The Thunder Rolls Series

Text: Psalm 29:1-11, Title: The Thunder Rolls, Date/Place: NRBC, 12/5/10, AM

A. Opening illustration: video ill, what words would you use to describe that? Story about the commentator’s son who did a back flip while watching the storm after a close bolt and a loud peel of thunder.

B. Background to passage: in Ps 27, David asks for an answer. In 28, he pleads that God not be silent. And here in 29, God relinquishes silence, answers, but not in a still small voice, but in tree-splitting power. “These verses march to the tune of thunderbolts.” -Boice

C. Main thought: God’s presence and voice explode our highest thoughts of His power and command awe!

A. Acknowledge His Worth (v. 1-2)

1. David calls on the heavenly beings (angels and possibly fallen angels, other gods) to acknowledge that there is a greater power and presence than themselves. One upon whom they and the rest of creation owe its existence. The word used here is “ascribe” and it means to give, but more to proclaim the glories, excellencies, and perfections of God. This is not the giving as though God lacked anything, for He doesn’t; but a giving that declares what He already is. And David knows that when we see Him, “the beauty of holiness” we will worship (Hebrew word means to bow down in prostration and submission), because His stunning, overwhelming splendor will compel it.

2. Rev 5:9, 12, Matt 13:44-46

3. Illustration: the man who described his car to the therapist, and was asked if he felt guilty, I asked an elderly woman once, “If I go to church and the preacher says nothing worth hearing, is it any use for me to go?” “Of course not,” she replied curtly. But a young man overhearing our conversation intruded, “I don’t see why a man, when he goes to church to worship God, would let a preacher butt in on his worship!” the story behind The Heart of Worship,

4. Just as much or more so, you and I are called to worship God by ascribing to Him all His beauties. You are worshippers. You were made for this. You were made to sense God, to find your joy in Him, to raise your hands in glorious voluntary love and devotional overflow making much of His great name! This is one of the reasons that hymns are so important—choruses tend to reflect our inner desires and feelings of longing for God, prayers to be answered, need for His presence, but the old hymns do a spectacular job of what David is calling us to do. Important: love the hymns, not simply for sentimentality’s sake, but for their declaration and worship of God. Worship is not about getting (ex: I didn’t get anything out of the service today), but it is about giving. We give him our praise, declaring His glory. We get knowledge, encouragement, etc from the teaching, reading, studying, but the result/goal is always worship. The goal of every sermon, every offering, every video, and every song is worship in your hearts pouring forth from your lips declaring among the people His very being.

B. Acknowledge His Power (v. 3-9)

1. The bulk of this psalm describes the voice of the LORD in terms like a severe storm. The main point is found at the end of verse 9: everyone says, “Glory!” Maybe David was in a cave at night in the wilderness watching a downpour during the rainy season by lamplight. Or maybe he was in the palace listening to the crashing of thunder and the lights as it lights up the sky. (Even Eddie Rabbit love “rainy nights”). But he pictured the voice of God as the deafening peals of thunder, snapping the strongest of trees like toothpicks. He sees the creation that the voice of God spoke into existence trembling and being shaken by that same voice. By the language, it is obvious that David was in awe with the beauty, the power, the destructiveness, the replenishing nature, the sense of something much bigger, and way out of your control; yet that something is strangely attractive even though it could kill you.

2. Ex 19:16, Ps 18:13-15, 77:16-18,

3. Illustration: “The voice of God is the most powerful force in nature, indeed the only force in nature, for all energy is here only because the power-filled Word is being spoken,” –Tozer, “Electricity (lightning) of itself can do nothing; it must be called and sent upon its errand; and until the almighty Lord commissions it, its bolt of fire is inert and powerless. As well might a rock of granite or a bar of iron fly in the midst of heaven, as the lightning go without being sent by the great First Cause.” –Spurgeon, Pride and stupidity cause some to stay despite hurricane evacuations and chase tornadoes, but some do it because of the strange attractiveness of the forces of nature, which are under His control. "Too often today God has become our 'buddy' and 'pal'...it is easy to emasculate our understanding of God until He is like our human buddies...(Isa 6:3) Isaiah did not grin and slap God on the back. He did not even give Him a friendly hug or handshake...but was prostrate, fearful to even look at God."