Shout for joy, you heavens;
rejoice, you earth;
burst into song, you mountains!
For the Lord comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
Isaiah 49:13 NIV
Burst Into Song
Most genres of music have their known instruments that are played to accompany a song. The principal instrument for Canadian folk music is known to be the fiddle. The first record of a fiddle in Canada is in 1645 at a wedding in Quebec on the 27th of November. After this account it seems that reports of fiddles are rare for the next 100 years. However, despite this hiatus in reports, the fiddle remains a well-known instrument among folk musicians and music.
***
We know that inanimate objects don’t have a soul, or vocal cords, or emotions. The heavens don’t shout, the earth doesn’t rejoice, and mountains can’t sing. But the Bible says that there is something that would cause them to do so, if they could. What could possibly be so wonderful that this would all take place? Isaiah 49:13 tells us: “Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.” What causes all of God’s creation to praise is His deep compassion for those of us whose souls have been afflicted with sin. Isaiah had seen the destruction that sin and rebellion had brought on men and women. Through it all, God’s deep compassion for those who have had to deal with the guilt, shame, lack of identity and hopelessness that life without Jesus has brought. God’s love is never in doubt. There is no greater news than this. If the heavens, the earth, the mountains, could sing songs of praise for God’s compassion, they would. Those of us who have experienced Jesus’ grace need to be the ones giving the praise.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley