Psalm 104
This is a magnificent hymn celebrating the glory of the Creator and the incredible greatness of His creation. Paul may have had this psalm in mind when he spoke to the Athenian philosophers (Acts 17:22–34, especially vv. 24–28), for it presents a God who created and now sustains a beautiful and bountiful world that reflects His glory (v. 31). The writer of the psalm certainly had Genesis 1 in mind when he wrote, even though he did not follow all six days of creation in detail, nor did he include the creation of man and woman (see vv. 14, 23). He began with light (v. 2; Gen. 1:1–5) and continued with the separation of the upper and lower waters (vv. 2–4; Gen. 1:6–8) and the separation of land and water (vv. 5–9; Gen. 1:9–10). The
David looked up to the heavens and said that God's love reached that high and higher. David remembered the ceremony on the annual Day of Atonement (Lev. 16), when the goat was released in the wilderness, symbolically bearing Israel's sins far away (see John 1:29). (For other descriptions of God's forgiveness of sin, see Isa. 1:18; 38:17; 43:25; Jer. 31:34.) But we must remember that it is not God's love or pity that saves us, but God's grace (Eph. 2:8–10), for grace is love that has
Psalm 104
10:19). Wine, oil, and water are symbols of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18; John 7:37–39; Zech. 4:1–7), and bread speaks of the nourishing Word of God (Matt. 4:4). God has written spiritual truths into the very world of nature.
provision of vegetation is mentioned (vv. 14–17; Gen. 1:11–13), as well as the placing of the sun and moon (vv. 19–23; Gen. 1:14–19), and the creation of land and sea creatures (vv. 24–25; Gen. 1:20–28). The psalm declares that our God is very great (v. 1), very wise (v. 24), and very generous (v. 27). In spite of the fact that creation is in bondage to sin since the fall of man (Rom. 8:18–23), we still live in an amazing universe run by divinely ordained laws that are so remarkable we can send people to the moon and bring them back! Whether the scientist uses the telescope, the microscope, or the x-ray, he beholds the wonders of God's creation.
But without the days, nights, and seasons, there could not be fruitfulness on earth, and therefore he praises God for the sun and moon (see Gen. 1:14–19). The Hebrew religious calendar was built around the seasons (Lev. 23), and there were special monthly celebrations as well (Ex. 12:2; Num. 10:10; 28:14; 1 Chron. 23:31). Without the cycle of day and night and of the seasons, life would come to a halt. "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" (Eccl. 3:1 nkjv). All of creation looks expectantly to the Lord to provide what it needs (vv. 27–30), and He does so generously. However, people made in the image of God think they can "make it" alone. Yet God provides the very breath in our nostrils, and when He turns it off, we die (Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7). On the first day of creation, the Holy Spirit brooded over the waters (Gen. 1:1–2), and that same Spirit gives new life to creation when the winter season ends (v. 30). The Spirit also provides life and power to the church, God's "new creation." Mankind has learned to control a great deal of nature, but the issues of life and death are still in the hands of God. How generous He is to a world that ignores Him, rebels against Him, and rarely gives thanks for His generous gifts! (Ponder Job 34:14–15; Acts 17:25–28; Col. 1:17.)
The Greatness of Our God (vv. 1–9) The psalm opens with the description of a King so great (95:3; Hab. 3:4) that He wears light for a robe (93:1; Isa. 59:17; 1 John 1:5; 1 Tim. 6:16) and has a palace in heaven above the waters (Gen. 1:7). He uses the clouds for His chariot and the winds to move them (18:7–15; 68:4; 77:16–19). His servants (the angels, 148:8; Heb. 1:7) serve as quickly and invisibly as the wind and possess awesome power like flames of fire. This King is so great that creating the heavens was as easy as putting up a tent (19:4; Isa. 40:22). Though He hung the earth on nothing (Job 26:7), it remains firmly fixed as if resting on a foundation that cannot be moved (Job 38:6). When He made the earth, it was "wearing" deep waters like a garment (Gen. 1:2, 6–10), but one command from the King and those waters "were frightened away." They settled where they belonged on the planet and dared not go beyond the established boundaries (Job 38:8–11; Jer. 5:22). In all this creative activity, the Lord has revealed Himself in His power and glory. "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands" (19:1 nasb). Day and night, the visible things of creation shout aloud to the inhabitants of the earth that there is a God, that He is powerful and wise, and that all people are accountable to Him (Rom. 1:18–32). Are the people paying attention?
The Wisdom of Our God (vv. 24–35) Whether we study invisible microscopic life, visible plant and animal life, human life, or the myriad of things that have no life, the diversity in creation is amazing. God could have made a drab colorless world, one season everywhere, only one variety of each plant and animal, cookie-cutter humans, no musical sounds, and a few minimal kinds of food—but He did not, and how grateful we are! Only a wise God could have planned so many different things, and only a powerful God could have brought them into being. "The earth is full of thy riches" (v. 24). The word translated "riches" means "possessions, property," reminding us that God made it all, God owns it all, and God has the right to tell us how to use it all. God wants us to enjoy His creation (1 Tim. 6:17) and employ it wisely. When we exploit our wonderful world, we sin and forget that we are stewards, not owners, and that one day we must give an account of how we have used these precious and irreplaceable gifts. The sea monsters (whales? Gen. 1:21) frolic and play in the ocean and God enjoys them! But God does not enjoy seeing us ruin His handiwork just to make money. Creation is glad for what the Lord has done (v. 26), mankind ought to be glad (v. 15). God's people especially should be glad (v. 34)— and the Lord Himself rejoices over His works (v. 31)!
The Generosity of Our God (vv. 10–23, 27–30) God did not wind up the clock of creation and then let it run down, for the tenses of the verbs indicate that God is constantly at work, meeting the needs of His creatures. Note the emphasis on water, both the springs (v. 10) and the rain (v. 13), for water is a precious commodity in the Near East. The "mountains" (v. 13) refer to the upland regions where the grain grows (76:16; Deut. 11:10–12). God supplies not only water for vegetation but also food for the birds and animals (vv. 14, 21, 27–28), and the plants and animals provide food for the people. God uses the cooperation of the farmers and herdsmen to provide this food (v. 14; Gen. 2:8–15; Ex. 20:9), but ultimately He is the giver. Wine, oil, and bread were basics in the life of the people in biblical days. The wine was diluted with water and drunkenness was not acceptable (Judg. 9:13; Eccl.
Knowing all this about God and His creation, we have some serious responsibilities to fulfill, and the first