Psalms 99:6

"Moses and Aaron among his priests,

And Samuel among them that call upon his name;

They called upon Jehovah, and he answered them.

He spake unto them in the pillar of cloud:

They kept his testimonies,

And the statute that he gave them.

Thou answeredst them, O Jehovah our God:

Thou wast a God that forgavest them,

Though thou tookest vengeance of their doings.

Exalt ye Jehovah our God,

And worship at his holy hill;

For Jehovah our God is holy."

The mention of three of the great heroes of national Israel, as well as the stress for worshipping God "at his holy hill" indicates the special application of this part of the psalm to the ancient Israel. Appropriately, the prayerful obedience of Israel's past leaders, the emphasis upon God's holiness, along with the reminder that even Moses, Aaron and Samuel, although forgiven, were also punished for their sins - all these declarations were extremely appropriate for the ancient Israel, whose repeated rebellions and sins constitute the principal burden of the Old Testament.

"Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name" (Psalms 99:6). Moses is here called a priest because of certain priestly functions which he performed in the consecration of Aaron, the setting up of the tabernacle, and also because of his intercessory prayers for Israel. Aaron was the first High Priest. Samuel, who was not a priest, is here mentioned as one, "who called upon God's name" (Psalms 99:6). An instance of Samuel's prayers for Israel is found in 1 Samuel 12:19-22.

"They kept his testimonies ... and the statute" (Psalms 99:7). This was a strong reminder to Israel that the great blessings that came to Israel under such leadership was due to the "obedience" of those great leaders. Israel needed that reminder.

"Thou (God) forgavest them" (Psalms 99:8). Yes, even Moses, Aaron and Samuel committed sins. Moses and Aaron did so at the waters of Meribah; and Samuel's excessive leniency toward his reprobate sons was sinful. God forgave those sins; but the fact of their still suffering the penalties due from them was cited in the same breath.

"Thou (God) tookest vengeance of their doings" (Psalms 99:8). Moses and Aaron were forbidden to enter Canaan; and, "Samuel's judgeship seems to have been brought to an end through his undue leniency toward his sons Joel and Abijah (1 Samuel 7:1-5)."[13]

"Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" is a law which is not abrogated by forgiveness. All of God's forgiveness is accompanied by punishment in order to show the pardoned man how deadly his sin was. The worst penalty of sin, separation from God, is wholly turned aside by forgiveness; but for the most part the earthly penalties of sin, and which are the natural results of sin, whether in character, memory, habit, or circumstances, are not removed by pardon. The character of such penalties is changed so that they become loving chastisements for our profit.[14]

"Worship at his holy hill" (Psalms 99:9). This restriction contrasts with worship at God's footstool (Psalms 99:5), which is the whole earth, and indicates that this portion of the psalm must be understood as directed to the Old Testament Israel.

"For Jehovah our God is holy" (Psalms 99:9). This statement is fully the equivalent of "He is holy," the concluding words in Psalms 99:3,5, and serves also as the concluding exclamation here.

The combination here of words regarding the final judgment in Psalms 99:1-5, along with the final section (Psalms 99:6-9) which applies especially to Israel, seems to be characteristic of all of the psalms, many of which have a number of elements in the same psalm.