Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
Psalms Ch.104 / 150 Ch.s
PS:104
* God's majesty in the heavens, The creation of the sea, and the
dry land. (1-9) His provision for all creatures. (10-18) The
regular course of day and night, and God's sovereign power over
all the creatures. (19-30) A resolution to continue praising
God. (31-35)
#1-9 Every object we behold calls on us to bless and praise the
Lord, who is great. His eternal power and Godhead are clearly
shown by the things which he hath made. God is light, and in him
is no darkness at all. The Lord Jesus, the Son of his love, is
the Light of the world.
#10-18 When we reflect upon the provision made for all
creatures, we should also notice the natural worship they render
to God. Yet man, forgetful ungrateful man, enjoys the largest
measure of his Creator's kindness. the earth, varying in
different lands. Nor let us forget spiritual blessings; the
fruitfulness of the church through grace, the bread of
everlasting life, the cup of salvation, and the oil of gladness.
Does God provide for the inferior creatures, and will he not be
a refuge to his people?
#19-30 We are to praise and magnify God for the constant
succession of day and night. And see how those are like to the
wild beasts, who wait for the twilight, and have fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness. Does God listen to the
language of mere nature, even in ravenous creatures, and shall
he not much more interpret favourably the language of grace in
his own people, though weak and broken groanings which cannot be
uttered? There is the work of every day, which is to be done in
its day, which man must apply to every morning, and which he
must continue in till evening; it will be time enough to rest
when the night comes, in which no man can work. The psalmist
wonders at the works of God. The works of art, the more closely
they are looked upon, the more rough they appear; the works of
nature appear more fine and exact. They are all made in wisdom,
for they all answer the end they were designed to serve. Every
spring is an emblem of the resurrection, when a new world rises,
as it were, out of the ruins of the old one. But man alone lives
beyond death. When the Lord takes away his breath, his soul
enters on another state, and his body will be raised, either to
glory or to misery. May the Lord send forth his Spirit, and
new-create our souls to holiness.
#31-35 Man's glory is fading; God's glory is everlasting:
creatures change, but with the Creator there is no variableness.
And if mediation on the glories of creation be so sweet to the
soul, what greater glory appears to the enlightened mind, when
contemplating the great work of redemption! There alone can a
sinner perceive ground of confidence and joy in God. While he
with pleasure upholds all, governs all, and rejoices in all his
works, let our souls, touched by his grace, meditate on and
praise him.