Let Heaven and Nature Sing

1 Chronicles 16:31-34 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! ESV

I think it is amazing, in God's word, how He personifies such inanimate objects such as the earth, the sky, the fields, the trees, the sea, the world, the rivers, the mountains, and the hills.   I reason that this is figurative language.  Yet, with God, all things are possible (Matt 19:26).  In fact, in Luke 19:40, Jesus even says that, given the absence of human praise, stones would be capable of praising God.

Certainly, people can tell whether a plant or garden is thriving or not. Strong upright stems, shiny leaves, and a full, bushy appearance show a plant is doing fine.  A 'green thumb' helps.  Like with people, God, the creator, is able to make creation thrive.  There is one thing though - creation is fallen.  In Genesis 3, it shows because of Adam's (and mankind's sin), the creation that was good is now cursed.  Romans 8 describes this curse as corruption.  We can infer from Genesis 3 that such things as thorns, possibly weeds, enmity between animals, and human (and animal) death resulted from this curse.  The good environment of Eden was ideal, but after the fall, when sin entered the world, the earth was cursed.  Ever since then, creation has been groaning, so to speak, as Romans 8 states.  Along with sin, the tendency for things to run down, from order to chaos, increasing entropy, is part of this curse.

Jeremiah 12 and Hosea 4 show that the land mourns, with animal and plant life being affected.  Jeremiah 3 shows that evil acts can effect the weather and environment for the worse.  No matter how technologically advanced mankind has become, controlling the weather is not really something that has been achieved.   Though the weather is in God's hand, at least in His sovereignty, sinful mankind can effect it.  This is not so simple, and God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours.  I don't want to get into a simple cause and effect argument like the storm, Katrina, was, for example.  Matt 5:45 also states that God is fair, that He let sun and rain come on both good and bad people, just and unjust.  This sounds like the graceful God we know.  On the other hand, the bible opens up the possibility of mankind affecting change in the environment, even if second-hand, through moral failure.

This is the context of these verses below.  Why are the sky, the sea, the fields, the trees, and the mountains in such a good mood if they are also suffering with groans?  Because these are all anticipating the coming of the Messiah, the promised Savior, who will end the curse on creation.  

That is an important lesson that I have learned recently.  Creation is not waiting for the curse to end till it praises God and expresses joy.  It is praising God now in anticipation of being released from the curse (see Isaiah 55). This joy in spite of an imperfect world is not just for the personification of inanimate creation and animals, it includes believers.  These bible verses are a reminder that all creation, including believing mankind, are waiting for full redemption to come.  When one is saved, he/she is redeemed, though there are still sickness and death, forms of "groaning".  But with Christ's coming, there will be freedom from these.  This is why heaven and nature sing, in the present.

Psalm 96:11-13 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness. ESV

Psalm 98:7-9 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. ESV

Isaiah 44:23 Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel. ESV

Isaiah 55:12-13 “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” ESV

Jeremiah 3:2c-3a You have polluted the land with your vile whoredom. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and the spring rain has not come; ESV

Jeremiah 12:4 How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the evil of those who dwell in it the beasts and the birds are swept away, because they said, “He will not see our latter end.” ESV

Hosea 4:3 Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away. ESV

Romans 8:18-25 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. ESV