CREATION-Psalm 104
“How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures” (Ps 104:24).
Psalm 103 and 104 form a perfect pair and illustrate the balance of the Bible.
- Psalms 103 tells of the goodness of God in salvation, Psalm 104 of the greatness of God in creation.
- In Psalm 103 God is the loving father with his children (Ps 103:11-13). In Psalm 104 he is the creator God with his creatures (Ps 104:24).
- Psalm 103 speaks of God’s benefits (Ps 103:2-5); Psalm 104 of God’s works (Ps 104:13, 24, 31).
Psalm 104 is a poetic meditation of Genesis 1. Its theme is God’s greatness in creating, ruling and sustaining his vast creation. It is a descriptive psalm of praise. Praise of God’s royal splentor (Ps 104:1-5, 31-35). Outline:
- God’s Creation of Heaven and Earth (1-9): Day 1, 2, 3a (Gen 1:3-5, 6-8, 9-10a).
- God’s Provision for Birds and Beasts (10-23): Day 3b, 4, 5 (Gen 1:11-13, 14-19, 20-23).
- God’s Creation and Preservation of All Creatures (24-30): Day 6 (Gen 1:24-28, 29-31).
How does Psalm 104 point to Christ?
1. Jesus is clothed with splendor and majesty (Ps 104:1).
“There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light” (Mt 17:2).
“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (Jn 17:5).
“…and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance” (Rev 1:13-16).
2. Jesus is the light of the world (Ps 104:2).
…Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12).
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn 1:4-5).
“His face shone like the sun” (Mt 17:2).
“His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance…” (Rev 1:16).
3. Jesus rebukes the waters (Ps 104:7).
“…he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm” (Mt 8:26).
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm (Mk 8:39).
“He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm” (Lk 8:24).
4. Jesus provides and sustains all things (Ps 104:27-30).
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt 6:33).
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col 1:17).
“And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” “For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:25, 28).
5. Jesus many works can’t be counted (Ps 104:24a).
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (Jn 21:25).
6. Jesus is the Creator God (Ps 104:24b).
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:1-3).
“ 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:15-16).
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Heb 1:1-3).
Day 1. Light (Ps 104:1-2a; Gen 1:3-5).
1 Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. 2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment…
Genesis 1:3-5: 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
Day 2. Expanse/Vault (2b-4; Gen 1:6-8).
2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent 3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. 4 He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
Genesis 1:6-8: 6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
Day 3. Land and water separate (5-9; Gen 1:9-10).
5 He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. 6 You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. 7 But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; 8 they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. 9 You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.
10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. 11 They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12 The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. 13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
Genesis 1:9-10: 9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
Day 3. Food from the earth (14-18; Gen 1:11-13).
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth: 15 wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts. 16 The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. 17 There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the junipers. 18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.
Gen 1:11-13: 11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
Day 4. Two great lights (19-24; Gen 1:14-19).
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. 20 You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. [ 21 The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. 22 The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. 23 Then people go out to their work, to their labor until evening. 24 How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.]
Genesis 1:14-19: 14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
Day 5. Sea and Air Creatures (25-26; Gen 1:20-23).
25 There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small. 26 There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
Genesis 1:20-23: 20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
Day 6. Animals and Man (21-24).
21 The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. 22 The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. 23 Then people go out to their work, to their labor until evening. 24 How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
Genesis 1:24-28: 24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over… 27 So God created mankind in his own image… 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over… 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Day 6. Food Provided for All (27-30; Gen 1:29-31).
27 All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand they are satisfied with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. 30 When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.
Genesis 1:29-31: 29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Epilogue. Praise the glorious, awesome, holy God (31-35).
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works—
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the Lord.
35 But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Praise the Lord.
