Praises to Our Creator

The first seven verses of this psalm are like a hymn, praising God as the foundation of our salvation and the craftsman of creation. The rest of the psalm moves into a more prophetic, rebuking mode, though without the sudden reversal into expressions of love and cherishing that we have become used to in the prophecies of Hosea. “Let us come into his presence” (2, NRSV): yes, of course God is mighty and holy, and bowing down and kneeling (6) are entirely fitting postures, but we worship a God who speaks to his people, face to face. In Numbers 6:22-26 it is a pivotal part of the blessing that God gives to Aaron and the priesthood to pass on to his children, and indeed all of us. But if God is unseen, and we have no reliable representations of the face of Jesus, what does that mean? It might involve the analogy with a king, whose every glance signifies favor, an acknowledgment that we are there. It also involves the paradox that God reveals himself to us, but that revelation can be dazzling–as Augustine puts it: “When first I knew you, you raised me up so that I could see there was something to be seen, but also that I was not yet able to see it.” It could also mean that, because we are made in the image of God, there is a possibility of personal recognition, one to another.

There is a strength and directness to Coverdale’s translation of Psalm 95 (you can find it through a Google search), ideal for committing to memory. I also like the exasperation conveyed in Eugene Peterson’s The Message, which paraphrases verse 10 as “Can’t they keep their minds on God for five minutes? Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?”

As you worship God today, be mindful of the words you sing and the God who inspires and speaks through them.