This Is Our Fight Song (Psalm 20)

“It was a gray morning. Fog hid the enemy, but they were there, just across the field. The king commanded his men to kneel. The king too fell to his knees and lifted up his prayer to the Lord of hosts, the God of all battles. As he concluded, the whole army thundered back with conviction: A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. When the hymn died away, the king of Sweden, mounted his white horse and called out to his troops. He told them to remember that they fought for God, country, and king. And with that, the Snow King of Sweden led his men onto the field to save the German Reformation.”^[1]

The year was 1631. At the Battle of Breitenfeld, the Swedish-Saxon protestants faced an invasion from the Holy Roman Empire. When the dust settled, after 13 years, they had won their first major victory in the Thirty Years War.^[2]

Martin Luther wrote A Mighty Fortress Is Our God in the 1520’s. It was known as the “battle hymn of the reformation.”^[3] In the case of Breitenfeld, it was a literal battle hymn.

Psalm 20 is a battle hymn – a anthem meant to be sung before the God’s people go out to fight.^[4] The main focus of this song is the king – that God would grant him victory. So, scholars will call this a royal Psalm. But, not only is this a royal Psalm, it’s also a Messianic Psalm. Ultimately, it’s not just talking about a king, but the King of kings. It’s not just a song for David, but ultimately for the Son of David, Who wins total victory over every foe and over death itself.

But does that mean we should pass over this song as not applying to us? Sometimes songs are out of place, like if I sang Happy Birthday to most of you today. Or if I sang Auld Lang Syne. It’s not the right time for those songs, they don’t apply.

If this song is a royal, Messianic song, can it minister to me? The full and final fulfillment of the great promises in these verses are accomplished through Christ Jesus. He is the King. He is the anointed One referenced in verse 6. But we then remember that Christ has invited us into His redemptive work. If you’re a Christian here this morning, then you, too, have been anointed by God. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:21:

2 Corinthians 1:21 – ²¹ Now it is God who strengthens us together with you in Christ, and who has anointed us.

You are not the anointed Messiah, but you are an anointed messenger, an anointed minister, an anointed missionary, set apart for specific purposes that God reveals as you walk with Him.

So let’s take a look at this wonderful song, and allow it to be a melody of hope and confidence and triumph as we face the spiritual battles of life.

Psalm 20:Superscript-1 – For the choir director. A psalm of David. ¹ May the Lord answer you in a day of trouble; may the name of Jacob’s God protect you.

Are you facing trouble today? Some sort of adversity or anguish or affliction or tightness?^[5] God’s desire is to give you an answer for your trouble. But an answer follows a call, right?

Verse 1 reminds us of Who we’re calling out to. It’s the God of Jacob. David says, “May the name of Jacob’s God protect you.” What is His name? God is called by many names in the Bible, each expounding His greatness and strength and goodness and grace and love. But, most of all, it’s Yahweh.^[6] When God explained His name to Moses in Exodus 3, He said, “I AM WHO I AM. I am the God Who has been with your ancestors from the beginning. I’m the God Who sends and reveals.”

Linguists tell us that this name speaks of God’s “faithful presence.” Yahweh is the God Who is there. One source writes, “It connotes God’s nearness, His concern for man, and the revelation of His redemptive covenant.”^[7] Yawweh is the God Who makes promises to Jacobs like us. Stiff-hearted, rebellious deceivers who do nothing but slow Him down. Yet, out of His love and grace, God enters into and keeps covenant with us.

Psalm 20:2 – ² May he send you help from the sanctuary and sustain you from Zion.

Not from the treasury. Not from the armory. From the sanctuary. That’s where God’s presence was. That’s where help comes from. When trouble came to Israel, their first stop shouldn’t be to the forge of the blacksmith, but to the altar of the Lord. To draw near to Him so they could hear from Him and be cleansed by Him and be covered by His favor.

We don’t live in a theocracy, nor do we have physical temples which house the visible glory of God. If you’re a Christian now you are the Temple of the Lord. But, this song demonstrates that in the day of trouble the Lord wants to send help from the sanctuary. How does that work in the Church age?

In the temple there were priests and Levites on duty, around the clock, to minster to the people on behalf of the Lord. Today, God has made Christians a royal priesthood. He calls us to support one another, to sustain one another, to bear one another’s burdens. You and I should expect God to send us as help to others in their day of trouble – as member of the working Body of Christ.

Psalm 20:3 – ³ May he remember all your offerings and accept your burnt offering. Selah

Remember: This Psalm is first about Christ’s Kingship and victory before principles start to apply to us. And here we receive the history-changing, life-saving news that Christ’s offering was accepted. When Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice on the cross, that offering was sufficient for all your sin, all my sin, all the sins of all the world. It was sufficient. It was effective. That is very good news!

But then on the secondary level, we see here someone who is in covenant with God. They offer according to His demands and expectations, and He receives it. This is what God requires.

Many people have absolutely no interest in God until the day of trouble. It’s the classic scene where someone cries out, “God, if you get me through this, I promise I’ll go to church every Sunday.” They want the deliverance without devotion. And, God is gracious – more than we deserve. But He wants a relationship with you based on love and trust. He’s offered you a covenant.

When David wrote this Psalm, God’s people were under the old covenant, with all its rites and rituals. Today believers are brought into the new covenant where God gives us a new heart. A covenant where His word is written on our hearts and He is our God and we are His people and He gives us lives to lead full of faith and proclamation and a desire to obey the Lord and go His way.

How appropriate that David puts a selah after this moment for each of us to ask ourselves whether we’re in covenant with the Lord. Are we devoted to Him? We’re called to present our whole selves as living sacrifices to God Who loves us and has saved us. How is that relationship going?

Psalm 20:4 – ⁴ May he give you what your heart desires and fulfill your whole purpose.

Of course, this isn’t suggesting that God gives us anything we want. Remember: In the new covenant, God gives us a new heart – His heart. But at the same time, we shouldn’t allow ourselves to think of God as withholding or that He always wants to take things from us. Sometimes we get that sort of idea about God – that whatever we really like in life He’s going to crush. Whatever we don’t want to do, that’s what He’s going to command us to do. But that’s not how Yahweh is presented in this song. He is a God of kindness and incredible generosity.

But then notice the second half of that verse. What is your purpose? In our secular culture, a default goal we hear sometimes is, “Are you doing better than your parents’ generation?” But that’s really not a measure of real purpose, is it?

What is your purpose? Christ came with purpose: Not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.^[8] Part of His purpose was also to give you purpose. Listen to 1 Peter 2:24:

1 Peter 2:24 – ²⁴ [Christ] himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness.

Your life was saved on purpose for purposes. Purposes God wants you to discover as you walk with Him and trust Him. A life of growth and fullness and value that brings praise to His glory.

Psalm 20:5 – ⁵ Let us shout for joy at your victory and lift the banner in the name of our God. May the Lord fulfill all your requests.

A banner, of course, is a symbol of who we identify with, who we’ve pledged our allegiance to, who our authority is. Our Kingdom and cause.

The banner reminds us we’re not individualists, at least not spiritually. We’re not to be detached and heading out on our own. To enjoy God’s victory, we must be participants in His work.

And it is His victory, not ours. Our excitement, our enthusiasm, our worship should be a response to the victorious work of Christ. In fact, there’s something remarkable in the language here.

Scholars point out that the Hebrew says, “Let us shout for joy at God’s Yeshua.”^[9] Yeshua, some of you know, is the Hebrew name of Jesus. Success isn’t our victory. Earthly power or position isn’t our victory. Comfort and safety are not even our victory. Christ Jesus is our victory. He is our salvation. He is the fount of our joy and rejoicing. Jesus Christ, the Gift of God, given for us, given to us, to overcome all the foes that we are too weak to resist.

Psalm 20:6 – ⁶ Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories from his right hand.

There are a lot of great promises of rescue and deliverance and heavenly help in this song, but how can we know it’s true? How can we know that Jesus is the answer to our trouble?

We can know it’s true because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. The tomb was empty. He was seen by more than 500 people at one time.^[10] The apostles who hid in fear after the crucifixion endured torture and death, never deviating from their testimony that Christ had risen. This living King continues to change countless lives and transform the world.

Through Christ we receive victory over sin and death. It’s not a maybe, it’s a certainty.

Scholars note that David uses the past tense here. The victory is won. The fight ahead is a formality.^[11] That doesn’t mean we won’t face difficulty, but we can know the outcome is sure. Christ is the King of kings and His Kingdom will be established and He will reign forever and ever.

Psalm 20:7 – ⁷ Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God.

David is absolutely confident but that doesn’t mean he sits back and does nothing. He knew God would defeat Goliath, but he still got his sling and five smooth stones. At the end of this song, he goes out with sword in hand to the field of battle before him. He knows there is work to be done – a fight to fight – but his heart is at peace. Because God is with him, he has no fear of chariots.

Chariots were the pinnacle of death technology. From man’s point of view, there was no better weapon.^[12] But David was wise enough to not fear them. He was also wise enough to not trust them. Like us, he would’ve been tempted to stockpile what the world offers for help and defense. But God shows what can happen to chariots when His people crossed the Red Sea on dry ground.

What do we trust in? What do we boast about? Where do we look for help? David said there’s no greater shield or resource than the name of the Lord our God.

Do you know what the most valuable name on earth is? Believe it or not, it’s Mark. Bloomberg compiled a list of 500 billionaires. The most common names among them were David, John, and Mark, with Mark boasting the highest average wealth at $41 billion each.^[13]

While the world pursues fleeting fortunes, we look to the name of Jesus. That term also means that we remember His name. We bring it to mind. We mention it and confess it and celebrate it.^[14]

Psalm 20:8 – ⁸ They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand firm.

This is the second time David spoke of God’s people being lifted up. Back in verse 1 where it says “may God protect you,” the term means to set you in an elevated fortress.^[15] In your day of trouble, the Lord’s desire is to lift you up and make you stand. To elevate your thoughts to not be on things of earth, but to be on the truths of heaven. When we fight spiritual battles, we don’t get in the mud with our opponents. We go the high route of heaven.

There is no battlefield where God is outmatched, where His methods don’t work, or where we can be separated from His love. He lifts us up. Because Christ rose from the dead, we also will rise.

Psalm 20:9 – ⁹ Lord, give victory to the king! May he answer us on the day that we call.

And so we have circled back to verse 1 – us calling and trust God to answer. The song begins again because the fight is not over. There are still days of trouble ahead for God’s people, but we know victory is coming. We know that Yahweh is a God Who hears prayer and answers them and Who never stops working on our behalf. If we know Him, then we know we can trust Him. And if we trust Him, then we can praise Him before the battle, in the fray, and after the victory.

All Nations Under God (Psalm 65)

Monday was the inauguration of a new president and with him a new administration with the promise of new policies, new priorities, and new public servants to effect change in our nation.

Some greet this new term with excitement and hope. Others, just the opposite. Setting aside emotion for sensibility, everyone knows that some things will change, but a lot will stay the same. Some promises will be kept, many will not. That’s the way it goes. No matter how you feel about this new administration, it will be constantly racing against the hour glass. In a few years, it will give way to the next, which will come roaring in with its own policies, priorities, and people.

When David was finally installed on the throne over all Israel, it was a time of unrest and upheaval. A years-long civil war had been raging. There were assassinations, deep partisanship among the tribes, and historic culture shifts. A lot going wrong and a lot of problems to solve.

David brought many changes to the nation of Israel. His dynamic administration touched just about every aspect of Israeli life. But he knew he couldn’t solve every conflict or predict every problem. His ultimate hope was never in his managerial genius, his battlefield prowess, or his own inventiveness. He was all too aware of his own weakness, failure, and imperfections.

David knew the all the world’s problems would ultimately be answered and solved by the arrival of a forever King, Whose administration is perfect and never comes to an end. Psalm 65 sets our minds and our hopes on the forever King and His perfect administration so that we will put our hope in Him and direct the attention of our hearts and lives toward Him.

Psalm 65:Superscript-1 – For the choir director. A psalm of David. A song. ¹ Praise is rightfully yours, God, in Zion; vows to you will be fulfilled.

The song looks forward to the Millennial Kingdom of Christ on the earth.^[1] But as Christians, we know that we are citizens of His Kingdom even now. We’re passing through this world, on our way to our forever home. As servants of the King, this song gives perspective on this life and excitement as we remind ourselves once again of the greatness, goodness, and generosity of our Savior.

There was a lot of hub-bub because they moved the Inauguration ceremony indoors this year. People had a lot of opinions about the location. What was the reason? What did it mean?

Why does God establish His throne in Zion, which is Jerusalem? Why that spot of all places? Why make an earthly kingdom at all when He could create a whole new universe to rule on?

There are so many reasons, but first, the throne being in Zion proves God’s kindness. In Deuteronomy 7 we read:

Deuteronomy 7:7 – ⁷ “The Lord had his heart set on you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.

That text goes on to say that God did what He did out of love. Of course, God’s design wasn’t only to save the children of Abraham. He picked Abraham as the line through which all the world would be blessed. But this work of God shows His incredible, compassionate kindness.

The throne in Zion proves God’s faithfulness. The Old Testament is story after story of man’s rebellion and God’s redemption. The city that failed so many times is still the apple of His eye.

And the throne in Zion proves that the Lord keeps all His promises. When you look up how many promises American presidents keep, it’s not a strong showing. But our God keeps every promise.

The verse opened with an interesting phrase: “Praise is rightfully yours.” Your version may say, “praise is awaiting You.” The words can be translated, “To You, silence is praise.”^[2]

The psalms always instruct us about the way we worship. You can worship God in silence. Or with singing. Or with stringed instruments. Or with cymbals. Or with the raising and clapping of hands. Worship flows from a heart that acknowledges the truth of God and offers adoration and thanksgiving to Him.

Psalm 65:2 – ² All humanity will come to you, the one who hears prayer.

One day, all humanity will flow to the Lord in obedience and worship. Micah tells us that the nations will stream to the mountain of God and say, “Let’s go to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways so we may walk in his paths.”^[3]

Today, sadly, most people do what’s right in their own eyes. Many proudly reject the God of the Bible. But all humanity still can approach the Lord today. No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, no matter what you’ve thought or said in the past, today you can have an audience with the King of the universe. In fact, the Bible says that He stands outside the door of your heart knocking, hoping that you will let Him in so He can dwell with you.

But then look at the wonderful second half of the verse: Yahweh is “the One Who hears prayer.” God hears your prayer. It seems impossible to finite beings like us – we can’t listen to even two people talk to us at once. But God hears the prayers of your lips, the prayers of your heart.

Not only can He hear them, He invites us to send them! The Bible commands us to “pray without ceasing.”^[4] Jesus taught a whole parable to teach us to pray always and not give up.^[5]

Not only does He hear us and invite us to pray, God also assists us in praying. He gives guidelines and examples and sends the Holy Spirit to intercede on our behalf and pray for us when need be.^[6]

Psalm 65:3 – ³ Iniquities overwhelm me; only you can atone for our rebellions.

We come weighed down with guilt and shame. Where David says his iniquities overwhelm him, it means they are too strong for him.^[7] Our sin is an opponent we can never defeat on our own. The only hope we have is for God Himself to atone for our guilt.

Perhaps you’ve heard that the word atone means “to cover.” But don’t let that give you the wrong connotation. God’s atoning work doesn’t mean He swept it under the rug in a cover up. No, in the Bible atonement means to purge away sin.^[8] It means to ransom or buy back a life.

Sin separated us from God and from each other. And God alone can build a bridge over the gap. He did so by offering His own Son to die in our place as an atoning sacrifice. The blood of that sacrifice will purge your sin if you are willing to put your faith and trust in Him. Only by kneeling before Christ can we be freed from the weight of our guilt. If you try to go through life carrying that guilt on your own, you will be overwhelmed. You will be defeated. You will die in your guilt. But if you come to Jesus, the Savior King, He will free you and cover You with His love and grace.

Psalm 65:4 – ⁴ How happy is the one you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple.

Is David saying God only chooses some to be citizens of His Kingdom? By that logic, we’d have to look at verse 2 and conclude God is a universalist. David’s point in this verse isn’t to teach us how a person gets saved, but rather the incredible blessings of being a citizen of God’s Kingdom.

But, who can dwell on the Lord’s holy mountain? That’s what Psalm 15 is all about. Anyone who acknowledges the truth in their heart and walks in righteousness. In Isaiah 1, God said to the people, “Your sins are as scarlet, but I’ll make you white as wool if you are willing and obedient.” He says, “Come, let’s settle it. Leave your rebellion so that you don’t have to be judged.”^[9]

But one might say, “Hey, it says the one You choose.” God chooses His covenant people. He offers the new covenant to everyone. Some scholars make the case that the One being chosen here is not you and me, but is Christ Himself and that we are hidden in Him when we’re saved.

As partakers of the new covenant, the question is: Are we satisfied with the agreement? Is God’s administration over our lives enough for us? Are we willing to accept what God decides is good – meaning what is best for us? That’s what goodness means: the best things.

We humans struggle with that satisfaction. Adam and Eve didn’t think God’s administration of their lives was enough. Same with the children of Israel after the exodus. And the tribes of Israel demanding a human king like the other nations. Same with Naomi and her husband. Achan at Jericho. Jeroboam. Jonah. The Pharisees in the very presence of Jesus. Their hearts weren’t satisfied with what God wanted for them.

God administrates your life with the goodness of His house. The best things. Is that enough? Or do we demand more? Do we refuse to follow along, thinking we have a better way forward?

Psalm 65:5 – ⁵ You answer us in righteousness, with awe-inspiring works, God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the distant seas.

The God of the Bible is the hope for all the earth. We see here His rule reaches every corner, every place. He not only hears our prayers, He answers them with awe-inspiring works.

Psalm 65:6-7 – ⁶ You establish the mountains by your power; you are robed with strength. ⁷ You silence the roar of the seas, the roar of their waves, and the tumult of the nations.

All the rumbling troubles of earth are under God’s sovereign authority. The tumult of the nations – the agitation and commotion- the God of the Bible is the final answer and the only true hope.

Don’t put your hope in man! Man will always fall short, always eventually let you down, and make mistakes. Psalm 146 says outright, “don’t trust in nobles who cannot save you!”

Don’t get me wrong – if I had my choice I’d rather have Hezekiah as king than Manasseh. One is definitely better than the other, but both bring their failings and their limitations, both are subject to the same laws of time, death, and chance that we are. So, it’s ok to have a preference, but our hope must be in Christ and His transformative power for our lives, for our nation, for the world.

Psalm 65:8 – ⁸ Those who live far away are awed by your signs; you make east and west shout for joy.

Sometimes when public figures show up to an event, they’re met with cheers, sometimes with jeers. Hulk Hogan was recently surprised with an arena full of boos when he expected applause.

One day, when the Lord establishes His Kingdom, rebellion will be replaced with rejoicing. Today, many still jeer at Him, scoff at His word, mock the idea of His coming. But we know the truth. And so, we can choose to do now what will be done later. We rejoice at the glory of our King.

As the song closes, David paints a series of beautiful garden images.

Psalm 65:9-10 – ⁹ You visit the earth and water it abundantly, enriching it greatly. God’s stream is filled with water, for you prepare the earth in this way, providing people with grain. ¹⁰ You soften it with showers and bless its growth, soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges.

We see the return of the forever King to the earth He created, which we ruined – to a people who so often rejected and reviled Him – and what is His response? He comes to restore and to work. Christ watering. Christ enriching. Christ preparing. Christ providing. Christ soaking the world with His tender generosity.

It’s not just a vanity project. It’s not just a photo-op. His whole purpose is to nourish His people. He is cultivating the world so that His people can overflow with the blessings of His provision.

The Sahara desert is steadily growing across 11 different countries. Soon it will cover even more. Right now it’s gobbling up 30 miles of Mali every year.^[10]

In the Lord’s Kingdom, the whole earth will be a thriving, fertile garden, with soft, rich soil.

It will be exciting to live in a world like that one day, but today, the Master Gardener still wants to accomplish this work. Today He does it in the garden of your heart. Jesus, of course, compared your heart to a field full of soil. God’s desire is to soften our hearts, to water them, to smooth out the rough edges, and to bear fruit through our lives. God’s design is that our soil be soft but strong – nourished and bountiful. Our Gardner calls us to work with Him to remove the thorns, root out sin, make the rough places smooth. Watered by the Word, growing in the Spirit, reaping harvests.

Psalm 65:11-13 – ¹¹ You crown the year with your goodness; your carts overflow with plenty. ¹² The wilderness pastures overflow, and the hills are robed with joy. ¹³ The pastures are clothed with flocks and the valleys covered with grain. They shout in triumph; indeed, they sing.

God can bring overflowing life and bounty even from the wilderness pasture. We can’t overstate how much David wants us to be thinking of overflowing goodness here. In fact, where he says “your carts overflow with plenty,” the words mean, “your cart track drips fatness.”^[11]

The idea is that God’s cart is so overflowing with goodness and grace, that as He passes through it just spills off the top. It’s like when your kids get the load of laundry out of the dryer.

But notice that God’s Kingdom is not just about making a good looking land. It’s always land and people. John Phillips reminds us that Christ is our Kinsman Redeemer who rescues both people and property.

The whole earth will be covered with His grace, His goodness, and His generosity. See it here: Valleys and hills, pastures and wildernesses. The soundtrack of every place will be a thriving, thanking, triumphant song of praise and rejoicing.

And so, we see our Lord has been shown to us as the Source of life, the Sustainer, the Shepherd, the best Steward, the Sovereign, and the Savior. What is not to hope in? What is not to praise? Perhaps that’s why the first word of the song is praise and the last word is sing. And how fitting that we start and end our services on Wednesday nights with singing.

But, as we close, not only is the goodness of God our future hope, it is our present reality. Though we wait for the full fulfillment of these things, so much of it has already been made true for us. Hasn’t Christ provided the Bread of life? Living Water? Spiritual growth? A flock to walk with under the Good Shepherd? Hasn’t He poured out His grace and goodness on us, even now?

Life has its struggles and difficulties, but the King of the coming Millennium is the King of our hearts now. His goodness spills from heaven in the tracks of this path He’s leading us on. And so, let us go forward in joy, in rejoicing, in thanksgiving, and praise, as we go to Him, keep our vows to Him, pray to Him, put our hope in Him, and be satisfied in Him.

Roll Of Thunder, Then We Cry (Psalm 29)

Every year the south prepares for hurricane season. The plains for tornado season. California has fire season. Have you heard of superbolt season? Between November and February thunderstorms with what are called superbolts occur in a handful of hotspots around the globe.^[1]

An average lightning strike contains around 300 million volts of power. But superbolts are 1,000 times stronger^[2] – so strong they cannot be replicated in a lab.^[3] They’re extremely rare, making up less than a thousandth of a percent of all lightning strikes.

There are three regions in the world that experience the most superbolts: The North Atlantic, the Altiplano of Bolivia, and the Mediterranean Sea.

In Psalm 29, David describes the deafening, earth-shaking, power of a thunderstorm that rolls in from the Mediterranean, lighting the sky with superbolts. His point isn’t to show us something natural. He draws our gaze to the supernatural. He wants us to see the matchless power of the Almighty God Who created the storms and towers over them in strength and majesty.

As His greatness passes by, roaring in magnitude and intensity, there’s nothing for us to do but cry out “Glory!” In fact, in this song there are no requests, no mention of the things we need from the Lord. As one commentator notes, this song is pure praise.^[4] No confession, no supplication, no direct application. This is simply a portrait of the magnificent power of Jehovah – That all the peoples of the earth may know that He is God and there is no other!^[5]

Psalm 29:1-2 –  A Psalm Of David. ¹ Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. ² Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

What right does David have to command angelic beings? Well, the truth is that humans will judge angels in eternity.^[6] But why would David tell call out orders to angels and other spiritual beings?

There’s a good case to be made that this song is not only a portrait of the power of God, but is also an apologetic refutation of the paganism of the Canaanites. David uses a term in verse 1 – “heavenly beings.” Your text may say “mighty ones.” The words mean the “sons of god(s).” This was a term used in Canaanite religious texts to refer to their many false gods.^[7]

It seems that David was taking specific aim at Baal in this song. Baal was supposed to be the god of thunderstorms and of fertility. He was known as the “cloud rider.” But in Canaanite mythology, every year, in what historians call the “Baal Cycle,” another god named Yam would decide he wanted to be king of the gods. Yam was the god of chaos and the god of the sea. And so, Yam and Baal would fight each year for supremacy. A sort of divine storm season.

But here comes David to say, “You think you know something about power, you think you know something about deity, but you have no idea.” It is Jehovah and Jehovah alone Who deserves our praise. David is going to use his name 18 times in this song – over and over again. And here, David says ascribe to Him glory and strength and the glory due His name.

To ascribe doesn’t mean that we decide – as if God gets glory if He proves He’s worth it. No, ascribe means that we acknowledge what is already true.^[8] We acknowledge it and then we bow down in worship.^[9] And there’s a great little post script there that is so important – David calls on the host of heaven (and anyone who worships God) to do so in the splendor of His holiness.

Proper worship is not about our strength or our design or our approach. Biblical worship is done in God’s holiness. Peter wrote that since the God Who has called us is holy, we also must be holy in our conduct.^[10] We receive His robe of righteousness – we put on His garment of holiness – and worship in that splendor, not any robe of our own making.

Worthy worship does not flow from having fancy equipment or having the most talented person make the melody. It flows from a heart that understands what is true about the God of the Bible. Worthy worship is about personal understanding and acknowledgment and surrender.

Psalm 29:3-4 – ³ The voice of the Lord is above the waters. The God of glory thunders—the Lord, above the vast water, ⁴ the voice of the Lord in power, the voice of the Lord in splendor.

David looks out on the vast water of the Mediterranean sea where a storm has formed. In the distance, he hears the thunder starting to rumble. It’s the voice of the Lord. A voice we’ll hear seven times in the next seven verses.

God’s voice above the waters reminds us immediately of the creation account in Genesis 1, where with a few words the Lord created all that there is. But have you ever wondered why He did so with His words? Why not just do it with His thoughts? Does God just like talking to Himself?

Here also, as David pictures God coming in power, our attention is drawn to His voice. Why?

The God of the Bible is a God Who speaks. He announces. He calls out to us so that we might know Him and flee to Him and be saved by Him. He speaks so that He might draw our attention to His presence, His power, His work, so that He can share His splendor with us. That’s what He wants to do. He speaks with a voice that is creative and salvific.

Psalm 29:5-6 – ⁵ The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon. ⁶ He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion, like a young wild ox.

Having rolled in from the West, the Lord’s thunderous voice now swings up to the far north of Israel in Lebanon and starts to shake the earth below.

In the Old Testament, the cedars of Lebanon are a figure of strength. Sirion is another name for the mighty Mount Hermon. It was the tallest mountain in the area.^[11] Look what the voice of the Lord does to the strongest trees and the highest hills. Derek Kidner writes, “…everything that man finds impressive…[is] brought low.” They immediately give way in surrender before the Lord.

Your voice isn’t that powerful. With some practice you might be able to crack a thin piece of glass at the right frequency. But try using your voice to trim your tree in the backyard.

The Lord’s voice shatters the cedars of Lebanon. The words suggest that these trees standing 60 feet tall and 30 feet wide are broken in pieces again and again at the sound of the Lord’s voice.^[12]

Psalm 29:7-9a – ⁷ The voice of the Lord flashes 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 give birth and strips the woodlands bare.

The thunderstorm has swept down from the mountains right above Israel. The lightning flashes and the thunder rolls.

All this imagery of shaking and fire speaks to us of the power of God’s judgment, especially His ultimate judgment which will come on the whole world. It is a judgment that cannot be escaped. We’ve seen His voice and presence and power over the seas, over the mountains, over the forests, now over the wilderness. A weatherman could track this storm moving from west to north then all the way to the remote south below Israel in Kadesh.

There is no place outside of God’s presence. There’s no boundary to His dominion. In the original Lion King, Mufasa shows his son the edges of their kingdom. “Everything the light touches is ours.” Simba says, “What about that shadowy place over there?” That’s beyond our borders. You must never go there.

Not so with the Lord. No place and no person is beyond His reach. His voice, with all its power and all its care calls out to you right now and to family, to your friends, your unsaved neighbors, prodigal sons, sworn enemies, and all the lost of this world.

As this storm passes in terrible judgment we see something unexpected in the aftermath: His voice makes the deer give birth.

This is a challenge to Canaanite paganism. Baal is not the god of fertility. It is Jehovah Who gives life. At the same time, we are reminded that in wrath God remembers mercy. From judgment new life is born. God will judge, He will destroy, but He is a Deliverer. He is a life-giver. His desire is to make all things new – for His mercy to revive and sustain and create beauty from the ashes.

Psalm 29:9b – In his temple all cry, “Glory!”

Scholars tend to agree that the temple here is referring to the house of worship in Jerusalem rather than the heavenly temple, but both sanctuaries take up the same shout: Glory to God! Seeing His power, His greatness, there is nothing else to say but to lift high His honor, splendor, and majesty.

We Christians have the privilege of joining with the heavenly host in worship. To give God His due. Kidner writes, “[This] climax…[is] a response of humility, joy, and understand which reveals that…the storm is not an outbreak of meaningless or hostile forces, but the voice of the Lord, heard in all His works. The Hebrew goes even further, in that all is literally ‘all of it.’ Everything in the temple.”^[13]

Psalms 29:10-11 – ¹⁰ The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned, King forever. ¹¹ The Lord gives his people strength; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Every year, Baal and Yam fought it out over who would be king. Then Baal had to struggle with other gods. One source writes: “His kingship is limited, attained by difficult single combat and with the help of other gods, and his overcoming of his enemies is not permanent.”^[14]

Jehovah sits enthroned King forever. He sat enthroned over the flood. The word David uses here is only used elsewhere to refer to the Genesis flood.^[15] The greatest storm the earth has ever known. The storm of judgment no one could escape from.

Well, not no one. Eight souls were saved because they received God’s grace. By faith, they obeyed God and were safe in the storm. Because this is a God not only of power but of generosity.

David presents the kindness and charity of this Almighty King in the closing verses. Twice we see Him on His throne, and twice we see Him giving freely to His people.

First, He gives His people strength. The same term that was ascribed to the Lord at the beginning, now God turns and offers it to us. The kind of strength only He has. What did Jesus say in Matthew? He said when we walk by faith God shares with us the kind of strength where we can say to a mountain, “be lifted up and thrown into the sea” and it will be done.

The mountain-shaking God brings us into His work and equips us to do what He does. His design is for us to be strong. That doesn’t mean we never suffer or struggle or hurt or doubt, but God’s design for you is not perpetual weakness, not constant frailty. God’s design and desire for you is strength. Strength of mind. Strength of heart. Strength of conviction. To make you like a tree that is not splintered by the storms of life, but one rooted in rock, whose leaf does not wither, whose boughs are laden with fruit season after season. Do you feel weak tonight? The answer is to discover what God does, has done, and still plans to do for you. The answer is for you to be strengthened with power in your inner being through His Spirit.^[16]

But not only do we see the enthroned God giving us strength, we then see Him giving us peace. Yam was the god of chaos, Jehovah is the God of peace. Peace with God. Peace in your heart. Peace in your relationships as far as it depends on you. Peace of mind, knowing the God of the flood is your God of grace, Who will see you through and bring you to glory with Him one day.

Jesus, our King, renewed this promise of peace to us in John 14:

John 14:27 – ²⁷ “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.

This is the God we serve. The God of majesty and power, of grace and peace. A God Whose voice  fills the earth. His Word commands and demands, reveals, creates, judges, and destroys. Today, His voice calls. It calls us to know Him and then to know Him more. To walk with Him and worship Him and abide in Him so He can bring life to us.

It’s good for us to catch a glimpse of the Lord’s awesome power. But whenever He reveals His power, He also shows His goodness.

Moses once asked to see the glory of God. On the mountain, God descended in a great cloud as He had before at Sinai, where the Lord answered Moses in thunder, and the mountain shook. As God’s glory passed by Moses, His voice thundered with this message:

Exodus 34:6 – The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth.

That was the message God wanted to convey through the power of His glory. It’s the same message for us today. And so, as we ponder the greatness and power of the One true God, we join with what we read in Job 37:

Job 37:2 – ² Just listen to his thunderous voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.