Toni’s Title
The Joys of Zion
ESV Title
The LORD Reigns
Literary Type
This is a hymn – enthronement Psalm.
Hymns
Hymns extol the glory and greatness of God as it is revealed in nature and history, and particularly in Israels’s history. Hymns praise God in general terms for his power and faithfulness as creator of the cosmos, ruler of history, and creator/redeemer of Israel to bring blessing to all the world. Israel’s hymns stress God’s active involvement in the life story of Israel. Hymns typically demonstrate motives for worshipping and praising God. A clear example is Psalm 117, the shortest psalm, just two verses:
1 O praise the Lord, all you nations; *
praise him, all you peoples.
2 For (= Hebrew ki) great is his loving-kindness towards us, *
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Praise the Lord.
Hymns were used for exuberant worship in the temple and the synagogue. The people of God before the Incarnation invite us to celebrate and praise with them in hope of the kingdom of God and his Messiah. Hymns, like all psalms, show Christians how to praise God who has acted in creation, in revelation, and in redemption, and who is acting decisively in establishing his kingdom on earth. They do not ask anything; they simply rejoice in God’s presence.
Examples: Psalms 8, 19:1-6, 33, 66:1-12, 100, 103, 104, 145-150, and others
Enthronement Psalms
Some of the hymns in the Psalter are called “enthronement psalms” because they focus on the theme of God’s kingship. His throne is established from an immeasurable past time, and his kingdom will be everlasting. In the Temple on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, God became present to his people in worship. God did not literally dwell/live in the Temple but his people experienced his “tabernacling presence” there as they worshipped. He was enthroned in the praises of his people. His kingship may also have been celebrated in a ritual enactment of enthronement, a drama of God ascending his throne amid shouts of acclamation. God is enthroned triumphantly over powers that threaten to plunge our lives into meaningless chaos and disorder. Christians read these psalms in the context of the good news that God in Christ has inaugurated the divine kingdom by striking a decisive blow against all powers of oppression, darkness, chaos, and death. We pray the enthronement psalms in the spirit of the Lord’s prayer: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10)
Examples: Psalms 29, 47, 93, 95-99
NT Prayer Guide
Eph. 5:1-14
97
Dominus regnavit
1 The Lord is King; let the earth be glad. *
Indeed, let the multitude of the isles be glad.
2 Clouds and darkness are round about him; *
righteousness and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
3 There goes a fire before him *
and burns up his enemies on every side.
4 His lightnings gave light to the world; *
the earth saw it and was afraid.
5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, *
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The heavens have declared his righteousness, *
and all the people have seen his glory.
7 Confounded be all those who worship carved images, and who delight in false gods; *
worship him, all you gods.
8 Zion heard of it and rejoiced, *
And the daughters of Judah were glad, because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; *
you are exalted far above all gods.
10 O you who love the Lord, see that you hate the thing which is evil; *
the Lord preserves the souls of his saints; he shall deliver them from the hand of the ungodly.
11 A light has sprung up for the righteous, *
and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, *
and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.