¹Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
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.

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
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 his people with peace!

1) Who are the “heavenly beings” in verse 1?
The phrase translated “heavenly beings” could also be translated “sons of the mighty” or “sons of God.”  Although at first glance, we might think that David is calling on the angels to worship God, it’s really a call for everyone, even the mightiest or most powerful human beings, to see God for who He really is.

2) What does it mean to “ascribe to the LORD”?
The word “ascribe” basically means “attribute,” in the action sense of the word.  To ascribe greatness to the LORD is to attribute greatness to Him.  Basically, it’s stating what is already true about God, and helping us to properly recognize it in the process.

3) What would the references to Lebanon, Sirion, and Kadesh have meant to the original readers?
These were three locations that would have been well-known to the Israelites.  Lebanon was known for its magnificent cedar trees, and was a picture of power and strength.  Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon, and Kadesh was the wilderness that Israel wandered in.  To show that the LORD could break the cedars of Lebanon, make Lebanon and Mount Hermon skip like baby animals, and shake the wilderness of Kadesh, was to show how great and powerful He is throughout the earth.

4) What is the overall theme or message of this Psalm?
Over and over in this Psalm, David calls the people to attribute to God the glory, power, and strength that He is due.  Even God’s voice has power over the fiercest elements of creation.  Even the mightiest of people have to recognize the all-surpassing power of God, and worship him.

1) Who are the “heavenly beings” in verse 1?
Pride gets in the way of our worship of God.  All people, whether they recognize it or not, are subject to God’s glory and majesty, and owe Him their worship.  Although most of us would never outright say that we are more powerful than God, we often subtly undermine His sovereignty in our lives.  “Why would God let me go through this trial?  He must not know what He’s doing.”  Even in the midst of questions and doubt, we must recognize God’s amazing power and strength. In the process, making this recognition, corrects the course of our hearts!

2) What does it mean to “ascribe to the LORD”?
Sometimes, saying out loud (or journaling) our worship of God can help solidify those truths in our minds.  Consider writing your own Psalm.  Ascribe to the LORD all the attributes you can think of, and write down all the ways you have seen His power at work.

3) What would the references to Lebanon, Sirion, and Kadesh have meant to the original readers?
As part of your personal Psalm, think of modern references that would communicate the truths that Lebanon, Sirion, and Kadesh would have communicated to the Israelites.  “The LORD sits enthroned over the flood” (v. 10) has the same meaning today as it did then, but what modern objects of strength can you think of to show God’s all-surpassing strength and power?

4) What is the overall theme or message of this Psalm?
Every day, no matter what we are going through, God remains the same.  He is powerful, sovereign, and our source of strength.  We gain strength, and hope, through worshipping Him, so do not neglect to praise Him, even in the storm!

Don’t miss today’s other Journey Study, Choosing Worship
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We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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