{"id":88339,"date":"2021-02-06T07:18:39","date_gmt":"2021-02-06T05:18:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=88339"},"modified":"2021-02-06T07:19:33","modified_gmt":"2021-02-06T05:19:33","slug":"points-to-ponder-psalm-104","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/points-to-ponder-psalm-104\/","title":{"rendered":"Points to Ponder – Psalm 104"},"content":{"rendered":"
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  1. Where\u2019s Waldo<\/em>? You almost need a magnifying glass to find the human being within the glorious description of the natural world in this psalm. We don\u2019t appear at the beginning (the first animal to appear is the wild ass). We\u2019re not in the middle. We are not hovering above. We are a part of this wondrous ecosystem that the psalm describes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Alternatives<\/em>. The two creation stories that we met at the beginning of our collective journey, back in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2&3, told a bit about what went on behind the scenes of the world, and about the values on which it all stands. What is the place of the human being in the world? What is their relationship to the rest of the creatures? What compels them: joy or sadness? Harmony or conflict? Psalm 104 suggests its own answers to the big questions. See, for example the attitude to death in verses 29-30.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Beauty is joy<\/em>. The psalm begins with \u201cBless O my soul!\u201d and ends with \u201cBless O my soul!\u201d The blessing stems from joy, the joy of living. It\u2019s not only nature that is wonderful. Even working the land \u201cto bring forth bread from the earth\u201d (14) is done in joy, and along with the bread, wine and oil are served. And of course, \u201cwine that cheers the hearts of men, oil that makes the face shine\u201d (15). And as verse\u00a0 34 states: \u201cI will rejoice in the LORD.\u201d Only verse 35 reminds us that there is also evil in the world. But it\u2019s only a detail.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Water, water everywhere.<\/em> There\u2019s a lot of water in the psalm. The act of creation is the arrangement of waters, and giving them boundaries. Water is the key to the ecology of the world, and the playground of great creatures: \u201cLeviathan that You formed to sport with.\u201d Without water, there is no life. But, whoever is familiar with the creation myths of the surrounding cultures, knows that there is an additional message to God\u2019s dealing with the waters here. If God wages war against the waters, or plays with them, is all the difference between optimism and pessimism in relation to life. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","image":{"ID":86314,"id":86314,"title":"Points to ponder","filename":"Points-to-ponder.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/points-to-ponder-psalm-84\/points-to-ponder\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"points-to-ponder","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":86166,"date":"2021-01-09 20:56:58","modified":"2023-12-28 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