" H E A R, O E A R T H ! "

The Mood of the Earth

Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted (Isaiah 49:13).

Can the heavens sing? Does the earth have the capacity to rejoice or be sad?  In other words, does the earth have emotions?  Can the mountains sing? Or what does the verse mean?

Psalm 19 states that “The heavens declare the glory of God.” How? And that “The firmament sheweth his handiwork”; that even day and night do utter a speech, and have a language and a voice (vv. 1-3).  How do the heavens declare?  How does day or night utter speech?  What is their language?  What do they say?

Psalm 50:6: “And the heavens shall declare his righteousness.” How?  Can they also, in the converse, release an 'air' of or  'declare' unrighteousness?  Does this explain why in some places there is an 'open heaven’ whereas in other places there is a 'stiffness’ in the atmosphere? or in fact, the heavens even seem to provide a conducive atmosphere for unrighteousness to thrive? Or what does this mean? Isaiah 24:4 says, “The earth mourneth.” How?  What is the meaning of this ascription of human attributes to the earth and the heavens?

Have you ever looked upon a scene and it filled you with a certain eeriness or awe or joy or sorrow or emotion?  Maybe it was a peaceful landscape, and it seemed to exude tranquillity upon your soul; or it was a seascape with the setting golden sun and white sea birds with their wings spread full, and it filled your soul with joy or peace etc? or it was the picture of a divastated village which filled you with pity? or the picture of a lonely dreary forest, which filled you with fear, or gave you an eerie feeling etc?  That was the earth or sky ‘saying’ something.  Sometimes people try to take photographs of such scenes to capture or ‘record’ their ‘message.’  The first time I travelled in a plane and noticed the formation of the clouds, I praised God.  I heard it told of a man who prostrated in worship before God the first time he saw the ocean and its great waves. Nature was preaching a message in all those instances, which was perceived by the spirit of men as joy, peace, fear, etc.

The heavens can radiate an atmosphere of joy such that the sight of the sky or skyline or photographs of it fill you with joy; whereas in some places if you looked up, the sight of the sky would usually fill you with grief, because the heavens are sad, or are exuding sadness.  Also, you get to some lands and merely stepping down fills you with dread.  Even the pictures of such lands also radiate the same uncomfortable mood.  But you get to other lands and you want to take photographs of everything: every palm-tree, every stream, every flower, because they just radiate God’s goodness.

When a particular land and the space of heaven over it have been delivered, you would get into the woods and feel like singing; you would look up to the heavens and feel like shouting “Hallelujah!”  Everything would be declaring the goodness of the Lord.  In this way also the earth and the heavens 'speak,’ and we understand their speech.

What would you think is the meaning of this passage: “Let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bring salvation” (Isaiah 45:8)?  Can the sky release righteousness?  Does the earth withhold salvation?  It makes one point: they have a part to play in our spiritual circumstances.

What mood does your land radiate?  and the heaven above it? It may need being delivered and being preached unto, to “Hear, O earth, and give ear, O heavens,” and to begin to work on God’s side.  Amen.