Sep. 25, 2016 The Voice of Order by Pastor Josh Sheldon

Psalm 29 and the Voice of the Lord Over the Waters

Now, please open your Bibles to our text for this morning's message. Psalm 29 found on page 461 in your pew Bible. Psalm 29. Ascribe to the Lord all heavenly beings. Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory. Do his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. The voice of the Lord is over the waters. The glory 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. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. The Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf in Syrian like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness. The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forest bear and in his temple all cry glory. The Lord sits enthroned over the flood and sits enthroned as king.

Forever. Speaks of God over the storm. Over the wildness of all these meteorological Disturbances that we endure here in this world. It speaks of God as the one who is in that sense in the eye of the storm.

But of course He isn't in the eye of the storm. Is he he is over this storm. Speak about this a bit this morning about these storms. A storm is defined as a disturbance of the normal condition of the atmosphere.

Manifesting itself by winds of unusual force or direction. Often accompanied by rain snow hail thunder and lightning or flying sand and dust. Most of us have been through a storm of one sort of another.

They can be scary because they're unpredictable. Meteorologists can tell us their timing. They can tell us their strength. They can guess with pretty good accuracy What their potential destructive force might be?

But they can't predict how many lives will be lost. How many houses will be destroyed. How many bridges will be washed away? Or anything like that. Let's see storms are scary because their carnage seems so random.

It's almost capricious. It's impersonal. Storm doesn't know who or what you are yet if your house is in its path if your car is in its way. It could be destroyed just that quickly. They give no excuse for this wanton ruin that they bring.

They care not a wit how hard you work for the things that they consume. See storms are chaotic. They are intense. They are fickle by definition. They don't last long. Which makes their devastation all the more traumatic.

Just kind of whip through and what's left is just complete destruction. Maybe that's why we use storm as a metaphor for some of the cycles of life. We hear people speak of weathering the storm. Weathering storms of adversity things that come upon us.

They might mean economic cycles. They might mean relational issues. Sometimes the sin-cursed world forces its violence on us in especially harsh ways. That make it seem like a storm because things that we thought we had in line Gets so stirred up and so mixed up because of these things that happen.

Storms in our lives. They come because of the world we live in. Like a storm the burglar destroys our security. The rapist our sense of self the terrorists any semblance We have of peace and order. The economic crisis of 2008 Is sometimes described as this perfect storm of factors that converge at just the right time.

And what was left in its wake? Many people's hopes for a future were shattered by that storm in 2008 and today. Some eight years later almost ten years later. They're still in ruins. In California we are blessedly unfamiliar with most real storms.

And we haven't even had in God's providence a major earthquake in some almost 30 years. But no one of us is immune from these other storms these storms of life these Vagaries that happen that take everything that we've lined up all the nice borders that we've made.

All the nice habits that we have the consistency so that we're pretty sure we actually know if you will. That when I get up in the morning I'm gonna be able to put coffee in my percolator. Take my coffee to my car which is going to start and get me to my job.

Which is going to be there and earn a paycheck, which will go into my bank. So I can put food on my table to feed my family. Who will after their days at school or work wherever they are join me at this table?

As storms come and just make a hash of the whole thing. Mix it all up pick up all those peeps. Let's drop them in all kinds of different places not caring a bit. How hard you worked. To get them in that order in the first place.

We're not immune from those storms. I mean have you been there in that kind of a storm? Are you there now? Health your own or someone else's someone you love. Jobs relationships these things suddenly change and often like a storm without any warning.

The hard thing about storms. Whether they're the literal or the kind that we see in life. The hard thing about a storm Is not just that we can't predict when they'll come. When they do arrive we have no idea how long they'll stay.

Psalm 29 addresses this for us. It tells us who is at the head of the storm. Psalm 29 tells us that is the voice the Lord that directs the storm it follows his commands it follows Accomplishes his purposes in all its awesome power as thunder peals and mountains run for cover as Lightning flashes forth and mighty trees are stripped bare by the sheer force of the winds.

In all this. There's only one true power directing every spark controlling every breath of the wind giving specific commands to every drop of water and That is the Lord. It is the Lord and the Lord here every time is Yahweh the Lord is.

Over the storm the Lord is over the water the Lord is behind it all. As we look at this psalm while the storms God sends and directs. Sometimes are literal hurricanes and tornadoes and tsunamis and all these things come.

My focus is on the storms of life. So I confess right up front that this message will in that sense be somewhat allegorical. But have no fear have no fear because allegories are used all over the Bible to convey God's truth.

Metaphors and similes and all sorts of poetic constructs as well as allegories. Teach us truth, and so I have some license. I think to be a bit allegorical as we take these storms That are in this psalm and apply them to what happens in our actual lives.

Storms that come. Whether they are storms in our lives or storms from the atmosphere They are from him. They are from God. God is a God of order and not confusion. This applies to real storms and life storms.

So all God does is meant for good. All God does reflects himself and so even storms as Chaotic as they seem. If we believe they are sent by God Then he is a God of order. Lord willing we'll see that even the storms are bringers of that order.

All God does is meant for good and this applies as much to the people who are in the path of Katrina as It does to we who are in the path of the vagaries of life in this world. Our point in this psalm is simply this.

God brings order from chaos. Our God is a God of order and he brings order to us. The psalm goes through three scenes. The first two verses are the scene in heaven as a psalmist beckons the heavenly beings, which is literally sons of God.

Ascribed to the Lord. Oh sons of God. Heavenly beings in every major translation I would agree with that and he calls on them to affirm that the Lord is glorious and strong before we get to the storms before we look at these things that happen on earth that stir things up before we even touch that a Scribe to the Lord.

Oh heavenly beings glory and strength the glory do his name. Worship him in the splendor of holiness before we look at all these stirrings that happen before that look to God and Then in verses 3 to 9 We see it demonstrated how that glory and how that strength are seen here on earth if it's heavenly beings.

Ascribing to God all that is do his name. Then it is as it were their eyes looking downwards and seeing what it is God does with that glory and that strength and that majesty and that holiness that he is.

And Finally the last two verses verses 10 and 11 May the Lord give strength to his people people may the Lord bless his church bless his people with peace. Returns to the church. The temple in the psalm, I believe the church.

Let's look at this psalm a bit. It was written by David Israel's poet in his day the Philistines were Israel's most persistent enemy and The Philistines of course worshiped a God that we became familiar with a few months ago as we preached through the lives of the two prophets Elijah and Elisha and That God that the Philistines worshipped Was of course the same one as in that cycle of Elijah Elisha.

It was Baal. Baal was worshipped as a god of nature. They thought of him as a weather God or the voice behind thunder in their mythology. There was a Lesser God named yam. Why am yam. And he was the god of the deep and he was a chaotic God.

And he eventually was defeated by Baal who started to bring a different kind of order. And I bring this all up and we'll speak no more about these demons. Only so you'll see that one of David's purposes in this psalm is a polemic against such false beliefs.

Against pure deism we could say today against Evolutionary theory we could say today. The psalm really is a polemic against that and it's that it seems to shout out. No, not that Oh Israel don't look to the God that your neighbors worship and don't think that these things happen.

Naturally or of their own. It's just a product of time and chance. No. It is God. It is God who does it all the voice of the Lord is over the waters. That's the first attribution that is made. The voice of the Lord is over the waters as heaven goes from its heavenly Perspective and they all look down and the first thing I see is that the voice of the Lord over the waters.

You see an ancient near Eastern thought the deep the waters the deep was a place of darkness a place of mystery. And what did it represent? It represented chaos. Disorder and this was true for the pagans like the Philistines the Ammonites the Amorites all those ites.

It was true for them as much as it was for God's people. In some scholars minds and I agree with them Genesis 1 2 and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. He there was a purpose there.

They're very similar to David's here in the psalm. The people who just spent four centuries in bondage. I'm of course speaking of the people who first heard Genesis 1 2 the people of Israel. Just released from four centuries of bondage they needed to know that it was not the Egyptian idol enuma Elish.

Who called anything into existence? But God and Him alone. Not Baal not his rival. Yam, but Yahweh who is over the waters over them because they are his. Over them for you. Oh Lord are most high over all the earth.

You are exalted above all gods. It was the first Confession that has to be made. The Lord the voice of the Lord is over the waters over the deep. It's the the unknown the mysterious the dangerous the chaotic.

And what does the Spirit of Lord do in? Genesis chapter 1 in verse 2. What does this voice of the Lord do in Psalm 29 in verse 3? He's over the waters bringing order and purpose to seeming confusion and chaos.

The voice of the Lord this term is repeated seven times in the Psalm all in verses 3 through 9 all In the hell in the earthly perspective. Was the Lord doing on earth? It's all through his voice. Through his power executed by the Word of God and As if this is repeating constantly from Genesis chapter 1 throughout the scripture and God said and God said and God said let there be and God said let Jesus come and God said over and over Voice of the Lord seven times in the Psalm and it's the point that's being made.

Is God's voice his power. His sovereignty is freely sent forth and it is everywhere. If it's over the waters it is everywhere as Psalm 19 reminds us there is nothing hidden from his Word. What are the waters in the immediate sense.

The waters are the Mediterranean Sea? The starting point for many of the storms that they endured. And Then the cedars of Lebanon to the north of Israel in verse 6 Syrian Which is Mount Hermon it skips like a calf at the voice of the Lord.

And to the southern border goes the voice of Yahweh. And to the wilderness of Kadesh What's it saying here is the voice of the Lord is everywhere. The voice of the Lord is unfettered. It is free. It is inescapable it is Untiring and is sent forth everywhere to do his bidding.

Now if you look on a map Israel is just as teeny little slot of land but of course David's point up inspired by the Holy Spirit of God is the voice of the Lord is everywhere. There's nothing hidden from the heat of the Word of God.

There is nowhere on earth to hide. There's no rock we can crawl under to be hidden from God's will. Look at verse 5, please. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. The Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

The cedar is a great tree. It grows to a hundred feet or more. It has a stately Symmetrical pattern to his branches. It's strong and it's beautiful. That's why Solomon used so much of the cedar in his temple.

Isaiah 35 verse 2 and chapter 60 verse 13. They both call the cedar the glory of Lebanon the glory of Lebanon. It is such a symbol of strength and power that today Lebanon's flag has a cedar as its most most prominent insignia.

Psalm 92 verse 12 reads this the righteous flourished like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Now when I was a boy Seven or six years old because we were still living in Portland, Oregon at the time.

In our backyard, we had a very large willow tree and one year a storm a Hurricane it wasn't huge by the time by in comparison of the typhoons that have come up recently in the past Near the Philippines, but it was unusual because it came so far inland.

But this small hurricane came in and it toppled that great big willow trees to climb in right over. Just picked it up and tipped the whole thing over. The cedar Is a much larger a much stronger tree than that willow tree ever would think to be and yet The voice of the Lord snaps them like toothpicks.

The cedar is of course this symbol of the strength and the glory of man. That's why so often spoken of in the scriptures the glory of Lebanon and It was the Lebanese who sent the cedar wood for the temple.

And yet here they are Falling like so much chaff before God's voice. So we need to say so much for the glory so much for the strength of man. Verse 6 goes on it tells us more about the voice of the Lord.

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf in Syrian like a wild ox. Now this isn't skipping along like children do when they hold hands and they skip together down the sidewalk. This is fear. This is terror. They're not skipping.

They are Bounding away as fast as they can from this terrible powerful voice and The calf the calf is their main source of food. The ox is the tractor of the day. Without the calf they starve without the ox.

They can't plant and again they starve. Now we know animals panic and storms just like I've heard dogs get nervous before an earthquake. I Haven't quite seen it with our dogs yet, but they get nervous about firecrackers, so We don't know if they can sense earthquakes.

But animals are terrified in storms much for the same reason we are. We don't know if we're directly in his path, we don't know if it's gonna pass us by we don't know how long it's going to last. What destruction is going to leave behind?

Well the Lord's voice makes them skip. But it makes also the whole country as it were run for cover the way the terrified beast does I? Verse 8 says he shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. Makes it tremble as if there's a terrible earthquake there.

This is just by him speaking The voice of the Lord, but you look again if you would avoid verse 3 and then put another finger down at verse 10 at the same time. Verse 3 the voice of the Lord is over the waters.

We spoke about this a little bit. Verse 10 the Lord sits enthroned over the flood. Not in it as the pantheists would say. God is not the flood. He is not the waters. He is over them as with all else in creation.

He in the splendor of his holiness. He is other than What he has made? Different than it we talked about the waters already how that brings us back to Genesis 1 2 with God Redeeming the chaos by the hovering spirit.

It's only he the Spirit of God who is able to bring life and order and purpose. You remember the waters the deep that ancient Near Eastern idea of all that is dangerous and mysterious and chaotic. And unknown and we just don't want to go there.

But again at verse 10 the Lord sits enthroned over the flood. Most Bibles follow our ESV our English Standard Version with sits. Which is a present tense the New King James says sat and I think that one's correct.

The Lord sat enthroned over the flood. And I think that that's right because the flood that term the flood is only used 19 times in our English Bibles and Every time it is used it refers to the flood the Noahic flood of Genesis chapter 6 through 9.

The Lord doesn't sit there now. He sat over them then. That cataclysm was like all other storm motifs in the psalm, but more. Now what was that flood I? Want to pause on this term for a moment the Lord sits over or sat over the flood.

The Lord sat over the flood. What was that flood that flood was God's answer to man's sin? God saw that every thought and intent of his heart was on evil and only evil and that continually. They thought of nothing but new ways to sin much the way Paul speaks of man in Romans chapter 1.

The flood was God's judgment against all that the flood covered the chaos. Brought on by man's iniquity and offered a fresh start one of order where God's original intention and creation. Would we could say could be met and all this sounds so terrifying.

We see storms is chaotic. But if it is under the guidance of the Lord it cannot be sent for chaos for our God is not a god of confusion but of order. What was the flood that God sat over God's judgment on man for his sin.

He didn't bring it. Just to destroy though. He did destroy all but the eight souls that were on the ark. He brought it to bring order back to his creation. Now of course we know of course as soon as the floods receded that Ham again reintroduced the sin that the Lord had sought to sweep away in the flood.

But for all his destructive force for all the lives lost in that flood. Know that it was the Lord who's over the flood it was the voice of the Lord. The voice of the Lord brought it the voice of the Lord had it recede.

The voice of the Lord is that which gave it purpose and meaning. He's a God of order not confusion. And so if the storm is sent by him it must be sent for that purpose. What do we do when there are storms, I mean literal storms for a moment.

What do we do with literal storms like Katrina or a few years ago super typhoon Yolanda? Tsunamis like the one in 2004 that drowned nearly a quarter of a million people or Five years ago when an earthquake devastated parts of Japan and the ensuing tsunami caused a nuclear crisis.

What do we do. I'll read a quake and tremble do we take it as a sign of earthquakes and wars and rumors of wars and all that. Start reading the headlines and putting together the pieces and say what we knew the Lord must be returning and you know 6 .3 weeks or something like that.

But when the heavenly beings look down on all this and see these literal storms and tsunamis and earthquakes and all these things. Do you know what they do? They ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

When they see these mighty storms Which are barely a mist compared to God. They ascribe to him what they should glory and strength and they honor do his name. They worship him in the beauty of his holiness.

Look at the end of verse 9 if you would in the psalm and in the temple. And can we say in the church of Jesus Christ who is the temple of the Holy Spirit? Can I say and in the church? All cry glory when we take the perspective that heaven has.

We have the first two verses which is heaven. Scribing to God all that is due to God. And verses 3 through 9 these things that are happening that they're watching as they're ascribing this glory and strength and honor to God.

And then at the end the church Finally joins in with this heavenly chorus and with them cries out glory. Just glory. Do we mean glory to God. Of course it means glory to God and none other. But so profound that it has nothing there to condition the statement just glory.

Stop don't explain yourself. Glory. The church joins in. Why glory. Because God is over the waters. It is his doing so that men might see and acknowledge that he is God say glory in the wake of wanton destruction.

I'm to cry out glory. Yes, you must cry out glory because it is not wanton. It is purposeful. Not a grain of sand is flung up from the shore not a drop of rain is formed and allowed to fall. Not a breath of air moves nor does a fissure in the ground open or be even begin to give way except that the voice of the Lord intends it and directs it and when he wills Brings it to an end.

So yes. Let us join the heavenlies and cry out glory because that is what is on display is God's glory. So you see contradictory as it might seem. Storms actually bring order reading 2nd Peter. About the how the new heavens and new earth are going to be created.

It's cataclysmic. That's a storm like nothing. We've ever experienced nothing. We could even describe. And yet what is it going to bring order. Order from chaos. Order from confusion. Storms bring order not because storms are able to.

But because of he who directs the storm he who sent the storm he whose purpose is in it. The flood brought brought order. The Lord sat enthroned over the flood. It brought order. Though it only lasted a short while before ham.

Did what he did? Lives are lost. Yes, we know that Homes are destroyed. That's true. Also Peepers and people's entire existence is often permanently disrupted as we've seen. The storms bring order though if men will but look at them through the lens of Psalm 29.

If you will but see that God is over the waters and the flood that his voice is the one that thunders that splits great Trees and causes whole continents to shake. If you will see and join the heavenly beings join this church and calling out glory.

So I ask you. I ask. Have you been weathering a storm? Have you been weathering a storm. Steve read to you from the end of the Sermon on the Mount? Jesus. Spoke about the rains that will come the storm that will come and beat on the house.

Of course, there's two houses in view there aren't there? There's one that's built on sand. What is sand? Well sand is your way. Sand is everything that is not God's way. I Don't want to preach from Matthew chapter 7 now, so I'll leave it that simple sand is everything that is not God.

Sand is anything that you come up with it is not from Scripture. And what happens when the storm comes? It falls and great was the fall of that house. Was the rock? Jesus is our rock. His word is our rock that one stands.

Have you been weathering storm? How have you been weathering it on what basis? When you go forth from your house. To go to that job that isn't going so well or maybe with that spouse or the relationship has got some cracks in it recently.

From yourself from your own ideas. Is that not the sand? From the Word of God the rock will it stand? Have you been weathering a storm. Has your health been broken. Has a relationship fallen apart? I mean we struggle with different storms.

And If you're struggling in a storm now, whether it be health or relationship or economy. Are you trying to afford a home. You're losing a home? Jobs, whatever the case may be. Psalm 29 Presents us this hope.

Is God who is the bringer of the storm? If the waters in your life are chaotic if it seems that sense and order will never return. Remember this. The voice of the Lord is over the waters. He is working for your good.

Often the things that come and ruin our sense of order are not our fault. Our health fills us. Our loved one. Loved ones are called to be home with the Lord. Companies relocate. Tearing us from our moorings.

All manner of things disturb our peace. Know this. The voice of the Lord is over the waters. If you're a Christian if you know the Lord Jesus Christ if your faith is in him if you've repented of your sins and Fled to him and his cross and that alone.

Perhaps the storm is a chastisement. To bring you back into line with God's Word. Take hope. The storm is not chaos. It is from a good and loving father treating you like a true son or daughter. God only chastises those he loves.

Do you not know the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you a stranger to him? Do you not know God by faith in his son as I've been describing him here this morning and Coincident with all that going through some sort of storm in your life as I've been describing God could be working for your good through that too.

To show you your sin. To show you Jesus Christ. To show you himself as The sender of that storm. To show you the error of your ways. What's the greatest errors to not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?

The voice of the Lord is over the waters. I offer you this Hope he's working for good because all God does is good and right. You see these things that happen. They're not just bad luck. Hard providences.

Providence a much better word than luck as providence puts it in God's hands. Luck is just luck whatever that is. Hard providences are not the product of time and chance. The voice of the Lord is over the waters.

He is over you. He is bringing order and purpose where chaos had his way for too long. There's no mythical battle in the cosmos as the pagans held and as they hold today. The Lord is full of glory and strength.

His voice is full of majesty and he brings order and he brings purpose. It's not too much to say that if you're going through a storm in your life like one of these. Economic or relational or whatever the case may be.

It's not too much to say he is speaking to you. He speaks today with his voice that is powerful. It's full of majesty breaking cedars and stripping forests bare. His voice is shaking the wilderness. The church joins the heaven.

When they see all this they cry out glory and God Might be sending this storm in your life right now. So you will stop in your tracks? Look at the chaos the disorder that you yourself have introduced.

They just look to heaven and cry out glory. Fall down before God who is over those waters plead with him for faith to repent. Beg God that it is chastisement and not judgment that you're going through.

Storms are meant for good. God doesn't just stir things up to see what will happen. He does it to point you somewhere. He does it to show you something. Show you someone. His beloved Jesus Christ. Often these storms are self-inflicted.

And we click on that sight. We let a prideful spirit demean someone that we love. The first response we have to someone is anger and we wound this person who we would never think to harm but then we did and now this landslide is swallowing up everything that we had and Everything comes out jumbled.

Our self-respect is shattered. The only hope we can see is to return to that cyber image because nothing else will will gain that back for us. The soul we harmed stays harmed and the peace in our home is given away to this icy storm of resentment.

This water may well be a flood like the great flood of Noah's time. God God has brought it upon you to chastise you for your sin. The Lord is over this water. He is over it. He has brought it. So you'll look with the eyes of faith see the consequence of your sin.

He's brought it. So you'll repent and find forgiveness in Christ in Christ Jesus. We don't bring order to our lives by believing. But we believe that God has our good in mind. This doesn't mean that we know anything about tomorrow.

Jesus makes it clear that for one thing We don't and for another thing. It's none of our business. But we do know where tomorrow resides. Do we not? Well, there's a beautiful sunny peaceful day like we've been blessed with this morning.

Or should a tornado come tearing through here? We do know where tomorrow resides right now that's in the hands of our good and loving God. We do know who sent the storm. Whatever storm you're going through we know who sent it and why it's God.

If The storm is a hurricane and earthquake it is to his glory. If you live through a terrible storm and all you do is say Glory, then God's purpose is accomplished. When the storm is a trial of health or relationship of job loss or economic hardship is no different.

Having faith that God is over that storm might not make it go away. But it will bring purpose to what had seemed to be aimlessness. You see there's so much that we do to keep our own water stirred up.

Even when we're trying to calm them down. We look to adultery we look to pornography. We look to things like that things our society has constantly in our face. It's like walking through a farmer's market, but every booth is hawking these solutions.

Got a child who's coming and is going to put a crimp in your plans. It says abortion abortion which is a storm a murderous storm. That brings nothing but chaos and confusion and guilt. Bewilderment. And as they come and get it abortions for all just lying right up having a hard time with your husband or your wife.

Just listen to the news and see what our heroes do the people our kids look up to. Why'd you just go out and have an affair? Like a little good baby that's going to get in the way. Put aside your word and your vows.

Latch on to someone who will make you happy. Just sign a piece of paper and Dissolve these vows. What Jesus said what God has set aside. Let no man break apart. You know I thought Heath Ledger was brilliant as the Joker in Batman.

That's a few years back. But what he was explaining himself to the Caped Crusader. He said he really doesn't do very much. He just sort of stirs things up and Lets the chaos come out as it will. It's really a very good picture that one little scene.

Was a really good picture of exactly what our enemy does. He's the spirit of this age. He's the prince of the air the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. At work by supporting God's Supplanting not supporting at work by supplanting God's design with solutions that only satisfy for a moment, and then what are you left with?

Chaos. Like the Joker says I just stir things up and let the chaos happen like our real enemy. Who I think the Joker was portraying. Leaves you with nothing but anxiety and chaos and confusion and guilt and shame.

Peace, Shalom, and Trusting Christ in the Storm

The last verse Of the psalm say may the Lord give strength to his people. May the Lord bless his people with peace. Peace is the opposite of confusion and the word here blesses people with peace is Shalom.

It means wholeness. It means to be complete to be sound. I Can offer you no promise that the storms will end. I Cannot pull out of the scripture some verse that says if you do this or that. Suddenly the disarray in your life will vanish and everything's gonna be great.