#DailyDevotion The LORD Alone Sits In Judgment & It Cuts Both Ways
Psalm 29 4The LORD’s voice is powerful; the LORD’s voice is majestic. 5The LORD’s voice shatters the cedars; the LORD smashes the cedars of Lebanon. 6He makes Lebanon jump like a calf, and Mount Hermon like a young wild bull. 7The LORD’s voice cuts down with flames of fire. 8The LORD’s voice shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9The LORD’s voice makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare.
The other six mentions of the LORD’s voice also demonstrate His power over nature. I don’t know if David ever heard the Voice of the LORD before. Perhaps he is recalling the LORD speaking to the Israelites from the fire on Mount Sinai. Of course His Voice created the heavens and the earth, formed the earth and created every creature on it. It stands to matter that His Voice is powerful and majestic. I wonder, what did David witness to say it shatters and smashes the cedars of Lebanon. Back then, those were like the redwoods in the Rockies. It would take some mighty strong straight-line winds to knock them over. When did David hear the Voice do that? It is perhaps just knowing the character and power of the LORD that he is speaking.
Making Lebanon skip and Mount Hermon jump like a wild bull sound a lot like an earthquake. We know the LORD punished this region a couple of times with massive earthquakes through the word of the prophets. The LORD certainly has the power to do this. He uses “natural” disasters such as these, fires and the like to call us to repentance. He calls us to examine our hearts to see if there is any evil in them that needs to be confessed and brought before Him for forgiveness.
In His temple everything is saying, “Glory!” 10The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is a king on His throne forever.
As in verse one where David calls upon the angels to give the LORD glory, here he confirms that everything and everyone in the LORD’s temple is saying, “Glory!” Those in the Temple of God in heaven hear the pronouncements of the LORD and know all His doings. They all the more can give God the glory, power and might in their praise of him.
The LORD sitting enthroned over the flood gives us the image of the LORD sitting in judgment. He judged the world with the Flood. He controls the Flood. It is a reminder that all judgment belongs to Him. Parallel to that is, “the LORD is a king on His throne forever.” Quite a statement from Israel’s second king. We should remember that the LORD is the king of His people. He became their king in Deuteronomy and was their king up to Saul. Saul thought he was actually king over Israel and lost his kingdom. Most of the kings of Judah and Israel thought they were kings of those people and they like Saul were horrible kings. While David was made king over Israel, he did not lose sight, his was only a representative kingship. He was a vassal king of the LORD, the God of Israel. It is proper then for Jesus to be charged at His crucifixion with being King of the Jews. Jesus in fact is the LORD God, the King of Israel of whom David speaks.
11The LORD gives His people power; the LORD blesses His people with peace.
The LORD Jesus Christ has indeed given us power. It is the power, the authority to forgive and retain sins. With this power, He bestows peace upon His people with forgiveness.
Heavenly Father, all glory, might, and power are Yours and Your Son Jesus Christ’s. Give us faith You use that to call us to repentance, that we may turn from our sins and turn to You in the name of Jesus to receive forgiveness and Your peace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.