God's Voice in the Old Testament

In looking at the Old Testament passages referencing the voice of the Lord, I noticed several dominant themes paralleling God’s speaking.  The first is the vastness of God’s attributes, particularly in Psalm 29 which declares God’s voice as being majestic, powerful, and uses imagery of God’s creation to describe the superiority of the mere voice of the Creator.  The second theme throughout the Old Testament is that  obedience and repentance are an integral part of the passages referencing God’s voice. 

The Creator’s voice over his creation
Psalm 29 begins with the mandate to give to the Lord glory and strength, and to worship him in the glory of his holiness.  Following that, there are 7 references to the voice of the Lord – it is upon the waters, it is powerful and majestic, and it breaks cedars.  It makes flames out of fire (NIV: strikes with flashes of lightning), shakes the desert, and strips forests bare.  In his temple, all his creation (which his mere voice has power over) declares his glory.

Theologically, there is a distinction between general and special revelation.  Special revelation being the written word of God and Jesus Christ, and general revelation being God’s glory revealed through his creation.  Here, there is a strong focus on general revelation declaring God’s attributes.  Cedar trees are broken at his voice, flames are made out of fire when God speaks, his voice shakes the desert.  Even more so, “everything in his temple says ‘Glory!’” 

God’s immense power and majesty are seen in that by merely speaking his creation falls apart at his glorious word.  Psalm 29 ends with the Lord as king over his creation – but then the glorious omnipotent creator is declared as one who gives strength to his people.  While creation bows down before him, he cares so much more about the hearts of his people bowing down to him – and he will give them the strength they need to serve him faithfully.  God’s voice easily dominates nature to an unimaginable scale, yet strengthens those who love him and serve him.

I'll try to get another post up with the second theme of God's voice in the Old Testament, of repentance and turning away from a hard heart.  It it such a larger dominant theme of the Old Testament though, so it will be more than one post.