God's Holiness And The Call To Be Like Him

Islington Baptist Church

November 20, 2005

Psalm 99

Scripture reading: Daniel 4

God’s holiness and the call to be like Him

This morning, during our Scripture reading time, we learned about a King named Nebuchadnezzar. Of all of the Kings who have walked the earth, King Nebuchadnezzar was one of the most powerful. As is wont of people in his situation, the power that he thought was his went to his head, with the result that he was filled with pride and an extreme sense of self importance.

As King Nebuchadnezzar related to us in Daniel 4, God taught him a lesson.

By way of review, what big thing did God teach Nebuchadnezzar?

Answer: That he was nothing and that God is the Supreme King over the entire universe

“His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?" Daniel 4:34-35

Today we are going to do a study of Psalm 99. Psalm 99 is part of a group of Psalms that focus on God’s kingship and dominion over this world- with the effect that He works out everything to His own ends (Proverbs 16:4).

With this in mind, the particular emphasis of Psalm 99 is on the holiness of our great King.

Let’s READ the TEXT and then we’ll talk about God’s holiness and the call to be like Him.

LESSONS

I. GOD IS THIS UNIVERSES’ SUPREME AND ONLY RULER.

-He is in control. “The Lord reigns” Psalm 99:1

-this is the message of Psalm 93-99 and Psalm 99, as a whole.

-his Kingdom and rule, while challenged, have never and will never face any serious threat.

-His rule is effortless, for he rules from a seated position.

-None can be compared to him. No earthly king or kingdom can match him in power or exaltation. In fact, before him, all the nations are as a drop in a bucket. In Isaiah 40:15 it says “Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.”

How ought we to respond to this revelation?

1.Bow before Him. Praise Him. Worship Him. Humble ourselves before Him

II. HIS RULE, REIGN, AND ALL OF HIS ACTIVITIES ARE PERFECT IN NATURE AND BEYOND REPROACH BECAUSE HE IS HOLY

Three times in Psalm 99, God is said to be holy.

As some of you may already know, before the throne of God, described in incredible terms in Revelation 4, there are four living creatures whose task, day and night, is never stop saying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”

The chief attribute of God, according to the Scriptures, is that He is holy.

-To speak of God as holy is to regard him as perfect, morally pure, set apart, unstained by sin

-The holiness of God is more that just a characteristic of His, it defines him. He is Holy in a general sense. The word holy calls attention to all that God is. As such, we are reminded that his love is a holy love, his justice is a holy justice, his mercy is a holy mercy, and his hatred of sin is a holy hatred.

-His reign is perfect because he is holy

-His judgments and decisions and activities in this world are without fault and beyond reproach because he is holy

-He always does what is right and pure, without reluctance, because he is holy.

-Because he is holy, He cannot be tempted by sin

-Because God is holy, he hates sin and never ceases to.

-Because he is holy it is impossible for Him to overlook or excuse any sin we commit.

-All of God’s thoughts and actions are consistent with his holy character.

-the holiness of God guarantees that we can trust him and not be disappointed

How ought we to respond to the holiness of God?

1.Praise Him

2.Trust God in terms of what he is doing/allowing in your life and in the world around you

3.Strive ourselves after holiness (this we will explore in a few minutes)

III. 3 men who understood the holiness of God.

In Psalm 99:6-8 it says “Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the LORD and he answered them. He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them. O LORD our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds.”