This psalm begins and ends with the same words which began and ended Psalm 103. In both, the writer exhorts himself and us to “bless the Lord.” The difference between the two psalms is in the choice of the motives given for blessing the Lord.
An overall outline of the psalm looks like this:
- Preliminary call to praise (1).
- The Lord is creator of the heavens (2-4).
- The Lord is creator of the earth (5-9).
- The Lord is creator of life on the earth (10-18).
- The Lord is creator of the moon & stars (19-23).
- Interlude, reminding us of the overall theme (24).
- The Lord is creator of the sea (25-26).
- The Lord is the preserver of all life 27-30
- Summary and final call to worship (addressed primarily to self) 31-35
One difference between ancient man and modern man is in what and whom we are drawn to honour. Whereas men of the past were drawn to honour greatness, whether that greatness was of a type that directly served their ends or not, we honour anything or anyone serving our ends — no matter how unworthy they may otherwise be. We fail to honour greatness that does not immediately serve us.
We honour moral reprobates, and even complete fools, if they happen to entertain us or provide us with goods and services we desire. We often fail to honour those who are the true great ones of the earth, unless their greatness happens to serve us in some tangible and immediate manner.
On the other hand, this psalm is notable in that the author calls on himself to bless the Lord while not mentioning the gracious blessings that the Lord has sent his way. Rather than emphasizing the blessings of God to the individual or the chosen people, this psalm considers God worthy of praise simply for being the wise creator of all. The closest he comes to mentioning God’s gifts to humans is in 14-15. “You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth 15 and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.”
Nature should, and often does, inspire a sense of awe that leads us to worship. But this sense of awe must be carefully directed.
Unfortunately, most of us spend very little time contemplating nature, and it shows. We, especially urban dwellers, are so surrounded by the works of man. We forget the works of God. We increasingly work indoors, away from nature and the natural cycle of the seasons. The reading of the psalms, coupled with intentional contemplation of nature would be particularly helpful if that is our situation.
But nature alone is not enough. We must intentionally sing the praises of the creator, not of the creation. Nature religions are almost invariably cruel. This is not surprising, for the creation has been affected by the fall. It is not the perfect world that God created, but a fallen order.
Child sacrifice has almost always been a feature of nature religions – and it is increasingly so in our age. For example, the Obama administration insisted, at a conference hosted in Canada, that abortion be forced on African countries. The moral left want to protect nature at the cost of human life. They claim to be “pro-choice,” yet they want to force their ways on others. They claim to reject cultural imperialism, but on this issue (and on homosexuality) many Western nations openly engage in cultural imperialism.
Romans 1 tells us to expect such illogical behaviour from those who have rejected God. This psalm tells us how we should respond.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. 35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!
Eswatini