Wait… Trees clap, rocks cry out, and mountains sing? Bible verses that make you go hmmm

When I read and study the Bible, I take notes and store them in subject-based files, mainly anything I find intriguing and want to learn more about. I have one file I call “Things that make me go hmmmmm.” Today, I thought I’d share one of the many “hmmm” things I ponder  – just ONE for today.

And here it is – Throughout Scripture, creation ( trees, hills, sea, animals, mountains) is described as rejoicing, singing, clapping, and praising God.  I call it non-humans doing human things.

Yes, I know some of the verses are symbolic or metaphorical. Stars can represent angels, or the olive trees can represent the two witnesses, and the sea/land can represent the people. But hey… read them and decide for yourself.
And stay with me, because at the end I have a short mango tree story and what I wonder in all this.

The sea speaks! – Isaiah 23:4The hills rejoice!– Psalm 65:12
The trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord! – 1 Chronicles 16:33
The rivers clapped their hands! -Psalm 98:7-8
Fruit trees praise the Lord!– Psalm 148:9
Cedar trees praise the Lord!– Psalm 148:9
The cypress tree praises Him! – Isaiah 14:8
The heavens rejoice and sing! – Psalm 96:11-13, Isaiah 23
Let the earth be glad Psalm 96 (the earth is also affected – defiled- by our sins)
The field is joyful! – Psalm 96:12
The trees rejoice!– Ps 96:12
The hills and pastures sing, rejoice, shout for joy! – Psalm 65:12
The trees clap! – Isaiah 55:12
The mountains sing! – Isaiah 55
The waters clap for joy with their hands Psalm 98: 8
Lower parts of the earth break forth into singing! – Isaiah 44:23
Forest breaks forth into singing! -Isaiah 44:23
Sun, moon, stars praise! – Him. Psalm 148:3
Rocks are capable of crying out to Him! – Luke 19:40
The wilderness lifts its voice! – Isaiah 42:11
Cities and villages lift their voices! Isaiah 42:11
Heaven and earth sing! – Isaiah 49:13, Jeremiah 51:48
Heaven and earth praise Him! -Psalm 69:34
The seas praise Him! – Psalm 69:34
Morning stars sang! – Job 38:7
Sea creatures are told to praise the Lord. Psalm 148:7
Ravens cry out to God Job 38:41
The seas obey Him – Moses, Joshua, Job 38:11
The sea and all its inhabitants praise the Lord Psalm 98:7, Psalm 69:34
The mountains and hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12
The beasts of the field shall honor Him: the dragons, owls! -Isaiah 43:20-21
Dragons from all the depths praise the Lord! – Psalm 148: 7
You great sea creatures, from the ocean depths, praise the Lord! – Psalm 148:7

Go ahead, ask the animals and they will tell you … or ask the birds, or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish inform you – for the hand of the Lord has done this, and His hand is the life of every creature and breath of all mankind, in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7-10

Commanded to praise the Lord: fire, hail, snow, vapor, stormy wind performing His word, mountains, all hills, fruitful trees, cedars, beasts, all cattle, creeping things, flying fowl, kings of the earth, all people, princes, all judges of the earth, young men, maidens, old men, children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is excellent, and His glory is above the earth and heaven. Psalm 148 – even the sun, and moon, the angels, all his hosts, stars of light are to praise Him. Praise Him, ye heavens of heaven, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

There is no speech nor language where their voice ( heavens and works) is not heard!!!! The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day after day they utter speech, night after night they reveal knowledge. Their voice goes throughout the whole earth. Psalms 19

I had a neighbor who took wonderful care of his yard- his trees, palms, rubber tree, and especially one huge mango tree. He would often gather the mangoes and pass them out to the neighbors – they were delicious!
Eventually, my neighbor became very sick and passed away. His wife remained in the home and continued caring for the yard, trees, and plants.

By the time he died, I had already lived next door for almost 15 years, and it has now been about another 15 years since his death.
But something strange happened.

After he died, the mango tree stopped producing mangoes.
Every mango season I would look at that tree and wonder what was going on. For years- nothing. About five years after his death, maybe one or two mangoes appeared. The following year, perhaps ten. And gradually, year after year, they came back.

Today, about 15 years later, the tree is once again covered in mangoes. Of course, there could be a perfectly logical agricultural explanation for it, but it still makes me wonder.  Was the tree sad? Did the tree miss old Pete?   I don’t know. hmmmm

Other relatable oddities and my questions:

The serpent spoke
A donkey responded to Balaam
A whale obeyed God’s instructions to swallow and spit up Jonah
Lions ( hungry lions) did not harm Danial
A raven was commanded to feed Elijah morning and evening – bread and meat
The sea gave up its dead Rev 20:13

I don’t have the answers to all these questions- and maybe that’s what makes them so interesting:

Did animals speak before sin entered the world? I don’t know. Does creation respond to things around us in ways we don’t completely understand? Maybe. Could there be a perfectly natural explanation for my neighbor’s mango tree? Absolutely. Would playing worship music around my plants help them? Worth a try?.  But one thing I do know is that scripture repeatedly describes creation doing some remarkable things- singing, rejoicing, clapping, crying out, obeying, praising, and declaring the glory of God. Maybe some of it is poetic. Maybe some of it is symbolic. Maybe some of it is literal. And maybe there are things about God’s creation that we simply don’t understand yet. So, the next time you hear “Joy to the World” and sing the words heaven and nature sing,” stop for a second and think about it.

Heaven and nature sing ….. feilds, floods, rocks, hills, plains … repeat the sounding joy

More to look up: Ps 148:1-4, Isaiah 44:23, Isaiah 49:13: they ” break forth” into song, into rejoicing
Isaiah 98:7-9, Isiah 52:9, Isaiah 55:12, Psalm 65:13, 1 Chronicles 16:31-33