Reflections on Psalm 104

 

Psalm 104 (Contemporary English Version)


1. I praise you, LORD God, with all my heart. You are glorious and majestic, dressed in royal robes
   
2. and surrounded by light. You spread out the sky like a tent,
   
3. and you built your home over the mighty ocean. The clouds are your chariot with the wind as its wings.
   
4. The winds are your messengers, and flames of fire are your servants.
   
5. You built foundations for the earth, and it will never be shaken.
   
6. You covered the earth with the ocean that rose above the mountains.
   
7. Then your voice thundered! And the water flowed
   
8. down the mountains and through the valleys to the place you prepared.
   
9. Now you have set boundaries, so that the water will never flood the earth again.
   
10. You provide streams of water in the hills and valleys,
    
11. so that the donkeys and other wild animals can satisfy their thirst.
    
12. Birds build their nests nearby and sing in the trees.
    
13. From your home above you send rain on the hills and water the earth.
    
14. You let the earth produce grass for cattle, plants for our food,
    
15. wine to cheer us up, olive oil for our skin, and grain for our health.
    
16. Our LORD, your trees always have water, and so do the cedars you planted in Lebanon.
    
17. Birds nest in those trees, and storks make their home in the fir trees.
    
18. Wild goats find a home in the tall mountains, and small animals can hide between the rocks.
    
19. You created the moon to tell us the seasons. The sun knows when to set,
    
20. and you made the darkness, so the animals in the forest could come out at night.
    
21. Lions roar as they hunt for the food you provide.
    
22. But when morning comes, they return to their dens,
    
23. then we go out to work until the end of day.
    
24. Our LORD, by your wisdom you made so many things; the whole earth is covered with your living creatures.
    
25. But what about the ocean so big and wide? It is alive with creatures, large and small.
    
26. And there are the ships, as well as Leviathan, the monster you created to splash in the sea.
    
27. All of these depend on you to provide them with food,
    
28. and you feed each one with your own hand, until they are full.
    
29. But when you turn away, they are terrified; when you end their life, they die and rot.
    
30. You created all of them by your Spirit, and you give new life to the earth.
    
31. Our LORD, we pray that your glory will last forever and that you will be pleased with what you have done.
    
32. You look at the earth, and it trembles. You touch the mountains, and smoke goes up.
    
33. As long as I live, I will sing and praise you, the LORD God.
    
34. I hope my thoughts will please you, because you are the one who makes me glad.
    
35. Destroy all wicked sinners from the earth once and for all. With all my heart I praise you, LORD! I praise you!

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Psalm 104 begins as if it is picking up where Psalm 103 left off. The previous psalm in its concluding verses says that the Lord has established His throne in heaven and His kingdom rules over all. Then it ends with the words, "My soul, praise the Lord!" Now Psalm 104 begins with those very words - "My soul, praise the Lord!" From there it follows the creation order. We see the first day of creation in verses 2-5. There is the introduction of light and the spreading out of the sky. But it is stated so very poetically. Verses 6-9 describe ingredients of the second day of creation - the separation of land and water. And there is an interesting note in verse 6. It says, "You set a boundary they (the waters) cannot cross; they will never cover the earth again." Next is the third day of creation. Here the waters are provided their appointed channels, the sea in its confines and the rivers and streams in theirs. Then comes vegetation. The fourth day is described in verses 19-23 concerning the creation of day and night with the sun, moon and stars. With the fifth day of creation in verses 24-30, the psalm introduces the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, and concludes its parallel with the sequence of creation.

In the last verses are more praises to the Lord. May His glory endure forever, it says. Verse 32 attributes earthquakes and volcanoes to God, "He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they pour out smoke." Certainly if He created it all He has no problem causing these phenomenons. If we accept that God is responsible for creation and is capable of causing earthquakes and volcanoes, our natural response is to give Him praise and wish to please Him as verses 33 and 34 describe. Verse 35 expresses the desire that mankind would reflect the goodness of creation. That sinners would vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. There is in this wish the desire that there be no one who does not recognize and give credit to God for creation. Romans 1, verses 18-20, make it clear that failure to recognize God as the creator is an act of suppressing the truth. The truth is self-evident in creation itself plus God has shown it to them. Therefore, those who do not credit God with creation do so without excuse. They know the truth but choose not to recognize it.