KING ABOVE THE FLOOD

Brittney Mickunas

Central Truth

We praise God because He reigns above all. Even when we are flooded from a storm, He does not abandon us, but gives us strength and peace to endure.

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
(Psalm 29:10)

Ascribe to the LORD Glory

A Psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,^{1

29:1
Hebrew sons of God, or sons of might}
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.^{2

29:2
Or in holy attire}

3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the LORD, over many waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;
    the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth^{3

29:9
Revocalization yields makes the oaks to shake}
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the LORD give strength to his people!
May the LORD bless^{4

29:11
Or The LORD will give The LORD will bless} his people with peace!

Footnotes

[1] 29:1 Hebrew sons of God, or sons of might
[2] 29:2 Or in holy attire
[3] 29:9 Revocalization yields makes the oaks to shake
[4] 29:11 Or The LORD will give . . . The LORD will bless

Take a deep breath in . . . and exhale. I don’t know about you, but my voice did not just break down an entire forest of cedar trees. But our God and His voice, now that’s a different story. Let that sink in. Did you know creation came into existence by God’s voice alone? Keep letting that sink in.

Psalm 29 is a praise psalm reminding us with a call to praise (verses 1-2), reasons to praise (verses 3-9), and the sovereignty of Yahweh (verses 10-11). This hymn by King David uses the powerful imagery of a thunderstorm to invoke every little sense in us. We see the storm, we hear the storm, and we feel the storm in its full power. But why? Why does David write it in this way? For no other reason than for us to taste and see why we should praise the forever King. David builds on and builds up many reasons to praise Yahweh, the great I Am. He is over the waters, powerful, majestic, in control, and just.

"The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever." (Psalm 29:10) The Hebrew for "enthroned" means to dwell, remain, sit, or abide. The use of the word "flood" pictures here a deluge, which is a severe flood. Our God and our Creator in the same way sits enthroned above the worst of floods in our lives. He doesn’t sit away from them or behind them or beyond them. He dwells and remains right there above them, never ceasing as King through it all.

God is in control even if our circumstances feel out of control. He is not a monster or a bully, even though it may seem that way amidst a season of drowning (James 1:2-8). He is worthy of our praise because He is the giver of strength and peace in all circumstances. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son . . . ." (John 3:16) As an ultimate gift, He gives us Jesus, and Jesus changes everything—whether we are walking on dry ground or completely inundated by the flood. Glory, hallelujah!

1. What is one thing you are thankful for and/or are praising God for today? Think of one way to respond to your thankfulness by sending a text, making a call, or simply sharing a kind word with someone face to face. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

2. Are you experiencing a flood right now? If so, is there someone in your life to bear that burden with you as Galatians 6:2 calls us to do?

3. Read James 1:2-8. Do you truly believe the testing of your faith is a good thing? If your answer is yes, reflect on how you responded most recently to a trial in your life. If your answer is no, I encourage you to reread James 1:5 and humbly ask God for wisdom in this area.

4. Reflect on the sovereignty of God and His ultimate gift of Christ. That should without a doubt get you through today. Journey on!