Today’s Scripture Reading (June 9, 2016): Psalm 100
Mutsuhito Meiji was fourteen years of age when he ascended to the Throne of Japan. The Japan that Emperor Meiji inherited was a pre-industrial society that was dominated by a hereditary military general called a Shogun. It was the reigning Shogun that actually ruled the nation, the Emperor was nothing more than a ceremonial presence within the government. But just over nine months into his reign, the Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu resigned and the position was permanently abolished. Now, at the advanced age of fifteen, Emperor Meiji stood alone in control of the nation – a daunting thought for any man let alone one stuck in the middle of his teens. But the teenager made the most of his opportunity. But by the time the Emperor died on July 30 (officially, but he really died on July 29), 1912, forty-five years after his ascension to the throne, Meiji’s Japan had undergone a political, social and industrial revolution. And the catalyst for the revolution was Mutsuhito Meiji. The New York Times described the Emperor’s funeral procession this way -
The contrast between that which preceded the funeral car and that which followed it was striking indeed. Before it went old Japan; after it came new Japan. New Japan quickly separated to left and right and seated itself in the pavilions on either side. But old Japan had passed by and disappeared, and we could only hear now and again the distant wail of the reed pipes.
Japan had become an industrial powerhouse. And the people celebrated the life and achievements of the Emperor – guns rang out, the drums banged and the bagpipes wailed. Military commands were shouted, and the people bowed to show their respect one last time to the coming Emperor – but even through the bowing, the fanfare continued. For everything that he had done for Japan, the Emperor was loved and worthy of their praise.
Psalm 100 is a simple Psalm of Praise. Because of everything that the God has done, the people respond in loud praise. Let the guns ring out and let the drums be sounded. Let the people shout, because the King of all the earth has come to us and he deserves our praise. One of the important things to note is that the Psalmist talks about the universality of the praise. Praise rings out from all of the lands and all of the people because our King is a universal king. There are no borders that limit his rule and no rivers that our King will not cross. He is the King of all of us, whether we bother to recognize him or not. And he is a king that deserves all of our praise for everything that he has done.
So lift your voice and shout out his praise, because the King is coming.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 102
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