This is the inscription that ancient writings (The Septuagint) gave to Psalm 93, and that the Talmud says was sung every Friday, in the Temple, by the Levites.

Why should you care about this ancient song, especially since it’s probably not Friday?

Psalm 93 is a short, (5 verse) declaration of God’s might, power, and holiness. I ran across it again this week, in my reading, and was so encouraged by it, that I wanted to share it so that you too would be encouraged, and perhaps even make it a weekly reminder, like the singing Jews did.

Let’s look into it.

When I was reading it, what stood out to me was three times it stated:

“The floods have lifted up...”

Psalm 93:3 ESV

Now, I’m smart enough to recognize that when something is repeated three times, it’s important. So these floods being lifted up is super important, but more exactly, they are describing a threatening storm, whose noise is loud, and filled with terror and even presenting danger.

“The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.”

Psalm 93:3 ESV

Living today, in March of 2022, I can’t help but feel these threatening floods rising up, and their loud and terror-filled voices seeking to overwhelm me. That is when I noticed, what follows in Psalm 93.

“Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the seas, the Lord on high is mightier!”

Psalm 93:4 ESV

Like a lucky, three-leaf clover, I found within these verses of three thundering floods, a three-leaf promise that my GOD IS MIGHTIER! God is mightier than the noise of the floods. God is mighitier than the threat from the floods. God is mightier than the rising flood lines. God is mightier than the terror-filled voices. God is mightier!

THAT made my day. THAT helped to settle my uneasy spirit. That brought me renewed peace. God is mightier. Duh.

But I have since found that this short psalm is bubbling with effervescent and intoxicating truth. Check it:

The Psalm begins with:

“The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.”

Psalm 93:1 ESV

Here we have a picture of God’s dominion over all. He reigns! That is Yehweh, not another god. This is emphatically and decisively declared – “THE LORD REIGNS!”. He is clothed in majesty; in clothes that match his diignity and soverignity and authority. He is clothed in majesty as a King and strength as a General. Think of it, he can do anything!

The next verse says,

“Your throne is established from old; you are from everlasting.”

Psalm 93:2

Our God, the Lord, Yahweh, reigns forever! He is eternal and before any ruler, principality or power came into being he was ruling! His throne is not temporary, like the worlds. It is eternal and unchangeable. His authority extends over everyone and has always been.

It is in this context, that the writer then speaks three times of the scary floods approaching to overwhelm him, that we mentioned earlier. That means, the writer is declaring that God is not only mighty over these thunderous storms and floods, but he is triumphant over them.

No threatening storm, loud and terror-filled waves, or booming voices; no waves of danger or ungodly floods will be successful or harmful because HE REIGNS TRIUMPHANTLY. He always has and always will. He is clothed in majesty and strength and he is eternal. The Lord is mightier than the noise and the threats.

This wonderful, Friday song, closes with this verse:

“Nothing could ever change your royal decrees; they will last forever! Holiness is the beauty that fills your house, you are the one who abides forevermore!”

Psalm 93:5 TPT

When the writer saw the waves. the floods coming, the tide rising and heard the deafening waves crashing, what he also saw was the Lord God’s mighty power, authority and sovereignty. What he saw was the One who has always reigned, and still reigns over every power, principality, and person on the planet.

He saw that it is God’s Word that is final. His decrees that matter. For they are eternal and unchangeable.

This is effervescent because the reminder that the Lord reigns over the mess of the world and has it all in His control bubbles and boils out of us to those whose hope has gone flat and stale.

It is intoxicating because this truth of the Spirit fills us so that we are not uptight when we see waves and dare to believe that He who is living in us is mightier than the noise of the floods.

This Friday psalm should be our Friday song. We must weekly remind ourselves and those in our sphere of influence that our God reigns and is mightier than the threats and floods, and he is not going anywhere. HE REIGNS FOREVER.

Sing it,

Debbie