Psalm 93 [MT 94]

"The Lord reigns, He is clothed with beauty; the Lord is clothed with strength, and is girded" [Psalm 93:1]. We see that He has clothed Himself with two things: beauty and strength. But why? That He might found the earth. So it follows, "He has made the round world so sure, that it cannot be moved." Whence has He made it so sure? Because He has clothed Himself in beauty. He would not make it so sure, if He put on beauty only, and not strength also. Why therefore beauty, why strength? For He has said both. You know, brethren, that when our Lord had come in the flesh, of those to whom He preached the Gospel, He pleased some, and displeased others. For the tongues of the Jews were divided against one another: "Some said, He is a good Man; others said, Nay, but He deceives the people." [John 7:12] Some then spoke well, others detracted from Him, tore Him, bit and insulted Him. Towards those therefore whom He pleased, "He put on beauty;" towards those whom He displeased, "He put on strength." Imitate then your Lord, that you may become His garment: be with beauty towards those whom your good works please: show your strength against detractors....

Exposition on Psalm 93

To sit at the right hand of the Father is a mystery belonging to the incarnation. For it does not befit that incorporeal nature without the assumption of flesh; neither is the excellency of a heavenly seat sought for the divine nature but for the human. Thus it is said of him, “Your seat, O God, is prepared from thence forward; you are from everlasting.” The seat, then, on which the Lord Jesus was to sit, was prepared from everlasting, “in whose name every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth; and every tongue shall confess to him that Jesus is Lord in the glory of God the Father;” of whom also David says, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” Referring to these words the Lord in the Gospel said to the Pharisees, “If therefore David in spirit calls him Lord, how is he his Son?” By which [Jesus Christ] showed that according to the Spirit he was the Lord, according to the flesh he was the Son of David. Also the Lord says in another place, “Truly I say to you, henceforth you shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God.” And the apostle Peter says of Christ, “Who is on the right hand of God, seated in the heavens.” And Paul also, writing to the Ephesians, “According to the working of the might of his power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and seated him on his right hand.”

Commentary on the Apostles’ Creed 32

"Your throne is established from thence, O Lord" [Psalm 93:2]. What is, "from thence"? From that time. As if he said, What is the throne of God? Where does God sit? In His Saints. Do you wish to be the throne of God? Prepare a place in your heart where He may sit. What is the throne of God, except where God dwells? Where does God dwell, except in His temple? What is His temple? Is it surrounded with walls? Far from it. Perhaps this world is His temple, because it is very great, and a thing worthy to contain God. It contains not Him by whom it was made. And wherein is He contained? In the quiet soul, in the righteous soul: that is it that contains Him....He who said, "Before Abraham was, I am:" [John 8:58] not before Abraham only, but before Adam: not only before Adam, but before all the angels, before heaven and earth; since all things were made through Him: he added, lest you, attending to the day of our Lord's nativity, might think He commenced from that time, "Your throne is established, O God." But what God? "You are from everlasting:" for which he uses

Exposition on Psalm 93

3–4

"The floods lift up their voices" [Psalm 93:3]. What are these floods, which have lift up their voices? We heard them not: neither when our Lord was born, did we hear rivers speak, nor when He was baptized, nor when He suffered; we heard not that rivers did speak. Read the Gospel, you find not that rivers spoke. It is not enough that they spoke: "They have lift up their voice:" they have not only spoken, but bravely, mightily, in a lofty voice. What are those rivers which have spoken?...The Spirit itself was a mighty river, whence many rivers were filled. Of that river the Psalmist says in another passage, "The rivers of the flood thereof shall make glad the city of God." Rivers then were made to flow from the belly of the disciples, when they received the Holy Spirit: themselves were rivers, when they had received that Holy Spirit. Whence did those rivers lift their voices? Wherefore did they lift them up? Because at first they feared. Peter was not yet a river, when at the question of the maid-servant he thrice denied Christ: "I do not know the man." [Matthew 26:69-74] Here he lies through fear: he lifts not his voice as yet: he is not yet the river. But when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, the Jews sent for them, and enjoined them not to preach at all, nor to teach in the name of Jesus....For when the Apostles had been dismissed from the council of the Jews, they came to their own friends, and told them what the priests and elders said unto them: but they on hearing lifted up their voices with one accord unto the Lord, and said, "Lord, it is You who has made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is;" [Acts 4:24] and the rest which floods lifting up their voices might say, "Wonderful are the hangings of the sea" [Psalm 93:4]. For when the disciples had lifted up their voices unto Him, many believed, and many received the Holy Spirit, and many rivers instead of few began to lift up their voice. Hence there follows, "from the voices of many waters, wonderful are the hangings of the sea;" that is, the waves of the world. When Christ had begun to be preached by so powerful voices, the sea became enraged, persecutions began to thicken. When therefore the rivers had lift up their voice, "from the voices of many waters, wonderful" were "the hangings of the sea." To be hung aloft is to be lifted up; when the sea rages, the waves are hung as from above. Let the waves hang over as they choose; let the sea roar as it chooses; the hangings of the sea indeed are mighty, mighty are the threatenings, mighty the persecutions; but see what follows: "but yet the Lord, who dwells on high, is mightier." Let therefore the sea restrain itself, and sometime become calmed; let peace be granted by Christians. The sea was disturbed, the vessel was tossed; the vessel is the Church: the sea, the world. The Lord came, He walked over the sea, and calmed the waves. How did the Lord walk over the sea? Above the heads of those mighty foaming waves. Principalities and kings believed; they were subdued unto Christ. Let us not therefore be frightened; because "the Lord, who dwells on high, is mightier."

Exposition on Psalm 93

"Your testimonies, O Lord, are very surely believed" [Psalm 93:5]. The Lord, who dwells on high, is mightier than the mighty overhangings of the sea. "Your testimonies are very surely believed." "Your testimonies," because He had said beforehand, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation."...He added, "but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." [John 16:33] If then He says, "I have overcome the world," cling unto Him who overcame the world, who overcame the sea. Rejoice in Him, because the Lord, who dwells on high, is mightier, and, "Your testimonies are very surely believed." And what is the end of all these? "Holiness becomes Your house, O Lord!" Your house, the whole of Your house, not here and there: but the whole of Your house, throughout the whole world. Why throughout the whole of the round world? "Because He has set aright the round world, which cannot be moved." The Lord's house will be strong: it will prevail throughout the whole world: many shall fall: but that house stands; many shall be disturbed, but that house shall not be moved. Holiness becomes Your house, O Lord! For a short time only? No. "Unto length of days."

Exposition on Psalm 93