NEW SONG: “Exalt the Lord Our God”

Listen to “exalt the lord our god”

HEAR FROM BR. rahl ON WHY HE WROTE THE SONG

Behind the lyrics

Hello. Br. Rahl Bunsa here. I was asked to share briefly about the song that I wrote, “Exalt the Lord Our God,” based on Psalm 99. This was the first song that I wrote years ago (… truth be told, I wrote some other songs, but they were duds!). This was the first song that the Brothers seemed to appreciate, and that we started to use in our own worship.

It emerged from a growing awareness and conviction that I had in many contemporary Christian songs, even ones that we use at church, there oftentimes is a void of the theme of reverence, respect, and awe for the Lord—or to use Scriptural language: the fear of the Lord, which includes obedience to the Lord. This theme of obedience and fear of the Lord is not only in the Scriptures, but it’s also in the Christian tradition. One day when the Brotherhood was chanting Psalm 99, I thought, “This [Psalm] captures it!” And so I simply put it to music.

A few notes on the refrain: the words “Exalt the Lord God.” “Exalt” means to lift up (the name of the Lord). “Bow down” shows a posture of humility and reverence before the Lord. “His footstool” means His presence, which back then in Zion means the Tabernacle and later the Temple, and for us the Real Presence, Eucharistically in Christ Jesus.

And why these things? Because as Isaiah 6 says three times, “The Lord our God is
holy!” He is other. He is to be reverenced, feared, honored, for He is glorious.

So may this Psalm and the song help all of us to capture a deeper spirit of reverence and awe before the Lord our God.

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Song lyrics

The Lord is now enthroned,

The peoples tremble;

See the cherubim.

The earth shakes,

For He is ‘throned the King of Kings.

Refrain:

Exalt the Lord our God,

Bow down before His footstool,

For He the Lord is Holy;

Holy is the Lord,

Holy is the Lord.

Our God is great in Zion,

And exalted,

O’er all the earth,

Let us praise

His great and awesome name the Lord.

Refrain

Let us offer worship,

Priestly worship

To our mighty king

Who loves justice

And who reigns in equity.

Refrain x2