Even The Sparrow

If you have been following me, you know that I love the Psalms and try to read at least five psalms a day. For example, today is the 30th day of the month so I read Psalms 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150. Some of psalms stick out more than the others and typically I follow up my reading with writing out a prayer in my journal, letting the psalms of the day direct that prayer.

Last week, on the morning of the 24th, I read Psalm 84. It is a beautiful passage, but as Scripture often does a verse jumped out at me…I hadn’t noticed it before even as I have read it hundreds of times!

Psalm 84:3 says, “Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself…”. I was outside in my back yard and swallows were darting back and forth across the pasture and sparrows were feeding at the bird feeder. I smiled, looked up and watched them for a while and then kept reading, “where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!” Selah.

Birds fascinate me…I watch them, feed them, listen to them, and try to learn from them. I’ve even tried to draw and paint them…I’ll keep those results to myself, but that line, “where she may lay her young at your altars O LORD of hosts.” That was the subject of my journal.

What did the Sons of Korah mean?

It could be simply a matter of proximity…the sparrow makes her next and lays her eggs near the altar of God. We know that sparrows are everywhere and that could be what he was saying.

It could be a matter of purpose…the sparrow lays her eggs and raises her young and they are used in the worship at the altar in terms of sacrifice.

But maybe, just maybe, it could be a matter of worship…the sparrow itself joins in the worship of her Creator. We know that God cares for the smallest of creatures…He even knows when the sparrow falls to the ground. (Matt 10:29).

So, my mind ran with this…does the Bible teach us anything about creation worshipping? There is such beauty in what God made, but Paul reminds us that even in that beauty the creation is under the curse of sin and groans for redemption. If it groans for redemption, could it not also sing in praise?

Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” So, the heavens, the stars, the planets, all above us declare God’s glory!

Psalm 96:11-12 calls upon the heavens to be glad, the earth to rejoice, the sea and all that is in it to roar, the fields and everything in them to exult, the trees to sing for joy…maybe there is a song of creation that we can’t hear, but God hears!

Isaiah 55:12 speaks of the mountains and the hills breaking forth in singing…something tells me that would be the bass section of the Heavenly Choir…that the trees of the field shall clap their hands to the beat!

What about Psalm 148:7-10? He calls upon the earth, the sea creatures, the deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, even the stormy winds to join in! the mountains and the hills, the fruit trees and cedars, and then the beasts and the livestock, creeping things and flying birds…in verses 11ff he calls people to join them!

So, maybe the moo of the cow I hear early each morning is a song of praise to the Creator…not to mention the birds and cicadas or the leaves rustling in the wind…could the wind just be joining the trees in their song of praise?

Let me close with Revelation 5:13-14,

“And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”

I know that many will simply say this is all a matter of the writer using personification…giving human characteristics to something non-human, but how boring is that!! Is it unreasonable to think that God has created all of this for His glory and that the trees above are singing a song to Him that we simply don’t have ears to hear?

I sat there and pondered what I had just wrote and thought of some implications.

First, the creation is a part of the Creator’s work; therefore, it isn’t to be worshipped…we just need to join it as we worship our Creator and that little Wren sitting on the limb above me shouldn’t out worship me!

Second, we have a responsibility to see creation as God’s creation and as a gift to us. We must take care of it. We don’t worship it, but neither do we seek to take dominion of it thoughtlessly…we must be caretakers of this great gift.

Finally, let’s learn from it. 1 Kings 4 says Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs, wrote 1,005 songs, and spoke of trees, beasts, birds, reptiles and fish. He studied God’s creation…can we?

Kidner spoke of Psalm 84 and said, “Longing is written all over this psalm.” Sitting there reading it last week caused a longing to stir within me for the New Creation. I sat there as I do most mornings watching the sun rise, hearing the birds sing, and I softly joined in with the song that was on my heart…He is coming again and all things will be new!