Click here to read PSALM 104 in poetic form.
Background
Psalm 104 is the fifteenth in the Numbers Book of the Psalms, which goes to Psalm 106. God’s rest is a major theme of these 17 Psalms, and in this specific Psalm, we see the Messiah coming in power and glory. God has foreknowledge, and He knew that His Son would redeem mankind and restore all creation to God’s blessings and peace. Thus, the Father set things in order knowing what Jesus Christ would someday do (Colossians 1:15-20). This Psalm parallels God’s setting the heavens and earth in order as recorded in Genesis 1.
Day 1: day and night (Genesis 1:3-5)
Day 2: the heavenly firmament (Genesis 1:6-8)
Day 3: dry land, seas, plant life (Genesis 1:9-13)
Day 4: lights in the firmament: sun, moon, stars (Genesis 1:14-19)
Day 5: living creatures in the sea and the air (Genesis 1:20-23)
Day 6: living creatures on land, including man (Genesis 1:24-30)
Structure
(Verse 1) Bless and praise the Lord, O my soul
(Verse 2) Day 1: covered with light as a garment
(Verse 2) Day 2: stretches out the heavens (firmament) like a curtain
(Verses 3-9) Day 3: lays beams of seas, lays foundation of the earth, sets bounds for the waters
(Verses 10-18) Land and sea provide for Days 5 and 6: water and grass for all creatures
(Verse 19) Day 4: appoints sun and moon for their seasons
(Verses 20-23) Day 6: land creatures (including man) go about their daily activities
(Verses 24-32) Review of God’s creative works: Lord will rejoice in His works
(Verses 33-35) Bless and praise the Lord, O my soul
Key Scriptures
Verse 4—”Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire.” This is quoted in Hebrews 1:7, showing that Jesus Christ is greater than any angel. See the expanded notes on Psalm 45 for more details regarding this quotation from the book of Hebrews.
Verse 34—”My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.” The Hebrew word for “meditation” means a contemplation or utterance. Jesus Christ always did the will of the Father and constantly kept his focus on his heavenly Father. When asked how to pray, Jesus simply addressed his Father Who is in heaven (Matthew 6:9).
FOR FURTHER STUDY
All 150 of The Psalms in Poetic Form are available from Amazon in a book, either Large Print or a smaller Bedside Reader. Also available for free with a Kindle Unlimited membership. Enjoy!
The entire blog series is now available in the publication The Psalms: Background & Structure with Key Scriptures Explained.
