There are two sides to court cases — the defense and the prosecution. One side (the prosecution) represents the victim(s) of a crime, and the other (the defense) represents the alleged perpetrator of that crime.
In court cases, a verdict of guilty will elicit very different responses depending on which of those sides one falls. For the defense, a guilty verdict will almost certainly result in some (or all) of the following feelings: sadness, anger, regret, defiance, and maybe a sense of injustice. But for those represented by the prosecution — people who lost something or someone due to the actions of the defendant — the result is typically more along the lines of: joy, relief, thankfulness, vindication, and a sense of justice.
At the announcement of a guilty verdict, it’s common to see the defendant either drop their head in their hands in despair, or stare blankly in shock and resignation. While at the same time, the family of the victim(s) will often shout or cheer in celebration and/or cry joyfully (albeit still sorrowfully) in a sense of relief.
One verdict, but based on whether perpetrator or victim, two very different responses.
Now with that in mind, take a moment to read the following psalm.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn —
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
Psalm 98 (NIV)
.
As followers of Jesus, we tend to have a pretty well-refined view of the present and future vindication of humans because of the victory of Jesus over death, but many Christians still don’t understand the vindication that is to come for creation as well! And this passage in Psalm 98 is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful and moving pictures of it.
You see, it is commonly believed in the Christian world that in the end God is going to steal away the souls of faithful believers to an eternal, disembodied spiritual existence, while destroying the physical world and universe in an all-consuming fire (but this is not the case).
But this passage is just another example of the contrary! Not only does the psalmist admonish all the world’s righteous to rejoice in their good King and his judgement, but he also (in poetic fashion) admonishes the earth itself to do the same!
Again, here are verses 7-9a:
“Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.”
“The sea” and “everything in it” should resound.
“The world” and “all who live in it” should do likewise.
“The rivers” should clap their hands and “the mountains” should sing together for joy.
Why?
Because the Lord is coming to judge!
Now if creation is to be joyful and celebrate as a result of God’s judgement, what category does that put it in? Victim or perpetrator? Wrongdoer or one that has been wronged? One that awaits punishment or one that awaits vindication?
This passage is clear, the earth — and all of creation — joyfully anticipates God’s righteous judgement which will bring about vindication and relief! Justice at last! (This message is elsewhere in scripture, as well, like in Romans 8: 18-25)
My friends creation is good — God made it so. And it doesn’t joyfully await its destruction (nothing healthy ever does, after all), it joyfully anticipates its full restoration and the healing that will come at the right hand of its good King.
God isn’t just going to save His people, He is saving the entire world. And, even though you may not realize it….the world is just as excited as we are.
Yours in joyful anticipation,
Alex