Psalm 104—Jesus in Creation
“Some copies of the Septuagint version have it, ‘a psalm of David concerning the constitution of the world.’” (Matthew Henry) It is an inspired “Oratorio of Creation.”—(Wordsworth)— Christ’s “majesty in the heavens, the creation of the sea, and the dry land. (1-9) His provision for all creatures. (10-18) The regular course of day and night, and God's sovereign power over all the creatures. (19-30) A resolution to continue praising God. (31-35)” (Matthew Henry) “Traces of the six days of creation are very evident, and though the creation of man, which was the crowning work of the sixth day, is not mentioned, this is accounted for from the fact that man is himself the singer.” (C. H. Spurgeon) And Christ the object of praise.
1 Bless Yahweh, O my soul! Yahweh my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, 2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. 3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, 4 Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire. 5 You who laid the foundations of the earth, so that it should not be moved forever (Day 1; cp. Gen 1:1-5).—
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. 8 They went up over the mountains; they went down into the valleys, to the place which You founded for them. 9 You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they may not return to cover the earth.
(Day 2; cp. Gen 1:6-8)
Day one of Creation; compare to Genesis 1:1-5. “’O Lord my God;’ the Messiah, Who is Lord of all, truly God, and the God of His people; see John 20:28 and Who is great, and very great, in His divine Person.” (John Gill) — “‘You are clothed with honor and majesty.’ The original, לבשת , is frequently used when speaking of the clothing or dress of the priests.” (Bishop Lowth)— “’Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,’ being the brightness of His Father's glory.” (John Gill) St. Paul says, ‘He dwelleth in light.’ He said in the creation, ‘Let there be light...’ etc. “ (Joseph Sutcliffe) And indeed light “was commanded out of darkness by God the Word, or by the essential Word of God, John 1:1.” (John Gill)— even Christ. “The light conspicuous in the holiest is pointed out under the same idea; and from this single example a simile is educed to express the ineffable glory of God generally and universally.” (Bishop Lowth) “Light being one of the names of the Messiah in the OT, Psalm 43:3, and is often given Him in the NT, as the Author of the light of nature, grace, and glory, John 1:9. He is now possessed of the light and glory of the heavenly state, of which his transfiguration on the mount was an emblem, when His face shone like the sun, and His raiment was as the light, Matthew 17:2.” (John Gill) “He gave His disciples a glimpse of ‘that glory, which He had with the Father, before the world was,’ John 17:5.” (Thomas Scott) —
Day two of Creation; compare to Genesis 1:6-8- "’Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain;’ alluding to the firmament or expanse, which, being spread out like a curtain, divided between the waters and the waters, Genesis 1:6…. [As a camper readily pitches his tent somewhere, so God without exertion prepared the earth for habitation [of man].” (VanGemeren)]… denotes the curtains or uncovering of the whole tabernacle.” (Bishop Lowth)- "that sacred azure was at once the floor of His [but rather], the roof of our, abode.” (Herder) “‘He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,’ …. the chambers where He resides; His courts, as the Targum.” (John Gill)— “‘Who makes the clouds His chariot;’ to ride in; in these sometimes Jehovah rides to execute judgment on His enemies, Isaiah 19:1 and in these sometimes He appears in a way of grace and mercy to His people, Exodus 13:21, in these, as in chariots, Christ went up to heaven; and in these will He come a second time; and into these will the saints be caught up to meet the Lord in the air at his coming, Acts 1:9. — ‘Who walks on the wings of the wind;’ which is expressive of His swiftness in coming… ‘like the wings of an eagle.’…“ (John Gill)— “on the most impetuous element raised into the utmost rage, and sweeping along with incredible rapidity. We cannot have a more sublime idea of the deity; serenely walking on an element of inconceivable swiftness, and, as it seems to us, uncontrollable impetuosity!” (James Hervey)
“Men cut places for rivers to run in, but none but God can cut a channel to bring spiritual streams into the soul. The psalmist speaks of the sending forth of springs as one great act of the providence of God. It is a secret mystery which those that have searched deepest into nature cannot resolve us in, how those springs are fed, how they are maintained and nourished, so as to run without ceasing in such great streams as many of them make. Philosophy cannot show the reason of it.” (Ralph Robinson)— “Who makes His angels spirits,’ — meaning either mean ‘creating them spiritual beings, not material beings,’ or ‘creating them like the winds,’ invisible, rapid in their movements, and capable of producing great effects.” (John Brown) So in (Hebrews 1:7) the angels also, are obedient to his commandment. — ‘His ministers [does He make] a flame of fire.’ Fire is expressive of irresistible power, immaculate holiness, and ardent emotion.” (James G. Murphy) “He maketh use of them no less than of the holy angels, and ofttimes for the same purposes.” (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown)
“For that God the Son, Who in the beginning made the worlds, and whose grace is ever carrying on His work to its perfect end by the operation of the Holy Ghost, has been revealed before us in His exceeding glory. He, as the eternal High Priest, hath put on the Urim and Thummim of majesty and honour, and hath clothed Himself with light, as a priest clothes himself with his holy vestments: His brightness on the mount of transfiguration was but a passing glimpse of what He is now, ever hath been, and ever shall be. He is the true Light, therefore His angels are the angels of light, His children the children of light, this doctrine the doctrine of light. The universe is His tabernacle; the heavens visible and invisible are the curtains which shroud His holy place. He hath laid the beams and foundations of His holy of holies very high, even above the waters which are above the firmament. The clouds and the winds of the lower heaven are His chariot, upon which He stood when He ascended from Olivet, upon which He will sit when He cometh again.” (Plain Commentary) Jesus "so formed the earth, and ordained every thing respecting it, as to provide effectually, that it should preserve its relative situation in the universe, and its regular course, without deviation, perpetually, until the appointed time for its final dissolution (Rev 20:11-15).” (Thomas Scott)
“‘You covered it with the deep as with a garment’ (v. 6) Light is the robe of God, with which He has covered Himself. And water is the robe of earth, with which God has covered it.” (J. H. Cooke) "Here it is the separation of the waters - the power exerted on the waters of the earth; in Genesis, the dividing of the waters above from those on the earth; in the psalm, the poetic images of the deep covering the earth as with a garment; the waters climbing up the mountains, and rolling down into the valleys, until they found the place appointed for them, a boundary which they could not pass so as to return again and cover the earth.” (Albert Barnes) “At thy rebuke they fled—…: so Christ rebuked the winds and waves.— ‘they hasted away.'" (John Trapp) ”You have set a boundary;' and what is this bound? The flux and reflux of the sea, occasioned by the solar and lunar attraction, the rotation of the earth on its own axis, and the gravitation of the waters to the center of the earth. And what is the cause of all these? The will and energy of God. Thus the sea is prevented from drowning the earth equally where there are flat shores as where the sea seems hemmed in by huge mounds of land and mountains. The above, not these, are the bounds which it cannot pass, so that they cannot turn again to cover the earth.” (Adam Clarke)
10 He sends the springs into the valleys; they flow among the hills. 11 They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home; they sing among the branches. 13 He waters the hills from His upper chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works. 14 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth, 15 and wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens man’s heart. 16 The trees of Yahweh are full of sap, the cedars of Lebanon which He planted, 17 Where the birds make their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees. 18 The high hills are for the wild goats; the cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers. (Day 3; Gen 1:9-13)
“‘He sends the springs into the valleys.’ The more of humility the more of grace; if in valleys some hollows are deeper than others the waters collect in them.” (Martin Luther) “The poet shows them in flood, covering the face of the earth, and then as they now lie, enclosed within their embankments, to break forth no more forever. The springs? He traces them, by one inspired glance, as they run among the hills, as they give drink to the wild and lonely creatures of the wilderness, as they nourish the boughs, on which sing the birds, the grass, on which feed the cattle, the herb, the corn, the olive tree, the vine, which fill man's mouth, cheer his heart, and make his face to shine.” (George Gilfillan)
Even the “’wild asses quench their thirst.’ (v. 11b) It is particularly remarked of the asses, that though they are dull and stupid creatures, yet by Providence they are taught the way to the waters, in the dry and sandy deserts, and that there is no better guide for the thirsty travellers to follow, than to observe the herds of them descending to the streams.” (Thomas Fenton)
19 He appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knows it’s going down. 20 You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the beasts of the forest creep about. 21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God. 22 When the sun rises, they gather together and lie down in their dens. 23 Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening. (Day 4; cp. Gen 1:14-1)
24 O Yahweh, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions— 25 This great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great. 26 There the ships sail about; there is that Leviathan which You have made to play there. 27 These all wait for You, that You may give them their food in due season. 28 What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. 29 You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.
(Day 5; cp. Gen 1:20-23)
“’He appointed the moon for seasons,’ etc. Genesis 1:14-18. That is, The moon, as well as the sun, is appointed to divide time; to determine its progress; to indicate the return of festival occasions, or appointed times to be observed in any manner. It is, in fact, the foundation of the division of the year into ‘months’ and consequently the indication of all that is to be observed in the ‘months’ of the year. But for this, there would be no natural divisions of time except those of day and night, and of the year. How great an advantage it is for the purpose of life, to have time broken up into brief intervals or periods which can be marked and remembered, both in our private life and in history, it is not necessary to say. God has been pleased to add to the natural divisions of time into days, and years, and months, an ‘artificial’ division - the ‘fourth’ part of the moon‘s course - ‘a week,’ indicated by the Sabbath, thus greatly facilitating the plans of life in regard to stated times or ‘seasons,’ and especially in regard to religious observances. The idea in the passage before us is, that the whole arrangement is one of benevolence, promoting the comfort of man, and bringing the ideas of succession, variety, and beauty into the system.” (Albert Barnes)
31 May the glory of Yahweh endure forever; may Yahweh rejoice in His works. 32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke. 33 I will sing to Yahweh as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
“May the glory of Yahweh endure forever;’ (31a) The sections intervening between verses 2 and 31,—they may be read as a meditation upon creation and the first ‘ordering of the world,’ as itself the counterpart and foreshadowing of the new and restored order in the great Sabbath or Millenary period, or, it may be, they are actually descriptive of this—beginning with the coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven (verse 3 with Ps 18:9-11), attended with ‘the angels of His power’ (verse 4 with 2Th 1:7 Gr.): followed by the ‘establishing’ of the earth, no more to be ‘moved’ or ‘agitated’by the convulsions and disturbances which sin has caused: after which Nature is exhibited in the perfection of her beauty—all things answering the end of their creation: all the orders of the animal world in harmony with each other, and all at peace with man; all provided for by the varied produce of the earth, no longer cursed, bug blessed, and again made fruitful by God, ‘on whom all wait...who openeth his hand and fills them with good’; and all his goodness meeting with its due acknowledgment from his creatures, who join in chorus to praise him, and say—‘O Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. Hallelujah.’” (William De Burgh)
34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in Yahweh. 35 May sinners be consumed from the earth, and the wicked be no more. Bless Yahweh, O my soul! Praise Yahweh!