Berean Study Bible Ascribe Glory to the LORDDavid wrote this psalm as Israel’s shepherd-king, directing attention away from human power to the sovereign rule of God. Psa 18:1 For the choirmaster. Of David the servant of the LORD… Ascribe to the LORD, All creation is called to acknowledge what belongs to the covenant God of Israel: honor, authority, and praise. 1Ch 16:28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the nations,… O heavenly beings, The angelic hosts before God’s throne are summoned to recognize His supremacy. Psa 89:6 For who in the skies can compare with the LORD?… ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. God alone possesses perfect majesty and irresistible power, displayed in His rule over heaven, earth, and all nations. Psa 96:7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the nations,… Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; God alone possesses the majesty, power, and honor that belong to His divine character. Israel lived among nations devoted to idols, yet the LORD’s people were commanded to recognize that no created thing or false god could share His glory. His name represents all that He is—holy, sovereign, faithful, and worthy of praise. 1Ch 16:29 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;… worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness. Worship is to be offered with reverence before the God who is utterly pure and set apart from all sin. His holiness gives worship its proper focus, not human ceremony or spectacle. Those who come before Him are called to honor Him according to His revealed greatness and moral perfection. Psa 96:9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness;… The voice of the LORD is over the waters; God rules over the sea and all that appears untamed or threatening to man. From the beginning, He exercised authority over the waters of creation, bringing order to what was formless and empty. Jer 10:13 When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;… the God of glory thunders; Thunder reveals the majesty and power of the God who makes Himself known in creation and acts in judgment. His presence is not distant or powerless, but commands reverence. Act 7:2 And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me!… the LORD is heard over many waters. No sea, storm, or distant land lies beyond His authority. The roar of great waters cannot rival the voice of the LORD, whose dominion extends over all the earth. Ezk 43:2 I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east.… The voice of the LORD is powerful; God speaks with absolute authority, and creation responds to His command. His voice at Sinai revealed His holiness and power, filling Israel with fear and awe. The same divine authority is seen in Christ, who commanded winds, waves, disease, and demons without resistance. Psa 68:33 to Him who rides upon the highest heavens of old;… the voice of the LORD is majestic. God’s voice reveals the splendor of the reigning King. His rule is not merely forceful but glorious, displaying the greatness of His character throughout creation. The majesty heard in His voice anticipates the day when His sovereign reign will be openly recognized by all. Isa 30:30 And the LORD will cause His majestic voice to be heard… The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; God’s voice displays sovereign power over all creation. Cedars were among the strongest and most imposing trees known in the ancient world, valued for royal buildings and sacred structures. Their destruction portrays the Lord’s ability to overthrow what appears secure, mighty, and enduring, including human pride and self-reliance. Exo 19:16-19 On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder… the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon. Lebanon’s forests were renowned throughout the region, and its cedars stood as symbols of national wealth and strength. The LORD’s power reaches beyond Israel to the lands, resources, and rulers of every nation. What men regard as unshakable remains subject to His command and judgment. 2Ki 19:23 Through your servants you have taunted the Lord… He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, God’s voice shakes Lebanon, a region famed for its towering cedars and apparent permanence. What seems immovable before men is easily moved by the Lord, demonstrating His rule over the strongest parts of creation. Psa 114:4 the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. and Sirion like a young wild ox. Sirion, Mount Hermon, stood high above the surrounding land with its snow-covered heights. Yet even this great mountain is pictured as leaping with the energy of a young wild ox when God speaks. The image presents creation as wholly subject to His power. Deu 3:9 which the Sidonians call Sirion but the Amorites call Senir— The voice of the LORD “The voice of the LORD” reveals God’s sovereign power over creation. Exo 19:16-19 On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder… strikes “Strikes” portrays His command as active and irresistible, bringing judgment and accomplishing His purposes. Job 36:32-33 He fills His hands with lightning and commands it… with flames of fire. The storm imagery reflects God’s holiness and majesty, as fire both consumes what is opposed to Him and displays His awesome presence. Isa 66:15 For behold, the LORD will come with fire—… The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; God’s voice displays His absolute authority over the untamed and desolate places of the earth. The wilderness, often associated with Israel’s testing and dependence on God, is not beyond His rule. He can disturb what seems fixed, expose human rebellion, and bring His purposes to completion. Exo 19:16-18 On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder… the LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. Kadesh was a principal campsite during Israel’s journey from Egypt and the setting of decisive disobedience after the spies returned from Canaan. There Israel refused to trust the Lord and was judged to wander for forty years. The shaking of Kadesh recalls God’s power to confront unbelief and to rule over the places marked by human failure. Num 33:36 They set out from Ezion-geber and camped at Kadesh… The voice of the LORD twists the oaks God’s command displays authority over even the strongest parts of creation. Oaks, noted for their strength and permanence, bend before His power. The storm described throughout the psalm is not uncontrolled natural force but creation responding to its Creator. Job 37:4-5 Then there comes a roaring sound; He thunders… and strips the forests bare. The LORD’s presence leaves nothing concealed or untouched. What appears secure and immovable is laid open before Him, revealing His power to judge, govern, and transform the earth. Isa 10:18-19 The splendor of its forests and orchards,… And in His temple all cry, “Glory!” While the storm moves across the land, those gathered before God answer with worship. The temple is the place where His people acknowledge His majesty, joining all creation in declaring that He alone is glorious. 2Ch 5:13-14 The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise… The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; The God who brought the flood in Noah’s day remained fully sovereign over the waters that covered the earth. What appeared to be overwhelming chaos was under His command, as He judged human wickedness and preserved Noah, his family, and the creatures in the ark. His throne stands secure above every force that threatens His creation. Gen 7:17-20 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth… the LORD is enthroned as King forever. God’s reign did not begin with any earthly event and will never end. Unlike human rulers, whose authority is limited and temporary, the LORD governs all creation without rival. His eternal kingship assures His people that His purposes in judgment, salvation, and history will stand. Psa 10:16 The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations perish… The LORD gives His people strength; God supplies His people with the power needed to endure hardship, resist evil, and carry out His purposes. Israel’s history repeatedly shows that victory and perseverance depended not on human ability but on the LORD’s sustaining help. Psa 68:35 O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary;… the LORD blesses His people with peace. His peace brings security, wholeness, and order under His covenant care. It includes restored fellowship with God and the well-being of His people, ultimately fulfilled through Christ’s reconciling work. Num 6:24-26 ‘May the LORD bless you and keep you;… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. 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