Discovering God’s Voice (Psalm 29)
As I’ve previously shared, because my first memory in life is a tornado’s hitting our subdivision, I was absolutely terrified of tornadoes as a little kid. And Kentucky does get its fair share of tornadoes. As a kid, I remember plenty of tornado warnings in the spring and early summer. But our town didn’t have tornado sirens; instead, the volunteer fire department would take their trucks around town with the sirens wailing and a message to take cover coming through the loudspeaker.
I soon began to associate a firetruck with its lights on and sirens wailing with a tornado. So, as a kid, if I saw a firetruck on its way to an emergency, I might very well burst into tears. It was so scary for me.
Let’s face it: Storms can be absolutely terrifying. How frightened were y’all the other night when the derecho came through? How frightened were you when that EF-3 tornado came through last year? How frightened have you been when a monster hurricane was churning in the Gulf of Mexico?
King David knew about powerful storms; in Psalm 29, he depicted a massive storm arising from the Mediterranean Sea and slamming Israel from north to south. What you must understand about Psalm 29 is that Baal was the god of thunder and lightning. This psalm is very similar to some Canaanite literature praising Baal; in fact, some scholars suggest David stole a Canaanite poem about Baal and changed it to praise Yahweh. You know better than that.
I don’t know how Psalm 29 came to be written, but let me give you a real possibility. David witnessed a monster storm over Israel, and he fell to his knees to praise God’s power. But some folks around David perhaps worshiped Baal and gave him glory for the storm. David, then, through the Spirit, penned this morning’s text to say, “No, none of that power came from an imaginary god. Every bit of that power came from Yahweh, the only true God.”
This psalm portrays the living God as greater than a pagan god; after all, Baal was simply a figment of someone’s imagination. How can we apply this passage today? That’s easy: “Because of God’s majestic power, you give God his due.”
Scripture (Psalm 29)
verses 1-2:
The “heavenly beings” (literally “sons of God”) are called upon to praise and worship God. These heavenly beings would include angels and seraphim and cherubim and other beings God created for his praise.
verses 3-4:
David spoke about the storm’s majestic and great power. The Israelites considered the water—the sea—the most unruly of all created things; God’s glory thunders over many waters—the Creator has power over the most unruly of all things.
verses 5-6:
The storm’s power broke “the cedars of Lebanon.” Lebanon’s forested hills were famous throughout the world as the most stout lumber. Ancient kings bragged that they built their palaces out of “the cedars of Lebanon.” Yet, this great forest cannot withstand God’s awesome and terrifying power. He snaps those mighty cedars like twigs.
Sirion was one of the largest mountains in the region around Palestine. God’s power could dissolve that mountain like snow.
verses 7-8:
David depicted lightning at verse 7: “The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.” People considered lightning to be a divine weapon. Canaanite imagery often depicted Baal with a lightning bolt in his hand. David said: “No, Baal doesn’t have the power of lightning; Yahweh does.”
verse 9:
God’s voice can even make “the deer give birth.”
All those around his throne cry, “Glory!”
verses 10-11:
God is enthroned over the waters. He—not Baal—is king forever.
Application
“Because of God’s majestic power, you give God his due.” That’s literally what the text says: “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name.” Baal or any other god doesn’t deserve glory; men made up those gods. But Yahweh created the universe and reigns in heaven above.
How do you ascribe to God the “glory due his name?”
One: You Assign.
You Assign God the rightful place in your heart. That’s what Psalm 29 is all about: Assigning Yahweh the proper place instead of Baal.
You know there is no god besides our God: 1 Corinthians 8:4-6. “There is one God” (1 Tim 2:5).
You know that in your head, but do you know that in your heart? How many idols do you possess? Do you put your family before God?—maybe you do what your family wants even if it’s wrong? Do you spend so much time on your hobbies that you don’t have time for prayer? Do you spend so much time with the TV or a good book that you don’t have time for the good book? Do you hold a secret sin in your heart? What takes priority over God? Get rid of it NOW!
Make God the center of your world: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex 20:3). Does Yahweh or some other god have priority in your life?
Why do you need to Assign God the proper place in your heart? Read Psalm 29: God has awesome power. This storm David depicted breaks trees and destroys mountains; you see, God’s power can squash you like a bug. Have you ever considered going to Galveston and telling a big hurricane to turn around? That thing would eat you up and spit you out. If there is that much power in the creation, think about the power in the Creator! And one day you will stand before that Creator in judgment.
Two: You Adore.
After you assign the living God his rightful place, you Adore him through worship. David called upon heavenly beings to praise God: “Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength” (Ps 29:1).
If those heavenly beings sin, they are cast into hell and committed “to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment” (2 Pet 2:4). If they sin even one time, they are cast from heaven with no hope. Jesus didn’t die for them.
However, God gave his Son to die for you: “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). That’s not true of the angelic beings; if they worship God, shouldn’t you? “I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable” (Ps 145:1-3).
How much do you Adore God? Is worship a priority or something you do if it fits your schedule? Do you allow the activities in your life to determine whether or not you will worship or do you allow worship to determine the activities of your life? When you’re in the assembly, do you honestly Adore God? Do you concentrate on the words you’re using to praise God? Do you allow your mind to wander during prayer? Do you concentrate on the cross at the Lord’s Supper? Just where is your praise?
God deserves your adoration and so much more. In fact, God deserves your life. Have you honestly given him your life?
This sermon was originally preached by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at Church of Christ Deer Park in Deer Park, Texas.