The text: Psalm 29 – NRSV
This psalm appears to be right at home during the springtime. The main metaphoric event is a great storm, mostly likely in the local context the kind that would blow into Lebanon from the Mediterranean Sea. But any image of storm will do. I’ve already alluded to my Oklahoma childhood back when we discussed Psalm 49, and so this psalm brings to mind those spring thunderstorms, full of wind, thunder, lightning, and sometimes hail. On my more recent sojourns on the East Coast, I could add Nor’easters and an occasional tropical storm or two. I’m sure you have your storm images and experiences. While it may be tempting to think that the message here is that God’s power is made manifest in nature, or that God’s power is great, like that of a storm, I suspect there’s more going on here. It’s fascinating that the storm is never directly mentioned in the psalm; rather, the active agent is God’s voice. Some suspect that this hymn may have originated from Canaanite worship of Baal (the storm god), and that the Hebrew psalmist adapted it to describe the God of Israel (and indirectly ridicule Baal in the process!). As others have observed, the psalm mentions God’s voice seven times, a number indicating holy completeness in Hebrew numerology. This perspective may remind us of Genesis 1 and John 1, where God’s Word is proclaimed to be the agent of all creation. What does it mean to you for God’s voice, God’s Word, to have such power? If we, as John did, consider the Christ to be God’s Word, how might this inform our attitude toward prayer? When we ask God to speak, are we aware of what we are asking? It is a marvelous prospect! It may even help us understand how the psalm ends, where God is proclaimed to sit enthroned over any and every storm, to be king forever, blessing us with strength and peace.
Curious about this series of posts? Read the initial post.
Want to catch up on any you missed? See them all by clicking on ‘Lenten Psalms” below.
