It's ironical that I couldn't find a solid hour to write a blog during my vacation. Now it's the last day before the end of a very lovely week in Yuma, Arizona, then San Diego, California. I managed to get up at 6am to put down in words what I have been thinking throughout the week, especially through the last few days.
I had learned to borrow two books from the local library electronically. The first was an audio book called Simply Jesus and the second was in epub format The Case for the Psalms, both by NT Wright. Simply Jesus was again a fabulous and intellectually stimulating book, as what you would expect from the hand of Wright. I just found it difficult to listen through long chapters of someone reading through it. I actually found out that my wife had actually bought the paper copy. Well, it was good enough to listen through it and got an idea of what the book covered, for future reference.
The Case for the Psalms was a relatively easy read. It was quite a different piece of work from Wright, much more personal than
academically vigorous. I especially enjoyed the Afterword - My Life with
the Psalms chapter. His stories of how the Psalms made an impact at
various points in his life echoed those in my own life. I appreciated his
honesty and was encouraged by his deep love for these ancient songs.
Wright mentioned that Psalm 104 (pages 128-137) was his all time favorite. Since my all time favorite was Psalm 103. I decided to compare the two psalms. For Psalm 104, Wright wrote:
"In my early years, I wasn't so sure if I was really supposed to enjoy this psalm as much as I did. It celebrates the goodness of the created order, and many Christians, fearful of idolatry (even if they don't call it that), become anxious: Are we really supposed to enjoy "this world" that much? The psalmist, standing foursquare in the whole biblical tradition, has no such reticence:
Bless YHWH, O my soul.
O YHWH my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
wrapped in light as with a garment.
You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
you make the clouds your chariot,
you ride on the wings of the wind,
you make the winds your messengers,
fire and flame your ministers. (1-4)
We then look down from the spectacular skyscape to the earth - the sea, the mountains, the rivers, and the animals that drink from the streams (vv. 5-13): "the earth is satisfied," we conclude, "with the fruit of your work." Then we move on to the plants that grow for animals and humans alike to eat; we look up to the sun and moon, out to the wild animals, and finally to the humans who "go out to their work and to their labor until the evening" (v.23).
Then comes the central summary of what it's all about:
O YHMH, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures. (24)
I remember enjoying this psalm, as I said, from my early days. It was, to put it no higher, like a trip to the zoo. But I hadn't fully integrated that with the rest of my Christian understanding. It was only when I began to contemplate the biblical promises about the new heavens and new earth (in Isa. 65.17-25 and Rev. 21-22) that I started to realize that of course Christians should celebrate the glories, the beauties, the myriad strange creatures of the present creation. God the creator is going to renew the face of the earth, as the psalm says (v.30), and with it give new breath to the creatures from whom it has been taken at their death. The psalmist longs for the day when creation will be set free from all the wickedness that corrupts and defaces it, free to be the glorious thing the creator has made. But the point for the present is that creation is good, God-given, and to be celebrated, even though it is not itself divine and will, in its present form, decay and die...
No doubt there are always dangers in celebrating creation too enthusiastically. Idolatry is always a threat. But there are equal if not greater dangers in failing to celebrate God's astonishingly rich and intricate handiwork...
When we celebrate the goodness and variety of creation, we are celebrating the power and glory of Jesus himself."
This certainly echoed my experience and joy of the past week witnessing the beauty of God's creation in the company of family and relatives. I certainly saw some interesting and fascinating creatures at the San Diego zoo yesterday! I wished I had been reminded of Psalm 104 then. Well, maybe next time.
Psalm 103 is my all time favorite. I had written about it in my previous blog (My two very special crowns). If Psalm 104 helps me celebrate the present creation and the new heavens and the new earth to come, Psalm 103 reminds me of God's amazing love and benefits:
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
Praise the Lord O my soul!
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