One of the most beautiful songs of praise to God is in Psalm 29. David tells us in this Psalm to "Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." In Hebrew, the word for worship is 'kadesh', which means to 'make holy'. It comes from the root word 'shachah,' which means to literally 'bow down', or the root word 'sachah,' which literally means 'to swim in' or 'be surrounded by'. Taken letter by letter, it means to join with God by opening a door to His immense love. We are to give the Lord all the glory that is due Him because of His holy nature. When we worship Him we surround ourselves with Him, with His nature, which is love.
Different Expressions of Worship
You and I, as Christians, clothe ourselves in the holiness of Christ (Galatians 3:27). It is His beauty that God sees, His perfection, when we approach God with our worship. Each of us has a different manner of worshipping. We experience the great outpouring of God's love to our souls in different ways: some through music, some through prayer, others through quietly studying His word and praising Him.
Our different forms of worship are what unites us with God. Our end goal is the same, to acknowledge that God is far above us in every aspect and in every way is worthy of worship, honor, and glory.
Psalm 29: The Beauty of Holiness
What is the meaning of Psalm 29 and the beauty of holiness? Holy means to be set apart for a purpose. The beauty is a heart set on God. A heart that only desires Him. Each of us has a beautiful purpose given by God. His holiness becomes our holiness.
The evil of sin is the opposite of the beauty of a life transformed by Christ for God. Don't you find it interesting that there is a nearly universal understanding of what beauty is? There is also an understanding of ugliness. Habakkuk 1:13 tells us that God cannot look on wickedness. We often hear sin referred to as ugly. Why? Because sin is the opposite of God.
The Voice of the Lord: A Powerful Presence
In this Psalm, David poetically describes the voice of the Lord. It is "over the waters", "powerful", "full of majesty", it "shakes the wilderness" and "divides the flame of fire." The voice of God controls all of nature. It is the power of the Holy Spirit to create.
We see God's grandeur in all of nature. From the destructive power of an earthquake to the cry of our first child. This same Holy voice can be heard throughout Scripture.
In Revelation 14:2, John describes a voice from Heaven like the sound of rushing water and loud thunder. It is the voice that brought Noah's flood and the one who, at Jesus's baptism, revealed His true nature. It is the voice who brings judgment and the voice who brings healing and blessings.
God's Majesty in Nature and His Voice
David tells us the God of Glory thunders. There is none like Him. Was David watching a storm when he wrote this hymn of praise? Did he see the clouds gathering, the lightening flashing and the thunder growling? Did he see the symbols of God's work in all of creation and rejoice that this is the God he served? This God who sets us apart, who desires that we are holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). Our God is mighty in power. Nothing ever was, is or ever will be, as mighty as He.
The Thunderous Glory of God
"Oh Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds thy hands have made." Indeed, how great Thou art! He is King forever (Psalm 29:10). Our Redeemer from everlasting (Isaiah 63:16).
Gills' Exposition of the Bible puts it this way: "He is King of the whole world, over angels and men, and even the kings of the earth; and he is also King of saints, in whose hearts he reigns by his Spirit and grace; ... and this will more appear in the latter day glory, when the Lord shall be King over all the earth; and after which the Lord Christ will reign with his saints here a thousand years, and then with them to all eternity, and of his kingdom there shall be no end." As the eternal King, He is worthy of all our praise, honor, and glory.
God’s Eternal Kingship and Power
It is this same Lord who, we are told in Psalm 29:11, gives us His strength and blesses us with His peace. When the storms come and danger surrounds us, we don't fear the God of Glory for He is our Father. We run to him as chicks run for protection under a mother hen's protective wings (Psalm 91:4). He is our ark, our refuge. We may fear war, disease, political change or any of the other uncertainties of life, but we should not. Those outside of His protection, however, have much to fear. They have no truly safe place. No genuine strength and no calm peace.
God's Peace: Our Refuge in Times of Trouble
In times past, this was a favorite Psalm to read to your family during storms. In those days people couldn't rely on meteorologists to warn them of storms. Psalm 29 gave people peace and reminded them that God is always in control. The storms were a symbol of His great power. Today, when we face storms of any kind, both literally (physical storms) and figuratively (troubles and trials), Psalm 29 reminds us that the Lord is due glory and honor from all creation. Creator of all that is, He has the power to bring us peace.
Psalm 29: God's Peace in the Midst of Storms
As the Psalm began, with thunder and flames of fire, so now it ends with the promise of His peace. The storm is past and the rainbow is in the heavens, declaring His faithfulness to those who serve Him. "And in His temple everyone says, Glory!" (Psalm 29:9). Just as in John's Revelation, in 5:13, we see all of creation singing:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
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