This week’s post was written by Heather Yost. Be sure to check out the contributor’s page to learn more about her.
When the Bible talks about how the LORD’s name is to be praised, from the rising of the sun “unto the going down of the same,” I had always thought that was about time. It seemed logical that we should praise the LORD from sunrise to sunset. It wasn’t until I had moved to Japan that my perspective and understanding of that scripture was enhanced.
It’s been three weeks since we left the states for a permanent change of station to Japan, also known as, the “Land of the Rising Sun.” This name for Japan was coined due to the Chinese looking east and seeing that the country of Japan was very near the sun’s “origin,” at dawn. The sunrise, while looking toward the Pacific, is beautiful, but it’s the sun setting, into the East China Sea, that is truly breathtaking.
This weekend my family and I were on the west side, of the island, with the East China Sea in front of us. Local Japanese pulled their cars over, to the same lot we were in, to observe the most spectacular sunset I’ve ever seen, as pictured. Everyone who saw it, began taking photos. We were torn between drinking in the moment, unhindered, yet wanting to try to capture the heavens declaring the glory of God.
I kept thinking of how much I wished my two oldest daughters could be with us to see the beautiful masterpiece God had created, but they had traveled back to the states for college. A bittersweet pang hit my heart as I thought of how they would soon be observing the same sun -rising- on the other side of the world.
Then, as I continued to simultaneously drink in the beauty and long for the company of my daughters, on the other side of that sunset, that well known verse, in Psalm 113:3 came to mind: From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised.
I remembered how I had once thought too narrowly, on the meaning, of that verse. I had once limited it to the length of time I should praise Him. I looked again on the words and used a concordance, to help. “From the rising” is translated from the Hebrew word Mizrach, which is associated with the meaning, “place of sunrise, east.” “Unto the going down,” is translated from Mabow’, the word associated with “entrance, a coming in, entering.”
His name isn’t just to be praised for a length of time -sunrise to sunset- His name will be praised- from the place of sunrise, across every ocean, island and continent, to the point of where it is also found setting. That’s three hundred and sixty degrees of praise, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. One day, the whole, new earth will indeed ring out praise for His name. He is worthy to be praised.
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