Psalms 99:7

Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them. -Admonition to Israel, literal and spiritual, to be instructed by past history, that if she would be ready for Yahweh's coming kingdom and for enjoying the near communion with God which Moses, Aaron, and Samuel enjoyed, she must, like them, keep God's testimonies, and avoid the sins and consequent punishment of those for whom Moses, Aaron, and Samuel interceded. Verse 6. MOSES AND AARON AMONG HIS PRIESTS, AND SAMUEL AMONG THEM THAT CALL UPON HIS NAME; THEY CALLED UPON THE LORD, AND HE ANSWERED THEM. The necessary condition of sharing in the coming kingdom of the Lord is now calling upon the Lord in faith; for, as in Moses', Aaron's, and Samuel's case, so always calling the way to obtain a hearing. Aaron alone was a priest in the Levitical sense; but the H...

6-9 The happiness of Israel is made out by referring to the most useful governors of that people. They in every thing made God's word and law their rule, knowing that they could not else expect that their prayers should be answered. They all wonderfully prevailed with God in prayer; miracles were wrought at their request. They pleaded for the people, and obtained answers of peace. Our Prophet and High Priest, of infinitely greater dignity than Moses, Aaron, or Samuel, has received and declared to us the will of the Father. Let us not only exalt the Lord with our lips, but give him the throne in our heart; and while we worship him upon his mercy-seat, let us never forget that he is holy...

Verse Psalms 99:7. _HE SPAKE UNTO THEM IN THE CLOUDY PILLAR_] That is, he directed all their operations, marchings, and encampments by this cloudy pillar. See Exodus 33:9. _THEY KEPT HIS TESTIMONIES_] Do ye the same, and God will be _your_ portion as he was _theirs_....

HE SPAKE UNTO THEM IN THE CLOUDY PILLAR - He spake to the men of other times; to those who called upon his name. It cannot be meant literally that he spake to “Samuel” from the “cloudy pillar” - the pillar which guided the Israelites in the wilderness, unless that term be understood in the general sense as denoting the “Shechinah” - the visible symbol of the divine presence - the cloud that rested on the ark. The idea is, that God his people in ancient times from the cloud - the symbol of his presence; that he communed with them; that he heard their prayers; that he gave them his commandments; that he interposed in their behalf, and that it was not a vain thing that they worshipped him. All this was as true of Samuel - it is as true now of those who call upon God - as it was of Moses and Aaron. THEY KEPT HIS TESTIMONIES ... - They obeyed his laws, and he thus heard and answered them....

EXPOSITION HERE we have the last of the series of Second Advent psalms, which began with Psalms 93:1. The first of them, the fifth, and the last, commence in the same way—with the watchword, "The Lord reigneth." The first and last lay special stress on holiness, as God's leading characteristic, and as required by him (Psalms 93:5; Psalms 99:3, Psalms 99:5, Psalms 99:9). Delitzsch has called this psalm "the earthly echo of the seraphic Trisagion." It resolves the concentrated declaration, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts" ...

HE SPAKE UNTO THEM IN THE CLOUDY PILLAR,.... In the pillar of the clouds of glory, as the Targum; in which the Lord went before the children of Israel in the wilderness, to lead them, and protect them from heat in the day, Exodus 13:21, that is, he spake in this to Moses and Aaron; for it ceased when they came to the land of Canaan; instances of which see in Exodus 19:9, some have thought that the Lord might speak to Samuel also out of a cloud, when he called upon him, and it thundered, since clouds and thunder go together, 1 Samuel 12:18, the cloudy pillar was a type of Christ; and it is by him the Lord has spoken all his mind and will, when he was clothed with a cloud, or became obscure in the form of a servan

Psalms 99 The Reign of Righteousness _ 1. His throne (Psalms 99:1)_ 2. Judgment and righteousness executed (Psalms 99:4) 3. His gracious dealings (Psalms 99:7) It is a Psalm of the righteous government. The Lord who reigns is holy, demands obedience. He is holy and must be worshipped. Moses and Aaron were His priests in the past and Samuel among them that called upon His Name. He dealt graciously with His people in the past and forgave them, and the same Lord now reigneth and will deal in righteousness and mercy with His people....

XCIX. A TEMPLE SONG AFTER VICTORY. The Ps. is divided into three parts by the refrain Holy is he (_i.e._ separate from all defilement) at Psalms 99:3; Psalms 99:5 and (in an expanded form) at Psalms 99:9. PSALMS 99:1. The Psalmist praises Yahweh as exalted above all material things. The cherubim seem to recover what was perhaps their original significance, as spirits of the tempest (see on Psalms 18:9). Yahweh is seated on the cherubim, _i.e._ on the throne which they guard....

UNTO THEM: i.e. to Moses and Aaron....

HE SPAKE UNTO THEM IN THE CLOUDY PILLAR— This passage is very clear as to Moses and Aaron. But it is not any where expressly said that God spake unto Samuel out of a cloudy pillar; however, Dr. Hammond has observed, that it is probable enough from his history, that he did so: for when Samuel was so signally heard by God at Mizpeh, 1 Samuel 7:9. _The Lord heard him;_ and 1 Samuel 7:10. _The Lord thundered with a great thunder;_ where God's voice and thunder were, questionless, like that in Exodus 19:16 where the _clouds_ are mentioned as well as the thunder; and indeed where thunder is, a cloud must be supposed to be; and so this answering of Samuel with thunder, must be God's speaking to him at this time out of