A Prayer for Peace
Psalm 29
Tony’s Overview Video
How to Use
Preparing to teach
- Read the Bible Lesson by Tony Cartledge in this month’s issue of the Nurturing Faith Journal
- Watch Tony’s Video for this session
- Select either the Adult or Youth teaching guide and follow the directions
Click to read the Bible Lesson by Tony Cartledge
Key Text:
May the LORD give strength to his people!
May the LORD bless his people with peace!
Most of us know what it is like to stand on the ocean’s shore, on a mountain peak, or beneath a powerful waterfall – and to feel very small as we contemplate the incredible scope and splendor of creation. If a major thunderstorm should catch us there, we would feel even smaller.
Thunderstorms are powerful, fearsome, and dangerous. Lightning, wind, and flooding can wreak widespread destruction, and there is nothing we can do to stop them. The best we can do is seek shelter, ponder the awesomeness of nature’s fury, and wait for the storm to pass so peace might return.
The Hebrews, like other ancient peoples, associated storms with divine power. Polytheistic cultures usually identified one member of their pantheon as the weather god. Because the land’s fertility depended on regular rains, they gave extra attention to gods thought to control the weather. [DD]
Many of Israel’s closest neighbors worshiped some manifestation of a god known as Baal, who proved to be particularly attractive to Israelites, as the biblical narratives show. [DD] The author of Psalm 29 celebrated a belief that Yahweh controlled all aspects of nature as well as the lives of humans. The psalm testifies that a God who can wreak havoc with the weather is also capable of bringing peace amid all the storms of life.
A call to worship (vv. 1-2)
The psalm was likely sung as a hymn in worship, led by a priest or designated singer standing before the congregation on a Sabbath or festival day. The ancients would not have had hymnbooks, of course. The psalm may have been performed as a solo, chanted and repeated a line at the time, or presented in some other way.
In the opening verse, the psalmist calls not only the earthly congregation to worship – but surprisingly invites the heavenly court to join Israel in praising Yahweh’s glorious attributes. [DD] [DD]
The first three lines begin with the same phrase, “Ascribe to the LORD,” a call to acknowledge God’s majesty as an act of worship. The word translated “worship” literally means “to bow down” or “to prostrate one’s self” in humility before God. [DD]
And what is it about Yahweh that we should recognize? “Glory and strength,” the poet says, and “the glory of his name.” The root meaning of the word translated “glory” is “heaviness,” which leads to the idea of glory or majesty.
To worship the LORD “in holy splendor” (v. 2) could possibly mean “in holy attire,” suggesting that one be properly dressed for the occasion. Since the prior emphasis has been on God, however, the phrase more likely refers to divine grandeur. We are called to worship the LORD who is clothed with holy splendor.
A God who speaks with thunder (vv. 3-9)
Have you ever watched a thunderstorm approaching over the ocean or a large lake? With v. 3 the psalmist praises God’s “voice” that is heard in thunder, first “over the waters … over mighty waters.” One may envision a thundercloud building offshore, visible for a great distance, booming over the ocean waves before washing ashore. Land to the east of Israel is mostly desert, so thunderstorms typically come from the West, sweeping in from the Mediterranean Sea.
Readers might also imagine the large Sea of Galilee as the locus of a storm. The “sea” is actually a large harp-shaped lake about 13 miles long and seven miles wide. It is located at 700 feet below sea level with mountains both east and west, where a wind tunnel effect can produce huge waves and frightful conditions when storms arise.
The verse may have a more metaphorical intent, however: the ancients thought of the sea as great waters of chaos that had to be restrained by the gods. The scriptures acknowledged Yahweh’s power to control the seas, especially in creation, where God’s spirit brooded over the waters (Gen. 1:2), created a dome-like “firmament” to separate the waters above from the waters below (Gen. 1:6), then drew limits for the waters under the sea so that dry land might appear (Gen. 1:9-10). [DD]
So, while v. 3 may carry the visual image of a thunderstorm blowing across the sea or a lake, it also carries a reminder that Yahweh alone controls the waters of chaos and brings order to the world.
Verses 4-9 celebrate God’s “voice” that is heard both in thunder and in the frightening din of a strong wind. The cedars of Lebanon were known for their towering strength, yet Yahweh’s voice had the power to snap them like twigs (v. 5). Anyone who has observed the aftermath of a tornado, hurricane, or even a severe thunderstorm has seen tall trees twisted and splintered.
How does “Lebanon skip like a calf and Sirion like a young wild ox” (v. 6)? The mountains of Lebanon were heavily forested with cedars as well as other trees. “Sirion” is an alternate name for Mount Hermon, a large northern peak from which the headwaters of the Jordan River flow. When storms blow through, trees covering the mountains shift and dance in the wind, making it appear that the entire mountains are moving. Thus, the poet could compare the roiling, windswept mountains to playful young bovines that are always moving.
Thunder is the sound that lightning makes, so it is not surprising that the psalmist connects God’s thundering voice to “flames of fire” (v. 7). The word translated as “flashes forth” normally means “chops” or “hacks,” so the NET translates it as “the LORD’s shout strikes with flaming fire.” This appropriately recalls the violence of a lightning strike that accompanies the thunder.
When thunder and lightning are booming overhead, the very ground seems to vibrate. Even the uninhabited wilderness, lacking large trees, “shakes” in response to the LORD’s resounding voice (v. 8). Since previously mentioned locations (Lebanon, Sirion) were beyond the northern reaches of Israel, the “wilderness of Kadesh” probably refers to a northern location. Some argue, however, that the writer has in mind the wilderness surrounding an area known as Kadesh in the southern Negeb, better known from stories in the Old Testament (Gen. 20:1, Numbers 20, etc.). If that is correct, the psalmist’s intent would be to portray the mighty storm as sweeping across the entire nation, from its northernmost to the southernmost extremities.
Verse 9 is difficult to translate, though the author clearly intends to further illustrate God’s power as seen in the storm. [DD] The precise translation of certain phrases is debatable, but the overriding imagery is as obvious as a storm: God’s thunderous voice overpowers both land and people, leading all who worship to say “Glory!”
Note how the shout of “Glory!” in v. 9 reflects the call to ascribe to God “glory and strength” and “the glory of his name” in vv. 1-2.
A closing word of praise (vv. 10-11)
The final two verses bring the psalm to an end with a four-line blessing or affirmation from the worship leader. The subject of each line is Yahweh. The first two lines declare that Yahweh sits above the flood, as king, forever.
There is no Hebrew referent for “enthroned,” which appears twice in the NRSV’s translation of v. 10. The text simply says that Yahweh “sits” or “dwells” both over the flood, and as king. To “sit as a king” is to sit on a throne, however, so it is not a great stretch to translate the phrase as “sits enthroned” in both lines, as the second is parallel to the first. [DD]
The final stanza can be read as a simple affirmation, as reflected in NIV 11, NET, HCSB, and others. The NRSV translators, however, chose to render the two verbs as precatives, as a twin entreaty asking God to give strength to the people and bless them with peace.
This is grammatically justified, as the imperfect and jussive forms of the verb are identical. Throughout the psalm, the author has expressed full confidence that God has power over the forces of nature, leading one to assume that Yahweh’s power extends to people, too.
So, translating as an affirmation, “The LORD gives his people strength, the LORD grants his people security” (NET) is entirely appropriate. Since v. 11 is the first time the poet mentions God’s people, however, it is also legitimate to read the verse as a wish that the Lord who rules the forces of nature will grant strength to God’s people and bless them with peace.
How do we read this psalm today? Some might see in it a promise that the all-powerful God will provide perfect protection for those who trust, but if so, they miss the point. The psalm reflects the setting of a frightening storm – an awe-inspiring manifestation of God’s power over nature, which can be destructive.
God’s people will experience storms. The psalm itself is evidence of that: bad weather is not our only trouble. We may also face storms of financial disaster, physical injury, emotional heartache, or other difficulties.
The psalmist knew this, and declared that through all the storms of life, we can trust in the God whose power extends over all, the God in whom we can find strength to endure the fiercest of storms and yet experience the blessing of peace.
Adult Teaching Resources
Download the PDF of teaching resources for this lesson.
This PDF contains the Teaching Guide, Digging Deeper, and Hardest Question pages.
Read Scripture online: Psalm 29
Youth Teaching Resources
Parent Prep
Our students want control. They want to act on what they have decided. They want to go where they want to go, with whomever they want to go, and at whatever time they want to go. They want to watch whatever they want to watch and read what they want to read. This desire for control comes from their desire to figure out who they are; if someone else is making the decisions, how can they test who they are. So, how much control do you give to your students? Here’s something to think about: would you rather have control or influence? You will have more influence if you have less control.
Additional Links/Resources
Read Scripture online: Psalm 29
Download the PDF for youth teaching resources using the button below. This PDF contains the Teaching Guide for this lesson:
Video
Encourage youth to check out this video ahead of the lesson.
“Bruce Meets God” from Bruce Almighty
Via www.youtube.com
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