THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: God's Nurture Of The Inner Man In The Life Of Faith

CIV: Praising God For His Sure Provisions For Us

(Psalm 104:1-35)

I. Introduction

A. Jesus claimed the nations constantly seek to obtain basic livelihood provisions for their needs, Matt. 6:31-32a.

B. Insecurity over the meeting of livelihood needs was a problem in Israel as well, for Jesus urged His listeners to seek the kingdom of God as a priority and God would then meet their livelihood needs, Matthre 6:32b-34.

C. Psalm 104:1-35 is a psalm that explains why God's people should rest in His sure provisions for such needs:

II. Praising God For His Sure Provisions For Us, Psalm 104:1-35.

A. The verses of this psalm in the Hebrew text are numbered like those in the English Bible (Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1064), so we stay with the English Bible's numbering system with this lesson.

B. We thus translate Psalm 104:1-35 (as follows): (1) "Bless Jahweh, O my life principle. O Jahweh Elohim, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty." (2) "He wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent;" (3) "He 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 His messengers winds, His servants flames of fire." (5) "He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved." (6) "You covered it with the deep 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 our 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 air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches." (13) "He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of His work." (14) "He makes the grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate -- bringing forth food from the earth:" (15) "wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart." (16) "The trees of Jahweh are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted." (17) "There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees." (18) "The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the rock badgers." (19) "The moon marks off 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 Elohim." (22) "The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens." (23) "Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening." (24) "How many are Your works, O Jahweh! In wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures." (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 the leviathan, which You formed to frolic there." (27) "These all 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 earth." (31) "May the glory of Jahweh endure forever; may Jahweh rejoice in His works." (32) "He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke." (33) "I will sing to Jahweh all of my earthly life; I will sing praise to my Elohim as long as I live." (34) "May my meditation be pleasing to Him, as I rejoice in Jahweh." (35) "[But] may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Bless Jahweh, O my life principle. Praise Jahweh."

C. We note important observations about this psalm (as follows):

1. Two key themes occur in this psalm, (a) that God as Creator of the whole universe is totally sovereign over it, and that (b) He provides for the livelihood needs of all the life forms He made, especially those of man.

2. We must thus trust that God will surely in His sovereignty as Creator meet our livelihood needs in His providential care of all the life forms He has made that need His provision like Matthew 6:25-34 teaches.

Lesson: God as the Creator of the universe is its Absolute Sovereign, and He assuredly provides livelihood provisions for all the life forms He created that need such provisions to survive, and that includes man.

Application: May we trust God SURELY to MEET our every livelihood need like Matthew 6:25-34 instructs us.