{"id":81184,"date":"2020-10-08T14:53:19","date_gmt":"2020-10-08T11:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=81184"},"modified":"2020-10-08T14:53:19","modified_gmt":"2020-10-08T11:53:19","slug":"was-creation-an-accident","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/was-creation-an-accident\/","title":{"rendered":"Was Creation An Accident?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"81184","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":34243,"related_cahpter":"586","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"No incomplete, random, purposelessness here!\r\n\r\n","content":"

Our psalm opens with a lyrical description of nature\u2019s praise to God: \u201cThe heavens declare the glory of God and the sky proclaims His handiwork. Day to day makes utterance, night to night speaks out\u201d (2-3). Malbim, typically, went further, explaining how we can tell that God\u2019s creation was deliberate and not the result of some natural accident.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are three ways to verify whether something was deliberate and not accidental. (A) on account of repetition, because an accident occurs only rarely; (B) on account of perfection, because an accident is neither complete nor exact, and (C) on account of purpose, because an accident is random and purposeless. Here, [the psalmist] explains how God\u2019s glory is established by creation on account of repetition, because this narrative is constant: \u201cDay in and day out it recounts [His} words.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

God\u2019s deeds are visible to man by day when they extol His might, and by night, a time of stillness when all of nature puts her hand over her mouth, it is a time of contemplation when people reflect on what they have seen and heard by day and from that they derive a knowledge of God. And just as each day ushers in a novel divine expression that repeats itself daily, each night reveals a new facet of His deeds for their contemplation. It was also his intent to indicate that the days and nights are consecutive. Day and night are contiguous and revolve constantly about the globe so that at all times the outgoing day peaks to the incoming one replacing it to the effect that this repetition is enduring and constantly increasing.<\/span><\/p>\n

After describing how nature celebrates \u201cthe glory of God\u201d and proclaims \u201cHis handiwork,\u201d the psalmist waxes eloquent in praise of the Torah:<\/span><\/p>\n

The teaching of the Lord is perfect, renewing life; the decrees of the Lord are enduring, making the simple wise (8). The precepts of the Lord are just, rejoicing the heart; the instruction of the Lord is lucid, making the eyes light up (9). The fear of the Lord is pure, abiding forever; the judgments of the Lord are true, righteous altogether. (10) More desirable than gold, than much fine gold; sweeter than honey, than drippings of the comb. (11)<\/span><\/p>\n

Note the transition in v. 11 from spiritual benefits (perfect, enduring, just, lucid, etc.) to physical ones (gold, fine gold, honey, etc.). The psalmist\u2019s opinion favoring the abstract benefits of the Law over its concrete ones may be deduced from the 3:1 ratio in their favor. We might also add that in concluding: \u201cYour servant pays them heed; in obeying them there is much reward\u201d (12), the psalmist engages in considerable understatement.<\/span><\/p>\n

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