Psalm 104:24-30 - October 14, 2009

Ps 104:24-30 "How many are your works, O LORD! 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." NIV

In these verses the psalmist is extolling the creative power of God. Like an artist with a gift for painting diversity of styles and forms God has painted the canvas of our worlds with astonishing mastership. “How many are your works…” the psalmist cries. Who can count the vast measure of detail included in the creation of God. Scientists have unveiled great depths of amazing detail in the creation of God, explaining such things as neurons, protons and electrons present inside of the smallest particles they have discovered and yet they are beginning to discover that there are smaller particles yet misunderstood. They peer into the heavens and see vast universes and try to understand them and yet they must confess that the expanse of it is still beyond true comprehension. How many are the works of the Lord?
It is in this atmosphere of wonder that the psalmist lifts up the song of praise and declares; “in wisdom you created them all.” Thousands of years of science performed by the best efforts of all of man-kinds most brilliant scientific minds have only gotten him to this limited place of understanding of creation and yet one thing has become clear, all that exists is controlled by an amazing sense of order. Many scientists will not confess that this implies the existence of a creator but those of us with eyes of faith can look clearly at this empirical evidence and say with the Psalmist: “in wisdom you created them all.”
The creation stands before all man as God’s single greatest testimony of existence and power. David states in Ps 19:1-4 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” NIV All of God’s creation is a demonstration of God’s glory and majesty. Everywhere the eyes of man turn there is a stunning testimony of the wisdom and power of God speaking forth in front of him.
These verses in Psalm 104 are a celebration of the glory of God’s creation as they describe the expanse of the seas as creatures great and small playfully move about within its depths. The Psalmist speaks of the creator as if He were a loving Father watching over His family to make sure that there needs are met. He speaks of the creation as if they were submissive children looking to God the Father, thankful for His kindness but careful not to violate the boundaries that He has placed lest He punish their disobedience. These verses portray powerfully the reality that all things, all men, every facet of creation looks to God for its very existence. Let no one diminish the glory that is due to the Lord for His matchless creation. Let nothing keep u s from giving Him praise!