Psalms

The Psalmist continues praise to the sovereign God in this Psalm.  It is companion to Psalm 103.  Our soul can, and should be blessed by the knowledge of our creator.  This Psalm praises God through the creation.  One commentary suggested this is an argument against sun worship.

Weirsbe notes this may be the Psalm Paul had in mind at the Areopagus.  Read Acts 17:22-28,

Praise to the Sovereign LORD for His Creation and Providence

- ¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul!

O LORD my God, You are very great:

You are clothed with honor and majesty,
He is great.......and He is our creator.  That's why we are to worship Him and not the creation.  All that is great is defined by God.  He is set apart beyond any comparison.  Honor and majesty are the clothes of the Highest of High.

² Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
God said let there be light.  He is light and He alone spoke it into existence in the creation.

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.

The upper chambers are the heavens.  The waters allude to the waters of the original creation that were above the heavens (sky). 

The angels are God's instruments of judgment.  See Hebrews 1:7.  The ancient religions worshiped the wind and clouds and rains.  The writer says that all these things belong to the sovereign God.  He is sovereign and moves the wind, clouds and His angels at His will for His purpose.

⁵ You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever,

If there is any shaking or moving of this earth it will only be by the hand of God.  There is no other. 
⁶ You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters stood above the mountains.

Before God separated the water and the land the globe appeared as a ball of water.  If all the mountains were brought low and all land was at the same elevation, then the earth would be covered by several miles deep of water.

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.
God moved the mountains, created valleys at His will.  He set the boundaries for the water and the height for every mountain. 

This section marks the first 2 days of creation.

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.
Suddenly there are beasts in the field and birds in the air.  There is praise as the wild donkey quenches it thirst and as the birds sing from their branches.  God's creations enjoy His creation and live their lives as He determined.  They are satisfied by God's works. 

We should find a similar satisfaction in our lives.  Do we have a contentment in what the Lord purposed for our lives.  Do we see we were born of a specific family, in a specific place, at a specific time to serve a specific purpose?  And we can only find that purpose in God. 

The age old question of who am I, where did I come from, what is my purpose here and where am I going when it ends is answered in our creator.  Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

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 the LORD 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.
We could find amazing studies in any of these creatures.  Any thorough study of nature would reveal the amazing hand of God.  God created a food chain and purpose in each of these things.  There is a balance in nature.  Yet, we don't worship it.  We don't fret and worry as if it is our job to keep it.  God made it and He keeps it.  We are to be good stewards of what He has entrusted to us.  We are not called to worship and worry about these things.  God called for us to fill the earth and subdue it.  The grass if for the cattle, the cattle are for steaks.  Vegetables are to be placed around the steak.  The wine is to wash it down. 

The third day of creation is complete.

¹⁹ He appointed the moon for seasons;
The sun knows its 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.
This section contains some of the work of God on the 4th day of Creation.  The moon and the sun were created by God for His purpose.  Even in something so large as suns and moon we see the detail in which God created them.  The moon affects the tides and if it were any closer or any further it would devistate the earth.  The sun is the right distance and the right temperature to provide warmth and light.  The day was created for work of man, the night for the beasts. 

²⁴ O LORD, 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.
Verses 24 through 26 correspond to the 5th day of Creation.  God possesses all the creation.  His works are manifold - far reaching and beyond what we even consider.  In His wisdom all things were made.  Nothing was an accident; nothing evolved.  In the depths of the ocean we see the great and small; from Leviathon to the abundant varieties of fish in the sea.

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.
In God's perfect creation we see the balance of nature.  God provides for His creation and He remains sovereign over it.  When God brings the end, the end comes.  No one can overcome what God takes away.  No man can breath God air when God takes it away.  No man live past the days God ordains. 

³¹ May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
May the LORD rejoice in His works.
³² He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.

God still moves on the earth.  His creation was complete in 6 days but from that day on He has sustained it all.  He hasn't stepped away to let it wind down.  He isn't overcome by the power of evil in this world.  God has given men free will.  He has given us His word.  We are to love Him and enjoy the creation.  Unfortunately many ignore God and exploit the creation for their own benefit.  That benefit will be short lived.   

³³ I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
The thought and consideration of the creation brings us to worship.  Praise God for his might works.  Can we ever praise Him enough?  This praise should be a lifelong endeavor.

³⁴ May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the LORD.

I believe this is another form of worship and praise.  While the work of God might bring us to praise and song, it can also bring us to silent humility.  What could I possibly say to so high and holy of a God?  Who am I that He is mindful of me?  Can the Lord see my humble mediation and be glad?  I am in awe of Him.  I am struck speechless.  I meditate and reflect on the Living God and I will be glad.

³⁵ May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Come quickly Lord Jesus - in justice and righteousness.  The old earth will pass away and He will bring a New Heaven and a New Earth.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Praise the LORD!