The (True) Voice!
‘The Voice’ is an NBC network television show here in the US, where aspiring vocalists from across the country compete against one another. After being coached by some of today’s biggest names in music, the contestants hope to win the most votes from television viewers and to earn a recording contract and $100,000. Each year, only one winner is crowned ‘The Voice.’
I was thinking about the show recently as I heard that NBC is holding open auditions in just two weeks here in Pittsburgh where I live. I’m not planning to attend the auditions, but I did read the open call guidelines, which state, “NO background tracks, NO accompaniment, NO instruments. The only thing we want to hear is YOUR VOICE.”
The show and its upcoming star search in my hometown brought Psalm 29 to mind. Consider these lyrics written by David (bold text added):
The Verses of the Song
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!
The Voice of the Lord
What do we see in this Psalm? Seven times we see reference to the voice of the LORD. This voice has great strength and power. It is a majestic voice! It is powerful enough to break cedars, make Lebanon skip, strike with flashes of lightning, to shake the desert, and to twist oaks. While the unbelieving may speak of ‘Mother Nature’ or the ‘forces of nature,’ the God who created all things by the word of his power is the God who continues to control all things.
The Vote of the People
Having heard the voice of the Lord, the people worship. The vote is that “all in his temple cry, ‘Glory!’” These people, however, recognize that this voice doesn’t need to be crowned by them, because the Lord is already enthroned as King.
The God who created and has authority over all things is also Yahweh, the Redeemer, whose victory wins a people to Himself. He sits as King and gives his people strength and peace.
In a world where we listen to so many different voices, let us join together in praying, "Lord, we only want to hear your voice!"
And having heard from him through his world and his Word, let us give him the glory due his name and applaud ‘The (True) Voice!’
