All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name. – Psalm 86:9

Today's Scripture Reading (July 18, 2022): Psalm 86

Amaterasu is considered to be the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. She is one of the major gods of the Japanese people and is worshipped by Shinto believers. Amaterasu is the prime ancestor of the Imperial House of Japan and an ancestor of all the emperors who have reigned over the Japanese. It is easy to believe that you possess divine authority when you count a pre-eminent goddess among your progenitors. Amaterasu was the grandmother of Ninigi who, with the three sacred treasures brought from Heaven (the sword – indicating valor, the mirror - revealing wisdom, and the jewel – showing benevolence), created the Japanese monarchy. And it was Ninigi's great-grandson who first reigned on the throne of Japan. The first Emperor, Emperor Jimmu, is considered to be a legendary figure who didn't actually exist, but from the tale of Jimmu, we get the dates for the founding of the Kingdom of Japan; Jimmu is thought to have been born on February 13, 711 B.C.E. and reigned over Japan with the authority of the gods from February 11, 660 until his death, at the age of 126, on April 9, 585. He is remembered as the "divine might" or "god warrior."

Amaterasu and the rest of her family were gods who cared only about the Japanese people. They believed in the power of the Kingdom of Japan and guarded over her, helping the Kingdom prosper. The Kings of Japan reigned with the authority of this pantheon of national gods. The current king of Japan, Naruhito, is considered a descendant of Jimmu and therefore of Ninigi and Amaterasu. But their concern ended at the borders of the Kingdom.

The ancient world was filled with national gods. Baal was the national god of the Phoenicians. Apollo, the civil god of the city of Troy. Maybe these gods were worshipped past the borders of the area they served, but their main interest was always in a particular geographical location.

Yahweh was the God of Israel. And as such, he is often considered to be just another national god. Many ancient Israelite people believed that Yahweh was primarily interested in them. When Israel went to war, Yahweh fought on their side. He was the God that they prayed to in times of national distress. But what Israel often seemed to miss was the original instructions that Yahweh had given to their father, Abraham. Yahweh told Abraham;

"I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:2-3).

Yahweh was interested in Israel, but he desired that Israel would turn his blessing of the nation into a blessing that was available to the whole world.

David seemed to understand the character of Yahweh. And so, the Poet King stresses that the day is coming when the whole world will unify under the banner of Israel's King. All nations would praise his name, understanding that he was truly not just the God of Israel but of all of the world.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 101