See What the Lord Has Done

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by elizabethaudet

by elizabethaudet

Psalms 104:1-35

Since Israel was well aware of the true beginning of humanity, this Psalm seems to present the Creator, God of the universe, first. No one can dispute effectively the beginning of the earth except to rely on what was already created. They cannot name the power that brought it about; so they start at what is already there and try to make it a beginning. How did all the possibilities exist except by a power before those elements?
Israel looked back to what they saw as the beginning, "In the beginning, God..."- Genesis 1:1a.
One article from my records of study, reads, "The poets of the Old Testament loved to describe the natural world. Like all people in ancient times, they lived closer to nature than most of us." I decided maybe this man who wrote this article, had been confined to living inside, as nature is everywhere. Birds fly freely even in city areas. I remember being in New York City at the street the Empire Street Building is on and seeing birds picking up the scraps from humans disposal. We can find God's Hand in the inner city if we look for it. The sun shines, the rain falls and hits the ground, and the wind still blows through according to God's plan of creation. "God is still on the throne, and He remembers His own; His promise is true, He will not forget you. God is still on the throne!" (A song from my memory which blesses me when I sing it as it is still true today!; read Psalm 19:1-6)
   Let's consider Psalm 104:1-2-(NKJV)-"Bless the Lord, O my soul!" (The rest of this Psalm is a recast of Genesis 1:1-31; Psalm 103:1-remember?)
"O Lord my God, You are very great:"
1. "You are clothed with HONOR AND MAJESTY" (A greatness undescribable as we can only stand in awe of His Great Power and Might in the creation of the universe!)
2. "Who covers Himself with LIGHT as with a garment, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain." (Encircling Himself with Wonder; 1 John 1:5-"God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all; John 4:24-"God is a Spirit and those who worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and in truth."; Genesis 1:14-19)
   Next we revel in Psalm 104:3-4-(TEV)-"
3. "You use the CLOUDS as Your chariot and walk on the wings of the WIND." (Amos 9:6, powerful words; Psalm 93:1-5; (The clouds are the bottom beams of His upper chambers. Can't get higher even if you go to the moon!; Genesis 7:10-12)
4. "You use the WINDS As YOUR messengers," (Isaiah 6:1-30-"I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, high and lifted up, and His Robe filled the temple...Holy, Holy, Holy...")
5. "And flashes of LIGHTNING as Your servants." (One translation says, "Your ministers as flames of fire." Isaiah suggests the angels ministering in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 reminds us that Satan transforms as an angel of light, but God's ministers of Righteousness with the Greater Light of God.)
   As for the created earth Psalm 104:5-9, clarifies this in (TLB):"
6. "You bound the WORLD TOGETHER so that it would never fall apart. You clothed the earth with floods of waters covering up the mountains" (Genesis 1:2, 6)
7. "You spoke and at the sound of Your shout the waters collected into its vast OCEAN BEDS and MOUNTAINS rose up and VALLEYS sank to the levels You decreed." (Genesis 1:9-10; "Sank to the levels You decreed" is translated "at your rebuke."; "Even the winds and the sea obey Him"-Spoken of Jesus who calmed the sea and storm for the disciples in Matthew 8:27)
   8. "And then You set a BOUNDARY FOR THE SEAS, so that they would never again cover the earth" (Genesis 9:11-15; remember Psalm 93:4-"God is mightier than the sea; Proverbs 8:29; Jeremiah 5:22; the whole earth can never flood again.)
9. "You put RUSHING SPRINGS into dry riverbeds. They flow between the mountains, providing water for every WILD ANIMAL-the wild donkeys quench their thirst." God cares for the animals regardless of the fact some are not even in intact of man's supervision;
10. "Overhead the BIRDS in the sky make their home, chirping loudly in the trees." (Psalm 104:17; Isaiah 31:5; Matthew 13:32; James 3:7)
11. "From Your Lofty House,You WATER the mountains. The earth is filled full by the fruit of what You've done." (Psalm 147:7-8; Jeremiah 10:13; Rain for growth!)
   The Psalmist continued to relate God's creative powers in Psalm 104:14-18-(TEV)-:
12. "You make GRASS to grow for CATTLE, and PLANTS for MAN to use, so he can grow his crops," (Genesis 1:11-13; 1:29; Vegetation was for man and beast)
13. "And produce WINE to make man happy, OLIVE OIL to make him cheerful, and BREAD to give him strength." (The three basics of Israelite food was wine, olive oil, and bread; Judges 9:13)
   14. "The CEDARS of Lebanon get plenty of RAIN, the Lord's own trees which He planted." (The wood of the cedar was used for King's houses-2 Samuel 7:2; Numbers 24:5-7; Cleansing of lepers required cedar wood; 2 Chronicles 22:3-5-Used in the temple of Solomon.)
   15. "There the BIRDS build their nests; and STORKS rest in the fir trees." (Matthew 8:20; Psalm 84:3; Luke 9:58; Jeremiah 22:23)
   16. "The WILD GOATS live in the mountains, and the BADGERS hide in the cliffs."
(Exodus 26:14; 33:7; Ezekiel 16:10; Sacrificial goat-Leviticus 3:12;16:8-Scapegoat; Deuteronomy 14:4-5 for food)
   17. "He appointed the MOON for SEASONS; The SUN knows it's going down (days and nights) (Genesis 1:16-19; 19:6)
   18. "You make DARKNESS and it is NIGHT, in which all beasts of the forest creep about." (Isaiah 45:7)
   19. "The Young Lions Roar and seek their FOOD from God." (Job 38:39)
   20. "When the SUN RISES they gather together and lie down in their dens." (They have all they need, so they sleep by day.)
21. "MAN goes out to his work and to his labor until evening." (Genesis 3:19; Proverbs 3:16; Man has daytime and the animals nighttime.)
   Now consider Psalm 104:24-26-(TEV)-"Lord, You made so many things! How wisely You made them all!" (Proverbs 3:19). The following is a review of all God made and how He cares for them:
   22. "The earth is filled with Your creatures."
   23. "There is the OCEAN, Large and wide where countless creatures live, large and small alike; The ship sail on it and Leviathon plays in it, the sea monster which You made." (Job 41:1-34; These are beyond man's ability or restraint)
   We are hardly through as we are marching on to Psalm 104:27-30-(TLB)-"Every one of theses depends on You to give them DAILY FOOD." (Psalm 136:25-26):
24. "You SUPPLY IT, and they gather it. YOU OPEN WIDE YOUR HAND TO FEED THEM and they are satisfied with all Your BOUNTIFUL PROVISION." (The creator provides birth, life and sustenance and even death at the end of life. Everything is in HIS HANDS)
   25, "But if You turn away from them, then all is lost and when You gather up their breath they die and turn again to dust." (Genesis 3:19; Job 32:15)
   26. "Then You send Your Spirit, And new life is born to REPLENISH ALL THE LIVING OF THE EARTH."
"PRAISE GOD FOREVER! HOW HE MUST REJOICE IN ALL HIS WORK!"
   27. "The earth trembles at His GLANCE; The mountains burst into flame at His touch." (Do you know of a power greater or more powerful? NO! There is none!)
   Psalm 104:31-32-(CEB)-"Let the Lord's Glory last forever! Let the Lord rejoice in all He has made! He has only to LOOK AT THE EARTH and it shakes. God just TOUCHES the mountains, and they ERUPT IN SMOKE." (Volcanoes are not man-made, nor is their locations determined by man. God is in control; Psalm 144:5-7. The foreigners are not foreigners to us on earth but people who refuse God's control on their own lives. God wants all to receive Him as the POWERFUL GOD OF ALL LIVES; Habakuk 3:10)
In conclusion we turn to Psalm 104:33-35-(NKJV)-where we find our released and refreshed soul can express its joy openly. ITS ALL ABOUT ME!
"I WILL SING:"
1. "To the Lord AS LONG AS I LIVE;"
2. "I will sing PRAISE to my God WHILE I HAVE MY BEING" (Psalm 63:3-4)
3. "MAY MY MEDITATION BE SWEET TO HIM;" (They always are!)
4. "I WILL BE GLAD IN THE LORD." (Psalm 19:14)
5. "May sinners be consumed from the earth, and the wicked be no more," (Psalm 37:34)
6. "BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL!"
7. "PRAISE THE LORD!"
   I will close with the words from Psalm 19:14-"LET THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND THE MEDITATION OF MY HEART BE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR SIGHT, O LORD MY STRENGTH AND MY REDEEMER!"
   We end with Psalm 104:1-"BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL!" HE IS WORTH IT!

   Next time...