You start into Psalm 22 and immediately you’re taken to the cross. You read the Psalm and you’re drawn into the sufferings of Messiah. That this is a song concerning the Savior is so clear for those who have heard the cry of Jesus on the tree, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” But amidst these opening insights of the One forsaken of the Father and despised by men, there is, at least in my mind, an unexpected gem to be gleaned concerning worship . . . a truth to be tucked away concerning the nature of God and it’s relationship to the praises of men.

Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:3 ESV)

After crying out to a God who has abandoned him . . . after pleading the “why” question to heaven . . . the psalmist is led by the Holy Spirit to put context around his rhetorical question. “Yet, You are holy.” Though forsaken . . . though bewildered by heaven’s silence . . . though in agony and despair . . . let it all be understood within the context that God is holy. God is sovereign and His plans are pure . . . though desperate for His voice, the psalmist would lay no blame to His righteous God but, instead, recount and rest in His faithfulness shown through the ages (22-4-5).

Though Jesus didn’t utter this line of the psalm from the cross, I wonder if it went through His mind . . . knowing that He was forsaken because a holy God demanded a payment for sin . . . knowing that He was hanging between heaven and earth alone because a righteous God so loved a lost world that He was giving His own beloved Son as a ransom . . . so that God might be both “just” and the “the justifier” (Rom. 3:26).

God is holy.

But another truth concerning God is revealed. Says the Spirit, God is enthroned on the praises of Israel. Or, as the note in my Bible points out, it might be translated “He dwells in the praises of Israel.” The old KJV says, “But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”

And I have to be honest, the thought that God inhabits the praise of His people absolutely grabs me. To consider that the worship of the saints acts as a “construction project”, building a throne of exaltation which God graciously occupies, is a wonder to me. Our singing yesterday morning before the sermon wasn’t just the “prelims” . . . it was an invitation to our holy God to come down and dwell with us amidst the praise. The few songs we sang as a home group last night wasn’t just a going through the motions, it was an renewed invitation for God to occupy the throne of our lives . . . a renewal of our desire that He reign in all things . . . that He have absolute authority . . . that He be our deliverer . . . that we determine afresh to trust in Him as our rock and fortress.

Oh, how easy it is to “dumb down” worship . . . to “low ball” not only it’s purpose, but it’s impact in the heavenlies. God is lifted up and exalted when, regardless of our life circumstance, we offer authentic worship. And while worship rises to heaven, God comes down, desiring to inhabit the praise of His people . . . to be known in their midst . . . His presence realized as the sacrifice of the fruit of our lips is freely offered acknowledging His blessed Name (Heb. 13:15).

You read Psalm 22 and you can’t help but shout, “O’ what a Savior!” But this morning, I’m also led to exclaim, “O’ what a song!” Ours is the song of the redeemed . . . the song of blessing to our God . . . the song which enthrones God above all . . . the song which invites His habitation among us.

O’ be enthroned on the praises of Your people, Lord . . . for Your glory!