EXPOSITION OF PSALM 29
A Psalm of David

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This psalm emphasizes "the voice of Jehovah" (vv.3-9). This phrase appears seven times, seven being the number of completion (as in the seven days of creation in Genesis 2:1). Jehovah's voice here is His thunder (v.3; cp. 18:13). This psalm contains 1. a call for the mighty to properly revere Jehovah (vv.1f), 2. a description of Jehovah's voice in the tempest (vv.3-9), and 3. a reason for the righteous to trust in Jehovah (vv.10f).

I. A call for the mighty to properly revere Jehovah (vv.1f)

29:1 "Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, ..." The meaning of "give" here is not to bestow something to Jehovah He does not already possess, for He eternally possesses all things of the universe (24:1). Rather, it is to ascribe to Him what He is due. This is to be done by all "you mighty ones" (Hebrew ben el, literally "sons of might"). These may be God's angels, who are also identified by the same Hebrew term ben el, or "sons of God" (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). But also addressed are the mighty ones among mortals, such as civil rulers (called "gods" in Psalm 82:6), and heroes of the peoples ("the strong among the mighty" in Ezekiel 32:21), and every one who has a high and mighty opinion of himself (probably including us all). All such individuals are required to ascribe to Jehovah three things: "glory and strength" (v.1b) and everything else that is "due to His name" (v.2).

"... Give unto the LORD glory ..." This "glory" is honor. To "give" this honor to Jehovah is to celebrate and glorify Him for who and what He is in His glorious person and nature (as in Deuteronomy 32:31), and for what He has done in His glorious works of creation, providence, and salvation (as in Psalm 21:5). Yea, in and for all things ascribe to Jehovah both glory ...

"... and strength." The Hebrew word (oz) denotes the might and power found particularly in warriors. The psalmist in Psalm 68:33-35 exhorts us to "Ascribe strength to God" by acknowledging that "His strength is in the clouds" (i.e., evident to all) and that He speaks with "a mighty voice" (i.e., a voice of strength heard by all), and by confessing that "The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people."

29:2 "Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; ..." God's "name" is Himself (Proverb 18:10). God should receive from men everything that is "due to His name", or due to Him. Hold back no honor from Him.

"... Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." Jehovah is the only being worthy of "worship". And He is worthy to be worshiped in the proper manner: "in the beauty of holiness" (cp. 1 Chronicles 16:29; Psalm 96:9). This term denotes two things. The first is the beauty of the holy Person, Jesus Christ, who is "the beauty of holiness" par excellence (2 Chronicles 20:21). The second is the beauty of the holy nature, that given to believers (as in 1 Peter 3:3f). Therefore, to "worship Jehovah in the beauty of holiness" is to do so from the beautiful holy heart in a beautiful holy manner in and through the beautiful holy Jesus Christ.

II. A description of Jehovah's voice in the tempest (vv.3-9).

At first glance the phenomena here described may appear to be randomly selected. Not so! The psalmist describes a storm that begins in the clouds over the Mediterranean Sea (v.3), which moves across Lebanon (v.v.5f) and then southward across the whole land of Israel (vv.7-9a), wherein was His temple (v.8b). In each place the glory of Jehovah was revealed in this storm. Each phenomenon in the physical realm has a spiritual application.

29:3 "The voice of the LORD is over the waters; ..." These are the waters of the clouds above the earth (Genesis 7:3). Spiritually, "The waters ... are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues" (Revelation 17:15) who hear Jehovah's voice.

"... The God of glory thunders; ..." These "thunders" are "the voice of Jehovah" (v.3a; cp. 18:13) booming forth His "glory". May all His ministers be, like His apostles James and John, "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17) in the holiest sense of the term, men through whom God speaks in His glory.

"... The LORD is over many waters." May He be pleased to thunder His gospel over all the waters, and be heard by all peoples around them.

29:4 "The voice of the LORD is powerful; ..." No one doubts the power of thunder, and the lightning which it accompanies. So it is with Christ's gospel (Hebrews 4:12): "For the word of God is living and powerful", ever and unfailingly accomplishing what it purposes to perform. It is far more glorious than the dead and impotent so-called gospel of dead and impotent Churchianity, which avers God is unable to save a man without that man's cooperation.

"... The voice of the LORD is full of majesty." Everyone is in awe of the majesty of thunder, and of the lightning which it accompanies. Let all be in greater awe of the gospel of Christ, which is "full of majesty" because it is full of Christ, who is full of majesty (2 Peter 1:16) - being majestic in His person and works, and revealing "the majesty of God" (Luke 9:28-43a).

29:5 "The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars, / Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon." "Lebanon" is the loftiest and best-known mountain range of Syria. These "cedars of Lebanon ... are high and lifted up" (Isaiah 2:13) and "the glory of Lebanon" (35:2; 60:13). But as Jehovah's thunder brings them down, so does His gospel do to the proudest of men - such as Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1-6; Philippians 3:4-11).

29:6 "He makes them also skip like a calf, / Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox." "Sirion" is another name for Mount Hermon (Deuteronomy 3:9). Oriental hyperbole is here employed in describing what Jehovah's thunder does in moving mountains. Through the preaching of the gospel, men unable to walk are made to be "walking, leaping, and praising God" (Acts 3:1-8).

29:7 "The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire." With poetic license the psalmist describes thunder's booms as dividing lightning's fiery bolts one from another. Likewise the gospel divides the fiery bolts that in men's hearts illumine the truth, melt rebellion, and kindle a holy flame of love and devotion.

29:8 "The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; / The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh." The storm has now moved to "Kadesh", the southern border of Israel (see Numbers ch.13, esp. v.26). Such a "wilderness" may be a "great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water" (Deuteronomy 8:15; cp. 32:10). Such a description spiritually describes the Gentile world, "the wilderness of the peoples" (Ezekiel 20:35). But Christ in mercy shakes even such wastelands through the voice of His thunder. Yea, when in His death on Calvary "Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, ... the earth quaked" (Matthew 27:50f).

29:9 "The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth, ..." The thunder of God in nature often makes animals cast their young. The thunder of Christ in the gospel that shakes the wilderness also awakens sinners therein to their regeneration - as with the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:25-34).

"... And strips the forests bare; ..." The thunder of God in nature denudes trees. The thunder of Christ in the gospel denudes sinners of all their personal righteousness, the "filthy rags" in which they hide themselves (Isaiah 64:6), and exposes even "the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

"... And in His temple everyone says, 'Glory!'" The psalmist perhaps was with others in the house of God in Jerusalem when this storm passed by. They beheld the awesome works of God in the thunder and thundered their own "Glory!" in response. Likewise, today from the temple of God in Mount Zion can be heard "a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder", glorifying Him for all His awesome works (Revelation 14:1-3; cp. 7:9-12).

III. A reason for the righteous to trust in Jehovah (vv.10f)

29:10 "The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, ..." Jehovah was King over the Noahic Deluge, sovereignly sending it in His wrath and sovereignly saving Noah in it (Genesis chs.6-9).

"... And the LORD sits as King forever." Jehovah is as much enthroned today as He was then, sovereignly sending His storms and saving His people through and in them.

29:11 "The LORD will give strength to His people; ..." This He does in giving to them Christ, whom they acknowledge as "God our Strength" (Psalm 81:1), and of whom they declare "The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation" (118:14; see also Philippians 4:13).

"... The LORD will bless His people with peace." This He does in giving to them Christ, "For He Himself is our peace" (Ephesians 2:14). They therefore through Him have "peace with God" (Romans 5:1) and in their hearts (Colossians 3:15).

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