1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
Looking at verses 1-2, why would a human directly call upon "heavenly beings" (or "angels")?* What is it that the writer of this psalms wants the "heavenly beings" to do?
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
Spend some moments in a creative brainstorming session. In verses 3-9, first make a list of what the voice of God does and, second, try adding a few of your own vivid contemporary descriptions:
Lebanon is considered the mountainous region north of Israel. Sirion is a reference to Mount Hermon in Lebanon & Syria, whose waters flow into the Sea of Galilee. With this in mind, describe both the humorous imagination of verse 6 and its powerful meaning:
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace. NIV
How do the descriptions about God's voice relate to verses 10-11?
In what areas of life do you (or the people you know) need to hear of the truths of verses 10-11?
::::: DIGGING DEEPER :::::
After having studied this psalm, revisit verse 1. Ask yourself again why humanity would address the "heavenly beings" (or "angels")*. What is the writer of this psalm trying to accomplish?
* Literally, "Sons of God".
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