Year 8, Day 176: Psalms 28-29

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Psalms 28 and 29 give us a great one-two punch today for meditating on the relationship between human and divine.  You could also think of this dynamic as eternal versus finite.  How do human beings relate to an eternal divine being?  Why do human beings relate to an eternal divine being?

If we look at Psalm 28, we see that the psalm begins with a return to the idea of fear of the Lord.  David begins the psalm by asking God to not drag him away with the wicked.  He doesn’t want to get lumped up with those whose hearts are not inclined to God.

I’m reasonably sure that this is a pretty natural response.  It’s human nature to worry that someone who has such a greater degree of power or authority will not be fair.  How many people doubt the fairness of governments or militaries?  How many students doubt the fairness of teachers?  How many employees doubt the fairness of employers?  The doubt is not always deserved, but the doubt is human nature for the person in a lesser position.

This is where Psalm 29 comes in.  How do we know that David has a recognition of God’s vastly more powerful position?  Read the psalm.  Look at all the things that David says about God.  God is strong, splendid, and holy (holy means different, remember).  God thunders over water.  God’s voice alone is capable of breaking cedar trees.  God’s voice shakes the wilderness.  God’s voice bursts forth like the flickering flames of fire.  God brings forth the birth of the next generation of all animals, not just humans.  God is also capable of bringing the end of things, including nature!  God rules over the uncontrollable forces like floods.  David has every reason to see God as a being of vast power.

Remember the other half of having a fear of the Lord, however.  Notice that in Psalm 28, while David has fear of the Lord and he asks the Lord to make sure that he is not swept away with the wicked, he also does not lose faith that God will hear him.  Even in the midst of doubt, the Lord is his strength and shield.  The Lord is where his heart trusts.  The Lord continues to be his refuge even in the midst of his desire to remind the Lord to not sweep him away.

This is a great picture of how fear of the Lord works.  Fearing something does not mean losing faith in it.  When we are doing it right, it shouldn’t.

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