The Voice of God

A Call to Worship

English Standard Version Psalm 29

1  Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

2  Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;

worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

Perhaps we miss the mark when it comes to the glory. If we miss the mark can we find it in us to worship the God of Glory?

Paul tells us in Romans 1:20-24

Romans 1:20–24 NRSV

Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves,

that it was made clear to us but that we did not give him the honor he was due. Worship is offering praise, and it says O Heavenly Beings (mighty one-son’s of gods)

English Standard Version Psalm 29

3  The voice of the LORD is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

the LORD, over many waters.

4  The voice of the LORD is powerful;

the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

Donald M. Williams, the author of my commentary on Psalms tells us that,”The God whom we worship is the God who speaks creation into existence.” The theme of this Psalm is that His voice thunders of the waters, over many waters.

God’s voice over the nations

English Standard Version Psalm 29

5  The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;

the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

6  He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,

and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7  The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.

The flames of fire spoken of in verse 7 are probably His thunderous voice. As thunder follows lightning God’s voice causes destruction. The cedars of Lebanon were proverbial and stood for the pride of man. What God is doing here is to bring the prideful nations low.

God’s voice over the wilderness

English Standard Version Psalm 29

8  The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;

the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

9  The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth

and strips the forests bare,

and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

In verses 8 and 9 David sees the Lords voice as an earthquake stripping the forest bare and yet bringing new life as the deer gives birth. In His temple we all say Glory. As we see from David’s depiction, when God speaks forests are stripped bare and in response we recognize God’s great power and praise Him by saying Glory.

God rules

English Standard Version Psalm 29

10  The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;

the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.

11  May the LORD give strength to his people!

May the LORD bless his people with peace!

In the midst of the chaos of destruction (the flood) perhaps, God sits enthroned, in charge, He rules.