“Storms help to make the sailors sturdy, and trials help to make Christians strong in faith.” —C.H. Spurgeon
The first three lines of Psalm 29 are labeled Climacteric Parallelism. The idea is that the lines repeat, but at each step they move you towards a climax: “Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones,” but what should we give Him? “Give unto the Lord glory and strength,” but how do we do that? “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name” (Ps 29:1-2). His name expresses His character, and we need to know who He is to worship Him properly. The fourth line explains the character of all true worship. “Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” Like the priests of old, worshipers are dressed in the white linen robes of His righteousness. The rest of the psalm describes the One who deserves this worship. Worship is worth-ship, and David wants to show us why the Lord is worthy. He selects as his motif a storm rolling in off the Mediterranean, crashing through the cedars of Lebanon, shaking the mighty Mount Hermon (called here Sirion, the Sidonian name), and sweeping across the wilderness towards Kadesh, on Israel’s border. Seven times in seven verses, like rolling thunder, we read of the earth-shaking “voice of the Lord” (vv 3-9). Yes, the Lord is present in life’s storms, and often makes Himself known through the troubles that sweep across our path. What seems to be both destructive and constructive can happen in storms: “The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, and strips the forests bare” (v 9). Yes, “The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm” (Nah 1:3). Beholding His awesome power, “in His temple everyone says, ‘Glory!’” (Ps 29:9). And then? The One who sits “enthroned at the Flood” (v 10) shares that strength with His people, and in the end “will bless His people with peace” (v 11). Shhh!