As far back as my childhood, I have always enjoyed watching thunderstorms, and where I have spent my whole life, in the central part of the U.S., we have always had plenty of them every year, with a lot of tall, billowing storm clouds, and plenty of thunder and lightning. Those frequently lead to the threat of a tornado, and I have gone through several in my lifetime. Every few years a blizzard will come through in the winter. Though there are some major fault lines here, thankfully in my lifetime all we have ever had are an occasional gentle rumbling. And fortunately with regards to weather events, we are very far from any coast, so there has never been the threat of a hurricane. In our psalm for today, David describes several events in nature, and how these occur through the voice of the Lord. Let’s look at this psalm and see how God is behind these, specifically weather-related events.
In the ancient world many pagan cultures worshiped storm deities. Zeus was the Greek god of thunder, lightning, and storms. Thor was the Northern European equivalent. In the Old Testament times, the pagan Canaanites worshiped Baal, who was the god of storms and the rain necessary for a good crop. As David wrote in this psalm, he gave testimony that it was not any pagan god who brought these, but storms came instead from the voice of the Lord, Yahweh. The psalm proclaims how the Lord’s power, absolute authority, and glory are displayed in creation, and that He rules over every force in nature.
David begins this psalm by calling upon the “mighty ones”, (who would be heavenly beings), to give God the glory due His Name (vs. 1-2). God is so glorious that even angels must acknowledge His majesty. Worship is not something optional that we sometimes might do if we feel in the mood. It is owed to the Lord God. Our worship should be reverent and God-centered, not man-centered emotionalism which we sometimes find.
Over the next several verses David describes the Voice of the Lord in the Storm (vs. 3-9). What happens when God speaks and His voice goes forth? His voice is the voice of thunder. It can break massive trees. It can bring forth earthquakes and bring down mountains. His voice causes lightning and fire, and can strip a forest bare. As David speaks of these events, he is not merely describing weather. He is declaring that God controls every force of nature. Storms do not just happen at random. They are expressions of Yahweh’s divine control and authority. These most powerful natural phenomena are servants of God’s voice.
God created everything, including the forces of nature, and as we see in this psalm, He actively governs His creation, nothing just happens on its own. The Lord is also not an uninvolved, remote deity who made the universe and then just sits back without a care. He is above His creation, but yet interacts with it directly. When storms come in our life, whether literal or figurative, they are never outside of God’s control His voice still speaks through circumstances, reminding believers of His power and presence.
As David closes the psalm, he proclaims that Yahweh is enthroned as King forever (vs. 10-11). After the storm passes, David shifts from the powerful imagery of nature to the calm assurance of God’s rule. He rules over the chaos of every powerful storm, and His rule is eternal. Thunderstorms, lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes all serve God’s purpose. They demonstrate His power, and should not be attributed to anyone or anything else. His power is untameable and demands respect.
You never know when a storm is coming, so be sure you are worshiping the Lord God, and giving Him all the glory. We can trust God in the storms. No storm is greater than He is! He who commands the storm also comforts His children. His power is not only destructive, it is protective, strengthening, and peace-giving. He gives strength and peace to His people, and brings a blessing after the storm. David affirmed the Lord’s protection of His people even when the world shakes. We are secure in His eternal rule. The Voice of the Lord is ultimately the voice of peace for those who acknowledge and submit to His reign. If life is stormy just now, worship the Lord and wait on Him. The storm will pass, and He will give you peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment