People in the ancient world feared the ocean. In ancient thought the ocean was seen as the realm of death (hence Revelation 20:13). It was connected with the state of primordial chaos depicted in ancient Near Eastern creation accounts and Genesis 1:2 incorporates this imagery. This is important background for Psalm 93 which depicts the chaos and power of the ocean as being fully under God’s sovereign rule. Of particular importance to ancient peoples was the statement that God’s power was “mightier than the thunder of the great waters”. That might seem obvious to us but the implications of this were important for the original composer of this psalm. It alludes to God’s power and authority over the chaos. The same idea is demonstrated by Christ when he commanded the storm to be still in Matthew 8:23ff. He and his disciples were on a boat at the time and the disciples were terrified of being swallowed by the angry abyss (that is how they would have seen it). But Jesus points out that those who have faith need not fear the forces of chaos and the power of the abyss. Jesus demonstrated this again when he walked on the water of the sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:22ff). By calling Peter out to do the same Jesus was demonstrating that those who walk with God in faith will not be drawn down into the chaos of this world. We walk on top of the chaos, and we are vessels of God’s power to lift others above the water level to walk in the order of God’s wonderful kingdom.
Pray for God to bring order to a situation of chaos that concerns you presently.
Read Psalm 93.
