Connect Psalm 97:4 to other scriptures about God's control over nature. Psalm 97:4 — A Flash of Divine Authority “His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.” Lightning as God’s Signature across Scripture • Exodus 19:16–18 — At Sinai, thunder, lightning, and thick cloud announce God’s descent; the mountain “trembled violently.” • Psalm 18:12–14 — “Out of the brightness of His presence… He shot His arrows and scattered the foes, He hurled lightning and routed them.” • Job 36:32–33 — “He fills His hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. The thunder declares His presence.” • Nahum 1:5–6 — Mountains quake, hills melt, and the earth heaves before Him; His fiery indignation shows nothing in creation is beyond His rule. Thunderstorms as Divine Sermons • Job 37:2–5 — Elihu calls the rumble of thunder “the sound of His majestic voice.” • Psalm 29:3–9 — The voice of the LORD “breaks the cedars,” “flashes forth flames of fire,” and “shakes the wilderness.” • Isaiah 30:30 — The LORD causes His majestic voice to be heard “with a descending blow of His arm— in raging anger with a flame of consuming fire, with cloudburst, storm, and hailstones.” Calming or Creating Storms—Either Way, He Reigns • Genesis 1:1–3 — The same voice that sends lightning once spoke light into existence. • Jonah 1:4 — “The LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea,” proving He summons storms for His purposes. • Mark 4:39 — Jesus rebukes wind and waves: “Peace! Be still!” The sea obeys its Creator instantly. • Colossians 1:16–17 — “All things were created through Him and for Him… in Him all things hold together.” Fire from Heaven as Judgment and Confirmation • Genesis 19:24 — “Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah.” • 1 Kings 18:38 — Fire falls on Elijah’s sacrifice, showing God alone is God amidst Baal’s powerless prophets. • 2 Kings 1:10–12 — Twice, fire consumes the captains sent to arrest Elijah—reminders that human authority bows to divine decree. The Heavenly Throne Room Still Flashes with Power • Revelation 4:5 — “From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder.” • Revelation 11:19 — At the opening of the temple in heaven, lightning and an earthquake underscore the seriousness of God’s judgments. Why the Earth Trembles • Psalm 104:32 — “He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smolder.” • Jeremiah 10:12–13 — At His voice “He causes the clouds to rise, makes lightning for the rain, and brings the wind from His storehouses.” • Amos 4:13 — He forms mountains, creates wind, and reveals His thoughts to man—there is no aspect of nature He does not command. Living in Light of the Storm-Maker • Confidence: The One who hurls lightning also shelters His people (Psalm 91:1–4). • Reverence: Creation’s trembling calls us to holy fear (Psalm 89:7). • Worship: The flashing skies are invitations to exaltation (Psalm 97:6). • Hope: The same omnipotent Lord will renew the heavens and earth, ending all storms forever (Revelation 21:1–4). Quick Reference List Psalm 97:4; Exodus 19:16–18; Psalm 18:12–14; Job 36:32–33; Nahum 1:5–6; Job 37:2–5; Psalm 29:3–9; Isaiah 30:30; Genesis 1:1–3; Jonah 1:4; Mark 4:39; Colossians 1:16–17; Genesis 19:24; 1 Kings 18:38; 2 Kings 1:10–12; Revelation 4:5; Revelation 11:19; Psalm 104:32; Jeremiah 10:12–13; Amos 4:13; Psalm 91:1–4; Psalm 89:7; Revelation 21:1–4 |
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