Monarchy is a form of government in which one person rules as king. An oligarchy is government by an elite few. A democracy is government by the people. But in a theocracy, God rules as King. In the Old Testament, Israel was distinct as a nation because of their theocratic government. But this unique national privilege pointed forward to the present and coming reign of our great Lord and King Jesus Christ, who rules not only the church, but the entire earth and indeed the universe. Psalm 93 describes a theocracy, as do the seven psalms that follow it. The previous psalm declared, “But You, O LORD, are on high forever” (92:8). But what does that mean? How is God exalted? In what ways does He rule? These eight psalms will now answer this question. The first stanza of Psalm 93 describes the nature of God’s reign. Since “He is robed in majesty,” we must understand that God rules in sovereign power. Earthly monarchs go to great lengths to enhance the impression of their majesty, but the LORD has no need to multiply the trappings of His power. His authority is not a mere show of sovereignty. He does actually reign over all. Because of His awesome power, “the world is established; it shall never be moved.” Nothing and no one can destroy God’s creation but God Himself. And because He is eternal and unchanging, God can be trusted to remain as He has revealed Himself to be. He will not change His character or break His Word. The LORD is inescapable and will not be ignored (v 1-2). The world may not seem to be firmly established, for it is constantly changing and decaying. This fluctuation is pictured by the image of a surging and pounding sea. But God is in control of every wave, every flood. The world of nature is subject to God’s rule, as are the Gentile nations, which are often portrayed in Scripture as a restless ocean. Hostile powers are no threat to His reign, for God is King not just of the cosmos, but of human beings too (v 3-4). In the third and final stanza of the psalm, we are encouraged to meditate on God’s “decrees” and His “holiness.” Human rule can be perverted if exercised according to the whim of those in power and not according to just law. But God rules by His law, which is perfectly upright. Everything associated with God is holy, including His Word. It is in the Scriptures that we learn of His royal will and how we may please Him. Today then, let us strive to live holy lives, subject to the gracious rule of our sovereign LORD (v 5). For further meditation: