The Forever Word

An unnamed psalmist (possibly David?) gave us Psalm 119, the great poem of admiration for the word of God.  Among the 176 statements counseling us to honor the word, is verse 89: “Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.”  This is literally true.  The heavens we can see were established (“fixed”) by God speaking His word, and making it so.  In scripture, “heaven” or “heavens” in both Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek, is just like our usage in English.  The “heavens” can refer to the atmosphere, or to the astronomical realm of sun, moon and stars, or to the abode of God.  We learn from Genesis 1 that the aspects we can see came into existence by the word of God:   “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (v1) The atmosphere on the second day: “And God said, ‘Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters…’ And it was so.” (v6-7) The heavenly bodies on the fourth day: “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens… And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years…’ And it was so.” (v14-15) The sky was populated on the fifth day: “And God said… ‘Let the birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.’ ” (v20) God speaks His word, and it is.  All creation proclaims this—and in particular the heavens proclaim it. The prophet Jeremiah emphasizes the “forever” aspect declared by the psalmist: “Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night…” (31:35) “Thus says the LORD: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth…” (33:25) The two writers are agreed: God’s word is firmly, eternally fixed in the heavens. But I haven’t quoted all of what Jeremiah has to say in those two passages.  There’s a critical point God is making through His prophet: Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night… “If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” (Jer 31:35-36) Thus says the LORD: “If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.” (Jer 33:25-26) We are supposed to consider the permanence of the heavens as a reminder of the permanence of the covenant God made through Abraham and through David.