1 Chronicles 16:33

33 Then the trees of the forest will sing,
they will sing for joy before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.

There are two strange things in this passage, at least strange on first glance.

1. Trees don't sing! So why they are singing?
2. The LORD is coming to judge the earth (which for many people seems to be a scary thought)

(Notice the similarities to the following two passages: Psalm 96:12, Isaiah 44:23)

Why are trees described as singing? Everything that God created praises him. Can you make a tree? No. Can you create anything that has not already been created? No. If you can't do it, but God did do it, then just looking at the trees reminds us to praise God for his wonderful creation.

Why are the trees singing if the LORD (the God of the promise) is coming to judge the earth? Why aren't they terrified? But isn't this really what we all wait for--the end of sorrow and death and pain? Don't we all want to be in perfection and not have to deal with the "drama" of this life? Even the trees are waiting to be released from their groaning.

So what about us? God created us--we should sing to him and praise his name just like the trees and all creation does. Does the thought of the Creator coming to judge the earth scare you? It scares me. I don't want everyone to know all the sins I've committed. And I surely don't want to go to hell and be separated from God for all eternity.

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 15:57)