When the Sea Pretends to Roar (Psalm 89:9)

“You are ruling in the proud swelling of the sea; in the lifting of its waves, you still them.” —Psalm 89:9

The verse just before this one (Psalm 89:8) paints a picture of the Lord being surrounded by faithfulness. There’s order. There’s obedience. The divine court is a place of perfect loyalty. Then suddenly, in verse 9, we encounter the sea—a symbol often used in ancient literature, and still today, to represent chaos, disorder, and overwhelming power.

At first glance, it might seem like a jarring contrast. One moment, we’re contemplating faithfulness and stability. The next, we’re confronted with the sea’s violent swelling and crashing waves. It almost looks like the psalmist is saying, “God, You’re surrounded by faithfulness and a sea of chaos.”

But that’s not what’s happening.

The chaos is only apparent. The sea may roar, but it does not rebel. Its terrifying energy is real, but it is not autonomous. The psalmist isn’t introducing disorder—he’s reinforcing God’s complete sovereignty. This verse is not a break in the theme of divine order, but its extension. Even the most fearsome symbol of "chaos" in the ancient world—the great and restless sea—is ruled by God. Its proud rising, its lifting waves, all fall within His command.

The “chaos” is a façade.

This invites a deeper reflection: chaos and disorder aren’t the same thing. The sea may look chaotic, but it is not disordered, because it is doing what it was created to do. Disorder, properly understood, is the refusal to perform one’s role in accordance with God’s perfect will for that creature. It is not the presence of noise or violence, but the presence of rebellion—a creature preferring its own will over God’s.

And even then, that rebellion—though genuinely disordered—is not outside the scope of God’s providence. It can still be woven into His plan without being excused or endorsed.

So the true contrast in this psalm is not between order and chaos, but between order and disorder—between God’s will and the creature’s will. The sea is loud and forceful, but it is not disordered. It is ruled. It obeys. It fulfills its appointed purpose under the sovereignty of God.

When Jesus stands in the boat and rebukes the wind and the waves without invoking any higher power, He is not working as a prophet calling on God. He is revealing Himself as the God of Psalm 89:9. The One who rules in the swelling of the sea. The One who stills the waves when they rise.

The sea pretends to roar. But it knows its Master.