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How to Appreciate the Poetry of the Bible

by Tonja Taylor
4/27/2020 / Education

1 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great! You are clothed with honor and majesty—2 [You are the One] Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain or a tent, 3 Who lays the beams of the upper room of His abode in the waters [above the firmament], Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, 4 Who makes winds His messengers, flames of fire His ministers. 5 You laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever. 6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. 7 At Your rebuke they fled; at the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.

All good poetry is rich in emotion and imagery; the compacted, intense, vital elements that comprise experience.

As you read the first seven verses of Psalm 104, couldn't you see in your mind the images, which realistically transcend even our most fantastic imaginings--such as Elohim "covering Himself with light" and "stretching out the Heavens like a curtain"?

Couldn't you picture our LORD riding in a towering chariot of clouds, where He surely "walks on the wings of the wind"?

Couldn't you feel the power, the majesty, the grandeur--and begin to realize how awesome our God is, while you imagined even the mighty oceans scurrying and scattering to please the LORD, when they heard His mighty Voice?

Such eloquent expressions challenge our souls to present images that match them, and partnered with the Holy Spirit Who is Himself the Creator, we can experience vicariously the action of the poem.

Like all excellent poetry, the poetry of the Bible calls for meditation--to continue to read and think about and recite a work, with even in just a whisper of it brushing our lips; to probe and ponder its meanings, both overt and subtle; to discover for ourselves just what the Primier Poet means.

The poetry of the Bible concists of many works of "vars libre," which we call"free verse," and has neither end rhyme nor intentional meter, but a subtle format and an understood rhythm, and is a complete unit of thought.

Five books of the Bible are considered poetic: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclisiastes, and the Song of Solomon. The King James Version is the most poetic of the older versions of the Word of God, although The Passion Translation seems poetic throughout.

Particular verses, such as Psalm 45:1 and 2, seem more poetic in the New International Version (NIV). So let's compare the two and you can see which seems more poetic to you:

(King James Version/KJV): "My heart is indicting a good matter; I speak of the things which I have made concerning the King: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer thatn the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee forever."

(New International Version/NIV): "My heart is stirred by a noble theme, as I recite my verses for the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. You are the most excellent of men, and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever."

Some other favorite examples of poetry from the Bible include: Job 10:8-11; Proverbs 30:18-19; Ecclesiastes chapter 3; and the Song of Solomon 2:8-14.

I am sure you can find many more, especially when you ask the Father through His Holy Spirit to help you. There are many versions available now, all with cadences and eloquence that vary; our God is the God of abundance and endlessly creative in getting His wonderful Message to us! He is the One Who knows all things, and He is the Living Word (John 1:1)!

I believe there is true poetry not only in the five books I mentioned, but dispersed throughout the Bible, like lilies, lush and bright, blooming among plants verdant and strong.

For instance, consider the Creation in the first chapter of Genesis; the Beatitudes in chapter 5 of Matthew, and verses 1-3 of Malachi chapter 4.

Then there is the mysterious imagery and symbolism of Revelation. One of my choice verses from that book is verse 1 of chapter 12: “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:”

The poetry of the Bible cannot be judged; it is supreme. The poetry of the Bible can only be admired, absorbed, and imitated. The poetry of the Bible is most deeply understood when one is filled with the Spirit of God, by being born again through faith in Jesus Christ, Who is Himself The Living Word (John 1:1).

Where but the Bible can we find poetry so glorious? As men, we can only be inspired by such exquisite workmanship. It is our privilege and honor to have the written Word of God; to read and study it daily; and to experience it profoundly, as the Holy Spirit reveals the new depths and heights of its meaning to us.

I challenge you to study the Bible more deeply, and to do your loved ones a favor: introduce them to the poetry of God!

Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. They lift Him up in books (P.O.W.E.R. Girl!; LEGACY; Visions of the King; Your Holy Health; more); presentations; service in church, community, and the world; and via the "River Rain Creative" (309 videos) and "POWERLight Learning" You Tube channels.

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