“He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind. He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds. Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals. The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals. He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused. Then at your command, O Lord, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.”
Psalm 18:9-15 NLT
David wrote that “great bolts of lightning … confused” the people, his enemies. Lightning still frightens people today of course, but nowhere near as much as it did in Biblical times. We “more enlightened” people in the 21st Century understand how lightning develops and how the effects can be avoided, to an extent. However, we can’t stop it and we can’t control it, and the reason is because it is something that happens because of the physical properties of the planet on which we live. I would suggest that God’s design for Planet Earth has been corrupted by sin, and there is a consequence for the evil that takes place upon its shores. We know of course that God’s design, His creation, was perfect because we read in Genesis 1:31, “Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day”. Interestingly, there is no mention of lightning, earthquakes, disease, famine and any other negative event in the Creation account. Just perfection, even extending to human beings. But after sin entered the world, a curse was introduced. Genesis 3:17, “And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it”. So perhaps lightning is part of that curse.
Elihu, one of Job’s friends, said this, “See how he spreads the lightning around him and how it lights up the depths of the sea. … He fills his hands with lightning bolts and hurls each at its target. The thunder announces his presence; the storm announces his indignant anger” (Job 36:30, 32-33). Elihu’s perception was that God used lightning as a punishment for an evil people. At the very least it would “confuse” or frighten them, providing a warning that there was, and is, a God in Heaven who one day will judge the evil and wickedness that takes place on the earth. But lightning also demonstrates God’s power and authority, right from His throne. Revelation 4:5, “From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God”. This was a vision given to John of God’s power and authority, because human beings were unable to create such a phenomenon on a Heavenly scale. Yes, people can create sparks, but what are they compared to God’s lightning bolts?
But David wrote that the peoples were confused by the lightning bolts. Other translations introduce a different perspective, building a picture of God’s enemies being “routed” or “vanquished”. Certainly a well aimed lightning bolt or two would soon disrupt an army on a battlefield. But today, the confusion is a good description of something out of mankind’s control. In a society that thinks they can do anything, something uncontrollable like lightning confuses them. After all, they say, we can split the atom, we can produce devices that fly, we can create mobile phones and so on, so why can’t we control the weather? And at that moment confusion creeps in. Doubts form, and people wonder about whether or not there might indeed be a higher power beyond their understanding.
We pilgrims believe in, and follow, a limitless God, who power is far beyond human comprehension. After all, what is a lightning bolt compared to the plethora of created heavenly beings, the stars and planets, that populate the universe? We should therefore be grateful that lightning is constrained as it is. There are many confused people walking around our streets, not sure how or when their lives will end, and the inclusion of Heavenly power events just adds to their confusion. But we pilgrims look on at the electrical storms and are reminded of our amazing Creator God who allows the occasional lightning bolt to confuse and frighten those who deny that He exists. The superstitious cover up the mirrors and cutlery, but we know differently, and offer up our praise and worship to the all-powerful God.
Dear God. You are the powerful One, the Name above all names, the King of all kings, the Lord of all. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 