Old Testament

On Good Demands, Part 3: Love Mercy

August 13, 2026 by Dan Olinger 1 Comment

Part 1: Introduction | Part 2: Do Justly

Second, the Lord says, love mercy. The word translated “mercy” here–sometimes it’s translated “lovingkindness”–has three concepts in it.

First, there’s a relationship between these people. They’re not strangers; they have a relationship of some kind. One is having mercy toward the other. He’s showing lovingkindness. The Bible speaks of God’s lovingkindness toward Israel, of David’s lovingkindness toward Jonathan. There’s a relationship.

Secondly, there is consistency in the relationship. It’s not up and down. You’re not friends today and enemies tomorrow. You have a lovingkindness kind of relationship. It’s steady. This person is faithful in the relationship.

And third, there’s action taken on behalf of the relationship. The Bible talks a lot about doing mercy, showing mercy, making mercy.

Now, what do we call it when somebody has a relationship, and he is consistent to that relationship, and he does whatever it takes to keep that relationship going? What’s the word we use for that?

Loyalty.

Loyalty to a relationship. That’s what this kind of mercy is. God says, “I want you to love loyalty. I want you to be faithful in your relationships, your commitments, your relationship to me and your relationship to those around you.” We expect that from people close to us.

Back in the ancient Near East, where might made right and human rights were rarely thought of, history is defined by a series of empires that brutally imposed their will on anyone they could conquer. There was Assyria, and then Babylon. Then Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon during Belshazzar’s drunken feast, introducing a new age.

A few years later the new Persian king Xerxes was especially known for his cruelty. He decided to take down the upstart Greeks and marched through Turkey toward Macedonia. A father there, several of whose sons were in Xerxes’ army, asked if one of the sons could be released to help work the farm. Xerxes had all of his sons executed and cut in half, and marched his army through the divided corpses.

Nice guy.

Crossing from Turkey–Asia–into Macedonia–Europe–Xerxes came up against a band of a few thousand Greek soldiers, led by about 300 mostly Spartans who had positioned themselves blocking a pass at Thermopylae, rendering the Persian army’s advance impossible. The Spartans were notoriously well disciplined, and it appeared that they might repel the Persians.

Ephialtes of Trachis is probably not a name you recognize. He was a Macedonian, a local, who decided to show the Persian leadership a little side path that bypassed the blocked pass, allowing Xerxes to flank the Spartans, attack them from behind, and destroy them.

To put this story in American terms, Ephialtes wasn’t exactly about baseball, motherhood, and apple pie. We instinctively react viscerally against such betrayal.

As it turns out, the Persians were eventually repulsed in a sea battle, and Xerxes headed back to his palace with his tail between his legs. (Side note: we think this is when he went looking for Esther, perhaps to console himself.) Within decades, Greece became the new empire.

There are other famous traitors. Brutus (“Et tu, Brute?!”), Judas Iscariot, Benedict Arnold, Mata Hari, Vidkun Quisling, Tokyo Rose, the Rosenbergs, Aldrich Ames.

We expect better.

This mercy, this loyalty, is a characteristic of God. He is faithful to us. All throughout the Old Testament, God characterizes going after other gods as spiritual adultery. We are unfaithful to our heavenly husband every day of the week. And he is always faithful to us.

Lovingkindness. Loyalty. Commitment.

God asks that of us, and he has a right to.

Photo by Biegun Wschodni on Unsplash

Part 4: Walk with God

On Good Demands, Part 2: Do Justly

August 10, 2026 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Part 1: Introduction

The first thing that God says he desires of his people is to do justly, to do justice. That’s the Hebrew word mishpat. This is the decision of a judge. What does a judge do? In the biblical context, the judge would hear the case and then he would ask, “What does the Law say?” Often, in biblical times and in modern, the judge would say, “What would I like the law to be?” And then he would render that decision. That is not “doing justly.”

How is it to be applied here? Most of us are not judges–but we do encounter disputes, and we do see situations where justice is not being done. How can I address this particular dispute in a way that conforms to what the law says? Justice is all about conformity to a standard, measuring up. God says in Proverbs 16.11, “A just weight and balance are the Lord’s; all the weights of the bag are his work.”

A “just” weight.

They used balances in those days. And you put the meat or the grain or whatever over on the left side, and then you took weights–they were usually stones in those days. Now we have those little metal weights that you use in high school physics lab.

You put 100 grams over on the right and the thing you’re weighing doesn’t move up. So you put 50 more and it moves up a little bit, and you put 10 more and it goes too far. And so you take the 10 off and you put 5, and you measure it out. We all know that that system doesn’t work unless the weights are what they claim to be–unless they meet the standard.

And so God says, You need to have a just weight when you say this is a bushel of grain. When you say this is a pound of meat, it better be a pound of meat. It better be accurate. That’s a just weight, conforming to the standard.

God says, I want you to do justly. I want you to obey me. I want you to measure up to the standard. And when I say care for the fatherless and the widow, I want you to do that. I don’t want you to abuse your power. I don’t want you to make a game of the law. I want you to use it to help my people do justice.

“Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor” (Lev 19.15).

“Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the Lord your God” (Lev 24.22).

“Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge” (Dt 24.17).

In the New Testament, James says, Do you want to know what real religion is? It’s to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep yourself unspotted from the world (Jam 1.27). Visit the fatherless and widows. That doesn’t mean drop by, say “Hi, how are you?” Have a cup of tea and then leave.

It means roll up your sleeves and do whatever is necessary to solve that problem. Get involved. Take action on behalf of the fatherless and the widow. Do justice.

That’s probably going to cost you something, at least in time and thought if not money. It’s going to require a commitment. Getting involved.

And that’s the first thing out of God’s mouth in terms of what his heart is for us. Do justice. Do what God says. He condemns governments that use their power to abuse their people (Is 1.23; 10.2; Jer 7.6; 22.3; Ezk 22.7; Zec 7.10; Mal 3.5).

You find yourself in a position of power. You may not think so, but even children are often older siblings. Most adults are parents. You might be a manager, or the owner of a small business. In one way or another, you’re likely in a position of power.

Injustice, by definition, is using that position of power to take advantage of people who don’t have it, who are weak. And God says, do justice.

How seriously should we take this? Well, when Abraham is conversing with God about the fate of Sodom, he says, “Shall not the judge of all the earth do mishpat?” (Gen 18.25).

And shall we not as well?

In his farewell song to Israel, Moses sings, “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: For all his ways are mishpat: A God of truth and without iniquity, Just and right is he” (Dt 32.4).

First thing, do justly.

Photo by Biegun Wschodni on Unsplash

Part 3: Love Mercy | Part 4: Walk with God

On Good Demands, Part 1: Introduction

August 6, 2026 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment in the law, we all know that he went to Deuteronomy 6.4-5. Perhaps you’ve heard why he was asked about that: among the rabbis there was a long discussion about what was the greatest commandment in the law. You can read in the literature of the time that Micah 6.8 is one of the verses that had been nominated for that standing.

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; And what doth the LORD require of thee, But to do justly, and to love mercy, And to walk humbly with thy God?

Christ directed us to the Deuteronomy passage, but this statement in Micah has always been a favorite of the rabbis–and it is, after all, the word of God. I’d like to spend a few posts mining the wealth that is here.

A key to understanding this verse is understanding its larger context in Micah.

Micah writes to the nation of Israel, both the northern and the southern kingdoms. In the last days of the northern kingdom, in the 700s BC, it went into captivity into Assyria; and about 150 years later, the southern kingdom went into captivity as well. Micah is writing during the last days of the northern kingdom before Assyria moves in. And he’s writing to both halves of the nation.

In the early part of the book, he condemns the northern kingdom of Israel for its sin: in chapter 1, for idolatry; Israel had an ongoing problem with idolatry, which God calls spiritual adultery, seeking other gods. In chapter 2, he condemns them for their violence, particularly by the leadership of the country; and in chapter 3, for corruption in government.

On the basis of this, he says that the northern kingdom is going to be punished by this nation of Assyria. But he says that Assyria shouldn’t get a swelled head, because it’s an instrument of God in this case. He’s going to deal with Assyria as well. In chapter 4 he talks about the southern kingdom, Judah, and the fact that it will have a future. But first it’s to be judged by a nation called Babylon (Mic 4.10).

This is a remarkable evidence of inspiration. At this time Babylon was a has-been. Once regionally dominant, it had just been conquered by Assyria and reduced to having no political influence. And Micah says, one day Babylon is going to bring God’s judgment on the southern kingdom of Judah.

In chapter 5 he describes the coming Babylonian king. But for the meantime, in chapter 6, he talks about the judgment that’s coming, even on the southern kingdom. He recalls Balaam’s prophecy of judgment from centuries before (Mic 6.5).

Remember the sins of your fathers, he says, and don’t continue in those sins. Don’t reject God. Don’t turn away from his plan for you.

An indication of how godless this nation was appears in Micah 6.6-7. They respond to God’s gentle plea with what is probably the most blasphemous couple of verses in all of the scripture:

Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

The people of Judah ask the same question that man in rebellion against God has always asked:

What do you want from me?

You want me to kill 10,000 rams? How about if I sacrifice my firstborn son? Will that make you happy?

This is a statement of rebellion and arrogance that is almost without parallel in the scripture.

Normally, when you go to someone who’s a lot bigger than you are, and you talk like that to him, something very bad is going to happen to you.

It is a measure of the goodness and grace and tenderness and love of God that a lightning bolt doesn’t descend from heaven on those rebels and leave them all dying in the dirt. God doesn’t answer them in anger or with violence. He answers them softly, gently.

You don’t have to ask that question, he says. I’ve told you what I want, and it’s nothing like offering your son. (The irony here is marked.)

It’s just three simple things:

do justly
love mercy
walk humbly with me

This is a verse that’s filled with tenderness, with relationship. I think it’s remarkable the tenderness with which God answers this act of blasphemy.

It’s almost as though he realizes that he needs to calm this petulant child down. He lowers his voice, and he speaks softly and gently.

It doesn’t do any good to shout at somebody who’s shouting at you. You let them speak and drain their energy. And then when you speak, you speak quietly and tenderly and measuredly. And you try to restore calmness to that very tense situation.

It’s almost as though that’s what God is doing here.

He says, You don’t have to ask me what I want. You don’t have to attack me by suggesting that I want you to murder your children for me. That’s not the kind of God I am. He says, I’ve shown you what I want.

And he says, They’re good things. Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with thy God. Three very important principles. And they’re not the caricature that you painted in verses 6 and 7. They’re not nutty; they’re not burdensome. They’re things that will bless you, help you, make your life better. I’m not asking you to hurt yourself.

Next time, we’ll begin to delve into these good expectations.

Photo by Biegun Wschodni on Unsplash

Part 2: Do Justly | Part 3: Love Mercy | Part 4: Walk with God

Why Creation Matters, Part 23: Proverbs

May 18, 2026 by Dan Olinger 2 Comments

The theme of the Book of Proverbs is wisdom. We should expect, then, that if and when the author—mostly Solomon—speaks of creation, he would do so to reinforce his theme of wisdom. And indeed he does.

¹⁹The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; By understanding hath he established the heavens. ²⁰By his knowledge the depths are broken up, And the clouds drop down the dew (Prov 3).

Early in the collection he makes his primary point: the One who created the universe did so by his wisdom, which includes, as we’ve noted earlier, intelligence, or the ability to think; knowledge, or facts to process intelligently; and practical application of that knowledge to useful ends.

How does he know that? Well, it’s obvious: the cosmos clearly demonstrates the wisdom of whoever made it. The intradependence, and interdependence, of biomes, including symbiotic relationships, makes his wisdom obvious.

And by the way—in a symbiotic relationship, which organism evolved first? The flagellate, or the termite? The bee, or the flower? The whale, or the barnacle? Think on these things.

I suspect that’s why, after nearly a century of unanimous indoctrination about random evolution in public schools, the majority still don’t believe it. They believe that their eyes are in fact not lyin’.

A few chapters later Solomon expands on this theme. In chapter 8 he develops at some length a personification of wisdom. In the middle of that development he speaks of wisdom as present even before God created the cosmos (Pro 8.22-26) and as he did so (Pro 8.27-29), and then rejoicing over the completed project (Pro 8.30-31).

Throughout the passage he cites evidences of wisdom in both the planning and the execution:

Seas and springs (Pro 8.24);

Mountains and hills (Pro 8.25);

Dirt and dust (Pro 8.26);

Sky and sea (Pro 8.27);

Clouds and currents (Pro 8.28); and

Stability of both sea and land (Pro 8.29).

The Creator has done all things wisely and well.

I suppose this evidence of wisdom is the greatest obstacle to denying Creation. Wisdom speaks of intelligent design, and evidences of that design all around us speak to us in ways that we suppress only with effort—with dogged insistence (Ro 1.20).

Sometimes you just have to acknowledge the obvious.

Next time, a wrap-up.

Part 24: Summary

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

Why Creation Matters, Part 22: Psalms 6

May 14, 2026 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Psalm 104 is the lengthiest discussion of Creation outside Genesis. But while the Genesis account is historical narrative, the Psalm is a poetic celebration.

The Psalmist begins with his application: we should bless the Lord. (Starting a speech with your conclusion, before presenting any argument or development, is called “inductive” speaking. It can make for a very powerful presentation.) He’ll support his contention throughout the psalm, but he puts the conclusion right up front. Worship, glorification, is serious business.

And why should we bless the Lord?

Because he is great. And not just great, but “very” great. Exceedingly. Mightily. Great with muchness.

This is not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill greatness. This is greatness that makes all the other greatnesses of time and space look relatively insignificant; specifically, he is “clothed with honor and majesty.”

Clothed. And for God, these are not dress-up clothes, dressed to impress at some social event by appearing more together than he actually is. Glory and honor are his everyday clothes; they are a natural expression of who he is and what he’s about.

And how do we know that? Well, we look at what he has done. And so follows a poetic celebration of the creation of the cosmos.

He manipulates light (Ps 104.2). We’re just surrounded by light, and we do the best we can to minimize its effects, when we need to, with parasols and SPF. But He spoke it into existence, and it does his bidding.
He has created the atmospheric forces (Ps 104.3)—and while he’s at it, the other “winds”—spirits—as well (Ps 104.4). (You may recall that “wind,” “breath” and “spirit” are all the same word in Hebrew.) They all do his bidding, even though to us they’re invisible.
He has created the solid ground (Ps 104.5)—which is so solid that Jesus later compared “impossible” prayer requests to moving mountains (Mt 21.21).
He has created the seas and told them where they may go (Ps 104.6-9; cf Job 38.8-11).
Speaking of water, he has created springs, which refresh animals (Ps 104.10-12) and rain, which nourishes the plants (Ps 104.13-16).
He provides shelter for wild animals (Ps 104.17-18).
He has created heavenly lights that guide creatures as to both time and place (Ps 104.19-23).

And here the Psalmist pauses for an outburst of praise (Ps 104.24). The variety of works that he has just enumerated demonstrate that God is not only very great; they show as well that he is both wise and generous. He’s good and kind.

And then he returns to his list for one more observation.

God has created sea creatures (Ps 104.25-30) and graciously provides for their sustenance—and determines when they die.

Wow.

What is the appropriate response to all this?

Creation declares the glory, power, and wisdom of the Creator (Ps 104.31-32).

And so, I will praise him while I have breath (Ps 104.33). And that meditation on his works and praise for them will bring joy and gladness to my heart (Ps 104.34).

Why? Because that’s what I was made to do (1Co 10.31).

You can choose a different path, if you want. But if you ignore your source and purpose, you will not prosper (Ps 104.35)—just as you can’t expect to ignore the oil warning light in your car and then gripe when the engine freezes up on you.

The Psalmist concludes with his opening—“bless the Lord”—making the psalm an extended inclusio (Ps 104.35).

Hallelujah! (Ps 104.35).

Do you see how much we miss when we dismiss the biblical narrative of Creation, either by denying it or by failing to meditate on it?

We miss the aesthetic; we miss the joy; and consequently, we miss our very purpose for living.

Next time we’ll consider what the book of Proverbs contributes to Creation Theology, and then one more post, Lord willing, will tie it all up.

Part 23: Proverbs | Part 24: Summary

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Why Creation Matters, Part 21: Psalms 5

May 11, 2026 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Psalm 148 begins with a command to praise the Lord (Heb haleluyah; Ps 148.1a) and where to do it (Ps 148.1b). Then begins a list of persons and things that the Psalmist intends to include in the command: namely, who and what should praise the Lord. The list is impressive:

angels and hosts (Ps 148.2)

sun, moon, and stars (Ps 148.3)

heavens and atmospheric waters (Ps 148.4)

Now, what do all these things have in common? The Psalmist tells us:

For he commanded, and they were created. ⁶He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: He hath made a decree which shall not pass (Ps 148.5-6).

People and things that God has created should praise him.

But this list is not exhaustive, is it? There are no humans on it, or animals of any kind.

Why not them?

Oh, give him time; he’s just getting started.

Now comes another list, what we might call Part 2 of the inventory. It includes

sea creatures (Ps 148.7)

atmospheric phenomena (Ps 148.8)

topography (Ps 148.9a)

trees (Ps 148.9b)

land animals, both wild and domesticated (Ps 148.10a)

reptiles and birds (Ps 148.10b)

humans of every political class (Ps 148.11)

… and of every age and sex (Ps 148.12)

That last verse appears in the hymn “Praise Ye the Triune God”: “Young men and maidens, ye old men and children.”

Those lists include just about everybody and everything, don’t they? At least from an earthly perspective, without the help of Voyager probes and hifalutin space telescopes.

He ends the Psalm with a justification: why should all creation praise the Lord?

¹³Let them praise the name of the Lord: For his name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven. ¹⁴He also exalteth the horn of his people, The praise of all his saints; Even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him.

He’s not focusing on just one reason here; he has a litany.

Creation demonstrates the Creator’s uniqueness (Ps 148.13a). The word excellent speaks of altitude—the Creator is “very high,” at the very top of the list. There is no one who holds a close second place.

He is glorious (Ps 148.13b). This is a different Hebrew word from what we saw in the previous post, but it means the same thing: weight, heft, value.

He gives power to his people (Ps 148.14a). The word horn here refers to an animal horn, not so much the musical instrument—though of course ancient peoples did make musical instruments out of animal horns. The animal’s horn speaks of his power in combat.

He holds his people in relationship; they are “near unto him” (Ps 148.14b). He is a God of immanence as well as transcendence. And given the vastness of his Creation, that should strike us as surprising. “What is man, that thou are mindful of him?” (Ps 8.4).

Praise is the least we can render to such a Creator.

There’s a reason why a walk in the woods is good for the soul.

Part 22: Psalms 6 | Part 23: Proverbs | Part 24: Summary

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Why Creation Matters, Part 20: Psalms 4

May 7, 2026 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

One Psalm derives from Creation that God is wise:

⁵To him that by wisdom made the heavens: For his mercy endureth for ever. ⁶To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: For his mercy endureth for ever. ⁷To him that made great lights: For his mercy endureth for ever: ⁸The sun to rule by day: For his mercy endureth for ever: ⁹The moon and stars to rule by night: For his mercy endureth for ever (Ps 136).

This Psalm is an antiphonal hymn, with each verse including the refrain “For his mercy endureth for ever.” To our Western tastes this seems boring and distracting, but that’s because we don’t understand what’s going on here. Musicians will understand what “antiphonal” means: the leader reads or sings the first statement in the verse, and the chorus or audience repeats the refrain each time. This does two things: it cements the refrain in the minds of all who hear, and it allows them to hear plainly the “verses,” which specify the multiple ways the refrain is demonstrated. Thus it feels choppy to us, occasionally dividing sentences right the middle. It’s not intended to flow smoothly, like a Byron poem; it’s intended to challenge and convince the mind.

Let me take a moment, then, to develop the main idea in the Psalm before I develop the main idea of this post.

I’ve written before on the Hebrew word hesed, which is the “mercy” repeated in the refrain. It’s best captured, I think, as “steadfast loving loyalty.” The Big Idea, then, is that God has a loving relationship with his people and he will be unfailingly loyal to it. Every one of the 26 verses in this Psalm gives evidence of that fact.

It is a pleasure and a privilege to know and walk daily with such a person.

But we’ve come to this Psalm because of specific point the psalmist makes in verses 5-9. He cites God’s creative work—heaven, earth, the sun, the moon—as being products and therefore evidences of his wisdom.

What’s wisdom? It’s not simply intelligence, although it does include that. In Hebrew the word emphasizes the practical: wisdom is the ability to get things done. It’s close to what we call “common sense,” though it isn’t all that common.

The idea here is that God executed his purposes perfectly, flawlessly. The heavens and the earth and the sun and the moon are, and function, precisely as he intended them to, and thus as they should.

We sometimes come across people who seem to do everything right: perhaps an extremely well-disciplined musician or athlete. They execute well because they are diligent to practice and practice and practice and practice. And there’s always the possibility that they might miss a note, or a line drive.

God’s not like that. He executes perfectly because that’s who he is. He knows how to get things done, and right, every time. The cosmos is evidence of that.

And in the context of this Psalm, it’s evidence as well of his unfailing loyalty to his commitments.

I’ll note that the theme of wisdom is developed deftly, and much more thoroughly, in the book of Proverbs. We’ll get there in a bit.

But first, we need to look at one more theme, and then one more Psalm, one that’s completely given to a consideration of creation.

Two more posts on the Psalms, then one on Proverbs, and then we’re done.

Part 21  Psalms 5 | Part 22: Psalms 6 | Part 23: Proverbs | Part 24: Summary

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

Why Creation Matters, Part 19: Psalms 3

May 4, 2026 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Two Psalms, both well known, speak of Creation as revealing the glory of God.

Psalm 8 

Psalm 8 begins and ends with a refrain: “O LORD our Lord, how excellent [majestic, glorious] is thy name in all the earth!” The first refrain adds, “Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” In comparison with those heavens, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” (Ps 8.4).

There’s a lot more going on in this Psalm than just this; it repeats the Dominion Mandate from Genesis 1.26-28, and it has Messianic implications as well. But for our purposes, we’ll focus on Creation’s role as a display of the glory of God: his power, his dominion, his greatness.

Those who suppress their recognition of the Creator (Ro 1.18-20) are denied this avenue of worship.

Does the suppression empower the denial, or does the denial empower the suppression?

Good question.

Psalm 19.1-6

¹The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth his handywork. ²Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night sheweth knowledge.

These two verses demonstrate the theme, but of course the thought continues for 4 more verses, which emphasize the global reach of this display of glory, with a special emphasis on the dominant feature of the heavens, the sun, which appears, as David’s simile so artfully paints it, “as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber” (Ps 19.5).

We now know that David’s perspective, 10 centuries before Christ, was but a drop in the cosmic bucket. In the daytime, he had no idea how far the sun was radiating its heat, so far away that the light he was seeing was 8 minutes in the past. He didn’t know how large or hot it was. He was blind to the frequent solar prominences that briefly exceed the size of the earth. At night, even with the advantage of deliverance from light pollution, he could see perhaps a thousand stars, and all of them confined to a single galaxy.

Galaxy? What’s that? He didn’t know that we’re part of a galaxy, the Milky Way. (The Greek word galaxias means “milky.”) He certainly didn’t know that there are more galaxies, millions of them, gathered in clusters, for as far as the very best of our telescopes can see, 50 billion light years in every direction—and that’s not the end of it. He didn’t know about the planets, or their rings, or the asteroid belt, or the heliosphere, or the Oort cloud, or the boundary out there where the molecules are unbelievably hot but feel cold because they’re so far apart.

He didn’t know any of that.

But he was still awed simply by what he could see with his unaided eyes. The Psalm makes it clear that just the sun and visible stars were enough to bring him to his knees.

The Psalm considers the heavens for just 6 verses. The 8 remaining verses turn our attention to a more reliable revelation of God’s glory, the Scripture. The words David uses for it (law, testimony, statutes, commandment, judgments) make it clear that he has in mind the Torah, the 5 books of Moses; that and Joshua may have been all he had access to, besides the songs he was writing.

It speaks volumes that he turns with such focus, respect, and delight to some 500-year-old writings after being so deeply moved by what he has seen in the heavens. We realize that that’s what the heavens should do; they should turn us to the words of the One who made them.

There’s more in the Psalms. Next time.

Part 20: Psalms 4 | Part 21  Psalms 5 | Part 22: Psalms 6 | Part 23: Proverbs | Part 24: Summary

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Why Creation Matters, Part 18: Psalms 2

April 30, 2026 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Psalm 90.2

Another theme developed in the Psalms, based on Creation, is the concept of eternality. In the only Psalm designated as written by Moses, he writes,

²Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God (Ps 90).

The logic is simple. If the cosmos is created, then the Creator must have existed before his act of creation. It’s not a great leap of logic from there to eternity past; anyone who could create such a cosmos was likely not new at it.

Those who deny theistic creation have wrestled with the question of precedence. A century ago a scientist proposed an “oscillating universe” theory, which would have the universe expanding and collapsing in a possibly infinite series of cycles, but mainstream cosmology rejected it for the currently popular “Big Bang” model (though I’ve seen some indications lately that the cyclic model might be making a comeback).

So what was there before the Big Bang? In his work A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes, Stephen Hawking argued that at the moment of singularity, all laws of physics were rendered inoperative, with the result that we have no tools with which to investigate what preceded. So we don’t know, and we can’t know.

In the biblical narrative, we can know, and we do know, though the details are limited. God did exist before the creation of the world, and he was doing things: specifically, the Father and the Son were in a loving relationship (Jn 17.24); the Father was foreordaining the Son to redeem humans with his own blood (1P 1.20)—which necessitates the foreordination of the incarnation; and God engaged in the work of election (Ep 1.4). Undoubtedly there’s more—a lot more—but it remains a mystery to us, at least for now.

Psalm 102.25-27

The Mosaic passage does not confine God’s existence to eternity past; he specifies God’s eternal future as well: “from everlasting to everlasting.” An anonymous Psalmist adds to that testimony:

²⁵Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: And the heavens are the work of thy hands. ²⁶They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: ²⁷But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end (Ps 102).

Here the writer contrasts God’s eternality to the mortality of creation: “They shall perish, but thou shalt endure.” We are foolish to place our hope or our confidence in material things—including other humans—because they are all temporary. Gold, silver, real estate, political leaders (especially political leaders!), friends, lovers—they will all pass away.

But the Creator will not. As we’ve noted earlier, the author of Hebrews cites this passage and applies it specifically to the Son, demonstrating that he is infinitely superior to the angels (He 1.10-12). I also note that here in the Psalms, the author makes an application that the author of Hebrews chooses not to:

²⁸The children of thy servants shall continue, And their seed shall be established before thee.

The fact that God is eternal has personal ramifications for us. For as long as the present earth endures, God’s people will reproduce, their heritage will continue, and their God will know them.

God’s eternality enables his faithfulness.

Those who deny creation have no such assurance, no such hope.

Creation indeed matters.

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

Why Creation Matters, Part 17: Psalms 1

April 27, 2026 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

This post isn’t about Psalm 1; if it were, “Psalms 1” would be a barbarism. Rather it is one of several posts on the Psalms—”Psalms, Episode 1,” if you will.

The book of Psalms contains the largest collection of creation theology in the Scripture, even more that we should expect proportionally from the longest book in the Bible. By my count, there are 16 references, appearing in all but one of the collection’s 5 “books,” with Book 5, Psalms 107-150, being the most densely populated.

As we might expect from the relatively high numbers, these references develop several applicational themes. I’d like to take a few posts to cover them.

Deliverance

The most obvious deduction about the Creator, I think, is his power, evident from the vastness of the heavens and the obvious power of earthly forces. It would make sense for God’s people, then, to call on his power for their protection and deliverance:

¹⁶The day is thine, the night also is thine: Thou hast prepared the light and the sun. ¹⁷Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: Thou hast made summer and winter. … ¹⁹O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: Forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever (Ps 74).

¹¹The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: As for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. ¹²The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon [significant mountains] shall rejoice in thy name. ¹³Thou hast a mighty arm: Strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. ¹⁴Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: Mercy and truth shall go before thy face. ¹⁵Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance (Ps 89).

²My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth (Ps 121).

⁵Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God: ⁶Which made heaven, and earth, The sea, and all that therein is: Which keepeth truth for ever: ⁷Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: Which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners: ⁸The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: The Lord loveth the righteous: (Ps 146).

Blessing

A second, related theme is that of blessing, which I suppose we could consider the positive side of deliverance, or perhaps an extension of it:

¹²The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. ¹³He will bless them that fear the Lord, Both small and great. ¹⁴The Lord shall increase you more and more, You and your children. ¹⁵Ye are blessed of the Lord Which made heaven and earth (Ps 115).

¹Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, Which by night stand in the house of the Lord. ²Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the Lord.³The Lord that made heaven and earth Bless thee out of Zion (Ps 134).

I note that this last passage speaks of reciprocity: we bless him, and he blesses us. This is not to say that we bless him in order to evoke his blessing, or that he blesses us because we bless him; this isn’t about back-scratching. But it does demonstrate that the Creator and his people are in relationship; they love and communicate with and respond to one another.

Our consideration of the creation should affect us in these ways as well. We should be convinced of his power to deliver and to bless, and we should seek and respond to him in appropriate ways.

Next time: Psalms 2, which will not be about Psalm 2.

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash