When I was a young child I used to love seeing non-living things come to life in an animation, or things like plants all of a sudden start talking or singing. I loved the scene in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland when the flowers had faces and started to sing. I liked seeing trees come to life, or household furniture get faces and walk around the room. I knew that this was just make-believe, but it was fun to see as a child. As we read through the Bible, there are many times when we see examples of anthropomorphism. Our psalm for this week gives one small example of this. Let’s take a look.
Throughout the Book of Psalms, and in several books of the prophets we see examples of this. Were these examples of rivers, oceans, trees, and even rocks singing, clapping and dancing written just for fun, to put a humorous smile on our lips? Were they just a touch of fantasy? As we look at the examples in Scripture when the Lord gives anthropomorphic characteristics to plants, animals, and non-living objects, it is generally when telling of how nature is praising the Lord.
In our specific psalm, we read of how the sea, the rivers, and the hills, give their praise to God (vs. 7-8). They shout out their praise to Yahweh so loud that it is like a roar, they clap their hands, and are joyful. In other psalms we read of mountains and hills skipping like lambs (Psalm 114:4-6), they are so excited at the presence of God. We read of the heavenly bodies giving praise to God, and of the sun like a strong, young man running a race (Psalm 19:1-6).
Throughout the Book of Psalms, including our Psalm 98 today, God’s children are encouraged to sing their praises to Him. Yet how often in church are we sitting there, with a ho-hum look on our face and in our heart? It is true that some people are less demonstrative than others, myself included. However, when we see a beautiful sunset, a bright red cardinal against the white snow, strolling through a colorful and fragrant garden, or a stately woods, don’t you want to praise the Lord for His creation? We shouldn’t just stand there like a mute, but instead give God the glory! If the trees and rivers can, so can we! And we certainly should praise Him when we narrowly miss an accident, or improve after having been sick.
What about the birds and other animals that make sound? I believe that often the sounds they make could at times be praise to their Creator. In the early morning, just about sunrise, many birds are cheerfully singing praise to the Lord. Even whales sing a song of praise! The wind whistling through the trees, the waves crashing against the coastal cliffs, the mountain stream as it passes over the rocks are all praises, as well. For all we know, plants could be making sounds in a frequency that we haven’t yet discovered, and that sound is a praise to God. Astronomers have even recorded some sounds from outer space, sounds called cosmic or galactic noise, or gravitational waves. Though they don’t sound much like any type of song, I believe it is their way of praising the Creator.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, just a few days prior to His crucifixion, little children and some adults were praising Him. The religious leaders did not want them to sing praises to Jesus, and tried to shut them up. They even told Jesus to shut His followers up! Jesus responded by telling them that if these people who were praising Him now were, indeed, to shut up, every rock would break forth in praise to God (Luke 19:37-40).
What about you and I? Are we giving the Lord the praise that He is due? The birds and whales are. The trees, the rivers, oceans, and hills are. The stars and planets do. As Jesus said, even the rocks will sing praises to Him. What about us, we who are created in His image, and redeemed by His Blood? Let’s not be the only things in creation who do not sing out praises to our worthy Lord!
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