Psalm 96:11,12 Let Heaven and Nature Sing
“May the heavens be joyful, and may the earth rejoice; may the sea roar, and all it contains; may the field be jubilant, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy” (NASB).
This well-known Christmas carol was taken from Isaac Watts’ paraphrase of Psalm 98, particularly verses 4-9, and as such, it really speaks more of Christ’s second coming than of His birth. The music is actually taken from Handel’s “Occasional Hymns and Hymn Tunes,” an arrangement by Lowell Mason, a Boston music educator in the 1800s.
It begins in verse one with a call to the whole world, including the heavens and the earth to receive her King with joyous song. It continues in verse two as the “Savior Reigns, and in verse three, “He comes to make His blessings flow.” In the final stanza, “He rules the world.” All of this is true and is certainly good reason to rejoice and sing, but it does seem more appropriate as a song of rejoicing at the second coming of Jesus Christ when He will become the ruler of the earth for a thousand years.
As a nature photographer, I am especially fond of heaven and nature singing, of fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeating the sounding joy of men singing jubilantly. Whenever I look at the beauty of God’s creation, all the fantastic variety of animals, plants, landforms, stars, and planets, I am brought close to my Lord, and my joy expands. Christmas time with the decorations, the singing of His coming, and the frequent messages of God’s plan to send His Son to provide for our salvation–our assurance of a heavenly eternity–brings peace to my spirit and heart as I wonder at His love. His love is above description, lasts forever, and is available to anyone who will accept it.
Joy to the World
