“You’re the one,
God, you alone;
You made the heavens,
the heavens of heavens, and all angels;
The earth and everything on it,
the seas and everything in them;
You keep them all alive;
heaven’s angels worship you!”
Nehemiah 9:6 MSG
Last time we saw a few new Levite names and their meanings, watching as they encouraged praise, a great and glorious Hallelujah! Today we see some of the specific praise to which the group attributed to Yahweh.
“You (attah) are God (Yhvh) alone (bad – alone, apart, except, separate)…”
You alone are Covenant Yahweh. You are separate, apart from other gods, the exception to idols. You keep Your promises, have higher thoughts, and when You speak, You accomplish.
“You have made (asah – accomplish, make, do, bestow) the heaven of heavens (shamayim – heaven, sky, horizons, other)…”
You have created the highest heavens. Not simply the sky or the stars; the otherness of heaven. The highest heaven above even our known universe.
“…and all their host (tsaba – army, war, warfare, conflict, struggle)…”
Ah, how we know heaven is not simply referring to the sky: the hosts are at war. The cosmic struggle is real. The heaven of heavens boasts an army of angels, great warriors of light, engaged in fighting evil.
“…the earth (erets – land, dust, territories, ground, region)
All the land belongs to Him. There is no territory to which He does not have the deed. No region over which He is not sovereign. The ground which produces nourishment for creation was His idea, spoken into existence.
Not only the land, but all who call the land home, is made by Him: the giraffes and penguins, crickets and doves, anteaters and puppies. And His human creation, made in Their image.
“…the seas (yam – south, westward, coast, sea)…”
The sea is His for He formed and filled it, along with everything in it. The sharks and corral, seaweed and hermit crabs, piranhas and plankton. He is Maker of all.
“You preserve/keep them alive (chayah – make alive, certainly, give promise, revive, quicken, recover, repair, restore to life, surely made whole)…”
What He creates, He sustains. He certainly gives life to each plant, animal, cell and society. Not only can He give and sustain life, He can resurrect it. Quicken heart beats, recover lost breath, revive neural transmissions, and restore souls. The One Who creates surely makes whole.
“And the hosts of heaven worship (shachah – bow down, prostrate, humbly beseech, reverence) You.”
These mighty warriors of light are delightfully subject to Covenant Yahweh’s rule and reign.
“All hail the power of Jesus’ Name
Let angels prostrate fall
Bring forth the Royal Diadem
And crown Him LORD of all!”
We all fall prostrate in reverence to You.
“At the name of Jesus every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“
Delightful, glorious Ruler of All, we acknowledge You are worthy.
And so, again in 2019, we bow.