Connect360: King Above All Kings

• Lesson Fourteen in the Connect360 unit “Psalms: The Believer’s Prayer Book” focuses on Psalm 93:1–5

Psalm 93 is part of a collection of “enthronement psalms” (93–99) that celebrate God’s kingship and sovereignty.

The psalm begins with a confident declaration:“The Lord reigns” (93:1).

The psalmist used the covenant name of God, Yahweh, making it clear the focus of his worship is the God of Israel who has redeemed and lives in relationship with his people.

Verse one describes the Lord as “robed in majesty.” This metaphor describes the glory that surrounds the Lord like the royal robes of a king.

God’s glory is the brightness of his holy splendor, visible in all his works that reveal the nature and character of our God and King.

Verse one also describes the Lord as “armed with strength.” This is military language. In the ancient world, kings were often depicted as warriors responsible for securing peace and stability for their people by defeating their enemies.

Here, God’s strength refers to God’s power in placing all things under his sovereignty and control.

As modern readers, we may miss the challenging nature of the psalm’s claim. Psalm 93 declares the Lord is King.

But other nations in the ancient Near East had their own gods.

Babylon declared Marduk was king. Assyria said their god Ashur was king. For most people in the ancient world, this didn’t pose a conflict. They believed in many gods, each god having his or her own sphere of interest and influence.

Israel’s claim of Yahweh’s kingship was different. The proclamation in Psalm 93 that the Lord is King is rooted in Israel’s belief that the Lord alone is King above all other gods.

The psalm proclaims God’s sovereign reign not just over Israel, but over the entire world.

The myths of the nations surrounding Israel often depicted battles between the gods, sometimes connecting them to the cycles of the natural world.

Psalm 93 is different. The psalm describes God’s world as “established, firm, and secure” (93:1).

God’s reign is secure and without challenge or opposition. In fact, there has never been a point when God did not reign.

Unlike other gods of the surrounding nations who had to win or prove their kingship, God’s reign “was established long ago … from all eternity” (93:2).

God did not have to secure his throne. God reigns simply because of who God is.

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