By Jeremy Bell
Psalm 104 with notes on Gospel Declaration are in this brief commentary. Faith, Hope, and Love are discovered in truth in the writings of a people God has preserved for thousands of years. The Nature of Joy is not defined by failing humans. It is experienced through a perfect God who restores relationship to any who would respond. Repenting towards the creator is an act to proclaim the gospel.
I am going to highlight Christian agreement. Finding points of agreement helps build unity among people. Often, disagreements are in the application of fundamental ideas. I will share how Psalm 104 supports a Christian fundamental. I will continue with Hebrews, Mark, and Matthew directly afterwards because these New Testament writers refers to it. Understanding the unity across scripture is excellent theological practice.
Every Christian believes that salvation comes through the mouths of those who proclaim the gospel and everyone is under the mandate to do it. It does not matter a person’s position on free will. In Christian philosophy, it is often stated that there are two very important revelations. General revelation and special revelation.
General Revelation
Since the creation of the world, the invisible things of God have been clearly seen. They have been perceived through the things that He made, even His everlasting power and divinity, that every person ever is without excuse. It is also true that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. This is told in the creation as well as the inner conscience of each person. But creation and guilt do not proclaim the gospel.
Creation does more than simply display the majesty, power, and sovereignty (and many more things) of the creator. It also tells a story of God’s wrath, that is applied to all things, and begs a response. So, this general revelation is wonderful and condemning all at once. Unfortunately, there is nothing that has been created or imparted in the conscience that can deliver anyone from death and God’s wrath. There is justice without hope.
Special Revelation
That is, unless God the good creator, intervenes and sends a message of mercy and a savior. God can act to proclaim the gospel. This message is a message of special revelation. It must come from Him and be specific to Him. If there is salvation from death, it is the one who holds power over death that one must go to. Since the creation of humans and their fall from His holiness into death, God has preserved a remnant throughout time to carry His special message of salvation to the world. It was written until God showed Himself as the living message, perfectly displayed in Jesus. God declared Jesus the savior and God declared that any who believe have responsibility to share this special message.
There is no other name on Earth by which someone can be saved; the name of Jesus. Actions confirm belief, but they are insufficient to share the special message. Words must be used. The name of Jesus must be shared and received. Feeling that God should use other methods and other people is a personal desire but is against God’s way. Angels are servants of the Most High God and Jesus is above them. They are also unable to save, though they are able to serve. All creation and creatures are subject to Him.
It is difficult to point out any specific part of Psalm 104 to highlight Christian agreement because the entire Psalm seems to proclaim the gospel. Meditate on it, let it challenge your inner thoughts, let it move you consider the urgency of getting God’s special message, or special revelation, to others. Their fate is not in your hands, but your part in participating in magnifying God’s glory is correlated to your relationship with the living God through Christ Jesus. God loves to save and loves working through His people to do it. This is the beginning of the new creation, and it will only grow. I have this visually represented in my book, Psalms in Motif Visualization. You can find it here!
[ Psalm 104 ]
Bless Yahweh, my soul.
Yahweh, my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty.
He covers himself with light as with a garment.
He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.
He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot.
He walks on the wings of the wind.
He makes his messengers winds,
and his servants flames of fire.
He laid the foundations of the earth,
that it should not be moved forever.
You covered it with the deep as with a cloak.
The waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they fled.
At the voice of your thunder they hurried away.
The mountains rose,
the valleys sank down,
to the place which you had assigned to them.
You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,
that they don’t turn again to cover the earth.
He sends springs into the valleys.
They run among the mountains.
They give drink to every animal of the field.
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The birds of the sky nest by them.
They sing among the branches.
He waters the mountains from his rooms.
The earth is filled with the fruit of your works.
He causes the grass to grow for the livestock,
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may produce food out of the earth:
wine that makes the heart of man glad,
oil to make his face to shine,
and bread that strengthens man’s heart.
Yahweh’s trees are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted,
where the birds make their nests.
The stork makes its home in the cypress trees.
The high mountains are for the wild goats.
The rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.
He appointed the moon for seasons.
The sun knows when to set.
You make darkness, and it is night,
in which all the animals of the forest prowl.
The young lions roar after their prey,
and seek their food from God.
The sun rises, and they steal away,
and lie down in their dens.
Man goes out to his work,
to his labor until the evening.
Yahweh, how many are your works!
In wisdom, you have made them all.
The earth is full of your riches.
There is the sea, great and wide,
in which are innumerable living things,
both small and large animals.
There the ships go,
and leviathan, whom you formed to play there.
These all wait for you,
that you may give them their food in due season.
You give to them; they gather.
You open your hand; they are satisfied with good.
You hide your face; they are troubled.
You take away their breath; they die and return to the dust.
You send out your Spirit and they are created.
You renew the face of the ground.
Let Yahweh’s glory endure forever.
Let Yahweh rejoice in his works.
He looks at the earth, and it trembles.
He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
I will sing to Yahweh as long as I live.
I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.
Let my meditation be sweet to him.
I will rejoice in Yahweh.
Let sinners be consumed out of the earth.
Let the wicked be no more.
Bless Yahweh, my soul.
Praise Yah!
Hebrews 1: 6 – 12
When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.” Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his servants a flame of fire.”
But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.”
And,
“You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth.
The heavens are the works of your hands.
They will perish, but you continue.
They all will grow old like a garment does.
You will roll them up like a mantle,
and they will be changed;
but you are the same.
Your years won’t fail.”
Mark 4: 35 – 41
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him. A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled. He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?”
He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”
They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Matthew 25: 31 – 46
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’
“The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
“Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’
“Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
God Has Created a Marvelous Creation
Meditation on creation for even ten minutes has a profound effect on a person’s day. I will not add to the Psalm writer’s musings, it is better writing than I could ever hope to acquire. Consider this Psalm, and let it move you.
Creation tells a story; it radiates the glory of God and witnesses to the truth. As amazing as creation is, it is important to remember it is a result of, not a start of, something. It serves, it is not the ruler. It reproduces, but it is not the creator. Part of the story of creation is the decay and death of all things. There is nothing eternal about the reality we experience in creation even though it suggests it. There is beauty in appreciating the gift of nature in the moment. To know that what we experience is precious because it does pass on.
Because of this passing on, we must be very careful not to worship the creation that is dying as if it were the creator who is dying. This is a twisted response to the story it is telling. If a person makes death their god, they will die indeed.
Good News
Allow me to proclaim the gospel. The creator God sent His son, Jesus, to save His people from death. Only the eternal, never dying, never decaying, God could save a dying creation from ultimate death. Creation also tells a story of transformation. There is perhaps no better example than the caterpillar to butterfly.
I continue to proclaim the gospel. God has a plan to magnify His glory through His people throughout all His good creation. He has a plan to make all things new. Everything He needed for this plan was accomplished through Jesus, 2,000 years ago. He has already begun the transformation, but the final day is still before us. This means there is time to turn away from the self, turn away from the creation, and towards the creator God, through Christ Jesus. His blood from His death fulfilled the requirement for God’s forgiveness and His life fulfilled the requirement for reconciliation.
Anyone who turns and believes in Jesus as savior will be saved and transformed, or birthed into, a new, eternal life with God. Jesus holds the keys and Jesus will do the separating between those who love death as god and those and those who ask for mercy from the living creator. Joy is found in all of creation because it is radiating God’s glory. If creation is worshiped, joy is circumstantial and over time, decays into darkness. When the creator puts His holy spirit within a new creation, that person grows in life, grows in Jesus, and the fountain never runs dry in the Nature of Joy.
Resources and Notes
All scripture in this article is from the WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE (WEB). The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.
For more related to this blog, check out my post on Unity in the Bible Truths About God.
This is a reliable translation, but it is always good to read other translations as well. Biblegateway.com has a multitude of translations to read from. It is a great resource.
Another great resource is Biblehub.com. There are multiple translations, commentaries, and so much more. Great research can be done on this platform.
One more I use regularly is Gotquestions.org. This is a great site to answer questions and find threads of related questions.
There are many resources. The key is that God wants relationship directly with you, the individual. His primary source for revealing who He is and growing in intimacy is His word, the scriptures. Don’t just read for instruction. Analyze and read for understanding. Explore, ask questions, and be transformed in Jesus every moment you possibly can. There is no dispute this is a key desire of God. People are brough to the Father, in the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. This… This is the Nature of Joy.
Jeremy is an author, musician, and business intelligence manager. His mission is to equip and encourage those in Christ, to equip and encourage others in Christ. Jesus, Christ, is the Nature of Joy and melody of the heart. Jeremy unites business analytics (business intelligence), songs, and Scripture for Christian living in the power of the Holy Spirit.