Yonder is the great and wide sea, with its living creatures too many to number, creatures both small and great. And there is that Leviathan which you made for the sport of it. (Psalm 104:26-27)
My first year here, my son Tom and I were invited to go to the tidepools at Abalone Cove. I’d never been to tidepools before and didn’t know what to expect. I could not have imagined the abundance and variety of life that exists in those shallow pools of water. There were anemones, sea urchins, mussels, several different-looking octopi, teeny-tiny crabs, and hermit crabs; there were certainly other types that I didn’t see and/or can’t remember. In the air, there were terns, gulls, and pelicans, and there was a pod of dolphins out in the ocean.
I too often forget that God is a creator, indeed, is THE CREATOR of ALL things. The Psalmist wrote, “There is that Leviathan which you have made for the sport of it” (1979 Book of Common Prayer). The King James Version of the Bible says, “There is that Leviathan, that thou hast made to PLAY therein [caps added for emphasis],” while the New International Version uses the word frolic instead of play, and the New American Standard Bible says, “have fun.” God made the Leviathan for sport, for play, to frolic and have fun.
The Leviathan was a giant sea-serpent or dragon and was often equated with evil and/or the adversary. It appears four other times in the Old Testament; one other time in the Psalms, once in Isaiah, and twice in Job. Why would God make a destructive beast for fun and frolicking? Context makes all the difference. The Psalmist is writing about how God has made all things, how wonderful creation is, and how all the creatures look to God for their food and comfort. ALL of the creatures, Leviathan included. Even the big, scary dragon looks to God for its food in due season.
I like thinking of God as a creator; it makes God seem more approachable and relatable. It’s even better to think of God as making things for the fun of it—of taking joy in all that she creates. God is unfathomable; there is no understanding him. But we get a sense of her through the lens of scripture, the revelation of nature, and our relationships with one another. God takes joy in her creation.
I like to think of God making the dinosaurs, whales, and mastodons, enormous creatures that inspire fear and trembling. But it’s also cool to think of God finding ways to fill the tidepools with tiny awe-inspiring creatures. We are surrounded by God’s creation; even in the middle of the city, there are dandelions coming up through the cracks in the sidewalks, squirrels fighting over french-fries, and pigeons vying against crows and gulls for everything the squirrels miss. God made all of it, for the fun of it.
The Rev. Jason Shelby
Rector
jason.shelby@stfrancispalosverdes.org
Header image:
Wikimedia Commons, “Destruction of Leviathan” by Gustav Doré. Public domain PD-US.