"..God's Zion-people are content.." - Psalm 97:7-11 (TPT)

This passage in Psalm 97 says a lot; it says for “shame covers all who boast in other gods, for they worship idols. For all the supernatural powers once worshiped the true and living God.” 

A surprising statement from the songwriter. A little background, these lesser gods (elohim) were created by our God (Yahweh), for a specific purpose as overseers. When sin entered into the world through Satan/Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden there was a change which took place, Adam and Eve were removed from the garden and kept out by Angelic guards (cherubim) who prevented their re-entry. 

God created these overseers mentioned above to be heavenly representatives to look after Yahweh’s creation upon Adam's abdication of his responsibility; These lesser gods were to be the temporary overseers of humanity before the antediluvian flood, for God had a more excellent plan in place, which was to personally come in the fullness of time and sacrifice Himself to pay the penalty for man’s sin and to redeem humanity back to himself and their rightful role as the true overseers of creation.

However, in the meantime, with Satan being a high-ranking celestial being, took it upon himself to corrupt the overseers in his deceitful and crafty ways so that they all rebelled against Yahweh-God. The details of this rebellion I have covered in previous posts. My point here is that this Psalm says that these overseers once worshipped Yahweh-God who is the highest above all gods, and were intended to be an example to humanity, but became something entirely different by their rebellion. 

The Psalm writer compares the contentment of God’s Zion -people to those who shamefully trust in these fallen gods, for they (God’s people) hear and know the truth and are not susceptible to lies. Jesus made this very clear in His ministry: 

“you will know the truth, and that truth will give you freedom.”

John 8:32 (VOICE)

What Jesus is referring to here is that when a person has the spirit of God to discern truth, that truth becomes confirmed in their hearts by the same spirit, they know from an inner knowing which is beyond the natural mind, it is the revelation of supernatural truth. 

The word “knowing” is the Greek word ginṓskō; a prolonged form of a primary verb; to "know" (absolutely) or completely.  

The above passage in Psalms continues, “The people of praise rejoice over all your judgments,” God’s judgments are judgments of truth based in love, not condemnation. We often compare a judgment of God with a courtroom judgment; they are not the same. God’s judgments are Him seeing our lives in total and giving us what we don’t deserve, mercy. 

God’s mercies are always factored on how He sees us, not how we see ourselves. We are typically our own worst judge, and we tend to give ourselves harsher judgment than God would ever give us, this is why we can rejoice in God’s judgments. 

Our God is holy; the verses state that He is the "Most High God over all gods in the earth," that is what holiness is, separateness, unlike anyone or anything else. “You are exalted above every supernatural power!” This Psalm writer then takes this song into a moment of high praise, by saying our God is the Greatest God; there is none to be compared to Him. He is exalted because there is no one higher, and He is worthy to be worshipped as the highest, greatest God! This is the crescendo of this beautiful Psalm.

It finishes with a little footnote and advises, “Listen, you lovers of God! Hate evil, for God can keep you from wrong and protect you from the power of wickedness.” The advice isn’t acting out of the flesh to resist or Hate what is evil; this is entrusting the Holy Spirit to speak with us to discern what is evil so that we are led on the right path of the righteousness of Christ, this is a work of the spirit not our of our own will. 

We can’t choose to withstand evil, it that were the case then we wouldn’t need Jesus and His sacrifice was for not, thinking that we could be better people, but we can’t be better people.

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 “Who can understand the human heart? There is nothing else so deceitful; it is too sick to be healed.” Jeremiah 17:9 (GNT)

Only God can heal the human heart by performing a heart transplant by replacing it with His heart. The Holy Spirit was sent to us to do just that kind of surgery in us.

The passage concludes with what God does with His lovers: “for He sows seeds of light within his lovers,” the seeds of light are the planting of the Lord. The light or illumination that comes from this planting is the revelation of Christ in our lives, “and seeds of joy burst forth for the lovers of God!” 

When we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ in our lives, we have a number of “Ah-Ha” moments that bring us immediate joy, knowing that this is our God at work in our lives and it is nothing that we have done in or of ourselves. He shows Himself strong in our lives.  We become shining ones who reflect Christ to others.

There is nothing more joyful than resting in the finished work of Christ Jesus and becoming an imager of Him in our daily lives.

The Psalms are full of insight and revelation of who the Lord is and how much He loves us.  David took great care in communicating that love. This Psalm is only a small example of that love. 

Be Blessed;

Stephen Barnett