 There are times when what you truly need is to take your eyes off of all the mess that is happening on earth and just focus on Who God is. A. W. Tozer said that the most important thing about any of us is what we believe about God. This is why Psalm 29 is such a gift to us from God Himself. It is a Psalm that has no other focus except God alone. With that in mind, let’s dig in and put our eyes on Him for a while.
David begins with a call for God to be praised in the highest realms. Here are his words. Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in holy array. (Psalm 29:1-2, NASB) David wanted Jehovah God to be described in reference to His glory and strength. But he is commanding that the “sons of the mighty” do this. Who are these “sons of the mighty?” The Hebrew says that they are sons of El – which is the Hebrew word for God. Sons of God in the Old Testament Scriptures is another name for angels. But why would David be calling for angels to praise God? It is because he knew that his own praise would not be sufficient for such an infinite, glorious, and mighty God. Therefore he calls for angels to join him in his praise of Jehovah – a thing that they would be more than delighted to do. He asks for them to describe God in reference to His glory – the brightness and heaviness of Who He is. He also asks for them to describe God in reference to His strength. The word used here is “oz” and it refers to strength both outward and inwardly. God is mighty in power as well as mighty in the glorious inward strength of character and inward perfections that are infinite as well. Jehovah’s name is also to be given glory. He is the self-existent One who reveals Himself – the great I Am – God Who knows no bounds or limits – infinite and eternal. Finally, David requests that the angels wrap themselves in God’s holiness and worship Him. The word worship means to fall on one’s knees or to lay totally prostrate before another in praise and adoration. Our God is so great and awesome that all the holy angels should give Him worship, adoration and praise for how glorious, strong, and inwardly perfect He is! Next, David begins to speak of God’s power experienced in a storm that he describes as it moves from the Mediteranean Sea through Lebanon and then over Israel. He calls for Jehovah God to be praised for His works on the earth. One of the things we need to grasp in Psalm 29 is that this is poetry. It is meant to be read and felt. It was fascinating in my research to learn that often this Psalm was read both in the synagogue and the church during a raging storm. Charles Spurgeon wrote this about how we should approach the 29th Psalm: “'Just as the eighth psalm is to be read by moonlight, when the stars are bright, as the nineteenth needs the rays of the rising sun to bring out its beauty, so this can be best rehearsed beneath the black wing of tempest, by the glare of the lightning, or amid that dubious dusk which heralds the war of elements. The verses march to the tune of thunderbolts. God is everywhere conspicuous, and all the earth is hushed by the majesty of his presence.” The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The LORD is over many waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful, The voice of the LORD is majestic. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire. 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 to calve And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everything says, "Glory!" (Psalm 29:3-9, NASB) As David describes this approaching storm, He refers to the sound and effect of it in reference to the “voice of Jehovah.” He first speaks of the approaching storm with two references to “waters.” The first is a reference to the clouds and it speaks of how they are boiling and how the thunder resounds through them. He speaks of how the God of glory thunders. Then he speaks of the Lord over many waters – a reference to how the Mediteranean Sea was driven and tossed as waves crashed and the wind drove the waters toward the shore. Jehovah’s voice is majestic in the midst of the storm. Storm imagery is common in Scripture. God revealed Himself often in them with Moses and Israel at Sinai, with Samuel, Elijah, Job, and many of the prophets. The arrival of a major storm can be an astounding and intimidating thing. I find it fascinating that when storms hit even today they are described by insurance companies as an “act of God.” Indeed! When the storm arrives in Lebanon and then Israel David’s descriptions continue. Mighty cedar trees in Lebanon are broken and shattered in pieces. Other trees are stripped bare. The entire country of Lebanon and their highest peak Sirion (which is another name for Mount Hermon) are described as writhing, bucking calves and wild oxen. As the winds blow and surge through the mountainous region the mountains themselves seem to writhe and twist and turn as the trees are whipped around and even destroyed by the power that is unleashed in the storm. The wilderness shakes and shudders under the blast of God’s nostrils as the storm continues through Israel and then into the wilderness to the south. Deer give birth in the tempest and entire forests are stripped bare. And as they watch and hunker down in the temple – all those who see the power of God cry, “Glory!” as they are given a front row seat to the power and majesty of God. Man prides himself on his accomplishments and feats. Yet there is nothing like the humility that a storm brings to mankind. We cannot stop them – and we cannot adequately prepare everyone for them. As I wrote this piece the Caribbean was still trying to put things back together after Hurricane Irma, the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record. She pounded the island nations of the Caribbean with sustained winds of 185 miles an hour. Several meterologists came together to try to describe the power unleashed by this massive storm. Their estimate was that as this hurricane was at a Category 5 level – she packed 7 trillion watts of power. They went on to say that this was greater than the equivalent of all the bombs dropped during World War II. When I read that I gasped. I remember watching footage of Flying Fortresses dropping hundreds of bombs at a time – leveling entire cities. I remember the pictures of the fireball that enveloped Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And yet, all that power manifested in WWII was matched by God with one storm. Kind of puts man in his place doesn’t it? David puts a fitting close to this Psalm of praise to Jehovah God. He has spoken of glory to God in heaven – glory to God on the earth – and now he will speak of glory to God among men. Here are his words, “The LORD sat as King at the flood; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:10-11, NASB) The God of the storm can seem terrifying. Some might even thing the storm is out of control – but that is not the truth. David continues by telling us that Jehovah sat as King at the flood. Of all the storms ever experienced in the history of mankind on earth – none was as great and terrifying as that of the flood of Noah’s day. We were awed when a hurricane was stranded over southeast Texas and dropped 50 inches of rain over certain areas. But we are not talking about a measly 50 inch rain storm. We are speaking of enough rain and water to reach far past the highest peaks of the earth – thousands of feet of water. If there ever was a time to think that nothing and no one was in control – that would have been it. Yet God sat as King over the flood. His sovereignty knows no bounds or limits. He also sits as King forever, according to His revelation here through David. That is a very comforting (although I agree, also terrifying) thought. There is NOTHING that has happened (i.e. the flood) or ever will happen (i.e. what you are currently freaking out over) that is beyond God’s sovereignty and control. He is in, through, above, and beyond every storm, whether it is physical or emotional or spiritual. There is no financial storm – no personal storm – no national storm over which He is not Lord. Therefore, there is nothing or no one I should fear or honor more than Him. David ends Psalm 29 on a beautiful note of praise. This praise is in reference to this mighty, all-powerful God and how He deals with His own people. Jehovah God will give strength to His people. This is the word “oz” again which, if you remember, refers not just to outward strength – but also inward strength. This God who can make earth itself writhe and buck like a wild ox is there to grant to you the strength you need every day! What a glorious thing to know – especially after seeing a God Whose glory and might is seen in terrifying and humbling ways in a major storm. There is nothing you will ever face in life that is beyond Him. There is nothing you will ever have to walk through for which He does not have not just adequate – but super-abounding strength (both inwardly and outwardly) from which you can draw. Lastly, David reminds us that Jehovah will also give His people peace. He will bless us with peace. The word here is the Hebrew word “shalom” which refers to a wholeness, a soundness, a completeness from God. It is also a reminder that the sweet peace that guards our hearts and minds is a gift from Him. Let me end this look at God with this. The greatest storm you and I will ever face is to stand before this infinitely powerful God on the day of judgment to give an account before Him of our lives. The storm that has been and is still currently gathering that will be unleashed on that day is far beyond anything can ever describe. It will be the full unleashing of the fury and wrath of God against sin. On that day, if we have nothing that will speak for our sins – and that will make us acceptable to God with a perfect righteousness – we will face that storm with nothing to protect us. Only two times in history will this wrath and full measure of God’s holy fury ever be released. One is after the final judgment on that final day. The other happened about 2000 years ago outside Jerusalem. You see that storm gathered in all its full rage as Jesus gave Himself to be crucified on the cross. He then bore the full brunt of the wrath of God against sin – a storm infinite in its power and passionate ferocity. Jesus faced that storm and paid the full price for sin for us. It is a thought that is beyond our comprehension as to the love that was given. But the fact remains – He gave it. We do not have to face that storm alone or unprotected. God offers us life and the only shelter from it – which is found in Jesus Christ. Jehovah God Himself will give His people peace! What a glorious fact! Oh that we would hear the sirens – heed the flags that warn of this impending storm. Oh that we would awaken to our utterly unprotected state – and flee to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for refuge. The very One who revealed Himself to us in the storm – bore the full brunt of that storm – so that we might have life and shelter from it. What will you do? How else can you prepare? What other Shelter is there than Christ Jesus our Lord?
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 Have you ever been concerned that godly men seem to be disappearing from our landscape? Ever get discouraged because the crassness and craven words that seem to be dominating the airwaves and print media? Do you ever begin to lose heart because it seems the only ones who are getting ahead are those who use their mouths and words in such a way as to crush those who are in their path? Well, if you’ve ever felt this way – there is good news. A man who was going through the same thing wrote psalm 12.
David was discouraged. He cried out to God in the midst of his circumstances saying the following: “Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases to be, for the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. 2 They speak falsehood to one another; with flattering lips and with a double heart they speak. 3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things; 4 Who have said, "With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?" David watched as godly men were disappearing from the scene. The word he uses to describe these men has the idea of being like the Lord in his character – but it emphasizes the idea of kindness. These men were fading from the scene, as were faithful men. Where were the men of character and kindness who inspired confidence and gave stability to the society around them. They may not even have been popular for their godly, holy views and yet, the depth of their character and the way they lived stabilized things. The problem was – Saul was the leader – and he encouraged ungodliness in the people. He was only interested in his own power and was willing even to murder the priests of God if he thought for a moment that they were against him. David also watched as leaders arose who ruled with their words. First of all they spoke falsehood and flattery. They said one thing that would flatter you publically, but privately they were weaving a deceptive web to destroy you. Saul confessed sin in chasing David and trying to kill him. He even wept when David confronted him with it. Yet within a very short time Saul was hunting David again. The literal Hebrew in David’s cry to God was that these men “spoke with a heart and another heart.” This was the habit of Saul to speak with one heart – and yet would have another heart that was completely different from his public statements. He was double-hearted, hypocritical man. The men David watched who were in power – boasted that they would prevail with their tongues. Just their speaking would produce heroic things. They thought themselves invincible with their mouths and their speeches. They would say whatever they wanted. No one would be able to take them down. If someone were foolish enough to try, they would lash him or her with their words and tongue like someone whipping a man until he was crushed and destroyed. David’s cries for help did not fall on deaf ears. God heard David and spoke. He assured David that He was the protector of the afflicted and needy when He said this, “Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise," says the LORD; "I will set him in the safety for which he longs.” It is a sweet thing it when God speaks and comforts our souls this way. The first comfort to us is that He has seen what is going on in the world. God speaks of the devastation of the afflicted – the words here describe a violent devastation. He not only hears our prayers – he even hears our groans under such violent oppression. David then reminds himself that God’s words are pure. In fact they are purer than anything imaginable. He speaks of silver refined seven times in a furnace. The beauty in that picture is that no smelter of silver would go through that process more than 3 or 4 times. At that point, one could not get the silver purer because the height of purity would have been reached. Yet David speaks of something smelted 7 times, the number of perfection in the Scriptures. That is because God’s Word is more pure that the purest substance on earth. There is absolutely no impurity in the promises of God – they are true and faithful to the end. This is why David praises God, knowing that when God makes a promise, He will keep His Word. Such a promise to David speaks not just to his generation – but also to all succeeding generations forever. They all can rely on God’s Word as their help in time of trouble and their hope in the most hopeless of moments. Even as David finishes this song to God with confidence he ends it with another reality. We live in a Genesis 3 world where the fallen state of man and the devastation it brought to this earth will remain until this world passes away. Those who look merely to human rulers will be disappointed. The world around us is devolving in sin through every generation. The reason for the devolution of man and every political system by which he seeks to govern himself – sin. There is vileness in this world that began with Adam and will not end until the last trumpet is sounded. Jesus put it in these words, “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. (John 3:19, NASB) Evil is not static. We are reminded in Romans 1:32, “. . . although men know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but give hearty approval to those who practice them.” Is it interesting that hundreds of years after David wrote this Psalm, Paul says pretty much the same thing in the New Testament? There is a vileness that is exalted among the sons of men. The Hebrew word David uses is expansive in its meaning. It speaks of that which is worthless and sinful. It speaks of something contemptible to God both morally and socially, and it usually involves both shameful excesses of ungodliness as well as a complete and total worthlessness to all those around. Vile indeed expresses what God sees as godless men think they reign unrestrained with their mouths and their words. When these wicked men rule – they strut. They boast of their wickedness and say that no one rules over them. Such is the world until Christ returns. An unfortunate reality is that as the years hasten to the day He does return – the wickedness of such vile strutting leaders will increase. Right will be called wrong – evil will be embraced as good. It will pave the way for the “man of sin,” the antichrist. He will be the ultimate vile, strutting ruler – boasting in himself, and even one day taking his seat in the midst of the temple of God – boasting that he is god. But he will be the last of the vile, sin-advancing rulers of this present world. He will be overcome and devastated by the sword that comes out of the mouth of Christ. That phrase simply means that the Word of God (called the sword of the Spirit in Ephesians 6) is what will win the day. The victory will be enjoyed by those who put their trust in a silver sword forged 7 times in the fire – free from impurity – powerful in its every statement – and more than strong enough to deal with “the” wicked ruler – and every one of his imitators down through the ages. Trust in that word, children of the King. He spoke it – and He will arise and lift you to the safety for which you long. |
Pastor John LawrencePsalms for Life . . . God moved on several people to write the Psalms. This is a book of songs and poems written by people who were seeking to be devoted to God as they walked though their lives. This is a collection of songs and poems that express the true, wonderful, and often raw emotions that we have as we journey through life with God. I hope you will be blessed and encouraged as you read. But more than that I hope that these expositions and writings will help you to seek Him in the midst of the life you live in this world. It will be at times comforting and encouraging, while at others it will be challenging and awkward. Regardless of where you find yourself on this spectrum as you read, it will be a reminder that God invites us into His presence to truly walk with Him, know Him, and at times, pour out emotions of joy, sorrow, frustration, anger, and everything else you can imagine. He not only invites you to do this - He delights in it too! Hope you enjoy your journey! Archives
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