"The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours: as for the world and the fulness thereof, You have founded them. The north and the south You have created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in your name. You have a mighty arm: strong is your hand, and high is your right hand. Justice and judgment are the habitation of your throne: mercy and truth shall go before your face. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance. In your name shall they rejoice all the day; and in your righteousness shall they be exalted." (Psalm 89:11-16)
It is thus that the Psalmist sings of the mercies of the Lord, and makes known His faithfulness. "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known your faithfulness to all generations." (Psalm 89:1)
The "joyful sound" which is to be proclaimed "to all generations" is none other than the "good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." (Luke 2:10)
It is the Gospel, that we have before us, for it alone is the theme of the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.
Let us fix our attention especially upon verses 14 and 15 of the Psalm from which we have quoted: "Justice and judgment are the habitation of your throne: mercy and truth shall go before your face. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance." (Psalm 89:14-15)
First note the words "justice" and "habitation." The first is rendered from the Hebrew word for "righteousness." Righteousness is God's character, which is His law; for He rules by himself; His own being is the law of the universe. Of this righteousness the law of ten commandments is the summary. "All your commandments are righteousness." (Psalm 119:172) "All unrighteousness is sin," (1 John 5:17) and, "sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4)
Therefore all righteousness is obedience to the law. So we may read that righteousness, or law, is the habitation of God's throne.
But if we look at the margin we shall find "establishment" given as an alternative reading for "habitation." This brings us a little closer to the idea of the original Hebrew word, which means, "basis" or "foundation," which is the word given in the Revision. So the sum of the first part of Psalm 89:14 is that God's righteousness, or His law, is the foundation of His throne. His kingdom is established upon and by righteousness.
From this throne of righteousness or law the "joyful sound" proceeds. It is the "throne of grace" to which we are exhorted to "come boldly," "that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
It is there that: "Mercy and truth are met together, [and] righteousness and peace have kissed each other." (Psalm 85:10)
But if we should let the story rest here, some sincere souls would be sure to get frightened later on, and others would accuse God of not being equal in all His ways, even as they have already done. So let us read further about this same throne of grace, whence the joyful sound of the Gospel of grace proceeds.
The Apostle John was permitted to see this throne in heaven. That it was the throne of grace, we may be sure from the fact that in the midst of it "stood a Lamb as it had been slain," (Revelation 5:6) and also that at the very time he saw it songs of thanksgiving for redemption through His blood were being sung. (See Revelation 5:6,9) Now read: "And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thundering and voices." (Revelation 4:5)
Is that "the joyful sound" of which the Psalmist speaks? Can there be any joyful sound in the thunderings? It is even so. Examine the Revised Version, and you will see that "the joyful sound" is really "the trumpet sound." The "everlasting Gospel" of peace is proclaimed "with a loud voice." (See Revelation 14:6-7)
An incident in the life of Christ on earth may help to make it clear. When the hour had come that He should be glorified, He prayed, "Father, glorify your name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered; others said, An angel spoke to Him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes." (John 12:28-30)
Jesus did not need that assurance from heaven; but the people did. Was it not a joyful sound? Can there be any more joyful news than that God is glorified in the man Christ Jesus? That is salvation for mankind. Yet the people at that time did not know the joyful sound. Some were discerning enough to perceive that it was an articulate voice from heaven; but to the most of them it was ordinary thunder. They did not know the day of their visitation. "The God of glory thunders. ... The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty." (Psalm 29:3-4) "God thunders marvellously with His voice; great things does Hewhich we cannot comprehend." (Job 37:5)
The terrible voice of reproof with which God makes "the pillars of heaven tremble," is but a small whisper of His greatness. What wonder, then, that no soul could comprehend if He should thunder with all His power. (See Job 26:11,14,RV)
But, "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound" (Psalm 89:15) of the thunderings that come from His throne of righteousness and grace. They who do, will be able to say, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is your servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward." (Psalm 19:7-11)
For let it not be forgotten that the joyful sound that proceeds from the throne of God is but the voice of His law. To the unbeliever it is a thunder of wrath; to the believer it is the voice of mercy and peace, for God speaks only peace to His people. "I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints: but let them not turn again to folly." (Psalm 85:8)
When God came from Sinai, and from His right hand a fiery law went forth for His saints, it was because "He loved the people." (Deuteronomy 33:3) "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." (Romans 5:20) "By the law is the knowledge of sin." (Romans 3:20)
Therefore it was that the entering of the law made the offence to abound, or be seen to be "exceeding sinful." (Romans 7:13)
At Sinai the law appeared in its greatest majesty and awfulness; therefore it is at Sinai that the awful and deadly nature of sin is seen. "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." (Romans 5:20)
Therefore the greatest exhibition of the grace of God is to be seen at Sinai. Yet it was there that the God of glory thundered. "There were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. ... And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice." (Exodus 19:16,19)
Mount Sinai was a representation of God's throne, and indeed, it was for the time His throne; because: "The Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mount," (Exodus 19:20) and it was the embodiment of His law. "And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not; for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before your faces, that you sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was." (Exodus 20:18-21)
Notice that while the people "removed and stood afar off" as God thundered forth His law, "Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was." (Exodus 20:21)
God did not want the people to be afraid of Him. Moses told them not to fear, because God had come only to prove them. What had He come to prove? Their faith and trust; for that is what God always tries. He proved Abraham as to his faith, and then confirmed His promise to him with an oath. That test and that oath were for the benefit of all people after him, including us and those who stood at the base of Sinai. They, as well as we, had the history of Abraham and of God’s dealings with him. If they had fully trusted God, and relied upon His oath, nothing could have made them afraid, for they would have known that: "He cannot deny himself." (2 Timothy 2:13)
His oath pledged himself and His existence to save them and us by His righteousness. It was a token of "His great love wherewith He loved us." (Ephesians 2:4)
So then though we hear the thunders of His righteousness, we need but nestle the closer to Him in loving confidence.
If we have a friend and protector, the more powerful he is the more we can trust him. Every fresh evidence of his power is but an additional cause for us to rejoice in it. So when God at Sinai showed the might of His terrible acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom, it was that the people might know how secure they are when trusting in Him.
The law is not against the promises of God. (Galatians 3:21) On the contrary, it is in full harmony with them, since it is a part of them. "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts." (Jeremiah 31:33)
Therefore however great and terrible its requirements, we may "know that His commandment is life everlasting." (John 12:50)
Though its righteousness be so great that it can be fitly expressed only in a voice of thunder that shakes the earth, it is to all who believe His Word and His oath but a "joyful sound," because it makes known to us what great things God does for us. The Holy Spirit comes first with strong conviction of sin by the law, but even so He is only a comforter. "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance." (Psalm 89:15)
Moses knew the joyful sound. To him the things of God were not idle tales, but they were realities. "He endured as seeing Him who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:27)
So, trusting in God's promise and oath, he knew that no matter with how great a voice God spoke, He could speak only peace to His people. (Psalm 85:8) Therefore He drew near to the secret place of God, and was shut in with His glory. The Lord talked with him to face to face. "And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of the testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone by reason of His speaking with him." (Exodus 34:29,RV)
He was walking in the light of God's countenance, because he knew the joyful sound of the Gospel. He knew that in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed to those who believe, (Romans 1:16-17) and so he found the thundering mount to be a mount of blessing; the throne of glory was a throne of grace; the thunder of the law is but a joyful sound to those who accept the Gospel of the grace of God.
It was better that the people should have God speak to them through Moses, than that He should not speak to them at all. It was better that they should get some idea of the glory of God's face, by the reflection of it in the face of Moses, than that they should see no glory at all.
But it would have been much the best if they had been able to listen to God's own voice, and look upon His glory with unveiled face. And this would have been their privilege, if they had but believed as Moses did; for: "God is no respecter of persons." (Acts 10:34)
Instead of that, they could not endure even the glory that shone from the face of Moses, because "their minds were blinded." (2 Corinthians 3:14)
God's glory is His character. This is true in every sense of the word. The exceeding brightness that surrounds Him, and proceeds from Him, is from His righteousness. Man was "crowned with glory and honor." (Psalm 8:5) until he sinned, and then he came short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:2-3) The glory of the saints in the world to come will be but the shining forth of the righteousness of God which is in them by faith. This glory, which is but "the light of His countenance," is for all those who by faith in God's promise hear only a joyful sound even in the thunders of His law.
It is to such a joyful sound, because they know that it does not tell them what God requires them to try to do, but what He has sworn to do in them. "Hear, and your soul shall live." (Isaiah 55:3)
Hearing the law in that way, they are able to behold the glory of the Lord, "with unveiled face, [and so,] reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18)--Present Truth, March 5, 1896--Psalm 89:11-16.