Latest / Reformed Thinking / Let All Creation Praise the Lord (Psalm 148) | Charles Spurgeon

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Let All Creation Praise the Lord (Psalm 148) | Charles Spurgeon · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to the podcast Reform Thinking.
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So I was thinking about this earlier.
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Usually when we talk about a command being given, there's a
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pretty strict expectation of cause and effect, you know?
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Right. Yeah, you expect a direct
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result. Yeah, I mean, think about
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sitting in your car at an intersection.
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The traffic light turns red, you press the brake pedal and well,
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the car stops. The logic is totally linear.
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You're moving from a state of action to a state of inaction
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simply because an authority told you to do so.
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Precisely, and you would never look at a parked car with the
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engine completely turned off and just start screaming at it to
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stop. No, I mean that would be absurd.
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A command is given to alter a current state of affairs into a
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completely new state of affairs. But then you open up ancient
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Hebrew poetry and suddenly that entire logical traffic like
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concept is just it's completely dismantled it.
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Really is it gets thrown out the window.
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Yeah, you find yourself looking at this vast cosmic landscape
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where commands are being shouted into the void at things that
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basically cannot possibly hear. Or in some cases, commands are
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being yelled at beings who are already doing precisely what
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they are being told to do. Right, which makes no sense on
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the surface. It doesn't like what happens
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when you stand on the edge of the ocean and scream at a
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literal hurricane to pay tribute to its maker.
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Well, it. Creates a massive logical puzzle
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for us. I mean, it forces us to ask what
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the word command even means when the target is either unconscious
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matter or, say, a being that's literally incapable of
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disobedience. And that brings us to the
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mission. For today's show, we are taking
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a deep dive into an ancient song that does that very thing.
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We're looking at an excerpt from Charles Spurgeon's legendary
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commentary The Treasury of David.
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Specifically, his notes on Psalm 148.
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Right, we're unpacking how a 19th century theologian reads
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this ancient text that basically demands praise from the entirety
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of creation, from the highest angels to the lowest sea
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monsters, and finally zooming in on humanity itself.
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It's a huge undertaking, Spurton thought.
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Demanding praise from everything from angels to insects was
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actually the most rational thing a human could do.
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Which sounds wild today. So we'll breakdown how this
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mandate cascades from the highest heavens, plunges into
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the terrifying depths of the oceans, and then, you know,
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narrows in on us. Let's begin in the heights.
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Let's do it. The text starts by commanding
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the heavens, the angels and the hosts to praise Jehovah.
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Now, Spurgeon uses some really striking imagery right out of
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the gate here. He does, yeah.
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He has a very specific phrase. He says the word praise acts
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like minute guns, firing 9 times in five verses.
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He writes that the drum of the great King beats around the
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world with this one note, which is praise.
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The minute gun imagery is just it's a brilliant place to start.
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Unpack that a bit for me because a minute gun isn't something we
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see every day. Right.
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Well, for context, a minute gun is a literal cannon fired at
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regular intervals, usually every 60 seconds.
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Historically, it was used to signal something of massive,
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inescapable significance, like a ship in distress or a royal
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funeral. So it's not background noise.
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Far from it. You cannot ignore a cannon going
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off every single minute. Spurgeon is showing us that the
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opening of this text is not some polite suggestion.
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It is a relentless, rhythmic, unavoidable mandate thundering
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across the universe. OK, I hear that.
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I get the cannon analogy, but I have a major point of pushback
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here. Let's hear it.
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Let's isolate the angels for a second.
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According to theology, angels are perfect beings.
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They are completely Florida State, obedient to the will of
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their Maker. Yes, there is no rebellion in
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their current ranks. So shouting at them to praise
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seems entirely redundant to me. It feels like, I don't know,
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going to a Symphony, walking up to the conductor who is in the
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middle of Florida State directing Beethoven's 9th and
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demanding that he start playing music.
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He's already doing it. Right.
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Why command? What is already happening in
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real time? Well, the theologian Augustine
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actually recognized that exact logical puzzle.
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Oh, really? Yeah, he asked, If a heavenly
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being is already perfectly oriented toward its maker, why
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on earth would you shout instructions at it?
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And Agustin proposes a totally different way to understand the
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nature of the command. OK, how does he frame it?
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He compares it to a master walking through a vast vineyard.
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So imagine this estate owner walking the Rose and he sees his
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laborers working diligently. They are doing an excellent job.
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Sweating in the sun, doing the work.
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Right. And the master calls out work on
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or keep at it. OK, let me see if I'm tracking
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with this. You are saying the master is not
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scolding them for being lazy. He is not saying, hey, get to
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work. Precisely.
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He is expressing his delight. It is a declaration of divine
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approbation. He is shearing them on and
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validating the action they are already performing.
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So the command is just approval. Yes, the command is actually an
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expression of pleasure in the service being rendered.
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When the psalmist tells the angels to praise, he is joining
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in the maker's delight over their ongoing obedience.
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I suppose that tracks. It's less of a get to work and
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more of a standing ovation for what is already happening.
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But that assumes the angels are just standing around singing all
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day, right? Which is kind of cartoon image
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we have. Which is a very common
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misconception. John Lorinus, another thinker
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from our source material today, makes a really beautiful
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observation about when angels actually do their best work.
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They don't just stand on clouds with harps.
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No, they don't just stand in a static circle holding harps.
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Lorinus notes that they worship best in their active holy tasks.
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What kind of tasks? Well, he points out that they
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showed their highest devotion at the incarnation of Christ,
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singing their Gloria and Excelsis, and they showed it by
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ministering to Him after his temptation in the wilderness.
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Right, bringing him food, strengthening him.
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Yeah, their action is their worship, and they have never
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stopped since the dawn of creation.
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So bringing this down to you, the listener, right Now think
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about the implications of that for, say, a random Tuesday
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morning commute. What if your daily habit of
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gratitude or a quiet prayer you offer before a stressful meeting
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isn't some solitary, isolated chore?
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That's a great way to look at it.
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What if you were actually stepping into a cosmic chorus?
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That is already happening. The angels are already singing.
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The heavenly hosts are already engaged in active tasks.
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You are simply being invited to join a Symphony that has been
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playing since before the world began.
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You are never, ever singing alone.
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That is a staggering thought. Really.
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Just massive. But the song does not stay in
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the invisible realm of angels. No, it moves down.
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Yeah, the text shifts its attention to the visible
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architecture of the skies. The sun, the moon, the stars of
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light, the highest heavens, and even the mysterious waters above
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the firmament are drafted into this choir.
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And this is where my logic completely breaks down.
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Again, I can wrap my head around conscious beings like angels
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following instructions. They have intellect.
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They have wills. But let's talk about rocks and
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gas. How can inanimate unconscious
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objects like a giant ball of burning gas like a star, or a
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floating rock like the moon, actually render praise?
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We live in a modern era. We are taught to see the cosmos
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as a machine devoid of personality.
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A cold, silent universe. Yes, a cold universe.
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How does a machine worship? You are hitting on a fundamental
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tension here, the tension between modern mechanistic
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thinking and ancient theological poetry.
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Spurgeon's argument is that creation logically demands
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worship simply by functioning according to its design.
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Or just doing its. Thing exactly.
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To use your analogy of a machine, a machine honors its
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inventor simply by running Florida State.
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But the text gives us a specific mechanism for how this happens.
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It introduces the concept of the divine decree.
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The text says He hath made a decree which shall not pass.
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Wait, stop right there. What does a decree actually look
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like in the physical world? Because when I think of a
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decree, I think of an ancient king unrolling a piece of
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parchment and reading a law. Well, drawing on notes from AS
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Aglin in the source material, what modern science calls the
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inviolability of natural order. So the laws of physics, gravity,
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thermodynamics, the psalmist recognizes as God's
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faithfulness. Oh wow.
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Yeah. The planets do not trespass
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their limits. They follow their orbits with
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absolute precision. Their total submission to
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natural law is their homage. Their obedience is their praise.
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They cannot deviate. Right, they literally can.
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And that adherence to the decree of the Creator brings him glory.
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That totally reframes the entire discipline of astronomy.
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You're saying that gravity itself is a form of nonverbal
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obedience. Yes, and historically thinkers
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have recognized this staggering beauty.
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Jesus, son of Sirach, called the sun the globe of beauty.
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We even see this bleeding into secular philosophy.
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Who are we talking about there? The Roman author Pliny He
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referred to the sun as the mind and soul of the whole universe.
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Now think about that. A 19th century theologian
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quoting an ancient Roman Pagan. Why?
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Would he do that? Because even the pagans
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recognized that the celestial bodies operate with such
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majestic precision that they seem to possess a mind of their
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own. The design is that obvious?
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Spurgeon has this incredibly poetic description of the stars
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in the notes. I love this line, he says.
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They are praise in a visible form, twinkling to true music.
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It is as if light is basically a song glittering before the eye
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instead of resounding in the ear.
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It alters how you look at the physical world.
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When you, the listener, step outside tonight and look up at
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the night sky, you are not looking at dead matter floating
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in a vacuum. It's not just rocks and gas.
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No, you are witnessing absolute, unbroken obedience to a divine
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decree. The silent spheres are actually
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screaming a perpetual hymn of submission.
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But here is the friction. For me, it is really easy to
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look at a pristine, orderly night sky and talk about perfect
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obedience. The stars stay in their lanes,
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the moon does its job. But when I lookout my window
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down here on Earth, the world isn't pristine, it is chaotic.
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It can be terrifying, honestly. Yeah, we have hurricanes
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destroying homes. We have freezing polar ice caps
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where absolutely nothing survives.
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How does a theology of perfect cosmic praise survive contact
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with the sheer violence of planet Earth?
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Well, that is the exact pivot the text makes next.
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The command to praise plummets from the skies down to the
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earth, and it goes straight into those chaotic, terrifying
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elements. It specifically calls upon
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Dragons, all deeps, fire, hail, snow, vapors, and stormy winds,
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fulfilling His word. OK wait, Dragons, are we talking
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about mythical fire breathing creatures?
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Here no. No, in the context of ancient
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Hebrew, Dragons refers to massive sea monsters, the great
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leviathans of the deep. OK, whales, giant squid, that
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kind of thing. Right.
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Think of creatures of dread swimming in the freezing flows
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and icebergs of polar waters. These are creatures that pay 0
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tribute to man. They don't care about us at all.
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They are entirely outside of human utility or control, yet
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the commentators know that they provide the base of the music of
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the Psalm. The base note.
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Yeah, they add a low, thunderous note of dread to the Symphony,
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proving that even the most terrifying aspects of the
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natural world belong to the Creator.
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I love that idea of a base note of dread.
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It brings to mind an amazing thought from a Scottish thinker
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named James Mccosh. This is regarding the weather,
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and it directly addresses the modern anxiety we have about
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natural disasters. Oh, the peasant analogy.
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Yes, Mukash says, that 1/2 learned person might laugh at a
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simple peasant who believes that rain comes directly from God.
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The cynic will say no, you fool, it is just the product of air,
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water and electricity. It is just atmospheric
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conditions. Right, the scientific mechanics
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of it. So let me ask you, according to
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Makash, who is actually operating with more logic in
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this scenario, the peasant or the half learned cynic?
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Well, Makash concludes that the peasant is vastly more logical.
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Why is that? Because the peasant recognizes
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the primary cause and the true actor behind the event, the
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cynic, the half learned man only sees the secondary causes.
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He only sees the machinery. He misses the forest for the
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trees. Exactly.
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Makash likens it to receiving a beautiful, ingenious gift from a
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friend. And just as you start to feel
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gratitude toward your friend, someone interrupts to tell you
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that the gift was actually made by a machine in a factory.
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Like that somehow negates the friend giving it to you.
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Right. It misses the entire point of
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the gift. Recognizing the mechanism of the
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weather, the wind, the hail, the snow, does not negate the author
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who designed the mechanism. Speaking of snow, we have to
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talk about s s Mitchell's snowflake metaphor from the
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sources. I mean, this might be the most
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staggering visual in all of our notes today.
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It is a beautiful image. Mitchell describes standing on a
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riverbank in winter, watching tiny snowflakes fall into a
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rushing, hostile river. Visually, it looks like a
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complete waste. The snowflake just die uselessly
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in the dark water. They are swallowed up by an
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enemy that entirely ignores their existence.
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It is a massive picture of vulnerability.
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The river represents raw, chaotic force, and the snowflake
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is fragile, silent and delicate. Yes, but Mitchell realizes that
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the snowflakes do not just die. They become incorporate with the
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river's being. They add to its volume, they
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achieve their end. They look like they are failing,
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but they are actually succeeding in altering the river.
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And Mitchell uses that to illustrate how truth functions
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in a hostile world. Unpack that a bit.
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When the Word of God falls upon seemingly indifferent, secular
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or even hostile human hearts, it often looks like those
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snowflakes. It appears completely lost.
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I think a lot of listeners can relate to that.
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Oh, absolutely. You might feel this as a
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listener when you try to share your faith, or when you try to
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uphold a moral standard at your workplace.
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It seems to vanish without a trace into a restless, loud
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culture. Like a snowflake hitting a dark
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river. Right.
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But the text assures us that the truth, much like the storm in
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the snow, is fulfilling a divine command.
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It always achieves its intended end, even if the mechanism is
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completely hidden from our eyes. I want to stick with that
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listener application for a second.
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Think about the stormy winds in your own life right now.
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Maybe it is an economic downturn, the health crisis or a
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fractured relationship. The text specifically says the
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stormy winds are fulfilling his word.
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Cannon Lydden points that out, right.
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Yes, Lydden points out that destructive forces are all under
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a divine decree. This includes destructive forces
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in nature, upheavals and society, and even your own
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inward spiritual doubts and personal storms.
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They are not random chaos. They feel random now.
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They do, but they are secondary causes.
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Held firmly in the grip of the primary actor.
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They are fulfilling a purpose you might not yet see.
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That offers massive stability. The storm is not outside of the
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command, and as the song continues, the mandate expands
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outward to cover the entire landscape and biosphere.
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It calls on mountains, hills, fruit trees, Cedars, beasts,
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creeping things and flying fowl. OK, here comes my skepticism
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again, because it is one thing to say a hurricane is fulfilling
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a divine decree through physics, but it feels entirely unhinged
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to stand in a forest and shout at trees and bugs.
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I know it really does. I picture the psalmist standing
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in the woods yelling at a Caterpillar to give glory to its
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maker. Is he just wasting his breath?
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It sounds totally absurd to modern ears, but John Everard
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provides 3 fascinating reasons for this exact behavior.
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Let's hear them first, he says. A faithful preacher discharges
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his soul regardless of whether the audience can hear him.
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A true messenger speaks the truth outward, even if the
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auditors are asleep, or in this case, made of wood.
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OK, that makes sense. For the speaker's own integrity.
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He has to say it to get it out. What is the second reason?
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Second. He argues it is a brilliant
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psychological tactic designed to shame conscious humans into
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action. Wait, unpack that for me.
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How does yelling at a bug shame a human being?
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Well, think of the hierarchy of creation.
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You have an unconscious creeping thing, or a wild beaste East.
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It is expected to glorify its maker simply by fulfilling its
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biological role. A bird flies, a tree grows
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fruit. They do this without thought,
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right? Instinctively.
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Yeah, so how much more obligation rests upon a
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rational, conscious human being? Everard suggests that by calling
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on the lower creatures, the psalmist is highlighting the
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embarrassing silence of the higher creatures.
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He is basically saying if the bugs are singing their assigned
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part, why are you sitting there with your mouth closed?
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That is a brutal reality check. And what was Everard's third
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reason? His third reason is simply the
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fire of zeal. Absolute, consuming passion
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makes a person speak impossible things.
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The desire for the Creator's glory becomes so overwhelming
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that the psalmist drafts the entire landscape into his choir
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because human voices are just not enough.
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That makes me look at nature completely differently.
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Hugh McMillan has this beautiful description of a pine forest in
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the notes. He says it acts the natural
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cathedral. I remember that the harp strings
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analogy. Yeah, he describes the winter
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snow acting as pure wreaths and the winds playing mournful music
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on its great harp strings. He says that in the dim shadows
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of the summer heat, the forest sings vespers.
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The very architecture of a forest is designed to pull the
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mind upward. It is not just timber waiting to
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be harvested. It is an active participant in
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worship. And it goes all the way down to
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the microscopic level to the notes highlight the marvel of
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insects. There is a specific mention of
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the blue fly which singeth in the window pane.
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The blue fly. Yeah, it also notes the
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incredible aerial adaptation of birds, which human balloonists
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and aviators have struggled to emulate for centuries.
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Every tiny adaptation, every microscopic joint is a
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biological wonder declaring the skill of the designer.
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And here is the gut punch from the text.
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It makes a stark comparison. It says that bass songless
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humans are actually more insignificant than insects.
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Let that sink in for a second. That's right.
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If you refuse to acknowledge the creator, the text considers the
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blue fly buzzing against your window pane to be living a more
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significant existence than you are.
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Why? Because the fly is at least
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fulfilling its created purpose. It is doing what it was designed
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to do. It is a humbling reorientation
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of our place in the universe. So for you, the listener, look
18:13
at your local geography. Whether you live near the
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towering Alps, the rolling hills of a farming community, or just
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a small patch of grass in an urban park, that geography is a
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monument to the Creator. All geography is holy ground.
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Which brings us to the next phase of the Psalm, where the
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focus finally shifts to humanity.
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After covering the angels, the stars, the oceans, the weather,
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the trees and the insects, the mandate reaches our own race,
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but it starts in a very specific place.
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Where does it start? It begins with the leaders,
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kings of the Earth, Princess judges and all people.
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Now, why does the psalmist single out politicians, kings
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and judges first? If I were writing a universal
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anthem, I would start with the masses, the regular people, and
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then work my way up to the elites.
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John Calvin provides the insight here.
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He points out that people in high stations, the kings, the
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judges, the executives are very often blinded by the dazzling
19:05
influence of their own status. Ego.
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Exactly when everyone answers to you, you begin to wrongly assume
19:13
that the world was actually made for you.
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By mentioning them first, the text specifically reproves their
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ingratitude. So it's an intervention for the
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ego. Right, Calvin argues, they are
19:23
under vastly greater obligations to proclaim the goodness of the
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maker because they have been elevated.
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They have been given authority, resources, and influence.
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Yet historically, they are often the slowest to acknowledge where
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that authority comes from. They treat their power as
19:37
inherent rather than delegated. Our sources offer a great
19:41
humbling reality check for anyone in leadership.
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It notes simply, and I quote, earthly kings and earthly judges
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will not be kings and judges long.
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Very true. Their titles are temporary,
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their authority is leased, the Crown is going to be passed to
19:55
someone else or the grave will claim them.
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And we should not think this only applies to literal monarchs
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holding scepters. Everyone has some sphere of
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influence. I was just thinking that you do
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not need a throne to have an ego problem.
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Think about modern equivalents. Maybe you are a CEOA middle
20:12
manager at work, a prominent voice on social media, or even
20:16
the president of the local PTA. Right in those small circles,
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you are the king, you are the judge.
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Exactly this segment challenges you to check your pride.
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Any authority you possess is a delegated authority.
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Do not let the dazzling influence of your own small
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Kingdom blind you to the Universal King.
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The text is urging you to redirect any glory or respect
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you receive straight back to the source.
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It strips away the illusion of absolute human control, and the
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structure of the Psalm ensures no one is left out.
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Moving forward, the summons reaches across the generations.
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It calls upon both young men and maidens, old men and children.
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I really want to dig into Thomas Cheshire's double caveat for the
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generations. Here he breaks down the specific
20:59
temptations that applied to different stages of life.
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This is a great section. For the use the young men and
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maidens, there is a massive of warning against presumption.
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The temptation for a young person is to think I have plenty
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of time. I will take the swing of my
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youth now. I will focus on my career, my
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relationships, my ambitions and I will get around to matters of
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theology and worship when I am old and have nothing better to
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do. Cheshire warns against delaying.
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Presumption is the great enemy of youth, but on the other end
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of the spectrum, for the aged, the old man, there is a warning
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against despair. Despair.
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Yeah, the temptation for them is to think their time of
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usefulness has passed. They might feel their bodies
21:38
breaking down, their influence waning, and therefore assume
21:41
their voices do not matter in the grand chorus.
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This is where George Lawson's commentary absolutely stopped me
21:46
in my tracks. Lawson uses mathematical logic
21:49
to address the elderly, and it is staggering.
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The math is incredible. He addresses an older person who
21:55
might feel their time for praise is over.
21:57
He says consider this, an older person, say a 60 year old has
22:03
lived roughly 22,000 days. Let us round it to 20,000 for
22:07
easy math 20,000 days and 20,000 nights.
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The sheer volume of time is immense when you break it down
22:13
like that. Right.
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That means they have had 20,000 distinct opportunities to see
22:17
the firmament show forth the handiwork of the maker. 20,000
22:21
Mornings where the sun rose, provided light, provided warmth,
22:24
and sustained their life. 20,000 nights where the stars fulfilled
22:28
their decree. Day in and day out.
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Lawson argues that if someone has lived 60 years completely
22:33
ignoring God, the sheer unavoidable fact that they were
22:36
still kept alive in the world overflowing with mercy is reason
22:40
enough to finally offer praise. Every single breath of that age
22:43
is an undeserved extension of grace.
22:46
It frames survival itself as a theological gift.
22:48
If you have taken millions of breaths over 20,000 days, you
22:52
have accumulated a massive debt of gratitude. 20,000 days.
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That framing changes everything. If you are 60 years old
22:59
listening to this, you possess a massive archive of lived
23:03
experience. You have seen the faithfulness
23:06
of the maker 20,000 times over. Your voice carries the weight of
23:10
history. And the text notes how beautiful
23:13
it is when these generations interact.
23:15
FW Robertson observes the beauty of friendships between the old
23:19
and the young. It's vital, isn't it?
23:20
Those cross generational relationships are crucial.
23:24
The old retain a sense of freshness and simplicity by
23:26
interacting with the young. It keeps them from growing
23:29
cynical. And the young exhibit
23:31
thoughtfulness and wisdom by learning from the age.
23:34
It is a mutually beneficial dynamic.
23:36
So do the listener assess your current stage of life.
23:39
If you were young, the time to establish your orientation
23:42
toward the Creator is right now. Do not procrastinate.
23:45
You are not guaranteed 20,000 days and if you're older, do not
23:48
surrender to despair. Your archive of lived experience
23:51
qualifies you to teach the next generation.
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Every voice is required for this concert.
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But then we hit the final crescendo of the Psalm, and this
23:59
is where the structure does something highly unexpected.
24:02
Oh, this part threw me. Yeah, after spending the entire
24:04
poem calling on the entire cosmos, the stars, the weather,
24:08
the animals, and all the nations of the Earth, the text suddenly
24:12
narrows its focus to one highly specific group at the very end.
24:16
It exalts the horn of his people, the praise of all his
24:19
Saints, even the children of Israel, a people near unto Him.
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Right. I really stumbled over this when
24:24
I first read it. Why does a universal anthem
24:27
suddenly become so incredibly narrow and specific?
24:31
It feels like we zoomed all the way out to look at the galaxies
24:34
and then suddenly put a microscope on one specific group
24:37
of people. This is a crucial theological
24:40
pivot. The commentators JJ Stewart
24:42
Peron and William de Berg explained the mechanics of this
24:44
beautifully. They pride out a distinction
24:46
between general and specific revelation.
24:49
Break that. Down for me.
24:50
Well, while the general glory of God is written across the
24:53
visible creation, the stars, the mountains, the oceans, that only
24:56
shows His immense power and His Godhead.
25:00
It tells you there is a massive intellect behind the universe,
25:03
right? Looking at the Milky Way tells
25:04
me the creator is huge, but it doesn't tell me if he knows my
25:08
name. Precisely the specific saving
25:11
revelation of his character, His mercy and His covenant love was
25:14
given exclusively to His elect people.
25:17
The Creator of the universe is not just a distant force, He is
25:20
specifically God to His people. He is the Maker of all, but He
25:25
is the Father to a specific few. James Smith breaks down what it
25:29
means to be a people near unto him.
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I want to walk through his list because it makes this highly
25:34
personal, Smith says. They are near in relation as
25:38
children. Right, an adopted family.
25:40
They're near in affection, loved with an everlasting love.
25:42
They're near in union, functioning like members of a
25:45
body, near in fellowship, walking together in daily life.
25:48
Constant communion. Yeah, near in attention being
25:50
the objects of his daily hourly care and finally soon to be near
25:54
in locality, sharing the same dwelling place.
25:56
And the text says he exalted the horn of this people.
26:00
In ancient imagery, the horn represents strength, dignity and
26:03
victory. Like an animal's horn.
26:05
Yeah, when his people are brought low, he raises up a horn
26:09
for them by sending them a deliverer.
26:11
When they are in the middle of a conflict, he gives them courage.
26:14
He does not just a man praise from a distance while letting
26:17
them suffer. He actively rescues and
26:19
strengthens those who belong to him.
26:22
That is the ultimate comfort for you, the listener.
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Let us tie these grand cosmic themes right back to your daily
26:28
life. We started with the terrifying
26:31
scale of the universe, the God who commands the freezing depths
26:35
of the ocean, who dictates the violent trajectories of the
26:38
stormy winds, and who sustains the burning stars of the highest
26:41
heavens by a decree that cannot be broken.
26:45
Wait, I need to restart that? The exact same God who sustains
26:48
the stars is the one who offers intimate, tender, highly
26:51
specific care to you as an individual.
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That's the core truth right there.
26:55
You are not lost in the sheer scale of the cosmos.
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If you are his, you are near unto him.
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It bridges the gap between the infinite and the intimate.
27:03
The physical architecture of the entire universe is held together
27:06
by the same hands that hold His people.
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So we have tracked this mandate from the angels down to the
27:11
oceans, from the kings down to the children, and finally to the
27:14
Saints. And the text bounds this entire
27:17
song with hallelujahs. It starts with praise ye the
27:20
Lord, and it ends with praise ye the Lord.
27:23
Barton Bouchier asks a fascinating question in the
27:26
notes about this universal anthem.
27:27
What does he ask? He asks if this is just the
27:30
psalmist's longing, A poetic wish that will never actually
27:33
happen in reality, or if it is a literal prediction of a coming
27:37
day when every atom in the universe will consciously
27:39
vibrate with praise. It forces us to confront our own
27:42
position in that universal choir.
27:44
It really does, right? And it brings just back to where
27:47
we started. Remember our orchestra from the
27:49
beginning of the show? The flawless musicians, the
27:52
conductor giving his joyful command to work on.
27:56
I want to leave you with a final thought to Mull over.
27:59
If all of creation, from the highest star burning in the
28:02
blackness of space, to the lowest ocean depth for the
28:05
ancient cedar tree, to the tiny blue fly buzzing against your
28:08
window pane. If all of it is already
28:10
perfectly obedient, functioning exactly as designed, offering
28:14
its silent, unceasing praise to the Creator.
28:17
What if the only discordant, out of tune note in the entire
28:20
universe is human silence? A sobering thought.
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Thank you for joining us on this deep dive.
28:26
As you go about your week, we encourage you to listen to the
28:28
Symphony of Creation playing all around you and make sure you add
28:31
your voice to the song.