The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. (Psalm 29:3-4)
Throughout this psalm, David mentions the voice of the LORD; in fact, he mentions it seven times. Understandably, that particular number of mentions has prompted Bible students to consider why David was inspired to do this. Many Jewish commentators connect these seven voices to the seven days of Creation when God spoke the heavens and earth, with all of their intricacies, into existence. This first mention, for instance, brings to mind what is written in the opening verses of the Torah: “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2).
The imagery David conveys in these verses connects us to the issue we discussed in the previous devotion: that the Almighty God is due reverence and honor. To underscore this, David reminds us of His greatness by describing the power of His voice. The voice of God is majestic, able to speak life into nothingness. At the same time, the power of His voice strikes fear into those few who have heard it, as was the case at the foot of Mount Sinai. Upon hearing the sound of His voice, the people trembled and said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die” (Exodus 20:19).
And so what can we glean from this? I would suggest that, based on what we have discussed here, for some the voice of God represents life; for others His voice means death. By that I mean, His Word brings life to those who hear it, heed it and walk in compliance with His Will. Those who refuse to hear and obey His Word do so at their own peril. In short, to refuse to hear Him results in rebellion and, ultimately, death. According to the writer of Hebrews, those who heard His voice at Sinai “could not endure what was commanded” (Hebrews 12:20). They thought His silence would mean life; they were mistaken — refusing to hear His voice meant death. And so, we will close with this warning from Hebrews which says: “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks … from heaven” (Hebrews 12:25). His Voice is powerful, majestic and maybe even frightening to hear but, for us, His Voice brings His Word which is life to all who will receive it.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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