Scripture Daily

Context No. 872 of 4322 · Sirach

Context · Reflection

Sirach 43:17-33: in context

17The voice of his thunder rebukes the earth. So does the northern storm and the whirlwind. Like birds flying down, he sprinkles the snow. It falls down like the lighting of locusts. 18The eye is dazzled at the beauty of its whiteness. The heart is amazed as it falls. 19He also pours out frost on the earth like salt. When it is freezes, it has points like thorns. 20The cold north wind blows and ice freezes on the water. It settles on every pool of water. The water puts it on like it was a breastplate. 21It will devour the mountains, burn up the wilderness, and consume the green grass like fire. 22A mist coming speedily heals all things. A dew coming after heat brings cheerfulness. 23By his counsel, he has calmed the deep and planted islands in it. 24Those who sail on the sea tell of its dangers. We marvel when we hear it with our ears. 25There are also those strange and wondrous works in it— variety of all that has life and the huge creatures of the sea. 26Because of him, his messengers succeed. By his word, all things hold together. 27We may say many things, but couldn’t say enough. The summary of our words is, “He is everything!” 28How could we have strength to glorify him? For he is himself the greater than all his works. 29The Lord is awesome and exceedingly great! His power is marvelous! 30Glorify the Lord and exalt him as much as you can! For even yet, he will surpass that. When you exalt him, summon your full strength. Don’t be weary, because you can’t praise him enough. 31Who has seen him, that he may describe him? Who can magnify him as he is? 32Many things greater than these are hidden, for we have seen just a few of his works. 33For the Lord made all things. He gave wisdom to the godly.

Ben Sira, the sage of this wisdom book, is in the middle of a long hymn to God through his works. This part moves through weather: thunder that rebukes the earth, snow scattered like birds settling, frost poured out like salt, ice that clamps over the water like a breastplate. Then he turns to the sea and its creatures, and finally throws up his hands: we could say much and never say enough; the sum of it is, he is everything.

What makes this more than a nature poem is where it keeps arriving. Ben Sira looks hard at ordinary weather, snow and frost and ice, the things a farmer complains about, and finds in them a craftsmanship that dazzles the eye and amazes the heart. But every time he builds a description, he stops and admits it falls short. God is himself greater than all his works. When you glorify the Lord, he says, summon all your strength, and even then he will surpass it; you cannot praise him enough, so do not grow weary trying. This is the honesty of real praise: it knows it is failing to capture its subject and keeps going anyway. We have seen only a few of his works, he says; many things greater than these are hidden.

Do I let the plain, daily world around me point past itself to God, or have I stopped looking long enough to be amazed?

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