The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Psalm 29:1-11,
"Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, 'Glory!'
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace."
I love this psalm! Out of the twenty-four lines, comprising eleven verses, I count exactly no first person personal pronouns. There are no "I", "me", "my", "mine" kind of words here because this psalm is all about the Lord! Its focus is on the Lord, his power, his glory, his splendor, his holiness, his majesty. "Lord" is used eighteen times and "God" once! Six times pronouns are used to represent him!
I'm not saying there is anything wrong in using first person personal pronouns in worship. Just look at the following psalm, Psalm 30. It is rife with "I", "me" and "my". Psalm 30 is just as inspired as Psalm 29 and just as important. It is just that Psalm 29 moves me differently, and I think that difference is due to its focus on the Lord. I think both of these psalms have their place as the Lord has provided both to us through David. I just have to say that Psalm 29 moves me in a way worship should find its expression.
I notice other instances of worship in the Scriptures where the consuming focus is on the Lord and him only. Consider some of the passages of worship in the book of Revelation: "'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,' who was, and is, and is to come." "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Revelation 4:8,11. Also, Revelation 5:12-13, "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" So many examples could be offered here!
I think there is much to be said about this kind of passage in Scripture. I find it takes my hand and leads me before the Lord to gaze on his wonderful attributes, his breath-taking beauty, the splendor of his majesty, the brilliance of his holiness! As David says in Psalm 27:4, "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, 'Glory!'
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace."
I love this psalm! Out of the twenty-four lines, comprising eleven verses, I count exactly no first person personal pronouns. There are no "I", "me", "my", "mine" kind of words here because this psalm is all about the Lord! Its focus is on the Lord, his power, his glory, his splendor, his holiness, his majesty. "Lord" is used eighteen times and "God" once! Six times pronouns are used to represent him!
I'm not saying there is anything wrong in using first person personal pronouns in worship. Just look at the following psalm, Psalm 30. It is rife with "I", "me" and "my". Psalm 30 is just as inspired as Psalm 29 and just as important. It is just that Psalm 29 moves me differently, and I think that difference is due to its focus on the Lord. I think both of these psalms have their place as the Lord has provided both to us through David. I just have to say that Psalm 29 moves me in a way worship should find its expression.
I notice other instances of worship in the Scriptures where the consuming focus is on the Lord and him only. Consider some of the passages of worship in the book of Revelation: "'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,' who was, and is, and is to come." "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Revelation 4:8,11. Also, Revelation 5:12-13, "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" So many examples could be offered here!
I think there is much to be said about this kind of passage in Scripture. I find it takes my hand and leads me before the Lord to gaze on his wonderful attributes, his breath-taking beauty, the splendor of his majesty, the brilliance of his holiness! As David says in Psalm 27:4, "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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