Yahweh Is Supreme Over All
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· 1 viewChristians can have confidence navigating a broken world because Yahweh is supreme over all.
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Mention something about Seth leaving
Next week Arthur Bien will be preaching
Warn people that I will be “nerding out”.
This is sort of a background sermon for our upcoming series on spiritual warfare.
My first point will have more content because it is the foundation of the other 2.
read scripture
pray
This psalm is a victory hymn declaring that...
Yahweh is Supreme Over All
Yahweh is the name the triune God revealed to Moses.
While we live in a time where the supernatural is seen to be only mythical, the reality is, the time period when the Bible was written was full of supernatural occurrences. Not just supernatural from God’s activity. But supernatural activity from so called “gods”. Paul would later reveal that those “gods” are actually demons. 1 Corinthians 10:20
No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they SACRIFICE TO DEMONS AND NOT TO GOD. And I do not want you to become sharers in demons.
These demonic forces are hierarchical with satan as their head. And according to scripture, this broken world lies in the power of the evil one.
But as stated before, this psalm is a victory hymn declaring Yahweh is Supreme over all.
Why is this important to us?
Christians can have confidence navigating a broken world because Yahweh is supreme over all.
Imagine for a moment what its like to be in a car as a passenger of someone you immensely trust. Its someone you are extremely confident can navigate you through the toughest rains, around the most dangerous corner, or can drive you the longest distance.
When I’m confident of the drivers skills, I can sit back, relax, and sometimes fall asleep. But, this doesn’t mean the trip is going to not be dangerous. It doesn’t mean that the road isn’t full of danger just because I trust the driver.
This broken world is still full of danger and evil. But, I have the most skillful, strong, and trustworthy driver.
Thats my hope for today.
As I show you the three reasons we can have confidence, I am hoping you can become both educated regarding the danger, but more willing and able to trust your driver. To lay down all your hesitations and lay down all the things that would keep you from knowing your driver intimately.
We have confidence because...
1. Yahweh is God Over All “gods”
1. Yahweh is God Over All “gods”
V1-6
This, might be news to some of you, but most myths are based on some version of truth.
When I say little g gods, I’m not speaking of beings on the same level or power as Yahweh God. These are spirit beings created by Yahweh and originally tasked by Him to fulfill his will.
This idea is present within the psalm it’s self as we will see in just a moment, but whats wild about this psalm is that its content and structure within the Hebrew and the ancient near east context are so blatantly boasting of YHWH being supreme over all “gods”, that some more liberal scholars argue that this psalm was stolen from Canaanite literature by david. They say it was originally a song praising Baal.
But that isn’t really the case. This is indeed an assault on Baal. It’s a battle hymn showing that Baal is puny compared to Yahweh.
The reason I’m mentioning this is because, these spirit beings, demons, essentially, were real and are real. They haven’t changed, but their methods of deception have.
But Yahweh is still God over all “gods”...
1 Ascribe to Yahweh, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength.
Ascribe:
CSB Study Bible: Notes Psalm 29
To ascribe something to someone is to acknowledge they have that attribute.
Sons of the mighty: Ben Elim - Sons of mighty God. Divine Council.
Glory and strength: The state of being held in high honor because of immense power and ability.
Essentially, David is saying to the spiritual beings and their offspring: Admit that Yahweh is worthy of your praise because he is mighty and glorious!
2 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name; Worship Yahweh in the splendor of holiness.
His Name: the essence of who God is is glorious. Eternal God.
Yahweh is a play on the Hebrew word for “I Am”
I am = Hayah
Yahweh’s name defines him as the God who was, is, and will be.
Splendor of holiness: Yahweh is robed in the holiest attire. His clothing is befitting of His rank and status.
Now we have a shift in the song. It will now give examples of Yahweh’s might and glory...
3 The voice of Yahweh is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, Yahweh is over many waters.
The voice of Yahweh: said 7 times. 7 being perfect.
And His voice is like thunder. Terrifying and accompanied by visualizations of power.
“the waters” = can mean both the great flood or “celestial seas”.
Yahweh was responsible for separating the waters and forming earth while also being responsible for the great flood that destroyed all living things in Noah’s day.
It’s important to not here that pretty much every ancient civilization had it’s own testimony to the flood. Aztecs, Mayans, Babylonians, Greeks, Mesopotamians. All of them had it, but attributed the flood to their god.
Yahweh is being portrayed as sovereign over a great storm, coming up over the Mediterranean.
In Ugaritic and Canaanite religion, Baal was supposed to be the “god” over the seas and storms. Baal was pictured holding a lightning bolt and riding on a cloud. The greek translation of Baal would be Zeus.
4 The voice of Yahweh is powerful, The voice of Yahweh is full of splendor.
Here, even Yahweh’s voice is powerful over the storm.
“Peace, be still!”
“Who is this that even the wind and waves obey Him!”
5 The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars; Indeed, Yahweh breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
Lebanon was well known for it’s forests with strong cedar trees.
But, most don’t know that in the Epic of Gilgamesh and other Mesopotamian myths, the forests of Lebanon were sacred and the wood was used to build the homes of the “god’s” in the forest.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox.
What’s interesting here is that David mentions a specific geographic location.
It’s northern Israel (in a moment he will speak of a more southern area).
But what makes this particularly significant is that he indicates a region, Lebanon, and then mentions a specific location in Lebanon, Sirion. Which is another name for Mount Hermon.
The Canaanites and surrounding peoples believed that Mount Hermon was the doorway to the realm of the gods and it would have had a “mountain or pantheon of the gods” connotation.
We see this in the extrabiblical book of Enoch where it says that the fallen angels came to earth from Mount Hermon.
So, for David to say Yahweh makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox, he is saying that all of the gods of the pantheon, Baal, Dagon, Etc, they all are under the sovereign powerful rule of Yahweh!
NIV Application Commentary
Psalms, Volume 1 Call to Worship and Testimony (29:1–2)
When Yahweh appears in all his glory, the pagan deities can only acknowledge his glory and strength and humbly bow in worship
#1 Yahweh is God over all gods
We have confidence because...
2. Yahweh is Creator Over All Creation
2. Yahweh is Creator Over All Creation
V 7-9
The ancients worshiped their own territorial “gods”. gods over different domains. Some were over a geographic location, some were over different elements, some where over different natural occurrences.
They thought this because those “gods” were real beings who convinced people they had this power and demanded loyalty and worship.
So Yahweh’s authority over creation signifies to all that Baal isn’t the god over the weather. Ra is not the god over the sun. Dagon is not god over prosperity. No. Yahweh is creator over all creation. Just as the ‘gods’ bend to His will. So the created order bends to His will.
In fact, this is one of the main points of the plagues that befell Egypt.
7 The voice of Yahweh hews out flames of fire.
Lightning
8 The voice of Yahweh causes the wilderness to tremble; Yahweh causes the wilderness of Kadesh to tremble.
Kadesh: the place where Israel refused to believe God’s power could deliver Canaan into their possession. They believed the offspring of the rebel spirit beings (Nephilim) were stronger than Yahweh. Kadesh is the place where God’s people attributed more power to demons and their offspring than they did to Yahweh!
But, here, Yahweh’s voice causes the wilderness of Kadesh to tremble.
9 The voice of Yahweh makes the deer to calve And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”
The nations might attribute power over things like fire, storms, the wilderness, and livestock… But ultimately, it is Yahweh who is sovereign over all.
His people know it, and they rightly praise Him: GLORY GLORY!
Psalms, Volume 1 Contemporary Significance
How long has it been since you were overwhelmed in this way by a sense of God’s powerful presence? Too often today God has become our “buddy” and “pal.” As Christians we sometimes become so comfortable with the salvation we have received in Christ that we forget just how undeserved it is. When we focus on God only as Redeemer, Savior, and friend, and not as powerful God, creator, and hater of sin and evil, it is easy (often unintentionally) to emasculate our understanding of God until he is like our human buddies and pals who accept us as we are and do not challenge us to change.
#2. Yahweh is creator over all creation
We have confidence because...
3. Yahweh is King Over All Kings
3. Yahweh is King Over All Kings
V10-11
10 Yahweh sat enthroned over the flood; Indeed, Yahweh sits as King forever.
The flood =
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 29
The word for flood here (Hb. mabbul) is used elsewhere only of Noah’s flood (Gen. 6:17);
Its important to note here that not only was the flood God’s method of purifying the earth because of the evil of humanity, but the flood was also God’s method of wiping out a whole generation of nephilim who were the result of “gods” mating with humans. The kings of the ancient world would claim to be descendents of these ancient hybrid beings. Genesis 6:4
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
King Yahweh will not tolerate His creation to be highjacked by imposter kings or imposter gods.
He is King over all!
11 Yahweh will give strength to His people; Yahweh will bless His people with peace.
Ultimately, no other nation and king, slaved to other gods, will overthrow Yahweh’s people.
Yahweh has every king in checkmate
Psalms, Volume 1 Yahweh’s Enthronement as King (29:10–11)
Having assumed his rightful place as eternal king, Yahweh becomes the source of confident hope for his people.
Yahweh is our confident hope because He is all powerful and yet He is for us.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
3. Yahweh is king over all kings
3 reasons for our confidence
Yahweh is God over all gods
sons of the Mighty, gods of Lebanon, god’s from Mount Hermon [Sirion]
Yahweh is Creator over all creation
waters, weather, wilderness, flood, fire, livestock, etc
Yahweh is king over all kings
king forever who grants peace to whom He wishes
What Now?
If this is a battle hymn, what is our role in the battle
Praise
Whatever circumstance you have, praise God.
Praise Him for being more powerful than your cancer.
Praise Him for being sovereign over your love life.
Praise Him for being victorious in your marriage.
Praise Him for being more powerful than the demonic.
Pray
Plead with Jesus to exercise His supremacy over all by intervening in your family, marriage, classroom, etc.
Plead with Jesus to make you more aware of the spiritual realm this culture tries distract us from with its propaganda.
Proclaim
The enemy is boldly and arrogantly proclaiming lies everywhere!
We need to proclaim truth from the rooftops.
Specifically the truth of the gospel. That Jesus is the true king over all. That Jesus has paid for sin and defeated satan by His cross and resurrection.
Disciple
We combat pagan worldviews with Christian discipleship.
We need everyone participating in discipleship.
My promise to you… If you will commit to discipling someone or many people, you will begin to feel more connected to Jesus, His Church, and His mission.
Last week I said “Broken people in a broken world can have hope because God is good”
If Yahweh is God over all gods
If Yahweh is Creator over all creation
If Yahweh is King over all kings
And if He is indeed good.
Then He can be trusted in the uphill spiritual warfare you are experiencing.
He can be trusted in the sickness, turmoil, or suffering you are experiencing.
He can be trusted to hold accountable all powers and authorities who contribute to the suffering humanity is experiencing.
YAHWEH will always have the final say.
Over the spirits
Over the creation
Over the kings of this age.
Beloved, Jesus is the one we are speaking of.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Grow Group Reflection Questions
Why is it important to be aware of demonic attempts to steal God’s worship?
Why must we remember that God is God over all “gods”?
Why is it important to remember that God is Creator over all creation?
Are there any aspects of living in a broken creation that have become discouraging for you?
Why is it important to remember that God is King over all kings?
How are the “gods”, the created order, and kings of the world all connected?
Why is it important to remember that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood? What do we wrestle against?
How have you witnessed God deliver and save?