The voice of the LORD

Speaking for the help of the Lord, I direct your prayerful attention to Psalm 29. Psalm 29, we'll read for our text, verse 3, just the first five words. The voice of the Lord. And this, our text, is repeated seven times. through this psalm. In the beginning of the psalm, we read of giving unto the Lord the glory and strength, the glory due unto his name. Verse 2 highlights that it is to do with the worship of the Lord. and the worship of the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Then we come to verse 3, which is speaking of the effect of the voice of the Lord. Then we have, when we come to the end of the psalm, verse 10 and 11, a summary with the Lord pictured sitting over the flag, sitting as king forever and giving strength unto his people.

The Lord will bless his people with peace. So we have a picture, here is worship, here really is the presentation or preaching of the gospel and the Lord blessing his people through the gospel and blessing them with peace. And what is done is done through the voice of the Lord.

And this is highlighted these seven times and in seven different ways through this son. I want to this morning. First, at the significance of the voice of the Lord. And then secondly, how his voice is heard, especially in these Gospel days. And then the effect of the voice of the Lord in the Gospel. And in that, just to give a summary of the Gospel, as well. But firstly, the scriptures are very clear as to the significance of the voice of the Lord.

In the very beginning with creation, every day, in the six days of creation, What was done was done through the voice of the Lord. The Lord speaking into being all of the natural world. And in the type in this psalm, the type is the voice is like, as in thundering, the thunder. There is a parallel using a type, a picture from nature, bringing it then to spiritual.

But we think of when Adam fell, and Adam was naked, and Adam covered himself with fig leaves to hide from the Lord. And they heard the voice of the Lord walking in the garden. It's the very first occasion, actually, in scripture where we hear of the voice of the Lord, and in that time, it is the Lord instigating, approaching to Adam. Adam and Eve had sinned, they were alienated from God. But rather than Adam instigating returning to God and restoring what he'd lost, God instigated it by coming to him, and the first effect to him was to highlight his nakedness. Who told thee that thou was naked?

And in that, we see the gospel in the voice of the Lord, even coming to Adam in his sin and in the fall. In these gospel days and in the days of grace, there's the voice of the Lord that we associate with the mercy and grace. The psalmist says, be not silent unto me, lest if thou be silent unto me, I become like them that go down into the pit. And so with this psalm as well, we would look upon this voice of the Lord as setting forth the gospel, as that which holds forth a real hope and expectation for us under The Gospel. Let me think of how our Lord referred to his voice.

In John chapter 5, we have in verse 24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, path everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." So it's hearing his word that is the forerunner to the believing and these blessings.

So then our Lord says in verse 25, "'Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself, and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the grave shall hear his voice and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation." Of course, there were those in a literal sense, our Lord was going to raise the dead, the widow of Nain's son, Lazarus, he was going to call him forth from his grave.

But in the first place, in verse 25, it's speaking of the Gospel. Those that hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live. Those that are going to be brought to life, spiritual life, through the Word of God. I give unto them eternal life, they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of mine hand. But when he goes to verse 28, it's very obvious this is speaking of the last day. The dead in Christ that shall rise first. The dead that shall come forth from their graves. And that shall be done as well with the voice of the Lord. So spiritual birth, a spiritual life from the dead and then a literal life from the dead at the last day. The significance and the voice of the Lord is very, very important.

The Lord says in John chapter 18 of those that hear his words, In verse 37, our Lord says this before Pilate, at the end of verse 37, he says this, everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate is asking then what is truth? But this word sets forth such a significance of hearing the voice of the Lord, that if we are of the truth, we will hear His voice. We think of the portion that we read in John 10.

This is why we read it, beautiful, illustration of our Lord as the shepherd and himself as the sheep. Right through this portion he is speaking of his voice. Verse three, to him the porter openeth the sheep hear his voice and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out. Then we have in verse 4, When he buddeth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Again, the Lord is using his voice to guide. Think of what is said in Isaiah, Thou shalt hear word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, when ye turn to the left. Verse 16 in John 10.

Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice. There shall be one fold and one shepherd. That other fold, of course, is the Gentiles. We have the fold of the Jews, the fold of the Gentiles, and those two are brought together as one, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the shepherd over them both. Then we have going down to verse 27, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.

And so you see the significance of the voice of the Lord, of hearing the voice of the Lord. It's not a doctrine, a teaching, a thought, that is insignificant, it is vital, it is important, it runs from creation to the fall, to the gospel, to our Lord Jesus Christ, and then right through to the resurrection of the dead. And so it really behoves us to know what it means to hear the voice of the Lord and how we may, and that's what I want to look at in the second place. How do we know the voice of the Lord?

Well, there was a time when the Lord prayed that the Father might glorify him on earth and a voice came from heaven. I have glorified it and will yet glorify it again. And some said that it thundered, another said that an angel spoke to him. It's interesting and that the illustration here in 29 is the idea of thunder or a thunderstorm. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters, the God of glory thundereth, the Lord is upon many waters. that the way that the Lord speaks in the church and through the gospel, we are not expecting an audible voice from heaven like that, like there may be an angel or a voice in that way, but to be the voice of the gospel through the word of God.

Often think of Samuel, when it was said that Samuel did not yet know the Lord. And the way the Lord revealed himself to him was through speaking to him. Now we know that was an audible voice that he heard calling his name. But what is significant, Samuel thought it was Eli. He thought it was Eli. He knew Eli very well. He would have recognized and known his voice. So that's why he went to Eli.

And it is a reminder to us that God speaks through men. He speaks through his servants. The Lord says, he that heareth you, or he that receiveth you, receiveth me. He that receiveth me, receiveth my father. And those that hear the Lord's servants, they are hearing the Lord as well.

We think of when we come to the third point of the effect of the word, where God would have Cornelius and his household, the Gentiles, to hear the gospel. He doesn't send an angel. The angel tells him to go and get Peter, and Peter comes and speaks to him words, but those words are attended with power, and we are exhorted to preach the word, and the Holy Ghost falls upon them, and they are converted, they are changed. The same effect with Philip and the eunuch, the Holy Ghost tells Philip to go into the wilderness, into the desert, and there he meets with Philip, and so he meets with Eunuch, and the Eunuch is reading in Isaiah 53, God gives to Philip his text. He gives him, you might say, even through the one that was to be blessed, the portion where to actually begin. It's where he couldn't understand and where he didn't know who was in that portion. But the effect is very evident when the eunuch came to water and he decided to be baptized.

The important thing is to realize that the voice of the Lord is through the Gospel, it is through His Word. The charge to us is to preach the Word. The Holy Spirit shall bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. And there are those of us that maybe you've heard the Word on the Lord's Day, maybe you've heard it many times, we've got it in our memory, but It comes to our mind with such power and clarity, just as if someone is speaking it to us. And we're told that where the word of a king is, there is power.

And it's the effect. Sometimes we can have words just come to our mind, but it doesn't have any effect. But when we notice the timing of it, maybe the Lord has given us peace and quietness in a time of, you know, trouble or anxiety, and we wondered how it is, we may have even asked the Lord why it is so, and he just drops in, so clearly thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on me, because he trusteth in me. Or, It may be again knowing a complete peace from time of temptation, time of turmoil of mind. Why is this so?

If the sun shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. And the word that comes, comes exactly on time, explains exactly the situation and the effect that has already been experienced. And we know that is the The voice of the Lord, by the effect that it has, by the timing, the suitability, those things that join with it.

When our Lord spoke on earth, they wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his lips. They marveled. At one time they marveled because of his doctrine, because his word was with power. He spoke with authority, not like the scribes. and yet it was still the word.

When our Lord told about Lazarus and the rich man, and the rich man in torments, he wanted first that Lazarus was to bring water to cool his tongue in the flame, that could not be done. So then he wanted Lazarus to go to his five brethren and warn them so that they didn't come to that place.

But our Lord said, they are Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. The word, the gospel of the Old Testament, let them hear them. He said, no, but if one rose from the dead, then they would hear. But our Lord said, if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they hear, or neither will they be converted, even if one did rise from the dead.

And again, there's an emphasizing The word of the Lord through the scriptures, which are the inspired word of God, which is the word of God, and not just the word you read in some Bibles, but every word of God is pure. The Lord gave the word. Great was the company of them that published them. We don't profess to be publishing our own word, we are publishing the Lord's Word. And so we are to have a real expectation under the preaching of the gospel, is it please God through the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. And it's vital that it is the word that is preached, not our own thoughts or feelings or interpretation.

No scripture is of any private interpretation. It stands in the interpretation of comparing scripture with scripture, and what the Lord intended it to actually say, and not to put words in the Lord's mouth, take a text out of context, and make the Lord say something that he didn't say.

That's where Satan came in, in their Lord's temptations, and said to him that, or Satan said that it is written The angels shall bear thee up in their arms, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Therefore cast thyself down from the pinnacle of the temple." You prove the Word of God. Satan taking a particular text and saying to our Lord, this gives you warrant to do that. But our Lord says, it is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And so the Lord compares Scripture with Scripture that makes Satan's handling of the Word to be of none effect. It shows it to be but a temptation. And we need to be careful on that, that we do compare Scripture with Scripture.

We don't want to make the Word of God say something that doesn't, especially moving people to do things that the Word of God does not command them to do. The Lord does also speak through providences. We read in Micah chapter 6 verse 9, He ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. Some of us, we've certainly heard the Lord's voice in that way. We can have the Lord's voice in our conscience saying, don't do that, or you should do this, or you should stop doing that, and we not listen to it. And when we haven't listened to it and haven't listened to it, then the Lord has brought something to happen in Providence. Things have been broken, things have happened, and immediately we know why it has come. Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it. And then we don't do it.

We think of Jehoshaphat having ships and going with Ahab's. son and servants in ships and joining together with ungodly, unbelievers, and those ships were broken. And the Lord's servant came to him and said, because thou hast joined thyself with ungodly, thy works are broken. Well, then Ahab's son, he said, look, I'll send my servants with your servants. as if something that was wrong with thy servants will make a better job of it, they won't be broken this time. But Jehoshaphat had learned his lesson, he wouldn't do it.

And we need to be like that, to hear the Lord's voice in providences, in things that he brings into our lives that has a voice in them to us. Very often the Lord is already been warning us by our conscience and by things that we've heard and we haven't acted and so then he's brought something more severe to bring us up and to cause us to listen. And so we need to be aware of how the Lord does speak and be attentive to that, to recognize his voice. If we are to have the comfort of knowing we are his sheep, his people, when we read, my sheep, they hear my voice, we need to have a scriptural knowledge of how the Lord does speak to us.

You think of Elijah in the cave, and the Lord passed by, the fire, the wind, the earthquake, but the Lord was not in there. And then the still small voice, and he covered his face with the mantle, and then the Lord spoke to him. And again, it is pointing to the way the Lord speaks to his people. A still small voice, and yet it had a real effect with him.

We have a picture on the two on the way to Emmaus, really under the sermon of our Lord in all the scriptures concerning himself, the effect on them. Did not our heart burn within us while he opened the scriptures, showed himself through the scriptures. Again emphasizing it is the preaching of the word and the voice of the Lord. They didn't know who it was, but they did know the effect of it. And may we also know the effect of where the King's word is, then that word is with power. I want to then look thirdly at the effect of the voice of the Lord in the Gospel. I want to look through the seven points here in Psalm 29.

But firstly to think of what the Gospel is, because the Gospel is good news, is good news of salvation, is contrasted with the law of God. The law of God puts a demand upon us that we cannot possibly fulfill. By the law is the knowledge of sin, and that is where the whole world is brought in guilty before God. In the Gospel, on the other hand, it shows in our Lord Jesus Christ the law being fulfilled by him on behalf of his people.

It shows the wrath of God falling upon him instead of his people, and that he is bearing the sins of his people. We see that evident in the Garden of Gethsemane, We see it in the hiding of his father's face and in the wrath that fell upon him. Also, we see it in him being made a curse, because it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth upon a tree. And our Lord was hung upon a tree, hung upon the cross, made a curse for us.

So it is Jesus in the sinner's place, a substitutionary offering the blood that was shed, fulfilling the law, that without the shedding of blood there is no remission. And so our Lord Jesus Christ offered himself, laid down his life as a surety in the place of his people. And the setting forth of the gospel then is what Christ has done. Not what we are to do, but what Christ has done.

And as we said with Adam in the Garden of Eden, it was the Lord that instigated salvation. He came to him and he was convicted of his sin. And we read, they shall look upon him whom they have pierced. They shall mourn for him and be in bitterness for him. That sorrow over what Christ has suffered, not for his sin, but for our own.

But the good news of the gospel is the free offering of our Lord, and that which is done for his people, and especially in the setting forth of that finished work, is the effect on the hearts of those who are convicted of their sins, who need that good news for their souls, how their souls will respond to it, react to that word.

It's something that is very offensive to man that always wants to be able to do something, always wants to have a hand in his salvation. But the gospel says no. The Lord Jesus Christ has done what is needful upon the cross, and in the gospel, in the presentation of the gospel, It is the voice of the Lord that does everything in salvation as well. We are what we are by the grace of God and that any are saved, it is by the voice of the Lord upon them. It doesn't mean that there's no exhortation in the gospel or warning in the gospel, but there is a setting forth that what is vital It is the powerful voice of the Lord attending it.

We're not to join with the gospel to make it almost like the law and say that we must do this, we must do that, and it must be part our work and part the Lord's work. That's taking away the beauty, the blessedness of the gospel. not to look upon it in a fatalistic way. If we have any knowledge of our state before God, then we cannot, we won't do that. But to be told that this is all of God, all of grace, and not of ourselves, that gives help for a sinner that knows that in themselves there is no good thing. And they say with the hymn writer, if ever my poor soul be saved, his Christ must be the way.

So I want to look at these seven points that are set before us here. Verse three, the verse I've read for our text. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. The God of glory thundereth, the voice is upon many waters. Now let's go back to creation, and we see that the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of the Lord moved upon those waters. And we have the same picture that is set before us here. Then if we were to turn to Revelation chapter 17 and verse 15, we have a picture again of the waters. He saith unto me, the waters which thou soarest, where the horse sitteth, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.

And so we have this picture where we have the voice of the Lord, what is it upon? It's upon nations, it's upon peoples, it's upon tongues. It is coming into the sanctuary of God and it's over unformed hearts, hearts that are like the world was before the Lord began. Without form and void. What a picture of our hearts by nature.

If we go back to creation, just as a thinking of comparing these two, we think of the Lord's Day, the seventh day when the Lord rested and hallowed it. was because of the finish of the creation, which God pronounced good. But our Lord rose from the dead on the first day of the week. And that's remembered by the Church of God as the Lord appeared again eight days later to Thomas and the Church met on that first day to commemorate a greater work, the work of redemption. And so there is that parallel between the natural creation and a spiritual creation. God's work naturally and God's work spiritually.

And so here is the first, where the voice of the Lord is upon, upon many waters. When we think in these gospel days, in every nation, kindred, and tongue, There is the voice of the Lord going forth. The word of the Lord is going forth. The preaching of the gospel in every nation is a beautiful picture. And it's a blessed thing to realise we are part of it. The voice of the Lord is upon us as well. And the Lord has seen fit to place us under the voice of the Lord.

And then we have in verse four, the voice of the Lord is powerful, the first part of verse four. Again, we think of the creation and how powerful the Lord was to speak and it was done, a very powerful word. We think of when our Lord was upon the earth, and speaking his word on earth and the effect of that as well. In verse 32, in Luke's Gospel, chapter 4, verse 32, they were astonished at his doctrine, for his word was with power. We think of Paul going to the Thessalonian church, And the effect that he said, remember we're highlighting here the effect of the voice of the Lord.

And so he says how the gospel came in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 5. Well, if we go from verse 4, knowing brethren beloved your election of God. How do we know our election of God? For our gospel It came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake."

And then he speaks of the effect that it had upon them. You can read that further in that passage. The Lord's Word does accomplish that which He please, and right through the Word of God, we can see the power that attended when the Lord spake and it was done, the power attending. The latter part of verse four, our third point, the third time we read the voice of the Lord, is full of majesty, is full of majesty. We read in Psalm 45 of the majesty of God, the beauty of God, what is seen, verse four, in thy majesty right, prosperously, because of truth and meekness and righteousness, And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies, whereby the people fall unto thee. Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter. And the picture here is, the Lord is over a kingdom that was set over the cross, Jesus. the king of the Jews. And so, when we have the voice of the Lord full of majesty, is where the word, the voice of a king is.

In the eyes and view of one that is converted, one that hears his voice, they don't just see Jesus, the carpenter's son. They don't just see him of whom we know and the brethren we know, but they see the majesty and glory of God. It has some effect with them in that way. Think of those like Daniel that actually had visitations of the Lord, and they fell at his feet as dead. They were awed by his majesty and his greatness. God is greatly feared in the assembly of the saints to have in reverence of all them that are about him.

Then we have, fourthly, in verse 5, the voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars. Now this is joined to verse 6 as well. Of course, we think of the cedars, especially the cedars of Lebanon, has been great strong trees. Maybe going back to the illustration of here with the thunderstorm, with the thunders, the lightning. I was thinking the woods near us here, there was a very big tree and you can see the effect. It had been hit by lightning and completely shattered and broken that tree and yet it was several feet round and just destroyed it in a moment. and hear the picture with Labyrinth, and thinking this is the voice of the Lord over waters, over peoples, and in those peoples you've got those like Saul of Tarsus, which is like a cedar, strong against the Lord, one that you think, however can they be broken, however can they be changed, However can they be changed by the voice of the Lord to make them skip like a calf, like a young unicorn? And yet, here in this type, in this psalm, saying the gospel can do that, and we know it with Paul, we know it from several others.

I was thinking of Mr. Hroon, the late minister in New Zealand, and he was a man very, He's a big man, imposing man, a man that quite a few were having quite fear of, even when he was converted. But when I mentioned it to my Dutch friend, he said, well, he said, you should have seen him or known him before he was converted. He said he was a foreman in the motor mechanics and he said one of the mechanics did something wrong and rather than face him, he said he ran away. He wouldn't stay. He said grace has really softened him, really made a difference in his heart and in his life. And that is what God's grace does.

It does change and make a different character, those lions into lambs. And we should remember this, should give us really hope to pray for those lights, all of Tarsus, perhaps our loved ones hardened in sin, our own hearts steeped against the Lord, to read the effect of the Word of God like this, that even breaketh the cedars. May it help us in our prayers. Lord, send thy Word. Use it to break my heart. Use it to break the hearts of loved ones that are hardened against thee, against the Word of God. and perhaps to bear in mind the Apostle Paul as what a difference was made in him. But then we have in verse five, the voice, sorry, the fifth page, verse six, seven.

The voice of the Lord divided the flames of fire. The flames of fire. I'm turning to Hebrews chapter 4, and in verse 12 we read, For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." And that is what he's spoken of here. Dividing the flames of fire.

Now, my mind went to that solemn occasion when in the wilderness, Aaron's sons were offering strange fires. Well, the people might not have realized it was strange fire, but God did, and he slew them. It wasn't from off the altar. We read in another place of those that walk in the sparks of their own kindling.

They can be religious people and all sorts of other gods. and have a fire and a zeal? Well, Paul says, as concerning zeal, persecuting the church of God. But when we have the voice of the Lord, and it divides those flames of fire, that is just flesh, that is just of the world, that is not from my spirit, but this is of my spirit. And we need the Lord to divide that which is imitated and that which is real. Think of the day of Pentecost, the spirit given was like flames of fire upon them. They spake with new tongues, they glorified God. It was truly the work of the Lord. And so, in this way, under the gospel, the voice of the Lord dividing the flames of fire. And then in this sixth place, in verse eight, the voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness.

Well, our hearts by nature is like a wilderness, something that is barren, is not fruitful, it doesn't bring forth much fruit at all. We think of Isaiah 35, the wilderness, verse 1, the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them. And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy in singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sherem. they shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellency of our God."

And we have these gospel words and a picture of the human heart. If we have a picture of the beginning of the world with the earth without form and void, now we have another picture of the wilderness that doesn't grow anything, that is barren, and then we have the voice of the Lord, and now it does bring forth and it shakes that wilderness, it makes a difference with that wilderness. Right through this psalm, different ways, different angles are looking, the effect of the word, voice of the Lord in the gospel. And lastly, verse 9, The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, discovereth the forest, and in his temple doth everyone speak of his glory. Whenever their souls walk forth through the ministry, if there are ever those that are converted, those who are newborn souls, it is the voice of the Lord that doeth that. It's not man's word.

If his gods were, come and hear ye all that fear the Lord, I will tell what he hath done for my soul. And going back to the first time that this voice of the Lord is mentioned with the picture of Adam and Eve hiding in the trees of the garden and covering themselves with leaves. The very first effect of the Lord coming, as it were, all of that foliage and covering of the garden was taken away. They had to stand before God. And so, when it says, he discovereth the forest, in the margin, making bare, and so it makes it bare, that covering is taken away. and it's for blessing, it's for good, and it's tied up with the bringing forth of souls to be born again.

May we never overlook the blessing of seeing ourselves as we really are, having taken away all every false refuge and hiding place, and to be brought before the Lord, and to see His glory, His gospel, what He's done, and then to speak of his glory. In his temple doth everyone speak of his glory. Often referred to this verse, it contrasted with they only consult to cast him down from his excellency. But what a difference, when the gospel is proclaimed, when the voice of the Lord is heard, the effect on a sinner will be to speak of his glory. not our own. We think of the apostle in writing to the Corinthians, that no flesh might glory in his presence, all the glory is the Lord's.

And so this psalm, beautiful psalm, seven times, number of perfection, again and again, the voice of the Lord. May our prayer be that as we gather under the preaching of the word, gather in his house, that we hear the voice of the Lord and it has this effect and we can see the Lord's appointed way of bringing to the birth, bringing to salvation and comforting and blessing our songs. Amen.

The voice of the LORD

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The voice of the LORD

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About Rowland Wheatley

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