Psalm 99:1 The LORD reigneth: let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved
Who is in charge today? Is it you, your boss, elected officials, or the President of the United States? That is a question we have actually had. Who is actually in charge? I know who has been elected, but is that person actually in charge and calling the shots? People often hedge their bets, by which I mean that they protect themselves by supporting more than one result. They give to this candidate and that candidate in the event that whoever wins, they will be protected.
People are accustomed in the world in which we live to hedging their bets, to making sure they are safe regardless of the outcome by not giving full allegiance to one particular side. Well, there is a pivot that will come at some point. Someone will come to power and it will be obvious who is in charge. Then, there will be no hedging of bets. Ultimately, that will happen with God Himself, the Creator of this universe. I would say, get in early; don’t hedge your bets.
Psalm 99 begins by saying, “The LORD reigneth.” That is really the sum and substance of the entire psalm. It ends by saying, “Exalt the LORD our God.” Why? We should exalt the Lord because the Lord reigns. Regardless of what you see right now, regardless of what you feel right now, regardless of what the popular opinion of the day may be, the LORD reigns. Verse 1 says, “Let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.”
Two reasons we should not hedge our bets are holiness and history. As to holiness, the Bible says in verses 3, 5, and 9, “For it is holy…For he is holy…God is holy.” His name is holy; His person is holy; God is holy. We find that first, center, and last in this psalm. That is pictured by the fact that in verse 1 He “sitteth between the cherubims.” He sits enthroned. He is the great God in verse 2. In verse 3 He is terrible, meaning He is terribly fearful, worthy of reverence and fear. Verse 4 tells us that “he loveth judgment.” Verse 9 says to “exalt the LORD our God.” Why? It is because God reigns, and He reigns because of holiness. There is no one like Him. He is singular, singular in power, virtue, and knowledge. He is singular in His love and care for those He has created. That includes you. So, don’t hedge your bets. God is holy.
Second, there is history. Verse 6 says, “Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they [Aaron, Samuel, and so on] called upon the LORD, and he answered them.” So, God’s holiness and power go back throughout history. God was sovereign when Moses was among those who were slaves in Egypt. God was with Moses when he was in the wilderness. God was with Moses when he said, “God, who am I?” and He used Moses to lead the entire nation out of Egypt. They were pursued by the armies of Egypt, but those armies were vanquished by the power of God. History shows us that we shouldn’t hedge our bets.
Verse 7 says, “He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.” So, God spoke to them, guided them, and provided for them. Verse 8 says, “Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God.” They called; God answered. It continues, “Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.” God is merciful, and in the end God will win.
The last verse of Psalm 100 says, “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” God will be here long after we are gone. God was not voted into office and He cannot be voted out of office. His truth endures to all generations. What is before us is as clear as if it were already history because whatever your day may throw at you and whatever your fears may be, the Lord reigns.