Our hearts speak the language of “poetry,” using poetic expressions of truth, since declarative words are never enough to convey the heart of the matter. When God created the heavens and the earth, he “sang” them into being – the words he used composed a song – and its melody resounds with the emotional weight of his grace and his glory. Therefore we can speak of the “poetry of creation” – its meaning, form, sound, rhythm – expressing the artistry of God as the Creator (Psalm 19:1-4). The various psalms of the Bible are also musical and lyric (i.e., to be accompanied with a lyre), because prayer, meditation, and worship are expressed in the hue and color of emotional feelings, or the language of the heart… These include expressions of praise, cries of lament, sighs for deliverance, and so on. In fact, poetic language is found throughout the Scriptures. Consider the various metaphors, similes, hyperboles, symbols, allusions, equivocations, parables, allegories, prophetic signs and visions – all formed from words of the heart.
The Hebrew prophets often used poetic expression in their messages: “Let judgment run down as the waters / and righteousness as a mighty stream!” (Amos 5:24). Moreover dirges (kinnot) and lamentations are expressed poetically in the Scriptures. For example, the Book of Lamentations is an acrostic poem chanted using a rhythmic formula of a long line followed by a shorter line to evoke feelings of sorrow and woe.
We sometimes want to talk about God “theologically,” using language of fact or “objectivity,” though it’s important to remember that God is a Person, a Subject, and the Bible often uses anthropomorphic language to help us connect with him. The sages said “Torah is written in the language of men.” The words of God are often emotional, passionate, and vibrate with meaning and feeling – words of the divine pathos for us. The message of the gospel, the “story” of God’s astounding love for us, is a message from his heart to ours… It is the greatest story ever told, full of mystery, suspense, romance, heroism, sacrificial love, the very depths of sorrow, the ecstasies of joy, and so on.
Friend, may your heart pulse and yearn for the beauty of the Lord; may you cry out for his presence in your life; may you find your utmost good and blessing in him. May you cry out with all of your heart to the LORD your beloved Redeemer: “Whom have I in heaven buy You? and there is nothing on earth I desire beside you” (Psalm 73:25).
Hebrew Lesson
- Psalm 73:25 Hebrew page (pdf)