was reared in the Presbyterian faith. One of my favorite memories is the singing of hymns and working on harmony. Fifty years ago I sang in our little church choir and thoroughly enjoyed the musical experience, an experience that has been a part of my collective memory for many years and helped form what little good character I possess. I love participating in group singing in four-part harmony and I love praising God in song.
We also studied the Holy Bible. At some point, I was made to realize that the Psalms were actually songs; songs that David sang in praise to God. Of course as I read the Psalms, I saw quickly that the western concept of rhythm and rhyme just are not there in the Authorized Version of the Bible. I was then told that when they were written (in Hebrew) that they indeed did have those two qualities originally. I thought upon the quandary of having 150 beautiful songs in the Bible that sounded clunky when you tried to sing them.
I have always wished that some gifted poet would transform a few of them into modern form for the purpose of singing while keeping the spiritual message intact. Surely someone could do that.
Fifty years later I have learned that indeed someone did do that and the first church to use a hymnbook composed entirely of Psalms, recreated in the King’s English, with perfect rhythm and rhyme, preserved with the original message intact, was the Church of Scotland (the Presbyterians). How about that.
First conceived in 1564 for use by John Knox’s congregations, the Psalter went through a few revisions and additions before its final evolution into the Scottish Psalter of 1650. The Presbyterian Church of Scotland used this hymnal solely until 1929. The Psalms are beautifully and artfully done. One example is transcribed below.
Psalm 147: Scottish Psalter 1650
1Praise ye the Lord; for it is good
praise to our God to sing:
For it is pleasant, and to praise
it is a comely thing.
2God doth build up Jerusalem;
and he it is alone
That the dispers'd of Israel
doth gather into one.
3Those that are broken in their heart,
and grieved in their minds,
He healeth, and their painful wounds
he tenderly up-binds.
4He counts the number of the stars;
he names them ev'ry one.
5Great is our Lord, and of great pow'r;
his wisdom search can none.
6The Lord lifts up the meek; and casts
the wicked to the ground.
7Sing to the Lord, and give him thanks;
on harp his praises sound;
8Who covereth the heav'n with clouds,
who for the earth below
Prepareth rain, who maketh grass
upon the mountains grow.
9He gives the beast his food, he feeds
the ravens young that cry.
10His pleasure not in horses' strength,
nor in man's legs, doth lie.
11But in all those that do him fear
the Lord doth pleasure take;
In those that to his mercy do
by hope themselves betake.
12The Lord praise, O Jerusalem;
Sion, thy God confess:
13For thy gates' bars he maketh strong;
thy sons in thee doth bless.
14He in thy borders maketh peace;
with fine wheat filleth thee.
15He sends forth his command on earth,
his word runs speedily.
16Hoar-frost, like ashes, scatt'reth he;
like wool he snow doth give:
17Like morsels casteth forth his ice;
who in its cold can live?
18He sendeth forth his mighty word,
and melteth them again;
His wind he makes to blow, and then
the waters flow amain.
19The doctrine of his holy word
to Jacob he doth show;
His statutes and his judgments he
gives Israel to know.
20To any nation never he
such favour did afford;
For they his judgments have not known.
O do ye praise the Lord.
Each Psalm is written in equal beauty and faithfulfness to the Scriptures. One wonders why every English-speaking church in Christendom would not be using such a remarkable resource.
“The foole hath sayd in his heart, There is no God.”
Psalm XIIII. 1
I’m not much of an astronomer, but I do thoroughly enjoy an occasional chance to view the heavens with a telescope. It’s similar to but different than looking through a microscope at algae or amoeba or paramecium or copepods right out of the local pond. Both allow you to see things you can’t see with the eyes God gave you. It’s like being in Dr. Seuss’s “Horton hears a Who,” somewhat like visiting another little world that you cannot normally see.
Where I once lived there was a local astronomers’ club that, on a Saturday evening once a month during cooler weather when the skies were clear, members would set up their telescopes on the pad in front of a local college’s science building and invite the public in to their “star party.”
Each member would have his or her telescope set up and eagerly awaited the public to share with them a little knowledge about the heavenly bodies we were viewing. I saw Saturn’s rings, Jupiter’s three visible moons, Mars just barely one evening as it was going down, the Andromeda Galaxy, but I suppose my favorite was the moon. With the naked eye it looks so brilliantly, radiantly, smooth. Through a telescope, or even a good pair of binoculars, it looks scarred, scraped, pounded and dented like an ancient Roman battle shield. In any phase, through the telescopes, it just seems so remarkably close, to see the rips, impact areas, and craters that you could just reach out and touch it. I never tire of moon gazing. And I learned that the moon (at 275,000 miles relatively close) and the sun (at 93,000,000 miles relatively distant) appear the same size in the sky. I should have realized that having seen an eclipse but the strangeness of that little fact never occurred to me. It just so happens that the moon is 400 times smaller in diameter than the sun and the sun is 400 times farther away from us.
In a recent interview, Christopher Knight, co-author of “Who Built the Moon,” said, “The Moon sits very close to the Earth yet it is widely regarded as the strangest object in the known universe.” He refers to the moon as an “impossible object.”
In his book Knight states, “The Moon is not only extremely odd in its construction [apparently less dense in the center]; it also behaves in a way that is nothing less than miraculous.” What a wonderful way to put it. Miraculous! I surely do agree. He says, “It is exactly four hundred times smaller than the Sun but four hundred times closer to the Earth so that both the sun and the Moon appear to be precisely the same size in the sky which gives us the phenomenon we call a total eclipse. Whilst [he’s British] we take this for granted it has been called the biggest coincidence in the universe.”
“Furthermore, the Moon mirrors the movement of the Sun in the sky by rising and setting at the same point on the horizon as the Sun does at opposite solstices. For example, this means the Moon rises at midwinter at the same place the Sun does at midsummer. There is no logical reason why the Moon mimics the Sun in this way and it is only meaningful to a human standing on earth.” Knight has his followers.
Of course, the underlying reason that these pseudo-scientists are amazed and flabbergasted is their belief that the entire solar system, indeed the entire universe was created through the randomness of a “big bang.” The possibility of this occurring randomly is just, well, miraculous!
The moon takes 27.3 earth days to revolve one time on its axis. “Coincidentally,” it takes 27.3 earth days to complete one orbit. What that means is that every where on earth when people look at the moon they see the same side of it as they saw the night before and the night before, etc. We call that the light side of the moon. The other side of the moon that we never get to see is called the “dark side.”
You see, it would be mathematically impossible for all of these remarkable features to have happened as a result of an explosion millions of years ago. The odds are just “astronomical.”
An old book revered by the three major religions of the world gives us a very clear picture of what happened to give us such an awesome little mind-boggling neighbor.
“And God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the starres also.
“And God set them in the firmament of the heaven, to give light vpon the earth;
“And to rule ouer the day and over the night, and to diuide the light from the darknesse: and God saw that it was good.
“And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”
GenesisI. 16-19
I’m quite sure that “good” to God means “perfect.,”; absolutely perfect. And did you notice that “God set them in the firmament of the heaven.” This tells me that the Almighty Creator God placed the moon and the sun in their orbits with his Unchanging Hand. What a God!
The Psalmist put it this way; “When I consider thy heavens, the worke of thy fingers, the moone, and the starres which thou hast ordained;
“What is man that thou art mindeful of him? And the sonne of man, that thou visitest him?”
Psalm VIII. 3,4
I’ve known a few perfectionists in my life. They’re interesting characters. These are the folk who in a spare minute will line their pencils and pens up side by side on their desks, pencils in one group and pens in the other. You’ve seen them. It would be cheap humor to relate other examples. The world needs perfectionists. We’ve got more than enough slobs.
God in his quest for a perfect world created with His Hand and placed in perfect order the sun and moon along with the aforementioned “oddities,” “miracles,” “impossibilities,” and “coincidences,” just for us to study, gaze upon, wonder about, and say to ourselves, “What a God!” I mean, that’s the obvious conclusion, isn’t it?
Well, no not quite. During the interview, when asked pointedly, “Who built the moon?,” Knight replies that there are three possibilities, God, aliens, or humans. He concludes that the only scientifically reasonable choice is the last one, humans.
Earlier this year, David Icke, former British sportscaster who stated in a television interview that he was Jesus Christ,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Icke suggested that due to the aforementioned anomalies, the moon is some sort of construct, a hollowed out planetoid. Why would he suggest such a thing. He just can not align himself with the first possibility, that of Divine Design. Knight agrees, “Another factor was the obvious message that has been built into the Moon to tell us it’s artificial…As to who did it, well, that’s a lot tougher.” Why is that tougher? God was quite clear as to Who did it and how it was done.
Icke picks it up here with his idea of a solution. “I’ve found the Zulu legends to be the profoundly accurate in the way that they use symbolism to describe veryprofound scientific truths.” So, in this he rejects the account of creation as put forth in Genesis and believed by 2.1 billion Christians, 1.5 billion Muslims, and 13.5 million Jews, to base his belief on a Zulu folk legend.
Icke continues, “Credo Mutwa [a Zulu shaman] tells me that the Zulus believe that the moon comes from far, far away and it was hollowed out like the yolk taken out of an egg and it was rolled across the heavens by two reptilian entities, which he gives Zulu names for.” And he states this as evidence for his case. Icke connects this belief with his Anunnaki, a race of two-legged reptilians from the Draco constellation, in his book “The Biggest Secret,” who have supposedly intervened in earth’s business for millions of years. By this argument, Icke has just gone over the edge.
Stephen Hawking in his latest book states, "Because there are laws such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself out of nothing. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the Universe going." You read right: the universe will just “create itself out of nothing.” This of course began at the big bang when “nothing” exploded.
The Apostle Peter wrote that in the last days, there will be “false teachers among you…denying the Lord that bought them…And many shall follow their pernicious wayes, by reason of whom the way of trueth shall be euill spoken of.” (II Peter II. 1,2) He also tells us that “…there shall come in the last days scoffers…” (II Peter III. 3)
The Apostle Paul tells us that “in the last dayes perillous times shall come. For men will be louers ot their owne selues, couetous, boasters, proude, blasphemers…Having a forme of godlinesse, but denying the power thereof; from such turne away.” (II Timothie III. 1,2,5)
Praise the Lord that these prophecies are being fulfilled in our lifetime. It’s easy to ignore the false prophets if we stick close to the true. The prophet David tells us that “The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament sheweth his handy worke. Day vnto day vttereth speech, and night vnto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voyce is not heard.” (Psalm XIX. 1-3).
The next time you gaze up into the sky at our nearest amazing, miraculous, impossible neighbor, feel free to say “What a God!”
The term “covenant” simply means “an agreement.” Sometimes this agreement is between individuals, sometimes companies, sometimes governments. The Holy Bible speaks of a “Covenant” in many places. In this respect, the term “covenant” is defined as “an agreement between God and his people in which God makes certain promises and requires certain behavior from them in return.”
One of the earlier mentions of a covenant associated with God is in the book of Deuteronomy, sometimes called the fifth book of Moses. As this scene unfolds, Moses has called the tribes of Israel together in a great convocation to receive very important instruction. “And Moses called all Israel, and sayd vnto them, Heare, O Israel, the Statutes and Iudgements which I speak in your eares this day, thatye many learne them, and keepe them and doe them. The Lord our God made a couenant with vs in Horeb.” Deuteronomy V. 1, 2.
Moses is reminding the people that God has made a Covenant, or an agreement, with them. This covenant took place at “Horeb,” nearly forty years prior. This is found in the book of Exodus, chapter XIX, vss. 5 & 6, when God says, “Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keepe my couenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure vnto me aboue all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be vnto me a kingdome of Priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel.” Something really important is getting ready to happen. When Moses gathered the Elders together and explained God’s offer to them, the children of Israel responded in agreement. “And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken, we will doe. And Moses returned the words of the people vnto the Lord.” Exod. XIX. 8. After Moses explains the seriousness of the upcoming event, that the mountain is to be condoned off, that they are not to venture onto the mountain, that they are to clean up as if they are going to church and get their hearts in order. Something big is getting ready to happen.
In the next chapter, Exodus XX, God gives Moses His side of the agreement. We recognize God’s side of the Covenant as the Ten Commandments, Exodus XX. 2-17. These ten covenantal agendae establish ten points of behaviour through which God can recognize his people. God says, I would like to be your only God. Could you do that for me? I would like for you not to worship worldly things. Can you do that? There is a certain reputation associated with a man’s name. It’s important that your name stay free from taint. My name is pure. Could you speak it with respect? At creation, I set aside one day as a special day to be with my people and them with me. Would you share that one day with Me? Could you respect your parents? Could you remember that life is sacred? Could you be faithful to those you love? Could you love enough not to take what does not belong to you? Could you be honest in your dealings with me and your neighbors? Could you be satisfied with what I have given you in love? People do tend to try to think the best of themselves and their potential behaviour and God’s side of the deal seems reasonable, and “all the people answered together, All that the Lord hath spoken, we will doe.”
Let us go back to Deuteronomy V, forty years later, when Moses is reminding them of their Covenant with God, their agreement, and just to clarify God’s side of the deal he repeats the ten points of the Covenant. In verses 6-21, Moses reminds them of what God expects of them. Ten simple points, and ends the chapter with the following admonition. “Ye shall obserue to doe therefore, as the Lord your God hath commanded you: you shall not turne aside to the right hand, or to the left. You shall walke in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may liue, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which ye shall possesse.” Deut. V. 32, 33.
For over two hundred years, the children of Israel had been slaves in Egypt. I do not know if they had the business acumen to wonder what we all wonder when engaging in a covenant; “What’s in it for me?” But if they did wonder that, God was quick to explain how could benefit from this covenant.
“And it shall be that when the Lord thy God shall haue brought thee into the land which hee sware vnto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Iacob to giue thee, great and goodly cities, which thou buildest not.” Deut. VI. 10. God says, I know it takes a long time to build up a home when you go to a new place. There are so many things needing done, but don’t worry. I have cities already built that will be yours for the taking. “And houses full of all good things which thou filledst not, and welles digged which thou diggedst not, vineyards and oliue trees which thou plantedst not, when thou shalt haue eaten and be full.” Deut. VI. 11, 12.
In chapter VII, Moses reminds the people how God loves them, How he wants them to prosper, how special they are to Him. “Wherefore it shal come to passe, if ye hearken to these iudgements, and keepe and do them: That the Lord thy God shall keepe vnto thee the Couenant and the Mercy which he sware vnto thy fathers.
“And hee will loue thee, and blesse thee, and multiply thee: Hee will also blesse the fruit of thy wombe, and the fruit of thy land, thy corne, and thy wine, and thine oile, the encrease of thy kine, and the flockes of thy sheepe, in the land which hee sware vnto thy fathers to giue thee.” Deut. VII. 12, 13
“And the Lord will take away from thee all sicknesse.” v. 15. Now, as an increasingly aging hexagenarian, I think that’s big.
Moses, in a recapitulation of God’s side of the Covenant, puts it this way. “And now Israel, what doeth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to feare the Lord thy God, to walke in all his waies, and to loue him, and to serue the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soule,
“To keepe the Commandments of the Lord, and his Statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” (ital.supplied)
