“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.”
There are moments when we are reminded of the grandeur of the created world.
I was skiing with a group of friends in Colorado, enjoying the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. From where I stood, I could not see the top of the mountain we were on. Already, I was out of breath. The lodge where we were staying was almost 10,000 feet above sea level, and still the summit was out of view. We joked that we would “conquer the mountain”, but that was just a saying. The best we could hope for was to enjoy ourselves and not get injured!
When David looked up the mountain and saw Jerusalem at it’s peak, he had a similar reminder of the greatness and grandeur of the created world. We simply dwell within the world; we are part of the created order. We can enjoy it, experience it, marvel at it, have dominion over it, but we do not own it. Only the one who created the world can truly be it’s owner; only the creator can truly “conquer” it.
The earth and all that it contains are the LORD’s, said David. Why does he have that right? Because he alone has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers. David’s attention turns from the created world to the one who created it. It is as if he wants us to remember, “If you are amazed at the things that are created, imagine how much more amazing the creator must be!”
Do we marvel at the beauty and the magnitude of the created order? Do we take pause when we stand at the rim of the Grand Canyon or the base of a mountain or the edge of the ocean? We should! And when we do, we should be reminded that all of it, (including ourselves), belongs to God.