The Majesty of God - Pt. 2

 

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. Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. (Psalm 93:1-2 ESV).

 

Perhaps the bigger issue is not our complacency in the presence of God’s majesty. Perhaps we simply don’t recognize it when we see it because we don’t really understand what God’s majesty is to begin with. The Bible says it has to do with God's strength and glory. Kings and queens are called "Your Majesty" in recognition of their sovereignty. So God's majesty may also be his authority. I suppose many might equate God's majesty with his greatness. All of these notions of majesty are wonderful. Surely they represent attributes of God that compel us to worship. But can we get clear on the actual definition of "majesty?"

 

King Arthur was a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. The English word "majesty" comes to us from the Latin word maiestas, which means "greatness or dignity." In the Hebrew original of Psalm 93, the word translated into English as "majesty" is ge’ut (pronounced guh-OOth). The standard Hebrew-English lexicon defines this word as, you guessed it, "majesty." It is closely related to the word translated as "pride" in a negative sense (ge’ah). Both of these words derive from a root that means "to rise." So, if you think too highly of yourself, then you have ge’ah, which is not good. But when it comes to God, who is utterly great, who is the God above all other gods, then ge’ut is appropriate. This word doesn't convey God's pride in himself. Rather, it stands for God's reputation among people and that which deserves this glory. We might get the sense of the word by saying that God is rightly thought of more highly than any other being, in heaven and earth.

 

So, when it comes to our reading today, God's being robed in majesty represents his being enveloped in the strength and power to sustain all of creation. He did not merely create, but He also sustains. Against all enemies God stands undefeated and preeminent. For millennium the enemies of God have sought to usurp His authority, having been met with utter defeat each time. The ultimate and final defeat was the resurrection. That is the power of majesty God has robed Himself in. That is what we stand in awe over as we are the beneficiaries of forever.