The Book of Psalm has 5 sections (books) within it. Psalm 104, 105, 106 are the last three psalms of Book IV. And they tell a linked story – Psalm 104 (God the Provider); Psalm 105 (God’s faithfulness to the people of God); and Psalm 106 (acknowledgment of the people of God turning their back on the creator and faithful God). Those are the three psalms we are reading this week.

Psalm 104 (Selected verses)

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul.
    O Lord my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honour and majesty,
2     wrapped in light as with a garment.
You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
3     you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
you make the clouds your chariot,
    you ride on the wings of the wind,
4 you make the winds your messengers,
    fire and flame your ministers.

5 You set the earth on its foundations, so that it shall never be shaken….

10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills,
11 giving drink to every wild animal; the wild asses quench their thirst….

14 You cause the grass to grow for the cattle,
    and plants for people to use, to bring forth food from the earth,
15     and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to make the face shine,
    and bread to strengthen the human heart.
16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly,
    the cedars of Lebanon that he planted….
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats;
    the rocks are a refuge for the coneys.
19 You have made the moon to mark the seasons;
    the sun knows its time for setting….

24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.
25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there,
    living things both small and great….

27 These all look to you to give them their food in due season;
28 when you give to them, they gather it up;
    when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
    when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created;
    and you renew the face of the ground.

31 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works—
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles,
    who touches the mountains and they smoke.
33 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….
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord!

The reading has been shortened due to the length of the psalm.

This hymn of praise for God’s work in creation masterfully lays out the work of God’s hand in creation – from sun. moon, and stars to making dry land and on to the living things on the dry land – and then finally people.

Vs. 27 reminds us that the God who made all of this did not just wind-up creation and walk away. In fact, creation depends moment by moment on God for its survival. All of creation, everything cited in the opening 26 verses of the psalm look to God to get what they need for life. When God hides God’s face, the creation is “dismayed” – but when God turns again to pay attention to the creation, life is renewed. Thus even the changing of the seasons are in God’s hands, that is how deeply connected God is to the life of the creation.

So what response is there but that of vs. 33 – “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.” Songs of praise are the only reasonable response to the good God has done, and to the beauty of creation that we are witness to. In wonder at what God has done we sing our praise, in wonder and awe at the majesty and the elegance of creation praise burst forth from us.

PRAYER:

God of glory and wonder, you have brought creation into being, and you continue to bring new life to creation. We are in awe of your creativity, the beauty you have made, the majesty and elegance of your work – we sing our praise, declare our wonder, shout aloud our worship, for you have made all things well. In Jesus’ name. Amen.  

Psalm 103

Of David.

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,  and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed….
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children,
    so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made;
    he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
    on those who fear him,
    and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.

19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion.
    Bless the Lord, O my soul.

A number of lines from this psalm are part of the life of present-day Christians: Vs. 1 “Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me”; Vs. 5 “youth is renewed like the eagle’s”; Vs. 8 “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love”; and Vs. 12 “as far as the east is from the west, so far God removes our transgressions from us.” 

God is the one who forgives us showing us mercy both in our forgiveness and in God’s care for us. God recognizes that we are human, that we are not like God – we are the creature and God is the Creator. Vs. 14 – God knows how we were made and that we are dust – God remembers this truth. From God’s remembering that we are dust, that we are human, flow the grace and love God have for us. It is out of God’s remembering that humans are frail children of dust that God was willing to provide a means for human beings to be saved – the death and resurrection of Jesus – the cross and the empty tomb.

Just as God remembers – we as human beings are told to remember (“not forget” – vs. 2) all the good God does for us – all the benefits – forgiveness, healing, eternal life, renewal, salvation. Which obviously produce praise, worship and adoration to this great God who does all things well. Our remembering goes also to the pattern of life we live – “remember to do his commandments” (vs. 18). In our thankful remembering we consciously seek to shape our lives to conform to the patterns of life laid out in the commandments which are the way that leads to faithful living the Jesus way.  

We remember the good that comes from the God who remembers, remembering the patterns he has established that lead to life. 

PRAYER:

We rejoice, O Lord, that you remember that we are the creature and not the creation, that we are but dust. Teach us to remember the same thing and to then rejoice that you have made by you the God of grace and love. Remind us of your path to life and of your forgiveness that we might bless your name forever and ever. Amen.