Sunday, May 4, 2014 pm
STUDIES IN PSALMS
Bless the Lord of Creation
Psalm 104
Tonight we continue our study of the psalms.
In our last psalm (103) it began the same way as this one.
In that psalm, the author addressed the character of God.
In this psalm we will address God in His creation.
While this psalm does not name its author, it is
similar to the last one which is attributed to David and thus it is
likely another of his psalms. Let
us now consider its message.
a.
As with the previous psalm, the writer
from within acknowledges the greatness of God.
In our last psalm we noted God’s character – His goodness,
righteousness, and mercy.
b.
He now turns to His greatness in His
creation. The psalmist
observes all that God has made and is humbled.
We are reminded that the creation declares the glory of God AND that He
is!
Psa. 19:1-6 speak of the heavens declaring His glory
Romans 1:20 speaks of the
creation declaring His invisible attributes and Godhead so that man is
without excuse when he rejects Him.
c.
You are clothed with honor and majesty –
He is majestic and worthy of all honor in all things.
II.
God created the heavens and the
earth (2-4)
a.
He covers Himself with light – God IS
light.
Genesis 1:3-5 – “God said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light.”
(The 1st day)
b.
He stretches out the heavens like a
curtain – He controls its breadth
c.
VS. 3 describes how He is over all the
earth and in control
d.
Vs. 4 – He rules over His angels.
They do His will.
NOTE that this verse is found in Heb. 1:7 where Christ is exalted above
the angels.
a.
Genesis 1:6-10 – God created the
firmament and divides the waters and the lands (the 2nd day)
b.
Our text demonstrates His greatness in
speaking the boundaries of the heavens and the earth and even the
waters.
See Job 38:8-10 as the Lord challenges Job.
Also Prov. 8:29.
NOTE: In these times where man speaks of global warming and the melting
of the poles, we find in this text assurance that what God wills shall
happen. He suspends the
boundaries of waters and there is nothing man can do to thwart that.
c.
Vs. 10-13 describe the life sustaining
power of water and that they are given to us by Him.
d.
THOUGHT: if God can set boundaries for
the seas, can He also set boundaries for us?
a.
Genesis 1:11-13 - God created grass and
fruit trees, herbs, etc. (the 3rd
day)
b.
Giving us grass and vegetation is yet
another way God cares for us.
c.
Recall what Jesus said about worry in
Matthew 6:25-34
a.
Genesis 1:14-19 – God created the sun and
the moon and stars. (The 4th
day)
b.
He makes darkness – we often emphasize
that darkness is the absence of light.
God created light.
James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no
variation or shadow of turning.”
But this text says He makes darkness - So is this a contradiction?
Not at all – the point being God is in control of all light.
The NASU says, “You appoint darkness and it becomes night.”
We need night and darkness in the natural world as much as we need the
sun – or else the world would get too hot, etc.
c.
21-22 - Animals go about being sustained
– even in the darkness.
d.
But man goes to work, usually during the
daylight hours – in contrast to the animals previously mentioned we see
balance in the cycle of life and the world.
It too is God’s will – Gen. 1:28 – God told man to be fruitful and
multiply and to have dominion over the earth and to subdue it.
Gen. 2:15 – man was to tend to and keep the garden.
But because of sin, consider that in Gen. 3:17-19 the degree of
work was a part of man’s curse.
HOWEVER, it was not a bad thing.
In Ephesians 4:28 – it is a good thing.
e.
One point to consider in these verses -
God is a God of HIS time – days and nights & the seasons come and
go, as do the years according to His will.
Also Recall 2 Peter 3:8 – He is longsuffering – a day as a thousand
years.
a.
Genesis 1:20-23 – God created sea
creatures and birds (the 5th day)
b.
How manifold are His works – His works
are numerous – TOO numerous to be counted.
All is made in His wisdom – He knows what He is doing.
Mankind, often tries to tamper with God’s creation but he will
NEVER completely succeed.
c.
The earth is full of Your possessions.
2 Thoughts: 1) What we have is abundantly supplied and able to sustain
us (often the lack is so many places is the result of evil).
2) We sometimes describe the world as belonging to Satan, but ultimately
it belongs to Him!
d.
Leviathan – in the seas where ships (made
by and carrying man) sail, great sea creatures dwell.
Leviathan is a sea creature mentioned a few times in scripture.
In Isaiah 27:1 it is used to describe an ungodly nation or ruler.
In the other 4 occasions (Job. 3:8, 41:1, Psa. 74:14 and here) it
is reference to a large sea creature of unknown origin.
Job 41:1-11 finds God challenging Job to be able to capture or
control this creature.
Our text is simply demonstrating that God sustains all of creation, even
the greatest of creatures (and perhaps unknown or rarely seen by men).
a.
Genesis 1:24-28 – God created the animals
and finally man (the 6th day).
b.
These all wait on Him – He sustains them
in the season. All of
creation depends on Him – both in good times and bad.
When He gives they gather, and when He withholds, they are
troubled. He even has power
to take away breath so that they die and return to the dust.
To what degree God is involved in the affairs of this world today is
somewhat a mystery – but NEVER underestimate His power to accomplish His
will!
When man rejects God, it can bring upon the nations catastrophe.
We read of it in the annals of Israel, Judah and their ungodly
neighbors. IT is an oft
visited theme of the prophets.
c.
You send forth Your Sprit
– they are created and they are renewed.
Gen. 2:7 tells us that man was created from the dust of the ground and
God breathed into him the breath of life.
Once again, my challenge to the evolutionist – create life!
Breathe breath into an inanimate object!
a.
We cannot overemphasize the glory of God.
His majesty is seen in visions of heaven by Isaiah, Ezekiel, and
John. Surrounding the throne
in each of these is His great majesty.
And it will endure forever – in John’s vision of the throne of God in
Revelation 4 & 5 we find creatures glorifying God, “saying with a
loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and
riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And
every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth
and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the
throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”” (Revelation 5:12–13)
b.
May the Lord rejoice in His works –
Genesis 1: 31, “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed
it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
THOUGHT: Do we live to give Him joy?
Far too many live their lives bringing grief to God instead of glory.
That was Israel’s plight throughout its history and it resulted
in both Israel and Judah being cut off for their ingratitude among other
sins.
c.
As He looks upon the earth it trembles
and the hills smoke – again we see the power of God.
a.
A common theme of the psalms is a
reminder to praise God as we consider His glory and goodness.
Here again the psalmist speaks of singing to the Lord “as long as
I live.”
b.
Praise Him as long as you have breath.
c.
May my meditation be sweet to Him!
When we think of meditation, we consider not just a passing
thought but serious contemplation.
God ought to always be on our minds.
d.
May sinners be consumed and the wicked be
no more - an imprecatory request as this psalm is brought to its
conclusion. This is
not the psalmist taking matters into his own hand, but his will that
God’s will and good prevail and all things contrary to that be overcome.
We may not be able to outright destroy the wicked (give that
place to God – Rom. 12:19-21), but we can live:
1) making whatever changes we can to the world for God.
2) pray that God’s will prevail – 1 Tim. 2:1-3
3) be the godly example that will win others to Him –
e.
Finally, the psalmist concludes as he
begins – “Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!”
In summary let me just say – as with so many of the
psalms – consider what God has done for you and praise and thank Him –
for He is worthy. The lesson
is yours!