The Lord is king
Psalm 93:1-2, 5. February 20, 2023 - Monday, 7th Week
Psalm 93 celebrates the reign of the Lord with the announcement “The Lord is king”. The Ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, includes the following superscription at the beginning of the psalm: “Regarding the day of the pre-sabbath when the earth had been settled”. In all contemporary translations of our Bibles, God finished the work of creation on the seventh day. According to the Septuagint, he completed it on the sixth day (see Gen 2:2 LXX). And then, he became king (Ps 93:1 LXX).
Psalm 93 connects the reign of God with taming the waters of chaos that are mentioned in the second verse of the Bible - Genesis 1:2. In physics, there is a concept known as entropy. It states that everything in the universe moves from order to disorder. The state of perfect entropy, the perfect disorder is described in Genesis 1:2: “the earth was unformed and void”. Then by the act of creation, God brought order from disorder. Moreover, the Lord did not only create the universe, but he also sustains it, so it will not reverse into that perfect disorder from the beginning of creation.
In the Jewish tradition, this psalm is recited on Friday nights connecting it with the Sabbath. In our Christian tradition, this psalm points to Saturday nights connecting it with Christ’s resurrection. Each Sunday, we celebrate Christ’s final victory over the chaotic powers of evil and death. In our proclamation, Christ reigns. After defeating death, he sits at the right hand of the Father and, as Saint Paul teaches, “he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Cor 15:25).
Jesus Christ is king. He is from everlasting, born of the Father before all ages. Everything was created in him, through him, and for him (see Col 1:16). He robed himself in majesty when he rose from the grave and he reigns from his firm throne in heaven. Jesus’ teaching is worthy of trust because his words are “spirit and life” (John 6:63). He established his house, the one, holy, universal, and apostolic Church and as the psalmist tells us holiness befits this house. We are this house; we are called to holiness (see 1 These 4:7). Saint Peter writes: “as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15).
Therefore, together with the Church in heaven, we sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb:
“Great and marvellous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed” (Rev 15:3-4).