Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
    Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.

 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
    the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
 The Lord gives strength to his people;
    the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Psalm 29

The glory of God overwhelms this psalm. The psalmist is in awe of God. Even the heavenly beings must ascribe him worship. The glory, strength and holiness of God should bring us to our knees in worship. But before we think we can do anything for God, the psalmist turns his attention to the voice of God. The God of the bible is not idle, he is the God who acts, he is the God who talks. God speaks and the creation obeys.

The voice of God is depicted as a raging storm. It’s a storm that breaks the cedars of Lebanon and encompasses the whole land from Sirion (Mount Hermon) in the north to the Desert of Kadesh in the south. The whole of Israel is encompassed in the storm of the Lord. Those who belong to the Lord cry ‘Glory’ from the temple. The Lord speaks and nature obeys. The Lord speaks and his people cry ‘Glory’. But this is just the opposite of what happens in the bible. More than often God speaks, and his people ignore him. God speaks and the people disobey.

There is then the promise of peace for God’s people. Yet the experience of Israel is just the opposite. Israel was constantly at war until be conquered by foreign nations. This promise of peace is unfulfilled in the history of Israel.   It is Jesus that brings us peace. It is Jesus who brings us home to God. It is Jesus who enables us to hear and obey the voice of God. Without Jesus we will be caught in the storm of the Lord. Without Jesus we will find no peace. Through the obedience of Jesus we, as a disobedient people, now have peace with God.

Grow Deeper

Revelation is a letter addressed to seven churches. Letters just like the ones we have in our New Testament like Romans and Galatians. All letters to particular people at a particular time, but which also have application for us as God’s people too. This week in Grow Deeper, we’ll see how the letters to the churches in Revelation are just like the letters to other churches in the New Testament, challenging and comforting them to grow in Jesus.

Read 1 Corinthians 4.

What is the tone of the passage? Is it encouraging or challenging?

What it is it encouraging or challenging the church about?

How does these encouragements or challenges apply to you? How do they apply to our church?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thankyou that you have spoken to me. Thankyou that you have chosen to communicate with me. Thankyou that you speak and creation obeys. Thankyou for sending Jesus, your word, to die for me. Thankyou that through the obedience of Jesus, I now have peace with you, in spite of my disobedience.

Help me Lord to hear and obey your voice in scripture. Help me to hear and obey the words of Jesus, your word.

In Jesus name,
Amen.