On Wednesday in our Bible study, we were looking at the Biblical teaching of Creation, and found our way to Psalm 96.  I expanded briefly on one aspect of the topic of Creation and used that as a jumping off point to throw in a few other thoughts. 🙂

Psalm 96

1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

We were looking at the Biblical teaching that God created the world, and indeed the universe, to declare His glory, as we see many places in Scripture.

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

As we look at Psalm 96, and see that all things are for the glory of God, we see the heavens being told to rejoice, and the sea to roar, the fields to be joyful, because of the Lord.  But in verse 10, we see the Lord saying that He has established the world so that it shall not be moved.

It’s Only Logical — God Preserves His Creation

The point of Psalm 96:10 is not to say that the world is not rotating around the sun.  The point is that God has decreed that the world shall continue.  He preserves what He has made.

This is obvious, when you think about it.  If the purpose of creation is to show God’s glory, and showing God’s glory continues to be something that is good to do, He will preserve it in a way that it will continue to show His glory unless / until He makes something better in its place.  It is only logical that if He started to declare His glory in His Creation, He will not allow that work to be destroyed.  So we are not surprised to see this:

Nehemiah 9:6

Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

It’s Only Logical — God Preserves His Word

God has given His Word for many purposes.  Among those is to bring spiritual life to those who are lost, and to sanctify those who have been saved.

I Peter 1:23

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

John 17:17  

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

As long as there are people who need to be born again, and believers who need to be sanctified, it is only logical that God would preserve His Word so that it will continue to accomplish those purposes.  So we are not surprised to see this:

I Peter 1:25  

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

It’s Only Logical — God Preserves His People

We have been saved for a purpose — that we might be to the praise of His glory (much like God’s work of Creation), that our lives should bring praise and honour and glory to Him.

Ephesians 1:12

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

I Peter 1:7  

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

If it is good for believers to show forth God’s glory, and He has saved them for that purpose, it is only logical that He will preserve them in their salvation for as long as they are able to show forth His glory.  Since Revelation tells us that believers will praise His glory in Heaven, it appears we’ll be able to show forth His glory for a very, very long time (if we can even talk of eternity that way)!  So we are not surprised to see this:

Philippians 1:6  

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

When God starts something…

…He finishes it.

Whether it be creating, giving us His Word, or giving us salvation and eternal life, the God who begins a work will carry it through to the end.  He will not be defeated or hindered, nor will His works be allowed to fail.  So we are not surprised to see this:

Isaiah 46:9-10

9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: