Majesty

St. Edward's Crown. It was last 
used to crown Queen Elizabeth II 
on 2 June 1953. 

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 93:1-5

TO CHEW ON: "The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty." Psalm 93:1a

The word majesty takes my mind to royalty and royal occasions. I was a very little girl when Queen Elizabeth was crowned queen of England and the Commonwealth. Though we didn't watch the coronation on TV (didn't even have a TV then), I do remember poring over a glossy commemorative magazine that came to our house sometime later. I studied the photos of the white horses pulling the golden coach, was fascinated by the queen's ermine-lined cape, and spellbound by the crown of gold, jewels, and purple velvet.

The clothes and ceremony of royalty display human majesty. However, for the psalmist God's majesty is evidenced not in physical robes or pomp, not even in the majesty of creation, but in His essence and attributes. Let's take a close look at what the psalmist finds majestic about God.

He begins by talking about God's clothes: "The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength" (vs. 1b). He describes God's strength as mightier than the noise and power of the sea (vs.3-4). The theological word for God's strength or power is omnipotence. I love my old systematic theology textbook's definition:

"By the omnipotence of God we mean that He is able to do whatever He wills; but since His will is limited by His nature, this means that God can do everything that is in harmony with His perfections" H. C. Thiessen, Lectures in Systematic Theology, p. 126.

Next, the psalmist describes God's throne: "Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting." God's everlastingness is part of His being or essence. Theologians refer to it as eternity. Thiessen describes the eternity of God:

"By the eternity of God we mean His infinity in relation to time; we mean that He is without beginning or end; that He is free from all succession of time; and that he is the cause of time" - Thiessen (Lectures...) p. 122.

Finally, the psalmist speaks of what decorates the palace of this great King: "Holiness adorns Your house" (vs. 5). Consider this mind-stretching definition of God's holiness:

"By the holiness of God we mean that He is absolutely separate from and exalted above all His creatures, and that He is equally separate from moral evil and sin. In the first sense His holiness ... denotes the perfection of God in all that He is. In the second sense it is viewed as the eternal conformity of His being and His will. In God we have purity of being before purity of willing. God does not will the good because it is good, nor is the good good because God wills it; else there would be a good above God or the good would be arbitrary and changeable. Instead, God's will is the expression of His nature, which is holy" - Thiessen, (Lectures...) p. 128-129.

We ponder these things, trying to grasp the majesty of God as displayed in His strength, eternity and holiness. There is, finally, only one appropriate response: Worship.

PRAYER: Dear God, You are mind-bendingly awesome! Thank You for Your power. Thank You that You are forever, transcending time. Thank You that You are holy. Thank You for sending Jesus, to make a way for measly me to have a relationship with You. Amen.

MORE: "Majesty" by Jack Hayford

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