What is the meaning of Psalm 99:3? Let them praise - The psalmist invites every listener—Israel and the nations alike—to celebrate God together. Similar invitations resound in Psalm 67:3, “Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You”, and again in Revelation 7:9, where a “multitude from every nation” stands before the throne. - Praise is not optional; it is the fitting response to God’s rule proclaimed in Psalm 99:1-2. When we praise, we align our hearts with the heavenly chorus of Psalm 148 and echo Jesus’ exhortation in Luke 19:40 that even stones would cry out if people were silent. - Practically, praise reorients us from self-focus to God-focus, strengthens faith like Paul and Silas’ midnight worship in Acts 16:25, and equips us for spiritual battle as in 2 Chronicles 20:21-22. Your great and awesome name - “Name” in Scripture stands for God’s revealed character. Exodus 3:14 shows Him as the “I AM,” declaring His eternal, self-existent nature. Solomon admitted in 1 Kings 8:27 that even heaven cannot contain Him, yet His name dwells among His people. - The psalmist stacks the adjectives—great and awesome—because ordinary language cannot capture God’s magnitude (Psalm 145:3). Moses used the same pairing in Deuteronomy 10:17 to portray the LORD as “the great, the mighty, and the awesome God.” - God’s name inspires reverence (Proverbs 18:10), worship (Psalm 8:1), and mission, as Jesus taught us to pray, “Hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9). Because His name is great, our lives should bear it well (Colossians 3:17), avoiding any misuse (Exodus 20:7). He is holy! - Holiness means God is utterly set apart—morally perfect and infinitely pure. Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8 frame heaven’s unending song: “Holy, holy, holy.” - God’s holiness exposes sin (Habakkuk 1:13) but also offers hope, for the same Holy One provided atonement through the cross (Hebrews 10:19-22). - Believers are called to mirror this holiness: “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). The gospel empowers that transformation (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:7). - Holiness fuels worship. When we glimpse God’s purity, we respond like John in Revelation 1:17, falling before Him, and like David in Psalm 51, seeking cleansing. summary Psalm 99:3 summons every heart to declare loud praise, because God’s name reveals His unrivaled greatness, and His essence is blinding holiness. Acknowledging these truths lifts our focus from ourselves to the King who reigns forever, calls us to live in reverent obedience, and fills us with joy that the Holy One invites us into His presence through Christ. |
    |