This summer my family and I are scheduled to visit a few museums to view some famous pieces of art. Last summer we visited a well-known museum too, but as we went through, we noticed one of our daughters lingering behind the rest of us as she was really taking in the paintings and pieces she was viewing. She wanted to consider all that was being expressed in those works of art. The artistic content of the different works really piqued her interest. The rest of us just quickly walked through without having that appreciation for what we were seeing, but she really enjoyed viewing them.
Have you ever thought about God’s view of art or artistic expression? We believe that God does speak the truth and He declares things very clearly and propositionally, but that does not mean that God has no interest in artistic expression. Just look at the world around us. All the colors, smells, tastes, and beauty that we see is representative of the creative mind of God. And the creative mind of God is also seen in the book of Psalms.
We are just beginning a series on the Psalms in our adult Sunday School class, and I am pretty amazed at the artistic and creative nature of the book. First, there are many varieties of Psalms. Second, there are many creative structures found in the book of Psalms. And thirdly, there are many figures of speech in the book of Psalms.
Let’s consider first the sheer variety of Psalms that exist. There are Psalms of praise (150), psalms of prayer (51), psalms of lament (79), psalms of royalty (110), psalms of thanksgiving (118), psalms of pilgrimage (120-134), and even psalms of imprecation (58). In the first 6 psalms alone, there is a psalm of wisdom, royalty, trust, and a plea for mercy. This great variety tells us that there is no one way to talk to God. He does not demand that we all come to Him in the same static way. This tells us that the door is open for a variety of creative expression.
Second, there is intentional structure found in the book of Psalms. Psalm 2 is split into 4 sections, each with 3 verses. Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem, with each section beginning with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet in order. It would be like talking to God in prose from A-Z. Psalm 136 repeats the line “for His lovingkindness is everlasting” after every line. It is like that is the chorus to the Psalm. Now, writing poetry for me does not come easy and I probably would not try. But the creative nature of such psalms leads us to conclude that these writers thought, planned, and produced such intricate works of art, while at the same time, communicating timeless truth about our God. And I believe this pleased God.
Third, the language of the psalms is unmatched in its creative expression. Instead of saying ‘I’m really sad,’ the psalm writer says, “I drench my couch with tears” (6:6). Instead of asking God to protect him, the psalm writer says, “hide me in the shadow of Your wings” (6:6). And this type of language continues throughout the book, it is really what sets it apart from everything else in Scripture. These writers were artistic and imaginative as they thought of phrases and words to describe God. And the beauty of it all is that God accepted it. God was not critical, because He doesn’t have literal wings! God receives such figurative descriptions of His nature and His works.
All of this to say, artistic expression has a place in the life of God’s people. Maybe you want to paint a picture of some Biblical scene, or maybe you want to write a song about some truth of God, or maybe you want to speak to God in creative language and not simply prose. Or, maybe you are like me, and you just appreciate those that do. The Psalms show us that God enjoys when His truth is expressed in artistic and unique ways. So, sing those songs to God, write those poems about God, and appreciate the art that does.