Ps 95-96

95:1-2,6; 96:11-12. "Let us .... Let the heavens ... the sea ... the field." One of the hardest parts of doing anything is getting to do it with someone. Whoever is thrilled by anything knows that there's a point at which you're totally bonkers, because you have no clue, when you say "let us," whether you'll get any response on the other end. So it is with anything that depends on somebody's choice, not just your own.

So the Psalmist here resorts to this embarassing "let us" language, asking for others to go to God with him. He's stuck! He can't compel people to go unwillingly to God, or wouldn't even want to. Many of the best things are better when there are many. The more, the merrier. Not always, but often.

But by the second psalm (which if they were not both in the One Year Bible for today, people may not read them together much!), the confidence of the writer is huge. He's inviting the heavens and the sea and the field. Again, whoever has been thrilled by anything knows that there is a point at which you're totally bonkers too, because you're thrilled enough that you don't care how big the entity you invite to be glad with you is: "the heavens" -- be glad with me! "the sea" -- roar at me if you want! and with me! -- "the field" -- you ordinary field, you ... jump up and down!

And of course God has something to do with all this... (:<>)