Tag: Ascribe glory to the Lord
King of the Flood!
Scripture reading for June 9th: Psalms 25-30
From our reading today, I have chosen Psalm 29 to comment on. This psalm contains an unusual phrase about the Lord. He is pictured as ‘enthroned over the flood’. The word used here for “flood” is “mabbul” which is used exclusively of the world-wide flood described in Genesis 6-9. I was curious about this thought. Why is the psalmist caught up in this idea of the flood? What is David thinking about in this psalm that he would see God as enthroned as King forever in connection with this flood?
This psalm begins with David exhorting the ‘mighty ones’ to ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. In the previous psalm David had cried to the Lord to save him from wicked men and God had answered him. We are not sure if these mighty ones are his “mighty men” or the mighty angels that attend to the Lord and cry “Holy,Holy,Holy” before his throne. We do know that all creatures owe worship to the Lord of glory! His holiness makes him awesome to behold and to think upon. There is none like Him!
We don’t know if David was near some body of water, but possibly a thunderstorm broke loose as he was writing this psalm. David spoke of the voice of the Lord in the thunders. It was majestic and broke in on his consciousness. Perhaps a bolt of lightning struck one of the cedars of Lebanon and splintered it, reducing it to a smoldering pile of sticks right before his sight. These cedars often grew over 100 feet tall and over thirty feet around. The power released to break the tree would make a real impression and cause anyone to worship or fear! David sees the violent thunderstorm with thousands of lightning strikes as a manifestation of God’s mighty power and experiences God’s power to shake the earth. David realizes that he is small and God is mighty and that all in God’s temple are crying “Glory”!
It is at this point that David speaks of the Lord as enthroned over the flood. This violent storm has brought the great flood of Genesis to his remembrance. He realizes that God is judge and in control over wind and storm! Our lives are truly in His hands and He is a King to be honored and worshiped. This same King promised to never destroy the world with water again. (Genesis 9:15-16) What a God and King!
“The Lord sits enthroned over the flood, The Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to His people, the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29:10-11