Fearful God
From sermons to Bible studies, whenever the topic of fearing God comes up people begin stumbling all over themselves to explain how it may say fear, but it doesn’t really mean fear. While many who do this wouldn’t say that they deny the power or righteous anger of God, it’s hard to see why fear cannot mean fear apart from compromise when it comes to properly expressing these aspects of the nature of God.
For how often we hear even the most wishy-washy Christian conversation gushing with adoration for reading the book of Psalms, it’s shocking how often the Gospel of Nice, false god can survive a reading of this book! Today, I’m going to turn attention to Psalm 29 specifically but the Psalms collectively contain a wealth of text devoted to expressing the terrifying might and wrath of God.
This Psalm is specifically a call for people to give God proper glory.
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
Psalm 29:1-2
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
Destructive Voice
How would one properly ascribe glory, strength, and splendor to God? The Psalmist has some ways of describing his power by relating his voice to powerful forces of nature.
First, his voice is said to thunder over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
Psalm 29:3-4
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
Not only is his voice thundering but it shatters even what is sturdy and shakes the cities.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Psalm 29:5-6
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
It flashes as a fire and shakes even the wilderness.
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
Psalm 29:7-8
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
With all these powerful displays of his power merely in his expression, what is the response of the faithful?
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
Psalm 29:9
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
Recognizing the fearful strength of our God leads one to worship.
Sovereign Strength
But if we fear the Lord, would we not have trouble loving him? Many things which we fear have ill intent for us, and when those who mean us harm also have the ability to do us harm that is a horrible combination!
However, the power of the Lord is power that is for our good! Rather the discourage people from viewing fear of the Lord as a “different kind of fear” or fear as a negative in general, we should encourage people to fear God with trust in his goodness at the same time. His terrifying might is why we can rest in peace.
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
Psalm 29:10-11
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!
It is because God is strong that those in his arms can be at ease. If he were always gentle, he would not be a protector. The flood would come and his people would be overwhelmed. Instead, with a voice that shatters the strongest trees and bursts forth as fire, he defends his people and gives them peace.
Instead of undermining the power of God, we ought to rejoice in it. Rather than shy away from the violence in his nature, we ought to glorify him that it is righteous.
