"He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst. By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches." Psalm 104:10-12
Psalm 104 is a creation hymn, and it would be well to read and reflect on the whole before focusing on a part of this splendid work. It is summarized in v.24: "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom thou hast made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."
Among the theological ideas that have surfaced and circulated over the years is the notion that the world was created by some divine being who subsequently abandoned it to lumber along on its own. Such a notion, among many other errors, is denied by this Psalm in general and our "nugget" in particular. The declaration here is that God has ordered and so governs the world that He cares for His creation and its creatures at all levels of life. "He sendeth the springs," which eventuate in the streams and rivers by which even the wild creatures' needs are satisfied and the earth nourished to bring forth plants and trees so that the fowls of the air have an appropriate habitation. He is both the designer and sustainer of the order of nature, doctrine which is, of course, amplified in many other parts of scripture.
However one cannot reflect on this particular text without thinking of the use the Savior made of the same general truth. Seeking to encourage believers in the face of the hostility of unbelievers, He remarked, "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows [Mat. 10:29-31]." It is a very small note with a very large significance.
The significance is this: God cares for His creation; He cares for His creatures; and He cares for His own. Among the birds the sparrow is relatively insignificant. Bird watching recently, I was captivated by Cardinals, Bluejays Chickadees, Titmice and even the tiny Nuthatch, but Sparrows drew little attention. Certainly they are among the "common people" of the bird kingdom. Yet it is for that very reason, that the Savior singled them out to make His point that our Heavenly Father is attentive to the needs of the most ordinary of His creatures. It seems to me that it reveals a sense of humor in the Savior when He says, "ye are of more value than many sparrows." His point is, if God is mindful of the sparrow, how much more is He mindful of man, created in His image. You do not have to be someone "important" to be "under His wing;" you need only to be one of His children.
The thought of His loving care for His own is enlarged by the reference to springs in the valleys. The springs are essential to the flourishing of life. Achsah, the daughter of Caleb, was given a field by her father. Subsequently she approached him with a petition: "…and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou? And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs [Josh. 1518-19]." Without the springs to water it, the land would soon be barren and worthless.
And so it is with life. Without the "springs of living water," it will tend only to disaster. The Lord Jesus, referring to the well by which they were standing, said to the woman, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life [John 4:13-14]." God's care for us is most richly evident in His provision of Satisfaction for the thirsty soul. The Psalmist said wisely, "All my springs are in thee [Psalm 87:7]."
The same principle is employed by the Holy Spirit as He gives us a look forward to eternal blessing. Of the redeemed He said through the prophet Isaiah, "They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them [Isa. 49:10}," and the theme is consummated in the last book of the bible, where "He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son [Rev. 21:5-7]."
God wills to be your Sustainer and Satisfier. Do you let Him? Those who do, like "the fowls of the heaven," find reason to "sing among the branches!"
For the praise of our blessed Redeemer,
"Pastor" Frasier
Psalm 104 is a creation hymn, and it would be well to read and reflect on the whole before focusing on a part of this splendid work. It is summarized in v.24: "O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom thou hast made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."
Among the theological ideas that have surfaced and circulated over the years is the notion that the world was created by some divine being who subsequently abandoned it to lumber along on its own. Such a notion, among many other errors, is denied by this Psalm in general and our "nugget" in particular. The declaration here is that God has ordered and so governs the world that He cares for His creation and its creatures at all levels of life. "He sendeth the springs," which eventuate in the streams and rivers by which even the wild creatures' needs are satisfied and the earth nourished to bring forth plants and trees so that the fowls of the air have an appropriate habitation. He is both the designer and sustainer of the order of nature, doctrine which is, of course, amplified in many other parts of scripture.
However one cannot reflect on this particular text without thinking of the use the Savior made of the same general truth. Seeking to encourage believers in the face of the hostility of unbelievers, He remarked, "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows [Mat. 10:29-31]." It is a very small note with a very large significance.
The significance is this: God cares for His creation; He cares for His creatures; and He cares for His own. Among the birds the sparrow is relatively insignificant. Bird watching recently, I was captivated by Cardinals, Bluejays Chickadees, Titmice and even the tiny Nuthatch, but Sparrows drew little attention. Certainly they are among the "common people" of the bird kingdom. Yet it is for that very reason, that the Savior singled them out to make His point that our Heavenly Father is attentive to the needs of the most ordinary of His creatures. It seems to me that it reveals a sense of humor in the Savior when He says, "ye are of more value than many sparrows." His point is, if God is mindful of the sparrow, how much more is He mindful of man, created in His image. You do not have to be someone "important" to be "under His wing;" you need only to be one of His children.
The thought of His loving care for His own is enlarged by the reference to springs in the valleys. The springs are essential to the flourishing of life. Achsah, the daughter of Caleb, was given a field by her father. Subsequently she approached him with a petition: "…and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou? And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs [Josh. 1518-19]." Without the springs to water it, the land would soon be barren and worthless.
And so it is with life. Without the "springs of living water," it will tend only to disaster. The Lord Jesus, referring to the well by which they were standing, said to the woman, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life [John 4:13-14]." God's care for us is most richly evident in His provision of Satisfaction for the thirsty soul. The Psalmist said wisely, "All my springs are in thee [Psalm 87:7]."
The same principle is employed by the Holy Spirit as He gives us a look forward to eternal blessing. Of the redeemed He said through the prophet Isaiah, "They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them [Isa. 49:10}," and the theme is consummated in the last book of the bible, where "He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son [Rev. 21:5-7]."
God wills to be your Sustainer and Satisfier. Do you let Him? Those who do, like "the fowls of the heaven," find reason to "sing among the branches!"
For the praise of our blessed Redeemer,
"Pastor" Frasier
No comments:
Post a Comment