Have you ever imagined what would have been like to sit and watch the day when God laid the foundations of the earth? In fact, that makes me think whether was there anybody around watching it other than the three persons of the Trinity. Indeed, there is not much to be said about it considering the shortage of biblical information on the subject, but the least I can say fills my heart with joy. This morning, reading Job 38.4-7 on my way to work, I came across this revealing passage. It is part of God’s speech describing the context of the day when heavens and earth were created, and it describes two groups watching the big event:
Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? … when the morning stars sang together, and all the angels shouted for joy?
The morning stars and the angels watched that marvelous moment, what a privilege! It means, of course, that the angels were created sometime before the foundation of the heavens and earth, for they were already there when God started calling things into existence. Can you imagine being part of that group and receiving an invitation to watch the divine performance bringing to existence everything that there is? I don’t know about you, but I like to think that these angels were shouting something similar to what they did around the throne in Revelation 4.11
You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and had their being.
Now, the context in Revelation 4 is quite different from that of the act of creation. Here we have the four living creatures (together with the twenty-four elders) worshiping him who lives forever, whose appearance is that of jasper and carnelian, who sits on the throne in heaven. Nonetheless, it strikes me that the only thing these celestial beings thought would be fitting to say at that very special moment was that he was worthy because he created all things. After all redemption history, all the glorious deeds among the nations, all miraculous acts of judgment and salvation of his people in the Old and New Testaments, the recollection of that first experience still remain the best thing to say at moments like this.
I can’t help thinking that it is so easy to ruin the glory and beauty of such a moment by saying the wrong things. I am glad these angels found the right thing to say before my Lord – I couldn’t say it better myself!
Today, as I stand inside this subway in Sao Paulo, I must keep in perspective that glorious moment and keep myself from saying the wrong things before the Lord, for though I have not seen the act of creation nor the one whose appearance was that of jasper and carnelian, I am surrounded by those who have been created in his image and likeness. That is the lesson I’ve learned from those angels.
Daniel Santos
