Threads from Henry's Web

Tag: creation

  • Psalm 23:3 – Back to Life

    Psalm 23:3 – Back to Life

    He revives me.
    He leads me in the right paths,
    for his name’s sake.

    I would like to frame this verse between two others.

    So the LORD God formed the human of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the human became a living being.

    Genesis 2:7, my translation

    And …

    You hide your face and they are confounded.
    You take back their breath and they perish,
    and the return to their dust.
    You send out your breath [spirit] and they are created,
    and you renew the face of the ground.

    Psalm 104:28,29, my translation

    There are some words that are very much parallel here, and some that are slightly different. Let’s start with what the human became: A living being. In Hebrew, loosely transliterated, nephesh chayyah. This word nephesh is what is to be renewed or revived in Psalm 23:3.

    The word for “breath,” or wind or spirit is neshama in Genesis 2:7, but ruach in Psalm 104. This word harks back to Genesis 1:2, where the ruach of God is blowing over the waters as the starting point of creation.

    In Ezekiel 37, that ruach is called upon many times, and invited to come in and revive the dry bones (see especially 37:9). This is, of course, a great revival.

    Further, in Psalm 104, the word for “they are created” is bara’, the key word for God’s creation throughout Genesis 1.

    Now I’m not claiming that the Psalmist is quoting or alluding to any of these other passages. But these words would bring certain thoughts to someone who is well acquainted with Hebrew scripture.

    In “he revives (or restores) my soul,” or just “he revives me” God’s creative and sustaining power is invoked. The shepherd is the creator of the universe. The creator of the universe is involved in the details of life, and cares about you.

    Then you are led in established paths. The word suggests tracks or even ruts produced on a wagon trail, a path that is well traveled. He does this for his own sake.

    Now I could say, “not for yours,” but in a very real way, when it’s for God’s sake it is for yours, because as your creator God, a good craftsman, cares about the entire creation, including you. God’s direct involvement is all through Scripture.

    Where is God guiding you today?

  • Psalm 119:168 – You Know My Ways

    Psalm 119:168 – You Know My Ways

    I have kept your precepts and testimonies,
    for you can see all my ways.

    Poetry is a good start for meditation because so much is left to the imagination. Poetic passages are like seeds that grow into thoughts.

    In this verse you can ask so many questions that will generate valuable thought. For example, is God’s view of all ones life and actions the motivation for doing right? If so, is it because of fear of judgment or the desire to please? Is this “big brother is watching me” or “I have such a knowledgeable and helpful companion that I’d like to do what he finds positive.”

    Another thought occurred to me, however, and that is simply that the person who sees everything can give good directions for attaining any goals I might be likely to have. I like that thought. It goes well with my view of the doctrine of creation, and particularly the creation of human beings.

    In Genesis 1, we have the expression of power. When it comes to the creation of the first human, it’s simply a story of God says “let’s make humans” and so God makes them. No fuss or bother. Simple power.

    This is followed by Genesis 2, in which we have God playing in the mud and personally getting involved in the making of the humans. God spends time with the first man, and moves on to make the first woman, taking time to introduce that first man to the animals..

    Then there is Psalm 104, which expresses the continuous care. God gives breath and creatures live. God removes breath and they perish. Everything is dependent on God and God’s power.

    But then we have Psalm 8, where we are told that humanity is made a little lower than God and is crowned with glory and honor. So humanity is not some throwaway project, but rather an important part of God’s activity.

    I hear all of these elements in the phrase, “for you can see all my ways.” God can see as the creator. God values us as the objects of care and attention, continuously. God plans to honor us, having a glorious purpose for each and every one.

    The invitation is to get with the program of the creative and powerful, caring, attentive God who hold us in high value.

    Does this sound like a good place to be?

    (Featured image generated by Jetpack AI.)

  • Psalm 119:114 – Hope

    Psalm 119:114 – Hope

    You are my hiding place and my shield,
    In your word I place my hope.

    My meditations went today to the word hope. Hope is important. Hope is easy to lose.

    When the psalmist places his hope in God’s word, he is placing it not just in the law-giving power, but in the creative power that stands behind those laws and makes them real.

    For me, that comes down to the hope that comes from believing that the world is not pure chaos, that there are natural laws and that natural laws lead to many of our moral and ethical laws. We can work with the hope that good actions will tend to produce good results. It’s worthwhile to make an effort.

    In ancient near eastern mythology creation was often symbolized as a fight between chaos and whatever God was credited with establishing order. Order allowed planting and harvesting. It allowed building, growth, and provision for a future. Genesis 1:2 reflects this pattern with darkness over the face of the deep (tehom) and God’s spirit/wind moving above it.

    Then God’s Word comes, and light shines into the darkness. As God continues to speak order is created from the chaos. Because of that chaos, humanity can find a place to live, and grow, and yes, create, as one made in the image of the ultimate Creator.

    We sometimes see grace as working counter to this. We do not reap what we sow, but what another has sown. At the same time, grace speaks the same victory over the chaos, the same offering of potential. The one who planted a garden in Eden and there placed the first man and woman, also provides a way of escape for those caught in the chaos.

    The challenge is to find those small victories over the forces of chaos, to believe they are possible, to reach out for them, and receive them. God provides the hiding place and the shield.

    In the chaos that threatens your life today, remember the Word who has defeated it.

    (Featured image generated by Jetpack AI.)

  • Psalm 119:103 – Tasty & Sweet!

    Psalm 119:103 – Tasty & Sweet!

    How tasty are your words to my lips,
    sweet in my mouth.

    This verse calls to mind Psalm 19:11. You might consider reading all of Psalm 19 at this point.

    I don’t know how you respond to reading, hearing, or discussing scripture. I’ve discovered a wide variety of attitudes toward it over the years. For some, it’s largely boring reading. They’re not quite sure why they should bother. For others it’s a source of a few nice verses that are encouraging, sometimes taken out of context. For many, it’s read as a duty. I’ve met quite a number of people who say they read scripture as a duty, and find that they get very little out of it.

    I don’t want to make scripture reading another “work,” something you have to do because God requires it and you might be lost if you don’t read or hear enough. God created a variety of people and knows there are a variety of reactions to reading anything, much less something as varied and complex as the Bible.

    There are those who claim that it’s all very simple. These people usually only read the parts that fit into whatever simple scheme they’ve created in their mind.

    For me, the Bible is a critical part of life. I don’t have a scheduled daily time for reading it. I turn to it frequently. I use it’s words as part of my thinking about other subjects. I can’t stay away from it. Even while I spent 12 years away from church entirely, I still read it from time to time, and when I did so more on my return, I still had the language skills needed to read in the original languages.

    I studied biblical languages because I thought that the Bible was the one place to learn the truth, to come to understand God. I thought that to do that I had to pick my way to an understanding of every detail. Even though I was passionate about the Bible, it also often was tiring, because I found very often that I couldn’t make things are clear as I wanted them to be.

    Still I continued to study. I’m a addict. I need my time with the Bible, which is also, for me, time with God. Jody has told me that she recognizes a particular look I get when reading, and that it indicates to hear that I’m spending time with God and enjoying it.

    For me, God’s Word is alive and active. God’s word extends well beyond the Bible, because it is by the Word that God created everything. But God’s word provides the structure by which I understand that, a structure presented in the form of words. This literary form is the way in which I understand the Word. There are those whose language is math, or music, or even the mysteries of quantum physics, something I don’t comprehend at all.

    My suggestion here is to find the way God can speak to you and spend time in that communication. You may not be a word addict, one who can’t find enough words to satisfy. God will find ways to communicate with you.

    I wrote a poem about this, titled What Was It Like?. I can’t get away from words, but I can celebrate those who do. But the message will be there in one form or another.

    Where will you feel God today?

    (Featured image generated by Jetpack AI.)

  • Psalm 119:93 – You Have Given Me Life

    Psalm 119:93 – You Have Given Me Life

    I will never forget your precepts,
    because by them you have given me life.

    There are two directions I’d like to go based on this verse, and I think both are important.

    First, there is the order of events. “Remembering precepts” comes after “you have given me life.” This is a foundational order in scripture. God’s gifts come before our actions. This is very clear in Genesis 1. We can’t possibly respond to God before God has breathed that breath of life into us (Genesis 2:7). Nonetheless it is easy for us to forget.

    We tend to look for ways to obligate God to do nice things for us. The fact is that this is impossible, and always have been. God’s action precedes our own. The order of the universe, which gives us the opportunity to make any choices and get any good results at all comes by God’s gift.

    This is reflected in Psalm 119:1:

    Blessed are those blameless in their living
    Who act according to God’s instructions.

    That verse also leads us to the second point, which is the value of gratitude. You may not, on first glance, see gratitude here, but there are two elements reflected. The first is memory. If you forget those who have benefited you, those who have taught you or given you a boost, it’s not just a matter of being rude. You may also forget the route to your destination.

    I remember just in the last couple of days I encountered an issue, and the answer to the question came from something a professor told me in class in my freshman year of college. I both remembered that professor with gratitude, and mentioned him to the person who had asked me the question. There are other people who have taught me that I quote or mention frequently. Why? Because it’s important to remember how I’ve gotten where I am. It was not a process of figuring out all the answers for myself. Many people contributed.

    i was discussing financing of education with somebody in Sunday School class. Never mind how we got there. It’s that kind of a group! I remembered my parents’ contribution to my college and graduate school expenses. I’m grateful for that contribution. Now you may think I’m just talking about them paying tuition. They did contribute. But they also made it a condition of them contributing that I would hold a part-time job through school. Both of those factors have become part of my life. I haven’t forgotten them.

    Having gratitude is important. In this case, gratitude also leads me to remember good principles on which to base my life. I have been blessed through the years by that.

    Psalm 119 is both a petition and a thanksgiving. Guide me Lord! Thanks!

    What are you grateful for today?

    (Featured image credit:Vadym Pastukh. Licensed from iStockPhoto.com,)

  • Psalm 119:90 – Established

    Psalm 119:90 – Established

    Your faithfulness extends from generation to generation.
    You established the earth and it will stand firm.

    Why can you trust God? Because gravity works.

    God’s authority as lawgiver, and his ability to offer grace and salvation is based directly on God’s creative power. This verse parallels God’s faithfulness to those who trust in God’s power, and it bases that on God’s creation.

    This is a common theme in scripture, but it is one we often ignore. We think of creation as something in the past. Yes, God did it, and we believe it, because we’re supposed to. But do we apply it to current reality?

    Psalm 104 expresses the present nature of God’s creation:

    These all look to you
    to give them their food in due season;
    when you give to them, they gather it up;
    when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
    When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
    when you take away their breath, they die
    and return to their dust.
    When you send forth your spirit, they are created;
    and you renew the face of the ground.

    Psalm 104:27-30 (NRSV)

    You can read my translation and notes on Psalm 104 here.

    Psalm 51 alludes to this creative power in verse ten, when the psalmist asks God to create in him a clean heart. It’s reflected in the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation.”

    When we doubt what God can do in our lives, we are denying God’s creative power. On my own, I can do no good thing. But I am not alone. God can work things through me that I can’t even imagine.

    A friend of mine signs every email “Practice Resurrection!” It’s a good idea. How about “Practice creation!” That’s good too.

    When discouragement threatens, try to remember that God’s creative power is at work in you. God created galaxies. Perhaps God has enough power for your life.

    (Featured image generated by Jetpack AI.)

  • Psalm 119:89 – Word in Heaven

    Psalm 119:89 – Word in Heaven

    Forever, LORD, your Word
    is established in heaven.

    This is an important verse to start the next section (Lamedh), and also the second half of the psalm.

    Too often we diminish the idea of God’s Word by making it the equivalent of the written words that we have. This is sometimes presented as great respect for those written words, making them more important, but I believe the effect is the opposite.

    In scripture (that written word), we have a much broader, deeper, and higher idea of what God’s word actually is. I have been seeing in various verses in this Psalm the idea that the law, as understood in this psalm is a presentation to us of who God really is. The word/words we have here are derived from that heavenly word. The instructions God gives through story, poetry, and yes, laws, are derived from who God is.

    If we extend this to points made more directly in other psalms, that the Word is all-encompassing. Psalm 33:6-9 tells us that the worlds were made by God’s Word.

    Psalm 119 can be seen as a celebration of the creator of the universe, expressed in the form of God’s various ways of relating to us in that universe. In ancient near eastern thought, one of the key elements of creation was bring order to chaos, making things work in a way that would allow life, even good life. Chaos was the product of God’s enemies.

    In Genesis 1, this order is produced by God speaking. That symbolism is important. God’s simple command brought order. God’s authority is presented as the result of God’s creative power, and after that from God’s redemptive power, which is also an aspect of God’s creative power.

    Try meditating today on the fact that each thing you have is a gift. Be grateful!

    (Featured image generated by Jetpack AI.)

  • Psalm 119:88 – Grant Me Life

    In your lovingkindness grant me life
    that I may keep your testimony.

    This verse opens windows onto many other concepts. And, for what it’s worth, this verse is halfway through the Psalm’s 176 verses.

    First, it again sets the order of events. God is the initiator. God is the creator. Whatever you do with your life, that life is a gift of God. You could not create yourself. Often we get tense about the idea of salvation by grace through faith, because we think that somewhere, somehow there must be some works we can contribute. But how do you contribute to the one who gives you the ability to contribute?

    “In your lovingkindness” means that God loved us before we had the capability of loving God. God doesn’t need our contribution to God, but God asks our contribution. In the end, that contribution turns out to be truly to ourselves and to one another in the community. Blessing is poured out so that it can pour out again, just as God gives us life so that we can bring forth new life.

    In Genesis 12:2 God says to Abram: “I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” Our blessing of anyone else is the result of God blessing us. Blessing overflows and builds up others.

    When we talk about church, what are we there for? Paul, in 1 Corinthians 14, repeatedly uses the word “edify” (archaic) or “build up.” We are meeting together to be a blessing to one another. We can be a blessing, because God has blessed each one of us. Worship, acknowledging this, is not some kind of ego stroking that God requires. Rather, it is the simple and grateful acknowledgment of how things work.

    God has a purpose for you. What blessing is God pouring out on you that God wants you to let flow on to those you meet?

    (Featured image generated by Jetpack AI.)

  • Psalm 119:73 – The Creator’s Rules

    Psalm 119:73 – The Creator’s Rules

    Your hands made me and put me together.
    Give me understanding, and I will learn your commands.

    This verse starts the next eight verse section, but it’s still discussing God’s relation to us. We’ve seen God as good, and also as one who either brings or allows hardship. Now we get to the basics. God is the creator. More precisely, God is our creator.

    This verse illustrates why we bring nothing we independently own to the table. We owe our very existence to God. We are not in a position to demand anything. God created it all and made all the rules. We can say that all understanding as well as all existence comes from God.

    There are hints throughout the psalm that point to our dependence on God to truly carry out God’s commands. This verse points to our dependence on God even for our understanding of what those rules are.

    We often debate about whether we can earn or complete any part of our salvation. In doing so we are missing this one major point. Not only can’t put God under obligation by anything we do, we can’t conceive of how to or not to do so on our own.

    Does this seem oppressive? Well, as created beings we are, by definition dependent. Such independence as we have is made, fashioned, and established (all possible translations of the words of the first half of this verse) by God. Our desires are. Such freedom we have (and I believe in the power of the human will) is also a gift given by God at God’s own choice.

    And we are given great freedom, which we frequently misuse, and the same sovereign, all-powerful God lets us go and do those things.

    My company, Energion Publications, uses the slogan “Educate! Energize! Empower!” If you feel empowered today, remember whose gift that empowerment is.

    Remember that, and enjoy the gift.

    Featured image generated by Jetpack AI.)

  • Psalm 119:47 – Taking Delight

    Psalm 119:47 – Taking Delight

    And I will take delight in your commands,
    which I love.

    Everyone who loves being commanded, raise your hands.

    Well, I can’t see the hands over the internet, but I’m guessing there aren’t many. There are only a few people who really enjoy dealing with regulations. We may consider them necessary, but we don’t generally get delighted about them.

    I’ve talked about many reasons that the law, as understood in Psalm 119, should be seen as much more than regulations. Yes, it includes regulations, but all of that is part of the self-revelation of God to a people (Israel) that he chose. There is a certain wonder in just the fact that God made such a choice. For those of us who are not descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, there is the fact that when God called Abram, he called him to be blessed and to be a blessing.

    Today, however, I’d like to suggest reading another Psalm as a tie-in for this verse and the next one. Psalm 19 also includes praise of the law in terms not so often used today. It also makes another connection, one which I consider very important, and one in which I take delight.

    Psalm 19:1-6 talk about the way God’s creation declares God’s glory. Some scholars think Psalm 19 is a combination of two prior songs, and it may be that, but I think the combination was very intentional. Because starting with verse 7, we here about the law, with “law” used here in much the same way as in Psalm 119.

    The law of YHWH is perfect, reviving the soul. (Psalm 19:7)

    This is followed by many of the same terms for various aspects of law that are used in Psalm 119, bringing out that full picture of God’s self-revelation to God’s people in the broadest sense.

    The power of the lawgiver is tied to the power of the creator. The reason God can give laws is that God made everything, and knows how it works, works best.

    This function of law relates closely to God’s grace, God’s giving. In Genesis 1 & 2, God creates, and then gives instructions. I regard the story of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as very much symbolic. God creates and then sets boundaries.

    We see this order of affairs again with the ten commandments in Exodus 20. God notes this in the prologue to these commandments. “I am YHWH your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” The grace, the giving, comes first.

    Now we experience this in reverse much of the time. We have to realize there’s a problem before we seek the problem solver.

    But when we come back to the grace, we realize that it was there, is there, will always be there, first.

    The heavens and the Law declare God’s glory in chorus.

    Are you listening?