The Cedars of Lebanon

 “The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.” Ps: 29:5

The Psalmist David writes of the beauty and power of the voice of God and he writes in poetic imagery regarding the voice of our God which speaks to us out of Eternity through the pages of the Holy Scriptures.

 God’s voice , which conducts his word to us,  which we are told has great eternal properties that are far above the even the most insightful words of humanity.

The Power of the Voice of God

The power and Holy beauty of God’s voice and word is described in the poetic words of Psalm:29.

The Psalm is a hymn to the Lord God, who reveals himself in the person of his Holy Son Jesus Christ, who is the true ruler over all creation and who all creation both seen and unseen witness to us about. The poetic imagery tells us that the evidence of the Lord God is all around us simply through the creation itself.

This Psalm was inspired by the Holy Spirit as well to dispel the pagan worship of the Canaanite “god” Baal, who’s adherents believed was in the midst of thunder and lightning storms, and to advance the truth that it is the Lord God of Israel whose power is being displayed within the natural creation as the true creator of all things.

“The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful;

the voice of the Lord is majestic.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,

Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord strikes

with flashes of lightning.

The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;

the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord twists the oaks

and strips the forests bare.

And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” (3-9)

The Power to Break the Cedars

The voice of the Lord is depicted as having such power to sweep aside natural barriers such as the hardwood forest of Cedars of Lebanon and shaking the Wilderness of Kadesh.

David describes the result of the voice of God, conveys his word, being spoken as; “The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.”

It is important to understand why David would uses this imagery.

The Cedars of Lebanon are a rather large tree clothed in a scaly, black, grey-brown bark and are known to be extremely solid hard wooded tress and often proved difficult to cut through and work with. Stands or groves of Cedars could prove to obstacles in the development of the land needing much effort and determination to remove.

Often axes and other wood working implements would be easily dulled of even shattered while attempting to remove or cut through the stubborn timber of the Cedar trees, yet the Psalm tells us that; “The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.”

However, in spite of the stubborn challenges which the Cedars presented in cutting or working with the timber, once broken however, or when cut through into pieces the Cedar wood would produce and release a pleasant fragrance.

Also, when the Cedar timber is milled and the right “tools” used the timber would produce some fine furniture to adorn a home which bore the same fragrant aroma.

The Cedars We Face

What does this Psalm speak to us today? What is a lesson for Christians?

 There are times in our Christian lives when we face stubborn obstacles which we find very difficult to cut through or to work with. These obstacles can stand as towering Cedars before us as an impediment to our development in our Christian lives.

We may use whatever implements or “tools” which we have at our disposal, and we might expend large amounts of times in our efforts to remove or cut through these Cedar size obstacles which impedes our forward progress only to find our “tool” broken or dulled and still we find these obstacles before us in our path.

What is the answer for we Christians when we face Cedar sizes obstacles?

God’s Voice-God’s Word

The Great Lord God, whom all creation testifies about to each and all of us, has spoken to us and his power filled majestic voice, the very same voice which David wrote about, is uttered to us even now through his Holy Word, the Bible.

The majestic voice of God speaks to us about God’s Holy Son Jesus and through Jesus the great God, the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to all of, not just we Christians, but all humanity.

The author of the Hebrews Epistle explains to us that through Jesus the true Creator God’s voice is heard and his divine word is given. 

“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.” Heb: 1:1-3

Though creation speaks certain things regarding the nature of God, as St. Paul wrote

“For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Rom: 1:20

It is through Jesus, that voice of God, which speaks his word, which tells about who God is for each and all of us, that he is perfectly revealed. It is in Jesus that the saving work of God is manifested.

Through Jesus , all obstacles, regardless of how strong or stubbornly when they stand before  us as a whole forest of Cedars which stops us in our development, are as the Psalm records “breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon”.

Jesus, has and can, “breaks in pieces” anything which stands before us no matter how large and difficult. Jesus can and has done, what no “tool” of ours can do. Our own efforts will fail us and leave us worn out before our Cedar sized obstacles.

Jesus tells us that we need not fear or have undue anxiety over any of life’s challenging obstacles. Jesus has dealt with any and all of them and not just the specific obstacle which we face but the world which has planted them in our paths.

Jesus came as the very voice of God giving us the power filled word of God so that we might be at peace even in the midst of our challenges.

 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have defeated the world." Jhn: 16:33

Through Jesus, as the complete embodiment of word of God, we have been given victory over all which stands before us and impedes our growth in our Christians lives. Jesus tells us about the true God who with all power rules over all time and eternity and all which in Heaven above or Earth below. 

We are told by St. Paul that we share in the victory of our Lord, over two of the most daunting obstacles which stand before us as unmovable a stand of mighty Cedars, sin and even death and any other challenge which stands before us.

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”. 1Cor: 15:57

Turned Fragrant

When the stubborn obstacles which stand before us as a forest of hard-wooded Cedars impede us in our lives, are then broken by the power of the voice of God in Jesus, then these hard-wooded obstacles release to us the pleasant fragrance of God’s love, grace, mercy and joy, that is, the very hard things which we have faced and had caused us such a challenge is now brought under the redemptive power of our God for our growth and spiritual advancement in the Christian life.

As St. James writes to us all.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” Jam:1:2-4

Our Response

When the voice of God through Jesus speaks, and his word, the Gospel, which St. Paul tells us is the carries the power to transform us is given.

 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Rom: 1:16

When we hear that glorious voice which is spoken to us through God’s Holy Son Jesus and the power of the Gospel comes forth into our lives and we see that in Jesus all which stands before us has been defeated and the great hard-wooded Cedar obstacles are broken by that Holy word and that majestic voice and releases into our lives the pleasant fragrance of salvation then we can have but one response to our Lord God, that is to worship and give God praise and glory.

“The voice of the Lord twists the oaks

and strips the forests bare.

And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” Ps: 29:9

Through Jesus the Creator God has broken down any and all obstacles which might stand before us and through our Lord Jesus we hear the majestic voice of God proclaiming to us very word of the Gospel of God’s love, mercy, grace and peace all found in God’s Hoy Son Jesus Christ.

Benediction: May we each and all ever hear the majestic voice of our God, who breaks the Cedars of Lebanon and releases the pleasant fragrance of salvation today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.

Rev. Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahoma