddy of King Jesus and had talked with Him on the drive up to church, John's vision of the vast chasm between we and He who sits on the right hand of the throne was the theme of my message.

You know, over the years I have noticed that managers and supervisors who party and visit back and forth with their employees do not have the "majesty" of authority that they might really need to accomplish their tasks. And while our God in heaven does indeed take a personal interest in each one of us - even dying on the cross so that we can enter into our final rest, the reality of the difference and distance between us is a hall mark of the divine revelations. Again in verse five there is the call to worship Jacob's God. The reason, once more is "He is holy!"

In the third part, verses six through nine, we have a list of three servants of the Most High God. Moses, Aaron and Samuel. These three called upon the Name of the Lord regularly for God's own people. The result is seen there in the end of verse six. There is the soul's greatest reward. Here we see that this great and Holy God of Jacob, this magnificent other, this creator of all worlds and stars and wonders, not only hears their prayer but in the words of the Psalmist "he answered them". Not only that, but there was recorded for them and for us what he spoke from the pillar of cloud at Sinai. He not only answered their prayers, he also instructed them with His laws and regulations as revealed in the Scriptures.

God is a God of historical revelation as well as the giver of His own Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts and minds. Like Moses, Aaron, Samuel and the rest, we would do well to keep these statutes and decrees. And yet, as we look at these many regulations, there are some things that we do not appreciate, there are some things that we find difficult, we may even find things that may give us many hours of frustration as we seek to obey His revealed will.

We move on to the closing verses, eight and nine. The persons spoken to here have been given forgiveness and even punishment. We do know that Moses, Aaron and Samuel sinned and were punished even as they received forgiveness and salvation. From this we may draw a general principle stated here by the psalmist.

The great principle, firmly grasped and clearly proclaimed by the singer, is that a holy God is a forgiving God, willing to hear our cry and rich to answer with pardon. Yet God loves us too well to grant immunity to our willful transgressions of His holy law. Forgiveness is something far better than escape from penalties. What ever we have sowed we must reap, even as we are forgiven.

I am reminded of the story of a young man who was in the military who upon his return to base late, knelt down by his bunk and prayed that the young lady whom he had been with that night would not turn up pregnant. The sinners who heard that hypocritical prayer were rightfully indignant! There is another story of a traffic judge who supposedly asked his clients if they were Christian. Those who answered in the affirmative were given the maximum punishment because they should have known better than to carelessly break the law.

Certainly, we as sinners can receive forgiveness when we sin, but there may just as certainly be divine retribution. David's family life was plagued in later years by rebellious sons who sought to take the throne by force. However, even as we are forgiven we should realize that the chastisement we receive is a reminder to us of how deadly sin really is. And this is for the profit of our souls. God is indeed holy, His law is perfect. Even though we cannot finally fulfill His law, He has paid the ultimate price of death for us through His only Son our own Lord Jesus Christ.

At the end of our Psalm today, there is a third call to worship and exalt Him. And the reason is there in the last line. Notice the difference here from the end of verses three and five. "For the Lord our God is holy." Yes, God is still holy, but there is another thought added. A thought that makes all the difference in the world for us. He is our very own God. To Him, like Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Samuel and all the rest, we may confidently poor out our hearts in prayer.

We come to Him with broken and contrite hearts, seek His forgiveness and through His one and only Son Jesus Christ we may find that which we so sorely need. What a great God we have, who hears not only the Psalmist who wrote this Psalm, but who hears each and every one of us who will call upon His name. Amen.