Here is today’s message;

Peace,

Steve

Glory to the Lord of All

Intro. Three years ago this weekend Hurricane Katrina smashed into the Gulf Coast of the United States bringing widespread destruction and leading to nearly two thousand deaths. The huge storm caused damage in a span 100 miles on either side from its center. And many of the buildings and homes that were not completely demolished by the powerful winds suffered greatly from the flood waters and storm surge. It is hard for us in Northern New York to imagine the magnitude of such a storm – but certainly the word “awesome” comes to mind. Awesome in power. Awesome in strength. Awesome in its ability to make us suddenly feel small, weak and helpless. As we gather here this morning another powerful storm is churning its way toward the Gulf Coast. Last night Hurricane Gustav hit western Cuba – and it seems certain that it will gain in strength before taking aim at the US Coast. Who knows what destruction the next few days will bring as a result of such raw power and force? But as we helplessly wait and watch there is one thing we can know for certain – such strength and power is not beyond restraint – it is not uncontrollable. For there is a power and strength that is greater and much more awesome – it is the power and strength of the Sovereign Lord God, Creator of Heaven and Earth. It is this power and strength that David acknowledges here in Psalm 29. Now Ps. 29 will not answer all the questions that we may have about why God allows Hurricanes to bring such great destruction and loss of life but it does offer to us what is perhaps the primary and most compelling answer, the answer we must acknowledge even though we can’t fully understand or comprehend it – God is a Sovereign Lord who rules over all things, even all creation working out His plan and purposes in all things. And because He is the Sovereign Lord – He alone is worthy to be praised, even amidst a great and powerful storm. There are essentially three sections to this Psalm – each showing how God is the Lord over all – He is the Lord of Glory; He is the Lord of the Storm and He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

I. The Lord of Glory

A. Glory is Due His Name

1. First, in vs. 1-2 we see that the Lord is the Lord of Glory. The word glory is one of those words that you know what it means but it is hard to define. The word here for glory can mean abundance, splendor and honor. It describes not only beauty, majesty and excellence but also great power and authority. Such a description marks one who must be recognized. And this is exactly what David is calling for here. (read 1,2)

2. When David commands “ascribe” or “give” to the Lord glory and strength – He is commanding that the Lord be recognized and acknowledged for who He is, the Sovereign Creator of Heaven and Earth. In vs. 2 David calls for the Lord to receive the honor and respect that is due to His Name.

3. And surely, for the very reason that He alone is God, His name is due respect, honor and praise. In fact, we might say that the Lord God alone is most worthy of our praise, honor and respect because He alone is almighty, complete and perfect in every way. He alone is the One who created the Heavens and the earth. He alone formed and fashioned us after His own image. He alone bestowed upon His people past and present the rich and abundant blessings of His grace. He alone has redeemed us by the shed blood of His son, Jesus Christ. Glory is “due His name” – God expects it because God alone deserves it.

4. And this is why David is led to call for God to be worshiped and praised in the beauty of His holiness in vs. 2. The English word “worship” finds its etymology in “worth-ship”, i.e. giving or ascribing worth to someone or something. So when we gather together to worship God we are basically acknowledging the fact that God has “worth” and this worth ought to be confessed. In other words, worship is ascribing or giving to the Lord glory and strength, worship is confessing that glory is due to God’s Holy Name.

B. Who is Called to Worship Him?

1. But, who are the “sons of the mighty” that David is here calling upon to make this confession of truth? Some contend that the “sons of the mighty” lit. “sons of God” are rulers and princes of the Land – David is calling those who have power and authority to make this confession of God’s worth. This would be similar to Ps. 2 where David sings 10-12 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. 11 Worship the LORD with reverence, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way,. Here the Kings of the earth, who because of their own position would be due honor, praise and respect are themselves called to pay homage and ascribe worth to the Lord’s anointed King and Son.

2. But in Ps. 29 David may have something greater in mind than just earthly kings – In places like Job 38:7 and Ps. 89:6 the phrase “sons of the mighty” or “sons of God” is used to speak of the angels in heaven. David is here calling the angels to give glory and praise unto the Lord. But isn’t that what the angels already do? So why would David be here commanding the angels to do what they already do? David does so for a dramatic effect – as an analogy of the greater to the lesser.

3. That is, if the angels in heaven constantly ascribe glory and honor and praise to God – then ought not we who were “created a little lower than the angels” give the same glory and honor and praise to God? So by calling the angels to give to the Lord glory and strength (the greater), he is also calling all those under the angels (the lesser) to give glory to the Lord as well. Indeed, all creatures, great and small and all creation is being called to give glory to God for He alone is worthy.

4. This is what makes the Lord God the Lord of Glory – He reigns over glory because He alone is worthy to receive it from all Creation – from the angels in heaven to Mankind on earth. From the expanse of the sky to the smallest of molecules. All must acknowledge and confess that the Lord Alone is worthy to receive praise, honor and respect.

5. Now we know that because of our sin nature this does not come easy for us – in fact, outside of Christ we cannot give such praise and glory to God. For we are inclined to praise and give glory only to ourselves. We are almighty in our own eyes. But if we would look in the mirror and take a hard honest look at ourselves, we would see that we do not deserve such recognition. If we would see what God sees we would acknowledge that we are not worthy at all. All our might is weakness before the Sovereign God. We can’t even stand up to Hurricane force winds – what makes us think that we can stand in the place of the One who controls those winds? Because the Lord God is the Sovereign Creator of Heaven and Earth, He alone is worthy of glory, He alone is to be worshiped and He alone is the Lord of Glory.

II. The Lord of the Storm

A. The Storm’s Movement

1. To further demonstrate the power and might of God’s glory as the Sovereign Lord, David in vs. 3-9 moves to a description of a great hurricane-like storm. The Storm begins out at sea – over the Mediterranean and begins to build in power and strength, churning up the waves with its mighty wind.

2. As the storm with its ominous dark clouds moves inland it brings with it destruction. The great cedars of Lebanon, which in Scripture exemplify great strength, are broken like toothpicks. As the thunder rumbles, the ground reverberates and shakes so that Lebanon and Sirion or Mount Hermon in the North appear to skip like bucking broncos.

3. As the storm moves south over the whole landscape of Israel, lightning flashes across the sky like a woodsman hitting a log with a mighty swing of the axe and cracks and splinters erupt everywhere. Finally the storm passes by into the southern desert area of Kadesh, but not without leaving huge swaths of fallen trees in its wake. This was a great storm indeed.

B. The Storm’s Revelation

1. But this description is not just of a terrible storm off the sea, it is also meant to be a revelation of God’s power and glory. Seven times in this section David speaks of the “voice of the Lord”. Now it should be made clear that David is not saying that the voice of the Lord is literally upon the waters or that God is literally speaking when we hear thunder. David is using picturesque language of a storm to show the power and might of the Lord. Consider these images of God’s revelation:

2. First His voice is “heard” upon the great waters – this recalls the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth – when the Spirit of God moved above the many waters – and then suddenly the voice of the Lord broke the silence and God said, “Let there be light and there was light”. So the “voice of the Lord” here demonstrates God’s creative power. Even as the current storm is being called into existence by His eternal decree.

3. Second, the voice of the Lord is powerful and majestic – it inspires that great sense of shock and awe that makes us feel so insignificant. As we noted the Cedars of Lebanon were often used as metaphors to describe great strength. And yet here these mighty trees are shattered into pieces.

4. Third the voice of the Lord trembles and shakes the very foundations of the earth, even moving mountains as it were, again showing the unparalleled strength and power of the Creator.

5. Bible translators and scholars are divided over the translation of vs. 9 – Does the voice of the Lord cause the great oak trees to twist and break (which seems to fit in best with the rest of the context) or is it by the commanding voice of God the deer gives birth, or some might say that if it is in the midst of the storm – the deer gives birth pre-maturely? Either way the message is the same – God reveals His power and strength in the midst of the storm.

C. Where are the people?

1. And herein lies a great spiritual truth for us – God’s power and strength are truly revealed to us even and especially in the midst of the great storms we face. Be they real storms like hurricanes, tornadoes or blizzards or the difficult and challenging storms of life – sickness, disease, troubled relationships, economic woes, grief and loss or persecution because of our faith. God is there in the midst of it. For at those times when we are weak, He shows himself strong and mighty. And so even as we endure such hardships we rest in the all sufficient grace of God which strengthens us.

2. This thought of God in the midst of the storms of our lives causes us to ask the question here of Ps. 29 – where in the midst of this storm are the people? We find the answer in vs. 9 – they are in the Temple of the Lord praising and worshipping God saying “Glory” “Glory to God, Glory to God in the Highest”.

3. When the storm comes people seek shelter and refuge – for Israel that shelter and refuge was in the presence of God. And the presence of God was symbolically found in the tabernacle and then later the temple. Gathered together with the saints they glorify God and give praise to His name. Outside they listen to the power and glory of His booming Voice, but inside they are strengthened and comforted.

4. Beloved of God, it is when we seek such refuge and comfort in the presence of God through what Christ has accomplished for us on the Cross that we are able to acknowledge God’s sovereignty; that He alone is the Lord over all things, even the storms that we face in our lives everyday. In this is great strength and comfort.

III. The Lord of Lords and King of Kings

A. He Reigns Over Judgment

1. This then leads to the final section of this Psalm in which we see that the Lord is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings for truly He is sovereign over all things in Heaven and on Earth.

2. In vs. 10 we are reminded of God’s sovereignty over judgment. “The Lord sat as King at the flood”. It is quite natural to imagine that with such a storm described in vs. 3-9 that flooding may come as a result. But the word that is used here for “flood” is found no where else in the OT except in Gen. 6-9. In other words, “The Lord sat as King at THE Flood”. The Flood that God sent upon the earth as a judgment against mankind’s great sin and wickedness when evil was in the heart of man continually. The Flood where all Creation was destroyed except those whom God graciously preserved in Noah’s Ark.

3. We learn from this then that God rules over judgment and that sometimes this judgment comes in the form of natural disasters. The Lord God, the righteous Judge of all the earth was the one who opened up the heavens and brought water forth from the earth as it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. It was also the Lord who stopped the water and restrained the rain. He ruled over the Flood.

4. Likewise it is God who rules over hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes. And when these come they come, at least in part, as judgments against sin. Now I want to be clear here and make a distinction – I do not believe that we can say as some prominent Christians did with Hurricane Katrina that this was a judgment of God upon a particular person or city for particular sins. Likewise, if and when Gustav hits the US Coast we cannot say, “God is judging those people for their sin” – for we must acknowledge that though there may be some unrepentant sinners who lose their lives, there will also be many sincere and faithful believers in Christ who die as well. We cannot be so specific because God has not given us such specifics in His Word.

5. However, we do know that we all are sinners and that we all are deserving of judgment. We do know that such disasters happen because we live in a world affected by Man’s original sin. We do know that the judgment God prescribed to Adam and Eve for disobedience was death. We do know that in times past God has used natural forces to bring judgment upon the wicked, like the Flood or the fire and brimstone from heaven that consumed Sodom and Gomorrah. So we can say that judgment is at least a part of what is happening in a particular disastrous situation. Indeed, for the believer in Christ, when such disaster comes and takes their lives it is a blessing because to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. But for the unbeliever, for the one who denies Christ and the Gospel – when disaster comes and death results – that is a judgment against them. God has called them to account and they will suffer the torments of Hell until the Last Great Day.

6. So the Lord is Lord of judgment. And again as we noted last week in relation to Ps. 28 and the necessary balance of God’s mercy and justice – the Lord was not just King and judge then, back there in the OT Days of the Flood – but He is the King and Judge right now, even today. And He will be the King and Judge forever and ever. This is a great fact that many refuse to acknowledge to their own shame and destruction.

B. He Reigns Over Salvation

1. But as we balance that Judgment with God’s mercy we note in vs. 11 that God is also the ruler over His people for their blessing and benefit. He strengthens those who are His and encourages them – even and especially during the various storms they may face.

2. He strengthens them through His amazing Grace which was made possible when the Lord sent His own Son to suffer and die on the Cross for our sins that we might have reconciliation and peace with both God and Man.

3. For those who trust in Christ alone for salvation – they indeed will have strength to do and endure all things for God’s glory and they will have that great peace which surpasses all understanding.

C. Glory to God in the Highest and Peace on Earth

1. Brothers and sisters there is one final point that I want to draw to your attention in regards to this Psalm. The Psalm begins by David calling the Angels who are on high to give all praise and glory to God alone. At the close of the Psalm David sings of the blessings that God will shower down upon His people – the strength and peace of His grace bestowed upon the earth. Does that sound at all familiar? Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth? Friends, this Psalm anticipates the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the shepherds were keeping their flocks by night an Angel of the Lord appeared to them to announce the birth of the Messiah and Luke 2:13-14 suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

2. Beloved of God, Jesus Christ is the Lord of Lord and King of Kings, He truly is the Lord of All who alone deserves glory, honor, praise and respect. For even in His earthly ministry He assured His disciples that He was there with them in the midst of the storms that they faced – He alone could send forth His voice and cause the wind to cease and the sea to be at peace. He alone lived a perfectly righteous life. He alone gave Himself as the once for all perfect sacrifice for our sins. He alone secured the victory of our salvation by rising from the dead on the third day. And He alone strengthens us and daily pours out His mercy and grace upon those who do not deserve it. Truly He alone is worthy to receive glory and praise from all Creation and indeed He shall receive such from all things created, both in heaven and on Earth: Rev 5:11-13 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"

3. May everything and everyone, even in this place cry out “Glory”, Glory to the Lord Jesus Christ – Our Savior and King!

Psalm 29A

Pastor Steve Rockhill

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