The Voice of the Lord
Psalms 29
Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567
There are many things in life that are truly frightening! Public speaking, heights, going to the dentist, snakes, spiders, and lizards, flying in an airplane, enclosed spaces, being rejected by others, and deteriorating health just to name a few. With about twenty people per minute being abused, one in five women in the U.S. have been raped in their lifetime, bankruptcies in Canada up by a staggering 33% over last year, two in five Canadians expected to develop cancer in their lifetime, more than 770 million people getting Covid and nearly seven million dying from this disease, gas prices nearly doubling in the last seven years, having recently experienced food inflation of more than 10%, the average price of a home in New Brunswick now selling for about $300k; whom amongst us does not believe this world is becoming chaotic? With Russia attacking Ukraine in 2014 resulting in nearly six million Ukrainian refugees being across Europe, close to 3,000 people killed in an earthquake in Morocco, and Hurricane Lee just hitting the Maritimes; one can’t help but see these events as signs that we are in the end times as prophesized by Christ in Matthew 24! And yet even when nation rises against nations, famines and earthquakes happen, diseases ravage our lands, and stock markets plunge into what seems like oblivion; we are told in the Bible that we are to experience peace that surpasses all understanding. Despite what we read in the newspapers and see on TV the truth is that God was, is, and always will be sovereign and fully in control of all things seen and unseen! Yes we as Christians are like sheep sent out into this world amongst the wolves who hate the Gospel message (Matthew 10:16) and yes this fallen world that is constantly “subjected to frustration” (Romans 8:10) is at best chaotic and at worst filled with tribulations to be overcome; but we are not without hope for there is still a strong refuge onto which to place one’s feet, before God’s throne of grace! The following sermon is going to review the storm in Psalms 29 so that amidst this chaotic world we might seek strength, grace, and peace from God who is the Creator and sustainer of all life!
The Call to Praise God
Psalms 29 is a beautiful Ugaritic-like hymn in which King David reflects upon the glory of God. This Psalm is best sung “beneath the black wing of tempest, by the glare of lightening,” as one reflects upon the glory and “self-attestation of the God of redemptive history.” Overwhelmed with the majesty of God and in great humility David asks for the “heavenly beings to help him ascribe to the Lord glory and strength” (1). While “heavenly beings” here is directly translated from Hebrew as “sons of God” it could refer to “Canaanite mythology of lessors gods subordinate to El, the king of gods,” most likely David is referring to angelic beings. Like us even the angels learn of God’s eternal power and divine nature (Romans 1:20) “from the exhibitions of His power over creation.” In first part of verse two David says we are to “ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name.” Psalm 8:1 tells us His name is “magnificent.” Psalm 9:10 says of God, “Those who know Your name trust in You.” Proverbs 18:10 tells us that “the name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected.” Philippians 2:9–10 tells us there is a “name that is above every name … the name of Jesus.” Our God has a name that we must honor. Being sovereign over all creation humanity and even the divine beings are called to bow down and worship before Him (Psalms 96:7-9). While neither the heavenly beings or humanity can “give anything to God” (Acts 17:24-25) or in any way change His divine sovereignty, David says we are to come before Him clothed with “inward purity and outward holiness” that only comes from a contrite, broken, redeemed heart (Psalms 51) fully in love with and submissive to do His will! Like the angels we are called to bow down, worship Him in adoration, and above all with grateful hearts say “thank you Lord” for Your gracious gift of forgiveness and redemption! Reflection. The complexity of this universe is beyond our comprehension and yet in faith and through the testimony of experience, scripture, and the Holy Spirit we know beyond a doubt God is sovereign over all things seen and unseen (Colossians 1:16)! Though we be but jars of clay and unrighteous by our own efforts, we can’t help but bow in awe when we get even a glimpse of His glory … especially when He forgives and renews our very minds!
The Voice Over the Waters
In the second stanza of the song David sings of the voice of the Lord as found in the storm. Imagine David sitting under a tree looking up into the dark, dreary sky and listening to a storm working up from the Mediterranean Sea, “sweeping down the entire length of Canaan, and then disappearing out over the desert to the south.” As the lightning flashes and the thunder claps with ferocious tenacity he reflects upon the glory and majesty of the God of Israel. David is not saying that God’s power is limited to nature’s power but merely that God’s Creative, and sustaining power is like and yet far greater than the roaring seas, the dark clouds of rain in the sky and thunder they often produce. In poetic language David uses the awesome sound of thunder to compare to the voice of Yahweh (18:13). With a single word God spoke and the primeval waters at creation where separated, the waters from the sky and land (Genesis 1:6-7) and with a single command from His Son Jesus the raging storm and angry sky that threatened to take Peter and the Apostles life instantly ceased its chaos and was made calm (Matthew 22:36). The roar of the seas and claps of thunder reminds us that the Lord is Sovereign and Judge overall things seen and unseen (Colossians 1:16). This truth is not only a great reason to strive to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16) or face His terrifying wrath (Hebrews 12:4-12) but also is also a great comfort when the deep, raging seas of a chaotic life must too bow to its Creator and upon the solid Rock we stand! What enemy whether it be ruler or “spiritual force of evil in heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12) can stand up against the Logos whom God created and by whom all things are sustained (John 1:3; Colossians 1:17)? By His voice creation came into existence, the sun stood still (Joshua 10:1-27), the dead came back to life (John 11:17-24) and the hearts of the stoniest, most defiant are softened and in reverence bow down to acknowledge He is the Alpha and Omega, the truth and life and the only way to be saved (Acts 9; Revelation 22:13; John 14:6)! “His voice, whether in nature or revelation, shakes both earth and heaven; see that ye refuse not him that speaketh. If His voice be thus mighty, what must His hand be!” Reflection. So powerful is God’s voice that when He spoke softly to Elijah who was hiding in a cave it was like thunder to his soul, giving him the strength and courage to continue to do God’s will despite the threat of Jezebel to take his very life. Are you in need of hearing from the Lord? Is your soul troubled and weary and rest seems to be no where to be found? Is your life chaotic and your enemies surrounding you like jackals? If so, go to the Lord and hear the thunder of His voice, bow very low and in great humility feel His unlimited, sovereign power, and trade yokes with Him and receive peace and rest (Matthew 11:29-30).
The Voice Over the Mountains
As David watches the storm moves from the Mediterranean to the northern region of Israel, he can’t help but be in awe when he sees the Lord break the mighty cedars of Lebanon with His majestic voice (5)! These cedars were famous in the Near East for many of a king from Egypt to Mesopotamia boasted that they used this strong, beautiful cedar to build their magnificent building and temples. Even David and Solomon used the trees from Lebanon to build the royal palace and Yahweh’s temple (2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Kings 5:6–9)! At the sound of God’s voice David noticed that hurricane winds, rain and forked flashes of lightning violently tore through the forest, snapping the mighty cedars like mere reeds! Though the mighty mountains of Lebanon and Sirion (Mount Hermon – Deut. 3:9), are about 10,000 feet above sea level at they “quake when God speaks, being likened to powerful young bulls and oxen skipping about” (6). Even though the pagan Canaanites were nature lovers, believing the gods lived in the mountains; these “puny gods and impotent deities” were no match for the Creator and sustainer of all life! With His voice God strikes with flashes of lighting all around reminding the created ones their destination belongs to Him alone! With king David’s image of the storm of God’s voice raging in “full violence” one can’t help but bow in awe of God’s majesty, power, judgment, and grace! How easily God’s word shakes even the stoniest of heats and breaks asunder those who choose to remain His enemies. With His voice though He breaks the “mountainous pride of men,” graciously “the hills of our sins leap into His grave and are buried in the red sea of His blood, when the voice of intercession is heard!”
Reflection. When we sit by the still waters or sit in the raging storms of life may we remember this song by king David and reflect upon the unlimited, majestic, eternal voice of our God! May we thank Him for grace and trust in Him that all things work for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). May we not fear those who can destroy the body but instead rejoice that the great judge is always filled with love and mercy.
The Voice Over the Wilderness
The storm now moves from the northern part to the southern of Israel/Judah. Kadesh Barnea lies at the “opposite end of Palestine from Lebanon, so that the storm is made, by a magnificent hyperbole, to extend over the entire Holy Land, from far north to extreme south.” The voice of the Lord sounds not only on the high, exalted mountain tops but also the lowly plains of the wilderness in which Israel spent about 40 years of their journey to the promised land. His voice shakes the desert wilderness regions in general; “twists their oaks, and strips forest bare!” And as David watches the might and power of the Lord’s voice he hears all in His temple cry, “glory” (9)! God is sovereign over all things seen and unseen and as our Creator, sustainer, and only source of our salvation; He alone is worthy of praise, honor, and glory. As all of creation hears His mighty voice and some tremble due to impending judgement, others rejoice that despite their deserving eternal death there is no condemnation for those who believe in God’s one and only Son, Jesus (Romans 8:1)! “We too, the redeemed of the Lord, who are living temples of His Spirit, as we see the wonders of his power in creation, and feel them in grace, unite to magnify His name!” To whom is singing praises to God is not just believers in the temple of Jerusalem that David has in mind but likely the angels that reside in heaven as well! “The pinnacle of the climax of this theophany comes at the height of the storm’s power” as the angels in great reverence and in His presence bow low! And if we take into consideration another of David’s Psalms (19) we find that even nature proclaims God’s glory! Here David says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour fourth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech; they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes into all the earth, their words to the end of the world” (1-4)!
Reflection. We all have had our wilderness experiences. While we might not have spent 40 years living in a barren land this in no way lessons the sense of loneliness and desperation we often feel when traveling through the rocky and debilitating lands of tribulations in our lives. To bow very low in these times and look up and hear the often soft but thundering, supreme voice of our God is a source of great comfort for when we are weak, He makes us strong (2 Corinthians 12:9)! Though our words are tainted with bad motives and unclean hearts thankfully they are filtered by the Holy Spirit and end up being a sweet fragrance unto God (Romans 8:26-27)! What an honor it truly is to be invited to serve and praise the name who is above all names, God’s son Jesus (Philippians 2:9)!
Worshipping the Lord as King
As the mighty storm dissipates David can’t help but reflect on the “magnificent display of God’s might and majesty” from Lebanon to the wilderness of Kadesh Barnea. Though the earth shook, and cedars broke into many pieces one thing remained steadfast and true; God always was, still is, and forever will be the king of the universe! As the rains pounded down upon the earth David likely reflected upon the flood narrative of Genesis 6-11 and felt peace because He who causes the storm had “sovereignty, power, and majesty over the waters and over all creation.” As David thought about this remarkable demonstration of God’s glory and sovereignty he likely thought about other implications of this remarkable, terrifying, and yet reassuring storm. First, remembering the Flood in Noah’s time would warn David and others of the consequences of provoking God’s righteous but ferocious judgment! Second, the Flood in Genesis was not just a story of God’s wrath but also of salvation. David states in verse eleven that the same God who has the strength to create by His voice a storm of such great magnitude offers to give His people “strength for each day, for each and every moment.” He who strengthened Noah and his family to endure the building of an ark amidst persecution and belittling will not only be present but strengthen one to survive and often escape when the waters rise, the storm comes and chaos seems to be our only friend. Forever “enthroned between the wings of the cherubim as Israel’s king” and ours, He asks His own to not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to Him and He in turn will grant us His peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7)! As the song writer Michael W. Smith so rightly exclaims in his song, “Our God is an awesome God for He truly does reign on both heaven and earth with wisdom, power, and might, our God is an awesome God.”
Conclusion
There truly are many things in life that are painful and can easily instill fear into our hearts. Yes, wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, diseases, and financial crises of this fallen world has kept many of a believer up late at night, fraught with worry, anguish, fear, and often despair. As King David sat beneath the black wing of a raging storm, the sky lit with lightning as the earth shook from the thunder of God’s voice, he could not help but reflect upon the absolute glory and sovereignty of God! As the storm worked up the Mediterranean Sea O how David marveled that He who separated the waters from the sky and the land would produce and control the raging, chaotic seas that we often find ourselves struggling against. As David saw the storm make it to the mountainous regions of Lebanon and break into slivers its mighty cedars like mere reeds and by His voice make the mountain shake like powerful bulls and oxen skipping about, he is in awe of God’s judgment, power, and grace. He thought to himself how easily the Lord shakes even the stoniest of hearts and breaks asunder those who choose to remain His enemies and yet in grace His voice cuts through the chaos of our lives and offers His strength and peace that surpasses all our understanding! Not only does the angels, nature, but His own people praise His glorious name for even amidst the chaos of this fallen world the King has not been dethroned or rendered inert but reigns forever as our sustainer, Creator, Savior and Lord!
Sources Cited
Victor Harold Matthews, Mark W. Chavalas, and John H. Walton, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, electronic ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), Ps 29:1.
C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: Psalms 27-57, vol. 2 (London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers, n.d.), 29.
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 5 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996).
James Montgomery Boice, Psalms 1–41: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005).
John H Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): The Minor Prophets, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009).
Robert G. Bratcher and William David Reyburn, A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1991).
Alexander Maclaren, “The Psalms,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Psalms to Isaiah, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 3, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903).
Willem A. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991).
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J. Josh Smith and Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Psalms 1–50, ed. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2022).
Gerald H. Wilson, Psalms, vol. 1, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002).
Christine Brown Jones, “Psalms,” in The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, ed. J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2020).
H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Psalms, vol. 1, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909).
