The Song of Seven Thunders: Help to Hear Above Life’s Storms (Ps 29)

Read Psalm 29:

A Psalm of David.

¹ Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. ² Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

¹⁰ The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. ¹¹ May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!

Understand Psalm 29:

In Psalm 29, the Lord is anything but silent (see 28:1-2) as David sings the song of seven thunders. This hymn of praise progresses in three movements: the call to worship Yahweh, the reasons for this praise, and the affirmation of resultant blessings.

A.    Acknowledge God’s Glorious Power in Worship (vv. 1-2)

We first acknowledge God’s glorious power in worship: “Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness” (vv. 1-2). Three times, David commands the angels to ascribe glory to the Lord (89:6-7).[1] He invites the holy angels into worship because he knows that human praise is not enough.[2] It’s like the endless task of painting the Grand Canyon in all its various hues and colors cast in every angle of the sun.

The Lord invites us, through his prophet David, to worship him when he appears in “the splendor of [his] holiness” (see 96:9; 110:3) as Israel saw him robed in glory upon Mount Sinai (Deut 5:24; see Exod 33:22-23). Then in Christ Jesus, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The heavens also declare the visible glory of our invisible God (Ps 19:1; Rom 1:20). The Almighty Creator of the universe is our King of kings: “Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in” (Ps 24:7; see 8:5; 21:1, 5; 96:3). Thus, we acknowledge God’s glorious power as both visible and kingly when we trust him in life’s storms (68:24, 28; 74:12-13).

B.    Experience God’s Glorious Power in Creation (vv. 3-9)

It is one thing to acknowledge God’s glorious power, but quite another to experience it. Verses 1-2 function like a tornado warning to announce the coming storm, while verses 3-9 are the storm tracker rolling through the text like thunder across the land: “The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters” (v. 3). God’s voice resounds like ear-splitting thunder as these storm clouds suck the moisture from the roiling waters of the Mediterranean Sea. His power is like a raging storm with winds of fury, pelting rain, and blinding flashes of jagged lightning. As Spurgeon wrote, “The verses march to the tune of thunderbolts.”^[3] Yet these “many waters” also represent the cosmic chaos vanquished at creation (93:3-4; see 32:6) when the world was, at one time, formless and void (Gen 1:2). For God not only has the power to create, but also the power to spare us from the chaos.[4]

David continues, “The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty” (Ps 29:4). Throughout the Scriptures, we hear God’s voice in his creation: As God said, “Let there be…” and “it was so…” (Gen 1). His voice is in his written Word “breathed out by God” (2 Tim 3:16a) and also in his Son—the Word made flesh, “whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Heb 1:1-2). Jesus spoke with such power and authority when he healed the sick and stilled the storms and cast out demons with his voice. Then, in Christ Jesus, God’s voice empowers our salvation as he draws lost sinners to himself (John 6:44). For on that final day, God’s Son will crush his enemies with his mighty voice—the sound of judgment over Satan’s armies (Rev 19:11-16). Therefore, if God could fashion the universe by the power of his voice and bring us to salvation by the word of his mouth, then surely he can break the rocky hearts of men and humble human pride.

The storm continues moving east across the coastal range: “The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox” (Ps 29:5-6; Isa 2:12-14). Like a typhoon arising from the sea, the storm traverses Mount Lebanon in the north and Mount Sirion (Hermon) in the south. Along the way, it snaps the mighty trees like toothpicks. These cedars of Lebanon were the most impressive trees in the ancient world (e.g., 1 Kgs 5:6-10; 7:1-12) and the Canaanites believed their mountains housed the gods. Yet the voice of Yahweh uproots the cedars and shakes the massive mountains. He causes them to skip like frightened calves in constant undulating motion, for even the greatest of the gods is not a match for him.

Verse 7 strikes as quick as the lightning: “The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.” As the storm clouds stride across the sky, forked lightning pounds the earth. The explosion knocks us on our heels and sends us scurrying to safety as we smell the sulfur in the air. Verse 8 then follows the storm further east into the steppes of the Syrian wilderness. Here, David, a former shepherd, remembers how the voice of God reverberates even in the barren places. For unlike the territorial deities of the pagans, Yahweh is the God of the sea, the God of the mountains, and the God of the deserted plains. There is no boundary to his kingdom and his thunder travels to wherever he so wills. Finally, “the voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’” (v. 9).[5] Worship is our right response to the glorious power of our God. Therefore, all the angels and all God’s children throughout all of history cry out, “Glory to the Lord!” each time they see the splendor of the raging storm.

Yet the storms of life are more than supercharged air and the sound of shock waves. So what troubles you today? Is it the chaos of many waters or the counterfeit gods of prosperity and materialism? Are you stranded in the barren wilderness? Has the storm drowned out the voice of the Lord? If you only trust a puny God, then you will have a puny faith. Yet if our God is mighty, then he will hold you in the storm. We need the occasional thunder to remind us of our untamed God who will not do our bidding. We must learn to fear him in the storm (Prov 9:10) as the Creator of this world who fashioned life from chaos. As our eternal King, he holds this universe together, releasing thunder with his voice and lightning from his fist. So let me urge you to always listen to the Lord above the storm—the Lord who even sends the storms. Let his voice be louder than the thunder in your life—his glory more awesome than the lightning. Fear him as you fear the storm and experience his power in creation.

C.     Affirm God’s Glorious Power in Your Life (vv. 10-11)

As the waters dissipate into flooded plains, we affirm God’s glorious power to judge: “The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever” (Ps 29:10). Even when the storm clouds threaten, he’s still in charge. When the heavens thunder and the lightning strikes, he’s still in charge. As the torrents tumble down the hillsides and fill the valley bottoms, he’s still in charge (Matt 7:26-27). When God floods the earth for wickedness, he’s still in charge (Gen 6-8).[6] Even in the aftermath of great destruction or global ruin, he’s still in charge. Even when your life has fallen apart in a fallen world, he’s still in charge.

In truth, our God will be in charge forever.[7] He’s never getting off that throne, which is good news for some though not for others. The Lord’s enthronement above the flood points forward to the final judgment (Mark 10:38; 2 Thess 1:5-10; 2 Pet 3:6-7), but also to the mercy seat (e.g., 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2) where, once a year, the high priest sprinkled blood upon God’s earthly throne as a picture of atonement. Thus, David affirms God’s sovereignty to judge the world in Noah’s day, to require blood sacrifices in his day, and to offer his own Son to one day be “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). There was no greater storm than on the cross when Jesus gave his life to sprinkle blood upon his Father’s throne—no greater storm than when he gave his life for sin. There was no greater storm than to see our Savior die—to watch the darkness cover earth and the mountains quake with fear (Matt 27:50-54). Yet our God sits enthroned forever even if it means he has to raise the dead. The storm declares that God must judge our sin either at the cross or in the final judgment. His eternal throne can be good news or bad depending on where you stand.

Our God, however, is also sovereign in his blessings: “May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!” (Ps 29:11). Storms can leave us weak and helpless, so God gives strength to those who are his people. Storms also bring the rain, so when we hear the thunder we anticipate new life. The Lord concludes his judgment with a rainbow-like promise to bring his people peace when he reigns above the earth and in our lives. He offers us shalom through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace who makes us right before the Lord. His perfect life, his sacrificial death, and resurrection from the dead display God’s power poured out on all who trust in him (Eph 1:18-21). Psalm 29 invites us to affirm God’s glory in creation as the same “immeasurable greatness of his power” that still works on our behalf (Eph 1:15). For our God is willing and “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (3:20). Do you need strength? Do you need peace? Then listen to God’s voice above the storm. “To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (v. 21).

Apply Psalm 29:

1. Do you struggle to hear the voice of the Lord above the thunder of counterfeit gods? What practical helps allow you to focus your mind and will to worship only him?
2. How are the eternal power and the divine nature of the invisible God made manifest in creation (Rom 1:19-20)? Why does the world suppress these truths (vv. 18, 21)? Describe one encounter when you personally experienced the awe of your Creator.
3. Where else in Scripture do you hear “the voice of the Lord” speaking? How does his glorious power drive you deeper into worship?
4. What are some biblical examples of the Lord’s sovereignty over judgment (v. 10)? Over blessings (v. 11)? How did the cross accomplish both?
5. Pick up an inspiring book, take a walk outside, or watch a nature documentary in order to marvel at the God of creation. Consider how his power to create and to still the chaos guarantees his power in your life (Eph 3:20-21).
6. The next time you encounter a mighty storm, open your Bible to Psalm 29 and read it aloud with your family or friends.

Counsel Psalm 29:

Hurting people have trouble hearing God above the chaos of life’s storms. So teach them how to fearfully worship the Lord and to anticipate his promised peace. Point them to God’s glorious power in creation as a picture of his sovereignty in their life.

Projects for Growth (Psalm 29)

1. What storms of life are you currently facing? Do you struggle to hear the voice of the Lord above the thunder of counterfeit gods? How do you focus your mind and will to worship only him?
2. How are the eternal power and the divine nature of the invisible God made manifest in creation (Rom 1:19-20)? Why does the world suppress these truths (vv. 18, 21)? Describe one encounter when you personally experienced the awe of your Creator.
3. Where else in Scripture do you hear “the voice of the Lord” speaking? How does his glorious power drive you deeper into worship?
4. What are some biblical examples of the Lord’s sovereignty over judgment (v. 10)? Over blessings (v. 11)? How did the cross accomplish both?
5. What truths of God can you cherish the next time you face life’s storms? Write them down in a place where you will see them often and hide them in your heart (Ps 119:11).
6. Meditate on the words of the hymn, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” by Joachim Neander, 1650–1680, translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1827–1878.
7. Pick up an inspiring book, take a walk outside, or watch a nature documentary in order to marvel at the God of creation. Consider how his power to create and to still the chaos guarantees his power in your life (Eph 3:20-21).
8. For further help, read Thomas Parr, Joy in Dark Places (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformed Heritage Books, 2022).

Pray Psalm 29:

• Lord, I worship you when I see your splendor (vv. 1-2).
• I listen for your voice above the storm (vv. 3-9).
• I affirm your glory both in judgment and in blessing (vv. 10-11).
• Lord, may you grant your people strength and peace (v. 11).

[1] The name of Yahweh occurs 18 times in just 11 verses. The first quatrain (vv. 1-2) mentions the name 4 times in 16 Hebrew words (or 25%). A symmetric quatrain with a 4:1 ratio (vv. 10-11) brackets this hymn at both ends. The central portion (vv. 3-9) presents a sevenfold celebration of Yahweh’s voice as the number of complete perfection. The divine name occurs in every verse except for the one (v. 6).

[2] The shift from “ascribe” (3x) to “worship” (1x) not only signals the end of the quatrain, but also brings this exhortation to its climax like a musical chord change.

^[3] “This Psalm is meant to express the glory of God as heard in the pealing thunder, and seen in . . . [a] tornado” (Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David [Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, n.d.], 1:29).

[4] The Canaanites worshiped Baal as the god who rides upon the storm, sends the rain for crops, and carries bolts of lightning in his fist. According to Ugaritic myths, he also vanquished the sea god, Yam—the god of chaos who ruled the waters. Yet David worships Yahweh as the true God of thunder (1 Sam 2:10; 7:10) who rides upon the clouds (Deut 33:26; Ps 104:3). Therefore, Psalm 29 essentially declares, “Our God is stronger than Baal—the Giver of human life—the Controller of the weather—the Lord who quiets any chaos. He is not just God of history, but the God of all creation.” David appropriates the language and the imagery of Canaanite poetry to turn this pagan idol on its head (see Judg 6; 1 Kgs 18; Ps 74:12-17).

[5] The biblical imagery of the temple encompasses both the heavens and the earth. God’s throne is in the heavens, but his footstool is on earth (Ps 78:62).

[6] This is the only occurrence of the word mabbul in Scripture outside the flood account (Gen 6:17; 7:6, 7, 10, 17; 9:11 [2x], 15, 28; 10:1, 32; 11:10).

[7] The imperfect tense, “He sits as King,” enforces his eternal reign.