The Lord is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise Your great and awesome name—He is holy. (Psalm 99:2-3)
The Hebrew word translated as “high above” (also rendered as “exalted”) refers to an elevated object, such as a bird that soars in the heavens and is completely removed from the earth. According to Jewish commentators, this is how heathen nations tend to perceive God if they acknowledge Him at all. Perhaps you have heard of deism? It is a belief that accepts the existence of a Creator who does not intervene in lives of humans after creation. In other words, God is regarded as aloof and disconnected from what transpires on earth, unless a scapegoat is needed for something that has gone wrong here below.
Now juxtapose this idea with what is revealed by the psalmist when he said, “the Lord is great in Zion.” The Hebrew word translated as “great” is גדול gadol. which closely resembles the word מגדול migdol or “tower.” A tower is a structure that rises into the sky but is grounded upon the earth. As Scripture reveals, the Lord who is great is also a strong tower into which the righteous can run and be safe (Proverbs 18:10). The point is that, though the Lord is great and lofty, He is very much involved with what goes on in this world. As it is written, “the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth” (Psalm 47:2); “He removes kings and raises up kings” (Daniel 2:21).
Those who reject the notion that the Lord is disinterested and uninvolved in the world’s affairs ignore what is so obvious to those who believe — there is no situation that His Hand does not guide. Even if His Presence is not obvious, that doesn’t mean that His Presence is absent. As David said, “If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there” (Psalm 139:8). There is no place in the universe that His Presence doesn’t inhabit and nothing occurs without His consent. The Lord does care about His creation and that includes each and everyone of us. For that reason, and for many more, we should praise His great and awesome name.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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