Welcome, friends! Click the video below and hear a message from God’s Word…
The words of Psalm 29 spoken by children…
A song inspired by the words of Psalm 29…
May God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus. Amen.
I have always felt comforted during thunderstorms. Having grown up in Iowa, strong thunderstorms are a given every summer. When my daughters were small children and frightened by the loud clap of thunder, I would say to them, “That’s just God letting us know he is powerful and watching over us.”
God spoke and stirred up a storm… So, they cried out to the Lord in their distress, and God brought them out safe from their desperate circumstances. God quieted the storm to a whisper; the sea’s waves were hushed. (Psalm 107:25, 29-30, CEB)
God’s very voice is the source of all power. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth – with words. The Lord Almighty spoke the entire world into existence. God’s words are generative, that is, the speech of God creates and gives life. When God’s voice goes forth, things happen:
God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light… (Genesis 1:3, NIV)
God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water….” And it was so. (Genesis 1:6-7, NIV)
God said, “Let the waters under the sky come together into one place so that the dry land can appear.” And that is what happened. (Genesis 1:9, CEB)
God said, “Let the earth produce plants—some to make grain for seeds and others to make fruits with seeds in them. Every seed will produce more of its own kind of plant.” And it happened. (Genesis 1:11, NCV)
God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. (Genesis 1:14-15, NLT)
God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. (Genesis 1:24, NIV)
God creates and gives through speech. Yes, the mechanism of God’s provision for us is words. This means language is vitally important. The Lord creates, gives, sustains, and blesses creation through language – with humans as the only creatures formed in the image and likeness of God.
God said, “Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. (Genesis 1:26, CEV)
People, then, are capable of speech. Even more, with our ability of language, we also have the capacity to form generative words. We have the God-given means to give life with our speech.
“Life and death lie in the power of language.”
helen keller
I believe we all intuitively know this is true. As we reminisce the history of our lives, we can observe events where another’s words impacted us so significantly that it was as if they gave us the gift of life. We never forget those words. We also have had times when another’s words cut us emotionally and it felt as if a part of us died. We tend to remember those as well, and they hold us back in our own life-giving speech to ourselves and others.
“The godless destroy their neighbors by their words, but the righteous are saved by their knowledge.” (Proverbs 11:9, CEB)
We must listen to the voice of the Lord. God’s speech does not disappoint or destroy. God’s Word is eternal life. The better we listen to God, the better we can have the generative power of words to provide life for others. It only takes a cursory look at Holy Scripture to realize that words are powerful and are to be used with great care. We are all to continually develop the craft of wordsmithing so that we might ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name as well as bless the world.
“As a tree gives fruit, healing words give life, but dishonest words crush the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:4, NCV)
The language we use—spoken and written words, sign language, facial expressions, bodily gestures, singing—helps us understand ourselves and lets us create relationships with others. Our words give us the power to describe our past, define our present, and dream of our future.
“Words from wise people are like water bubbling up from a deep well—the well of wisdom.” (Proverbs 18:4, ERV)
“Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.”
Yehuda Berg
We need to speak mindfully, paying careful attention to give people words of encouragement and compassion. We must discipline ourselves to use our words in a way that conveys respect, gentleness, and humility.
We adults may balk at the notion that words are anything more than a creative expression. Yet, as I believe is typical with most things, children are closer to the kingdom of God. They effortlessly make connections between words and reality whereas us older folks barely have an idea this even occurs. My grandson once remarked when I was talking to him about being cautious at the playground, “How am I supposed to meet new people if I can’t talk to strangers?”
“When I asked my son (5 years old) how his day was, he said it was awesome. I asked him what made it so awesome – his response was ‘because I wanted it to be.’”
Tanya Niedzwiecki (Huffington Post, November 2015)
The voice of the Lord exhibits a mighty God who has the power to create, recreate, and renew with but a word. As people in God’s likeness, our words are powerful tools to be used with wisdom and care. Our speech allows us to praise God and encourage one another. Even more, the use of language enables us to speak into existence new realities for ourselves and others. May those words bring forth hope and blessing to a world in need of healing.
The Lord says to my lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”
The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying,
“Rule in the midst of your enemies!”
Your troops will be willing
on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy splendor,
your young men will come to you
like dew from the morning’s womb.
The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord is at your right hand;
he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead
and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.
He will drink from a brook along the way,
and so he will lift his head high. (NIV)
Today’s reading is the most quoted psalm in the New Testament (twenty-four times) and is mentioned in the Apostle’s Creed. The reason for this is, of course, because Christ’s apostles discerned Jesus as the messianic ruler of the psalm. The writer of Hebrews had the purpose of emphasizing the superiority of Jesus Christ over all others, and so, lifted this psalm, along with other psalms, and placed it in the beginning of his argument:
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So, he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs….
But about the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
He also says,
“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.”
To which of the angels did God ever say,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet”? (Hebrews 1:1-13, NIV)
In Christianity, Jesus is the ultimate Mediator between God and people. Neither angel nor any human can fill such a role. The author of Hebrews wanted to make it clear that Jesus is the rightful Ruler of all creation. Christ’s authority is far and above all others. So, Christians are never defenseless in this world. Believers have a sovereign Mediator and King to willingly submit to, knowing that Jesus has the power and authority to back up his words of love and assurance.
Jesus has the unique combination of being both King and Priest, the One who intercedes for us and leads us with compassionate leadership. Again, the author of Hebrews uses Psalm 110 to emphasize this:
Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. Therefore, he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.
In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.”
And he says in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:1-10, NIV)
Jesus Christ demonstrated and proved he is qualified to be the rightful Priest and King through obedient suffering. That means he is perfectly suited and able to help us. Christ is no detached and aloof King and Priest. He knows exactly what it is like to be a human in this broken and fallen world. Such divine empathy translates into solid emotional and spiritual support because, as the Christian tradition holds, Jesus has taken care of the sin issue once for all through the Cross.
The Messiah’s enemies, whose final defeat is certain, are not Gentile kingdoms or human institutions. The ultimate foes are the hostile and evil principalities and powers of this dark world, including death itself. The universal reign of Jesus, the exalted Son of David, brings deliverance from guilt, shame, and injustice as the unique God-Man.
In this unabashed Christian view of Psalm 110, Jesus is our perfected high priest who is able for all time to save those who approach God, since he always lives to make intercession for us. (Hebrews 7:25)
The appropriate response to such a great King and Priest is submissive loyalty and eternal praise.
May it be so to the glory of God.
O Lord our God: Reign in power over us, through your Son, Jesus Christ – for he is exalted over all governments and authorities, all ideologies and creeds, and all human hearts and souls. King Jesus: Be enthroned in our lives, in all people everywhere, as our mediator and atoning sacrifice. Spirit of God: Reign in power over us through Jesus Christ and give us the victory over all the enemies of our souls, within and without, for the glory of your Name. Amen.
Welcome, friends! Along with all creation, let us praise our gracious, loving, and mighty God! Click the video below as we consider the psalmist’s words…
For the Scripture set to song…
For a classic hymn praising our great God…
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you,
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face towards you
and give you peace;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 