Photo and Commentary ©2023 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
When was the last time you took a stroll into a forest? For me, it was just a few days ago. We are lucky enough to have a designated forest managed by the University of Washington, basically across the street from our house. It’s 160 acres of land that isn’t being developed but is being studied. There are no motorized vehicles allowed on the trails, so you are only competing with horses, bicycles, or other strollers. On most days, a person could walk a few miles without seeing another person. It’s magical.
This last trip, I took our dog for a leisurely walk along the main trail. As most dogs do (ours included) he caught the scent of another animal and pulled on the leash to venture down a smaller path. I followed. I had been on this specific path before but didn’t complain as it’s one of my favorites. As you can see from the image, looking skyward, you feel dwarfed with the view of these amazingly tall Douglas firs. Stretching so high, you almost lose sight of the top. Hundreds of its friends are close by. It’s quite a sight.
David, a man after God’s heart, spoke a few times of trees. In this verse (1 Chronicles 16:33 NIV), David has just sacrificed burnt offerings before the Ark. He then appointed some Levites to “minster before the ark of the Lord, to extol, thank and praise the Lord, the God of Israel.”
“Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth.”
Let’s unpack this a bit. First, take the time to read a few verses prior, as David calls out more than the trees – he talks about the sea, the heavens, and the fields to be jubilant and rejoice. Second, David asks for the ‘trees of the forest to sing.’ What would that sound like? Imagine looking up at this gigantic tree and the entire forest starts to “sing” for God. What a marvelous thought. Lastly, David wants all these things (sea, fields, trees, etc.) to sing and praise God – for what? Judgment. The Lord comes to judge the earth. Some might think that’s a bad thing. Usually after judgement, there is a punishment. Is that good or bad? Depends on which side you are on, correct? David knows which side he is on. He sees the judgement of our God as a good thing. We should as well.
If you are willing, I encourage you to do two things this week (or next):
1. Find time to sit underneath a tree or lose yourself in a forest, for a while.
2. Contemplate “God comes to judge the earth” and determine what that means to you.