What does "holy is He" in Psalm 99:3 reveal about God's nature? Text and Immediate Context “Let them praise Your great and awesome Name—holy is He.” (Psalm 99:3). Psalm 99 is the final psalm in the “YHWH-Malak” (‘the LORD reigns’) collection (Psalm 93, 95-99). Verses 3, 5, 9 each conclude with “holy is He,” forming a structural triad that centers the entire hymn on the holiness of God. Holiness as God’s Defining Attribute Throughout Scripture, holiness underlies every other divine perfection. God is love (1 John 4:8) and light (1 John 1:5), yet He is uniquely holy (Exodus 15:11). Psalm 99 sums up His kingship (“the LORD reigns,” v. 1) by proclaiming that His rule is fundamentally holy. The verse answers the perennial question, “What kind of God reigns?”—One whose essence is moral blamelessness and transcendence. Covenantal Relationship and Ethical Demand By calling Israelites and, by extension, the nations to praise His “great and awesome Name,” the psalm links God’s holiness with covenant faithfulness (cf. Leviticus 19:2). Holiness is both an ontological property of God and an ethical standard for His people: “Be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:15-16). Psalm 99:3 thus implies that worship is incomplete without conformity to God’s moral nature. Triadic Repetition and Trinitarian Resonance The triple refrain “holy is He” anticipates the “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts” of Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8. While Psalm 99 predates explicit Trinitarian revelation, the thrice-spoken holiness harmonizes with later disclosure that Father, Son, and Spirit share one undivided essence (Matthew 28:19). The New Testament affirms that Christ is the Holy One (Acts 3:14) and the Spirit is the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), grounding Trinitarian theology in the Old Testament proclamation. Holiness and Divine Kingship Over Creation Psalm 99 situates God “enthroned between the cherubim” (v. 1), connoting sovereignty over the cosmos. Intelligent-design research has uncovered finely tuned constants—such as the strong nuclear force and cosmological constant—that, if altered by fractions, would render life impossible. These empirical data underscore a universe intentionally ordered, reflecting the holy Designer whose moral order and physical order cohere (Romans 1:20). Holiness Verified by Historical and Archaeological Witness • Dead Sea Scroll 11QPsᵃ (1st c. BC) preserves Psalm 99 virtually identical to the Masoretic Text, affirming textual stability. • Ketef Hinnom silver amulets (7th c. BC) contain the priestly blessing invoking YHWH’s Name, demonstrating early reverence for His holy Name. • Temple-period artifacts (e.g., Herodian-era “Trumpeting Stone” inscribed למקום לתקע “to the place of trumpeting”) corroborate the cultic setting where Psalm 99 was sung. Holiness Displayed in Miracles and the Resurrection The holiness theme culminates in the resurrection, God’s ultimate vindication of His Son (Romans 1:4). Minimal-facts data—empty tomb, post-mortem appearances, and the disciples’ transformed proclamation—are multiply attested in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 and early creedal material (dated by many scholars to within five years of the crucifixion). Contemporary medically documented healings following prayer (e.g., peer-reviewed cases in Southern Medical Journal, 2010, vol. 103) echo the same holy power active today. Pastoral Application and Call to Worship Recognizing God’s holiness elicits three responses: 1. Awe-filled praise—“Let them praise Your great and awesome Name.” 2. Repentance—Isaiah’s “Woe is me” (Isaiah 6:5) mirrors the sinner’s need. 3. Mission—reflecting God’s holiness to the nations (Matthew 5:16). Conclusion “Holy is He” in Psalm 99:3 discloses God’s otherness, moral perfection, sovereign kingship, covenant commitment, Trinitarian unity, creative power, historical faithfulness, and redemptive purpose. The call is universal: bow before the holy Creator and receive the salvation accomplished by the risen Christ, to the glory of God alone. |
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