Enthroned on Praise

“But You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3 CSB)

Most of us have seen a picture of a throne, and some may have even seen a throne in person at one time or another. There are all sorts of them. In western countries they tend to be elaborate and gold. In Asia they tend to be colorful and sometimes golden. In the Forbidden City in Beijing, for example, the ancient throne of the Chinese dynasties was made of wood, with steps leading up to the seat. The wood is carved and ornate, and all around it are beautiful colors with red, gold, cobalt blue, white, and so on.

All thrones are built on some kind of foundation. The thrones of human kings are build on the ground, or on wood platforms, or on concrete. The throne of God, however, is totally unique. It has one foundation and one ornamentation.

The foundation of God’s throne is His holiness. God is holy. Holy is one of the ways that the Bible describes God for us. He is “wholly other” than anything else we can know. His holiness provides the foundation for his throne and our worship of Him.

The ornamentation of God’s throne is praise. Because God is holy, we praise Him. And God is enthroned on the praises of His people. His throne does not require our praise, because His kingship is not dependent on anything human beings do or think. We praise Him simply because of who He is, and our praises are offered to Him in worship. Thus, our praise becomes the decoration or ornamentation of His throne.

Lord, You are absolute holiness, and we give You the praises of our hearts this day to add to the decorations around Your throne that have come from myriads of worshipers who love You. Amen.