In praise of the Creator

Quotes and comments;

1. "Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps ... Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl..." Psalm 148:7, 10

Q. How do animals praise the Lord?
A. They praise the Lord just by being alive, by the sounds they make and the colors they bear. We can watch and study them and be amazed at the wisdom of their creator. (It's not only cute creatures like birds and rabbits that demand praise from us, but also the most fiercesome of creatures; e.g. dragons or dinosaurs. God is not just the God of bunny rabbits, he is also the God of sea monsters.)

The creatures that populate this world are like a wordless hymn of praise to the Creator, and if man in his rebellion will not praise God they do. (If we could imagine aliens coming to this planet from another universe or another dimension, they would surely say, ''what an amazing creator this world has, we've never seen anything like this. He is the most wise and gifted being we have ever come across. Is there nothing he can't do?'')

If men do not praise God for his wondrous works of creation they thereby condemn themselves, and are worthy of reproof. Men will not be able to blame God for their rebellion, they will not be able to say they didn't know, as a myriad of living creatures praised their creator on a daily basis and before the eyes of all men.

The living creatures of this planet are a treasure and an apologetic. There is more wisdom to be found in a single one of God's creatures than in all the books written by atheists put together. There is more wisdom in a humble beetle than in all godless philosophy. Forget Spinoza and Nietzsche, throw their books into the rubbish dump and get out and study the animals, birds, fish, insects (etc.) of the real world. Stop wasting your time with miserable and disgruntled philosophers and employ yourself profitably with a study of God's creation.

Why read a book on evolution theory when there is infinitely more to be learned in a study of living organisms? A single cell on the end of Richard Dawkins' nose is about a million times more interesting than he, as a writer, is. (Did I say a million? Try a billion or a trillion.)

M. Johnson

Addendum;
I find it interesting to read old commentaries on verses like this. Matthew Henry [1662 – 1714]
had this to say;

'Even in this world, dark and bad as it is, God is praised. The powers of nature, be they ever so strong, so stormy, do what God appoints them, and no more. Those that rebel against God's word, show themselves to be more violent than even the stormy winds, yet they fulfil it. View the surface of the earth, mountains and all hills; from the barren tops of some, and the fruitful tops of others, we may fetch matter for praise. And assuredly creatures which have the powers of reason, ought to employ themselves in praising God. Let all manner of persons praise God. Those of every rank, high and low. Let us show that we are his saints by praising his name continually.'

Notes;
1. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary; 148:7-14