Psalm 29
1 A psalm of David.
Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to his name; worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness.
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
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion 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.
9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King for ever.
11 The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
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Psalm 29 – The voice of the LORD
(Verses 1-2) God both expects and receives worship from all beings. (The fact that Jesus accepted worship from angels and men underlined that He is God.) Here angels and Heavenly beings (called ‘mighty ones’) are told to ‘ascribe to the LORD glory and strength due His name’.
God is worthy of glory and of our strongest service and worship possible. The ‘mighty ones’ must ‘worship the LORD in the splendour of His holiness.’ ‘Holiness’ is to be ‘set apart’ for God from anyone and anything. God’s worshippers value His holy, perfect, splendour. To worship God from your heart, be ‘set apart’ from sin, and live wholly for Him. (Romans 12:1-2)
(Verses 3-9). ‘The voice of the LORD’ is repeated six times. To us it means the Bible, the word of God: the way by which God’s voice is heard clearly. Jesus used His ‘voice of the LORD’ when He told a dead man to come out after four days laying in a tomb. Lazarus did come out – at once! In the beginning of creation ‘‘God said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light.’’ The voice of the LORD gives us life and light.
In Psalm 29, ‘the voice of the LORD’ means that booming and fearsome echo of God’s voice in His storms. No mere man can do that. Listen to mighty waters running free; the shattering sound of violent powerful thunder, as punctuated by the shock of flashing lightning strikes; the crashing roar as huge cedar and oak trees are torn down, broken and twisted; and the trembling desert earthquake booming on.
All God’s worshippers in the temple know almighty God is in control, grateful that He is so strong and wonderful. They cry aloud, ‘Glory!’ It is good, during a storm, to look and listen to the thunder and lightning and say quietly, ‘My strong, loving Father and Saviour are responsible for all that!’
(Verses 10-11) David moves from creation – the waters, storms, violent winds, and earthquakes – to the Creator. Note this about the LORD: He sits as King over the whole flood; He is enthroned as King forever; He strengthens His people; and blesses them with peace.
Your sins made you into God’s enemy. Jesus bore them and was punished for them. He made ‘peace through His blood, shed on the cross’ for you. Turn from sin, trust in Jesus, and He gives you ‘peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ’ forever. He puts His peace within you. Jesus becomes your ‘Prince of Peace’.