Psalm 29

SLIDE 2 What’s the biggest storm you’ve experienced? I’ve never been in a hurricane, but I’ve been near the coast when a hurricane passed by in the water twice. The last time was just a few years ago. We took Mary Anne’s parents to the beach. They’d only been to the beach once. They traveled to Myrtle Beach for one day and it rained the entire time. So a few years ago we took them back to Myrtle Beach for a week. Near the end of our vacation a hurricane passed by. It was miles out to see. The winds picked up and we had lots of rain, but that was about it.

The first hurricane I experienced was in Florida when I was in college. I was traveling for Johnson and we were sent to the Florida Christian Teen Convention that was being held Thanksgiving weekend at Bush Garden in Tampa Bay. The program for the high school students was in a huge tent. I’m not sure I could have gotten my arms around the center pole that held up the tent. The wind was so strong it was lifting the pole off the ground, but it wasn’t strong enough to keep us from having the program.

That was the biggest storm I’ve experienced. Again, the hurricane was way out in the water. I know people have experienced much worse than that.

Turn with me to Psalm 29.

I might be of interest to know that Psalm 29 was used as a part of the worship during the Festival of Weeks or Pentecost. It follows fifty days after Passover and occurred at the end of the wheat harvest. In the New Testament, it is also remembered as the beginning of the church. It was at Pentecost when the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. We read in Acts 2: SLIDE 2

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. SLIDE 3 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4)

SLIDE 4 It sounds like a storm. There was the noise of a violent blowing wind. In Psalm 29, David compares a mighty storm to the power of God. David was an outdoorsman. He had certainly seen some storms up close in his days of tending his father’s sheep, fighting for Saul, or as he was on the run from the king. When David saw the effects of a mighty storm it reminded him of the mighty power of God. He uses it as a call for all creation to worship God who is sovereign of heaven, earth, and its people. That is the sole purpose of this psalm. As one commentator wrote:

This psalm has no other elements. It is pure praise. It does not call upon us to do anything because the psalm itself is doing the only thing it is concerned about doing. It is praising God.

SLIDE 5 First, David talks about God’s sovereignty over heaven.

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you 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 his holiness. (Psalm 29:1-2)

The psalm begins in the splendor of the heavenly courts. Heaven is a place to worship God. So David calls upon the beings to offer worship to God. David calls them to recognize God’s strength and glory.

I think the King James is actually is a little more helpful in its translation of the first word. Three times in these two verses we’re told to “ascribe to the Lord.” The Hebrew word literally means to “give.” While the majority of translations use the poetic word “ascribe,” the King James uses the literal translation “give.” David is calling us to give God the praise and honor that he deserves.

There is a difference of opinion about who David is referring to when he talks about the heavenly beings. The phrase “heavenly beings” can also be translated as “mighty ones.” Many think he’s actually referring to people on earth with great power. There is a temptation for the powerful to trust in themselves. It is easy for those with great strength, knowledge, influence, or wealth, to start trusting in their own ability. They are the mighty ones of the world. Whether he’s referring to angelic beings in heaven or important and powerful people on earth, David calls on them to recognize and give glory to the Lord.

In your Bible the word “Lord” should be in all caps. Remember, when it does that it is referring to the Hebrew word “Yahweh,” the name God gave Moses at the burning bush. This name for God appears eighteen times in eleven verses. David says we are to give the Lord the glory due his name.

You’ll remember that one of the Ten Commandments is to not take God’s name in vain. We’re not to use God’s name in a cuss word or flippantly as if it doesn’t mean anything. As a result, out of respect for his name, Jews have refused to say God’s name and instead replace it with the name Lord which means “Master.” Concerning his name, in Isaiah God says: SLIDE 6

I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. (Isaiah 42:8)

SLIDE 7 God will not share his power and glory with anyone or anything. There is only one God and everyone must recognize that fact.

David says that we are to worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. Holiness here is essentially “wholeness.” There is nothing lacking or missing in God. There is no sin to erode him in any way. That’s why the four living creatures in Revelation 4 cry out to God saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord almighty.” They are responding to God’s holiness and giving him glory.

When we give glory to God we are not adding to his glory, we are simply recognizing the glory that is his.

SLIDE 8 Second, David talks about God’s sovereignty over earth.

Seven times in the next several verses David mentions the voice of the Lord. Each time David emphasizes the idea of strength and authority of God that is expressed through his voice. We are told about the power of God’s voice in creation where all God had to do was speak and the world was created. God didn’t to break a sweat to create the sun, moon, or stars. He just spoke and the skies were filled with birds, the seas with fish, and the earth with plants and living creatures. Thus is the power of his voice.

Do you remember the story of the centurion who came to Jesus for help? His servant was sick and dying. He asked Jesus to heal him. When Jesus mentioned going the centurion’s house to heal the servant, the centurion said it wasn’t necessary. SLIDE 9

8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. SLIDE 10 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Matthew 8:8-9)

SLIDE 11 The centurion understood the authority and power of Jesus. If Jesus commanded the servant to be healed it would happen. All he had to do was speak and what he said would be done.

This is what David is talking about. God has such power and authority over the earth that all he has to do is speak. The voice of the Lord is over the waters.

3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. (Psalm 29:3-4)

I don’t remember ever hearing thunder when on the water, but I’m told the water seems to amplify its sound. Whereas trees and vegetation absorb sound, maybe it bounces off water making the thunder seem even louder than it is. David says God’s voice echoes over the waters.

Generally speaking, the Israelites were not a seafaring people. They viewed the waters as dangerous. Yet David saw God’s powers extending over the waters. As dangerous and powerful as the seas are, God’s power is greater.

The voice of the Lord is also over creation.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. (Psalm 29:5)

The cedars of Lebanon were known for their size and strength. Its wood was used by Solomon in building the temple. The walls were stone and lined with wood. Cedar was also used in the building of the palaces for David and Solomon. David says God’s voice alone could shatter the mighty trees. David asks, “Do you hear the trees snapping? That’s the Lord speaking.”

Imagine lightening hitting a tree and shattering it. The voice of the Lord is more powerful.

6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. (Psalm 29:6)

The cedar of Lebanon grew in the mountains. The name Lebanon means “to be white” which probably refers to the snow that covers it much of the year. Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon. David says that the voice of God makes these mountain shake and jump like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. 8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh. (Psalm 29:7-8)

Nature is connected to God. As a result, David sees God’s hand in nature and even in the storms. We are quick to see God’s hand in the creation of a flower or a beautiful sunset, but how about in a dark cloud, a storm, or lightning? David could see the effect of lightning bolts, and understood that they were an illustration of the power and effect of God’s word.

Scientists calculate that a typical thunderstorm releases around ten million kilowatt-hours of energy. That would be enough energy to power the city of New York for an entire day in just one storm. These too are awesome and in them David hears in them the voice of God.

9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” (Psalm 29:9)

In Hebrew the phrase “The voice of the Lord twists the oaks” is four words. The first word means “the voice.” That’s easy enough. The second Hebrew word means “of the Lord.” That’s easy too. The third word in the Hebrew means “to twist, to be brought forth, to be born.” But the fourth word can only refer to a doe or a female deer. So, I don’t know why the NIV translates it as “twists the oaks” except that it flows well with “strips the forests bare.”

But David seems to suggest that the storm is so strong and so loud that it scares the pregnant doe into labor.

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. (Psalm 29:10)

There is no natural force on earth stronger than that of moving water. How many remember pictures from the flood almost twenty years ago? I remember driving up the Roan Mountain and seeing a couple of house completely swept off their foundations. It’s understandable to see the mobile homes moved, but I didn’t expect to see brick houses moved down stream. But that’s how powerful the flodd waters were. God is more powerful.

The word David uses for “flood” is only used one other place in the Bible – Genesis 6-9. David was reflecting on the story of Noah, the ark, and the flood that covered the earth. God has the power to create and to destroy because God is greater than the water and more powerful than the flood. He had that power in the days of Noah and he has the same power today. God is still one his throne.

SLIDE 12 Third, God’s sovereignty over people

11 The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. (Psalm 29:11)

David reviewed the strength of God and then declared that God strengthens his people. He enables them to do his will. He was with Noah as he built the ark. He was with Moses as he led the Israelites through the wilderness. He was with David as he fought Goliath. He was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace and with Daniel in the lion’s den. And God is with us still.

And in an even greater display of strength, God blesses his people with peace. Even in the midst of life’s storms, God is able to calm the hearts of those who trust in him. As Paul wrote to the Philippians: SLIDE 13

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. SLIDE 14 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

God is able to give us peace. One commentator put it this way:

After the thunder, lightning, wind, and rain comes the calm after the storm when “the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Noah saw the rainbow of the covenant after the storm, [in Revelation 4:3] the apostle John saw it before the storm, and Ezekiel saw the rainbow in the midst of the storm (Ezekiel 1:26-28). We always have God’s promise to encourage us.

Because God’s peace is not dependent upon outward circumstances, even in the midst of the storm, the Lord blesses his people with peace.

SLIE 15 Nature can be pretty powerful and destructive.

On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam collapsed flooding the towns of Johnstown and South Fork in Pennsylvania. An estimated 2,209 people lost their lives.

On April 18, 1906, an earthquake hit San Francisco lasting almost a minute. More than 80% of the city was destroyed and killed more 3,000 people.

On March 18, 1925, a tornado went through Tennessee, Kentucky, and into Indiana. It left a path of destruction a mile wide traveling at seventy miles an hour for three hours. There were 2,027 injuries and 695 fatalities.

On September 8, 1900, a category 4 hurricane hit Galveston with sustained winds of 143 miles per hour. The city was hit with fifteen foot waves destroying 3,600 homes and killing more than 8,000 people.

These are just some of the worst natural disasters in the United States. There have been many more and this very short list doesn’t include any other country. When you hear those numbers you begin to get a sense of the power and strength of nature. But as strong as those are, God is more powerful. If we fear these storms, how much more should we fear God?

Of course the biggest storms we face are not in nature, but in our hearts and minds. Those storms keep us from sleep. We don’t like these storms, but it is in the storms that we most often hear God because they drive us to God for help. It’s not when the skies are sunny and bright, but when they are dark and stormy that we find ourselves calling out to the Lord.

Like David, we must learn to see God in the storm, recognizing that God is enthroned above it. God is greater than any storm we may face in life. It is honoring to God when we bring these problems to God seeking his help. Ask to God to help you see him in the storm or problem.

We can read about David’s life in the Bible and see how God worked things out for him. Was God faithful to David? Absolutely. We can see there was never a reason for David to ever doubt God. But that’s easy for us to say several thousand years later. It was not as easy for David to say as he lived through it.

The same is true for our lives. We don’t have the luxury of seeing things from the end when we’re in the middle of a storm. We can’t see now how God is going to work. Because we know that God has been faithful before, we can know that he will continue to be faithful. Therefore, we can trust him in whatever storm we face.

What storms are you facing right now or have recently gone through. Whatever it is, God is greater. God is greater than any storm you will ever face. That is what we need to always remember.

Paul wrote to the Romans: SLIDE 16

For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36)

David calls all of creation to give glory to God. Our highest purpose is to worship and glorify God, who alone is holy. All of our lives should be lived with this grand theme in mind. Paul understood this when he wrote to the Corinthians:

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Therefore, let us join David in giving the glory due his name.