PSALM 29:9–11 From Thunder to Temple
READ: PSALM 29:9–11 (ISAIAH 6:1–7)
v. 9 “And in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’”
Psalm 29 is a hymn of praise to God for his awesome power as displayed in a thunderstorm. We have all experienced the grandeur of such a tempest as it moves through the land. With its flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, a storm can also be a terrifying experience. A famous example from church history is how Martin Luther was once caught in a severe downpour. Lightning struck near him and he was so afraid that he cried out to Saint Anne, “I will become a monk!”
Another example is when the LORD revealed himself to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. There was thunder and lightning and Scripture says that the people were afraid and trembled (Ex. 20:18). Similarly, when the apostle John saw a vision of God’s throne in heaven, he saw that “from the throne came flashes of lighting, and rumblings and peals of thunder” (Rev. 4:5).
John Calvin comments that God uses thunder and lightning to rouse us from our natural sullenness and lethargy. We don’t hear God’s voice easily or naturally. Even though the works of God can be seen in all of creation, we need the Lord’s voice to penetrate our hearts, to teach us to pray and to serve God. A powerful thunderstorm can certainly have this effect.
Even so, many people do not recognize the voice of God and they remain unmoved. Therefore, David teaches us that God’s voice in the thunderstorm should drive people to his temple in order to glorify his name. It is as if David makes an appeal to all people in the world to come to the temple and cry, “Glory!”
Then, once we are in God’s church we also hear him speak in a different way, not through the terrifying rumbling of thunder but through the comforting proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As much as God’s voice in nature can instill in us a fear of God, we need to hear the doctrine of salvation to cheer our hearts and open our mouths in his praises.
And so we see the connection between the thunderstorm and the temple. We hear God’s voice in creation. We hear his voice more fully and clearly in the proclamation of his word. How shall we respond? By joining in worship with God’s people, glorifying him for the awesome wonder of his creation and redemption.
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