The Majesty of God in Nature

Psalm 29 is a worship hymn composed by David "in praise of the King of creation, whose glory is trumpeted by the thunderclaps [constituting His "voice"] that rumble through the cloudy mass of winter's rainstorms as they rise above the Mediterranean ('the mighty waters,' v. 3 [NIV]), and move from east to west across the face of the sky" (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, note on Psalm 29). The thunderclouds cover the whole land of Israel, from the northern forests of Lebanon and Sirion, denoting Mount Hermon, to the southern Desert of Kadesh (verses 6, 8).

The booming thunder shakes the ground (verses 4, 6, 8) and terrifies wild deer into giving birth prematurely (verse 9). With the thunder come "flashes of lightning" (verse 7, NIV), these strikes splintering great trees in two (verse 5) and stripping the forests bare (verse 9).

David calls on the "mighty ones" to ascribe to God the glory due Him as the Almighty Creator (verses 1-2). The phrase translated "mighty ones" here literally reads "sons of God," this expression appearing to denote God's angels, which are referred to this way in the book of Job (Job 1:6; 38:7).

At God's great display of power in nature, everyone "in His temple" expresses awe (Psalm 29:9). As David wrote this before the building of the physical temple, it seems that the temple in heaven is intended—especially given David's urging to the angels in verse 1. However, some suggest that David may be referring to all of creation as God's temple.

The NKJV translates verse 10 as saying that "the Lord sat enthroned at the Flood"—that is, the Flood of Noah's day. The NIV, however, renders this in the present tense: "The Lord sits enthroned over the flood." The latter seems likely, given that the great thunderstorm was accompanied by torrential flash flooding in the desert wadis. However, all of this could well have brought to mind the former Flood, a product of God's sovereign rule over the natural realm. Moreover, a great flood is also symbolic of chaotic, threatening circumstances (compare Psalm 32:6-7).

As a final thought in Psalm 29, David considers in verse 11 that it is this same great and powerful God who empowers His people—and blesses His people not with the destruction witnessed in nature but, as all forces are subject to Him, with peace.