Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

In this psalm nature reveals God’s greatness to us and is designed to activate our desire to praise. Every forest, ocean and valley is a cathedral; each animal is a wonder to bring glory to Christ; the song of birds is to inspire our melody bringing him honor and majesty. Jesus now transforms the images of this psalm into his explanation of the spiritual Kingdom of God: • “…you are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;…(2) The first chapter of John introduces us personally to Jesus, the light of the world, the creator of the universe: “He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make.” (Jn. 1:3) • “you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds. You make the clouds your chariots; you ride upon the wings of the wind.”(3) Seldom has poetry exceeded the imagery of this verse. Jesus will use the clouds as his chariots as he returns to the earth: “And they will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Mt. 24:30) • “The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants.” (4) The Book of Hebrews tells us this verse is a reference to the angels who are inferior to the Son of God: “And then, when he presented his honored Son to the world, God said, ‘Let all the angels of God worship him.’ God calls his angels ‘messengers swift as the wind, and servants made of flaming fire.” (Heb. 1:6, 7) The foundation of the world mentioned here is not physical but the gravitational pull of the sun that holds the earth in a constant orbit. The Lord sustains the forces that steady the earth showing that he is actively present in his creation. “You clothed the earth with floods of water, water that covered even the mountains. At the sound of your rebuke, the water fled; at the sound of your thunder, it fled away. Mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed. Then you set a firm boundary for the seas, so they would never again cover the earth.” (6-9) It appears that this passage is referring to both the 2nd day of creation when the waters and the land were separated, and the Great Deluge that flooded the earth in Noah’s day. “And God said, ‘Let the waters beneath the sky be gathered into one place so dry ground may appear.” (Gen. 1:9) The moun- tains were formed before the waters separated and during the upheaval of the great flood of Noah. God promised that there would be no more floods: “Never again will there be a flood that will destroy all life.” (Gen. 9:15) So many of the critical events of Jesus’ life happened around the mountains and the seas. He was tempted by the devil upon a wilderness mountain, he taught his disciples the great Sermon on the Mount, he was transfigured on a mountain before Peter, James and John, prayed on the Mount of Olives; was crucified on Mount Calvary and ascended to heaven from an unknown mountain. He taught from the shores of the Sea of Galilee, walked on its waters and commanded its waves. The Son of God is Lord of all creation. • “You make the springs pour water into ravines, so streams gush down from the mountains.” (10) Jesus uses the example of the natural springs to describe the life giving flow of the Holy Spirit that is given to all who believe in Him: “If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.” (Jn. 7:38) • “They provide water for all the animals, and the wild donkeys quench their thirst.” (11) Jesus rode the donkey colt into Jerusalem to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah: “Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey–even on a donkey’s colt.” (Mt. 21:5) The wild nature of the colt-don- key was instantly tamed under the loving hand of its creator. • “The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees.” (12) Jesus teaches that his Father cares for each of the birds he has made yet he loves mankind in a far greater measure: “Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father know- ing it…you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.” (Mt. 10:29, 31) II THE WORLD ON ITS FOUNDATION - 5-9 Day 2- The Waters Separate “You placed the world on its foundation so it would never be moved.” (5) III WELL CARED FOR - 10-18 Day 3- Plant Life Created

256