Psalm 104

 ¹Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God,

You are very great:

You are clothed with honor and majesty,

²Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,

Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.

³He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,

Who makes the clouds His chariot,

Who walks on the wings of the wind,

⁴Who makes His angels spirits,

His ministers a flame of fire.

⁵You who laid the foundations of the earth,

So that it should not be moved forever,

⁶You covered it with the deep as with a garment;

The waters stood above the mountains.

⁷At Your rebuke they fled;

At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.

⁸They went up over the mountains;

They went down into the valleys,

To the place which You founded for them.

⁹You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,

That they may not return to cover the earth.

¹⁰He sends the springs into the valleys;

They flow among the hills.

¹¹They give drink to every beast of the field;

The wild donkeys quench their thirst.

¹²By them the birds of the heavens have their home;

They sing among the branches.

¹³He waters the hills from His upper chambers;

The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.

¹⁴He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,

And vegetation for the service of man,

That he may bring forth food from the earth,

¹⁵And wine that makes glad the heart of man,

Oil to make his face shine,

And bread which strengthens man’s heart.

¹⁶The trees of the Lord are full of sap,

The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,

¹⁷Where the birds make their nests;

The stork has her home in the fir trees.

¹⁸The high hills are for the wild goats;

The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.

¹⁹He appointed the moon for seasons;

The sun knows its going down.

²⁰You make darkness, and it is night,

In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.

²¹The young lions roar after their prey,

And seek their food from God.

²²When the sun rises, they gather together

And lie down in their dens.

²³Man goes out to his work

And to his labor until the evening.

²⁴O Lord, how manifold are Your works!

In wisdom You have made them all.

The earth is full of Your possessions—

²⁵This great and wide sea,

In which are innumerable teeming things,

Living things both small and great.

²⁶There the ships sail about;

There is that Leviathan

Which You have made to play there.

²⁷These all wait for You,

That You may give them their food in due season.

²⁸What You give them they gather in;

You open Your hand, they are filled with good.

²⁹You hide Your face, they are troubled;

You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

³⁰You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;

And You renew the face of the earth.

Though all of creation is under sins curse yet the Lord does not allow it to cease, for He sends forth His Spirit and they are created, new plants, new animals, people made new In Christ! Yes, even though death is over all of creation the Lord’s Spirit brings life!

³¹May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

May the Lord rejoice in His works.

³²He looks on the earth, and it trembles;

He touches the hills, and they smoke.

³³I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

³⁴May my meditation be sweet to Him;

I will be glad in the Lord.

³⁵May sinners be consumed from the earth,

And the wicked be no more.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Praise the Lord!

Preamble: Psalm 104 is another of the great worship Psalms; for after chastisement always comes renewed fellowship and worship! Therefore, enjoy this Psalm and delight yourselves in the Sovereign Works of the Lord.

Commentary

Vs. 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God,

You are very great:

You are clothed with honor and majesty,

Mediating on the works of the Lord are key to the worship of Him. And that is clearly seen here in this Psalm. It begins thus with a chorus of praise that has welled up inside of the Psalmist from His reflections upon Him. He begins it then by saying,

“Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God,

You are very great:

You are clothed with honor and majesty”

Such praise is only born out of a heart of faith, out of a heart of humbled awe and thanksgiving, of having received His grace, and thus experienced the gracious works of God for oneself. Corporate worship is great, but personal worship that wells up inside of us is the ultimate, because you can enjoy it anywhere and at anytime. Now as to his praise, he now knows that the Lord is our God. That He is very great, that He has no equal, for He alone is clothed with honor and majesty, such as no mortal man can have, nor fully see.  And yet we get glimpses of His glory in His creation, which excites our hearts and souls and makes us want to know Him. Give honor and glory to Him alone then, and not His to His creation. For only He can satisfy your souls. 

Vs. 2-4 ²Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,

Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.

³He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,

Who makes the clouds His chariot,

Who walks on the wings of the wind,

⁴Who makes His angels spirits,

His ministers a flame of fire.

The Lord clothes Himself with light, pure and radiant light, which is fitting of Him. As for the heavens He alone stretches them out like a curtain so that they cover the endless celestial expanse that He Himself has created. While closer to us is the clouds which He lays forth His beams of light upon for a foundation beneath Him. Indeed, He makes the clouds His chariot, and He walks on the wings of the wind (vs. 2-3). As for His angels they are spirits, spirit beings which are His ministers of flame of fire, for our God is a consuming fire and thus they are His agents for chastisement and change (vs. 4, see Heb. 1:7; 12:29).

Vs. 5-6 ⁵You who laid the foundations of the earth,

So that it should not be moved forever,

⁶You covered it with the deep as with a garment;

The waters stood above the mountains.

Moving from the heights of the heavens now to the earth; the dwelling place of us all. It was our Lord God who laid its foundations, who gave it its form, (and all the laws of gravity), so that it should not be moved forever. It was He who covered it with the deep as a garment so that the waters stood above the mountains, thus in these verses we are seeing the early days of creation (see Gen. 1:9)

Vs. 7 At Your rebuke they fled;

At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.

And so it was at the Word of the Lord our God the waters over the mountains quickly moved away, at His rebuke they fled, at the sound of His thunderous voice they hastened away, so as to bring forth the earth in its form and appearance.

Vs. 8-9 ⁸They went up over the mountains;

They went down into the valleys,

To the place which You founded for them.

⁹You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,

That they may not return to cover the earth.

And as the waters receded from being over the mountains they went down into the valleys, to place which He had founded for them (vs. 8). For He set a boundary for them so that they may not pass over it, so that they may not return to cover the earth. In these versus then the Great Flood is not being recalled but the earth at the beginning of creation.

Vs. 10-11 He sends the springs into the valleys;

They flow among the hills.

¹¹They give drink to every beast of the field;

The wild donkeys quench their thirst.

Moving from the early days of creation to the current present, it is the Lord God who sends springs of waters into the valleys to make the land fertile and abounding, to cause them to flow among the hills so that they give drink to every beast (every animal) of the field, for even the wild donkeys quench their thirst by His gracious waters given to us all.

Vs. 12 “By them the birds of the heavens have their home;

They sing among the branches.

And just as the Lord our God causes the waters to refresh the earth, so He makes all the vegetation and trees grow up in the land. For it is there that the birds of the heavens make their home in the trees which He has established and given life to, and from there they sing their songs to all of creation praising and glorifying Him.

Vs. 13 “He waters the hills from His upper chambers;

The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.”

And so it is God who waters the hills from His upper chambers, it is He who satisfies all the earth by the fruit of His works. 

Vs. 14-15 “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,

And vegetation for the service of man,

That he may bring forth food from the earth,

¹⁵And wine that makes glad the heart of man,

Oil to make his face shine,

And bread which strengthens man’s heart.

God alone then causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and gives vegetation for the service of man, so that man may bring forth food from the earth. Indeed, the fruit of the vine (i.e., wine) that makes glad the heart of man comes from His hand. And oil (olive oil) for many uses beyond just food, God gives to make mans face shine, God also gives us our bread to strengthen our hearts and persons. Daily then we should all thank Him for His provisions for us all. 

Vs. 16-17 ¹⁶The trees of the Lord are full of sap,

The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,

¹⁷Where the birds make their nests;

The stork has her home in the fir trees.

Even the trees are feed by the Lord’s hand, the mighty cedars of Lebanon which He planted, are cared for by Him. Is there a greater gardener then the Lord our God? I think not. And in their branches the birds make their nests, even the large stork has her home in the fir trees. God then harmoniously has all of creation perfectly balanced in His care and by His wonderful oversight.

Vs. 18 “The high hills are for the wild goats;

The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.”

The Lord our God in creating all the bio diversity and all the diverse landscapes throughout the world always considers all the creatures He has created, for He has made them all to dwell and live in what will be the best dwelling place and domain for each one.

 Vs. 19-23 ¹⁹He appointed the moon for seasons;

The sun knows its going down.

²⁰You make darkness, and it is night,

In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.

²¹The young lions roar after their prey,

And seek their food from God.

²²When the sun rises, they gather together

And lie down in their dens.

²³Man goes out to his work

And to his labor until the evening.

The Lord our God then appointed the moon for seasons, by which mankind could mark the months and years, (and tidal currents could move and flow). Same with the suns rising and going down He did so that all creation may know day and night. So that all life could be renewed and refreshed and given rest each day and night. And in creation is there any mammal more feared and revered then the lion? Yet even the young lions look to God in heaven for their sustenance, for He guides them with rising of the sun to its setting in the evening so that they know when it is time to hunt and eat and when it is time to rest. While man goes out to his work and to his labor in the evening, in cool air, far away from the heart of day. These then are all guided by the hand of the Lord God (consider Isaiah 28:23-29).

Vs. 24 O Lord, how manifold are Your works!

In wisdom You have made them all.

The earth is full of Your possessions—

One then can only stand in awe of all His mighty Works which He alone has done in Wisdom, for it is the Lord God who creates and guides and sustains all things. Everything under heaven is rightfully His possession, we then as human beings created in His Image are then to be His caretakers of it all (antithesis Rev. 11:18).

Vs. 25-30 ²⁵This great and wide sea,

In which are innumerable teeming things,

Living things both small and great.

²⁶There the ships sail about;

There is that Leviathan

Which You have made to play there.

²⁷These all wait for You,

That You may give them their food in due season.

²⁸What You give them they gather in;

You open Your hand, they are filled with good.

²⁹You hide Your face, they are troubled;

You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

³⁰You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;

And You renew the face of the earth.

Having contemplated just some of the Lord our God’s works in the heavens and on earth, consideration is now given to the sea, likely the Mediterranean Sea, which was most prominent to those of the Middle east. No one then could even imagine all that is in it, but what was known of it, caught in their fishing nets, or washed up on the shores amazed them all, for innumerable life forms live in the sea, both small and great (vs. 25). And on its surface the ships sail about being moved and directed by the Lord’s winds and currents. The Lord our God has even made the mysterious sea creature Leviathan to play there (vs. 26). These then like the land creatures all wait for the Lord our God who gives them their food in due season (vs. 27). And what He gives them they gather in, for He opens His hand and they are filled with good (vs. 28), He hides His face and they are troubled; Indeed, the Lord our God’s Sovereignty extends over the life of everything, for He takes their breath away and they die and return to their dust (vs. 29). He sends forth His Spirit and they are created, and by His Spirit He renews the face of the earth (vs. 30)!

Vs. 31-32 ³¹May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

May the Lord rejoice in His works.

³²He looks on the earth, and it trembles;

He touches the hills, and they smoke.

Having considered the Lord's Works in creation what else can one say, but only, May the glory of the Lord endure forever; May the Lord rejoice in His works. For truly there is jubilation that emanates from our hearts when we consider all the Lords gracious works in creation; and so, the psalmist’s desire (our desire) is that the Lord rejoice in His works, for He looks upon the earth and it trembles, He touches the hills and they smoke. For He alone keeps and removes all things in creation as He sees fit. 

 Vs. 33-35 ³³I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

³⁴May my meditation be sweet to Him;

I will be glad in the Lord.

³⁵May sinners be consumed from the earth,

And the wicked be no more.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Praise the Lord!

In closing them the Psalmists desire, our desire, is too sing to the Lord as long as we live, giving Him all my praise and thanksgiving. For I am glad in the Lord. And as for sinners who destroy His creation and the wicked who now run rampant on earth may they be no more,

“Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Praise the Lord!”

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 103 A Psalm of David.

 ¹Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

²Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:

³Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

⁴Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

⁵Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶The Lord executes righteousness

And justice for all who are oppressed.

⁷He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the children of Israel.

⁸The Lord is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

⁹He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

¹⁰He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

¹¹For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

¹²As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

¹³As a father pities his children,

So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

¹⁴For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

¹⁶For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

And its place remembers it no more.

¹⁷But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children’s children,

¹⁸To such as keep His covenant,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

¹⁹The Lord has established His throne in heaven,

And His kingdom rules over all.

²⁰Bless the Lord, you His angels,

Who excel in strength, who do His word,

Heeding the voice of His word.

²¹Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,

You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.

²²Bless the Lord, all His works,

In all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Preamble: Psalm 103 is the Psalm that since its inception has been a strength to all who believe. From David onward this Psalm has been a foundation from which all the saints, whether under the Old Covenant or now the New have found their faith, or renewed it, and by it have been blessing Him!

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!”

David’s heart resounds with praise as he recalls the Lord’s works towards him. His words in this Psalm then reflect everyone’s heart who likewise embraces the Lord’s great goodness towards themselves as well. Now in blessing the Lord, David does so with all that is with in him, for he is praising Him from a position of assured redemption; and that is the basis of our blessing the Lord Jesus Christ’s Person as well. For having received Him, and thus His salvation by God's grace alone (John 1:12; Eph. 2:8-9; Rev. 3:20) we also have an even greater assured hope laid up in heaven for us who believe in Christ.  Therefore, let us all who believe in Him bless His Holy Name with all that is within us as well!

Vs. 2-5 ²Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:

³Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

⁴Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

⁵Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

David once again calls his heart to bless the Lord, and not to forget all His benefits towards him. Yes, brethren we are the recipients of God’s Amazing grace, His salvation given freely to us while we were still sinners, for the Lord Jesus died for us while we were still His enemies so that we could be redeemed and be made righteous and holy in the sight of God our Father the moment we believe in Him. Thus, new and everlasting life will begin for you as well the moment you also believe in Him (Eph. 1:13-14), and He will by His Holy Spirit make you a new creation In Christ transforming your person on the inside (2 Cor. 5:17) so that you might be made ready for your heavenly home with Him forever, where you will get a new spiritual body without flaw or imperfection that will last forever. Therefore the life that Christ gives you no one can take from you. For it is by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Crucified and Raised from the dead that God our Father forgives all our sins, heals all our diseases, and redeems all our person from destruction, from going down to everlasting pit, from the depths of hell itself, from suffering everlasting punishment brethren we have all been saved! Just consider how blessed we truly are to be set free from the clutches of sin and Satan and all the lies of this world to now be a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy Nation, a sanctified and set apart people for Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior (1 Peter 2:9-10)! Therefore, brethren we are God’s redeemed people who are now crowned with His lovingkindness and His tender mercies in more ways than we could ever fully know or imagine in this life, but we will all fully know Him and experience this on His Day when we see Him face to face! These things and so much more than give us great cause to bless the Lord’s Holy Name ourselves! For as David also notes in verse five it is the Lord who fills our mouths with give good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagles! In essence all this foretells what we experience when we are born-again by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Vs. 6 “The Lord executes righteousness

And justice for all who are oppressed.”

The Lord’s mighty and gracious works continue to be declared and revealed to us. Chief of which is that:

“The Lord executes righteousness

And justice for all who are oppressed.”

In this world where injustice reigns, where the strong and mighty walk over the weak and poor, where the oppressed has no voice or recourse against the mighty and powerful, we know that the Lord is their (our Advocate). For He is the Intercessor and Advocate for all who are oppressed. The Gospel then is the Gospel of the poor, whether this material poverty or spiritual (Matt. 5:3; Luke 6:20-26). For the Lord Jesus Christ did not come for the proud and self-sufficient who scoff at His salvation. Nor did He come for the rich whose lives will fadeaway in their pursuits for more (James 1:9-11). Rather He came for everyone who has been broken by their sins, for everyone who sees their need for Him and repents and turns to Him in faith, for everyone whose heart desires to know Him and thus seeks Him will find Him. For the Lord Jesus came to redeem all that God the Father gave Him (John 6:37). Therefore the Lord Jesus Christ became poor for us all so that through His poverty we might all be made rich! Therefore, the Lord who sees all things from His throne in heaven is now working out His plans to bring this forth in its fullness for all who believe in Him, and on His Day when He Reigns, the world will know this, for they will see His justice done throughout the world before their very eyes!

Vs. 7 “He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the children of Israel.”

Now to bear evidence of this; of the Lord executing righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed; the Lord’s exceptional deliverance of the oppressed Hebrew people is now recalled, all which can be studied in the Book of Exodus. From His choosing His servant Moses and bringing Israel up out of their Egyptian enslavement, to His then giving them His Word and Covenant through Moses even in spite of their rebellions. The Lord revealed Himself clearly to all through all His mighty acts on behalf of the children of Israel. 

Vs. 8-12 ⁸The Lord is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

⁹He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

¹⁰He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

¹¹For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

¹²As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

If people knew the works and words of the Lord as we do who have been saved by Him, they too would want to praise and thank Him. These verses then are precious gems and living treasures to us who believe in Him. For by His Word, we know Him, know and experience His mercy and kindness, we then know that He is slow to anger with us, and His abounding in mercy always towards us. And yet the Lord does not at all acquit the wicked, but He is longsuffering towards all so that all may come to repentance. For He will not always strive with us, who rebel and disobey Him, nor will He keep His anger forever, (vs. 9) for as the Scripture foresees throughout, God’s chastisement of Israel, and all His people, will culminate in their salvation. Thus, it can be rightly said that He has not dealt with us according to our sins; nor punished us according to our iniquities (vs. 10). For if He did no one would enter the Kingdom of heaven. For all of His grace towards us leading us to everlasting life is only because of what His Son Jesus Christ has done for us all in suffering Crucifixion death for all of our sin’s at Calvary. God’s great mercy then which exceeds the heavens in height is always towards all who fear Him, who choose to believe and obey Him (vs. 11). Believe in His Son and obey His Gospel all people for that is the pathway of life! “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” This then is the joy of all the saints (of all believers on earth and in heaven), that the Lord Jesus Christ has made the way for the everlasting removal of all our sins and transgressions. “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” ^{Heb. 10:14}

Vs. 13-14 ¹³As a father pities his children,

So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

¹⁴For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

The Lord’s mercies are further seen is His disposition towards us all who fear Him, who want to obey Him and keep His Word, for so He pities us, for He knows our frame and He knows our weaknesses, and He remembers that we are but dust, completely weak and dependent on Him. Sinless perfection then is not what God expects from us, for the moment one sees themselves as “sinless” or righteous in of themselves they cease to walk in the truth and see their own need for Him (consider 1 John 1:8-10).

Vs. 15-16 ¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

¹⁶For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

And its place remembers it no more.

David now exemplifies this attitude of humility towards God. For he himself does not see himself or anyone else as “self made”, as if one’s own life is in their own hands. For he sees that all our days are like grass, flourishing for a season and then the hot southern winds pass over us, and soon we are gone, wilted and dried out like the grass, so ends our vitality and lives down here.

Vs. 17-18 ¹⁷But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children’s children,

¹⁸To such as keep His covenant,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

Therefore our hope is not found in maintaining ourselves and our lives down here, our hope is found in the everlasting mercies of the Lord, which come to all who fear Him, even His righteousness He grants to our children’s, children who fear Him; (antithesis Num. 14:17-18; Deut. 5:9-10); for He grants His mercies to all who keep His Covenant (for us the New Covenant) who remember His commandments to do them.

Vs. 19 “The Lord has established His throne in heaven,

And His kingdom rules over all.”

God’s absolute Sovereignty is now declared. For His throne He has established is in heaven, and it is forever, (unlike all the earthly thrones and kingdoms), His Kingdom rules over all.

Vs. 20 “Bless the Lord, you His angels,

Who excel in strength, who do His word,

Heeding the voice of His word.”

David now calls upon God’s angels who excel in strength, (whose days are not like our mortal days), who do God’s Word, who heed the voice of His Word, to Bless the Lord!

Vs. 21 “Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,

You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.”

David now moves from the angels to all His hosts, His ministers, who do His pleasure to Bless the Lord!

Vs. 22 “Bless the Lord, all His works,

In all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!”

Finally, to all of creation itself, in all places of His dominion, to Bless the Lord! Then David concludes this Psalm by saying, Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

 

Psalm 102 A Prayer of the Afflicted, When He is Overwhelmed and Pours Out His Complaint Before the Lord.

¹Hear my prayer, O Lord,

And let my cry come to You.

²Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble;

Incline Your ear to me;

In the day that I call, answer me speedily.

³For my days are consumed like smoke,

And my bones are burned like a hearth.

⁴My heart is stricken and withered like grass,

So that I forget to eat my bread.

⁵Because of the sound of my groaning

My bones cling to my skin.

⁶I am like a pelican of the wilderness;

I am like an owl of the desert.

⁷I lie awake,

And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.

⁸My enemies reproach me all day long;

Those who deride me swear an oath against me.

⁹For I have eaten ashes like bread,

And mingled my drink with weeping,

¹⁰Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;

For You have lifted me up and cast me away.

¹¹My days are like a shadow that lengthens,

And I wither away like grass.

¹²But You, O Lord, shall endure forever,

And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.

¹³You will arise and have mercy on Zion;

For the time to favor her,

Yes, the set time, has come.

¹⁴For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,

And show favor to her dust.

¹⁵So the nations shall fear the name of the Lord,

And all the kings of the earth Your glory.

¹⁶For the Lord shall build up Zion;

He shall appear in His glory.

¹⁷He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,

And shall not despise their prayer.

¹⁸This will be written for the generation to come,

That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.

¹⁹For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;

From heaven the Lord viewed the earth,

²⁰To hear the groaning of the prisoner,

To release those appointed to death,

²¹To declare the name of the Lord in Zion,

And His praise in Jerusalem,

²²When the peoples are gathered together,

And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

²³He weakened my strength in the way;

He shortened my days.

²⁴I said, “O my God,

Do not take me away in the midst of my days;

Your years are throughout all generations.

²⁵Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,

And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

²⁶They will perish, but You will endure;

Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;

Like a cloak You will change them,

And they will be changed.

²⁷But You are the same,

And Your years will have no end.

²⁸The children of Your servants will continue,

And their descendants will be established before You.”

Preamble: Psalm 102 is a Messianic Psalm, for it describes or refers to the Lord Jesus Christ is many ways, which you may also discover for yourselves. Now in this Psalm there lots of personal pronouns, describing a discourse between David and the Lord, and or the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father. What proves this is the citing of verses 25-27 in Hebrews 1:10-12. 

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Hear my prayer, O Lord,

And let my cry come to You.”

The Psalms opening is clearly begun as a prayer of David, for the Lord Jesus Christ never had any doubts as to God the Father hearing Him (consider John 11:41-42). David then in his dire and distress turns himself to the Lord; which is just what the Lord Jesus Christ always does; asking Him to let his cry come before Him; which again is not something the Son of God would ever have to ask of the Father; but is something that we ourselves should do in our humble supplications to Him.

Vs. 2 “Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble;

Incline Your ear to me;

In the day that I call, answer me speedily.”

David's fear then (as a man of God who knew his own faults and failings), was that God would hide His face from him (consider Ps. 13:1; 27:9; 69:17 etc.), as He did with Saul who came before him. David then never presumed upon his position and favor with Him, even when he reigned as king. For being under the Old Covenant meant that there was always a certain separation between God and His people, whether they were leaders or not; unlike for us today who freely enjoy the grace and fellowship of God our Father because of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us all who believe in Him (consider Hebrews 4:14-16; 12:18-24). Therefore, David having no Intercessor on His behalf as we now have with Christ implores Him to hear him and answer him speedily in the day of his trouble. 

Vs. 3-5 ³For my days are consumed like smoke,

And my bones are burned like a hearth.

⁴My heart is stricken and withered like grass,

So that I forget to eat my bread.

⁵Because of the sound of my groaning

My bones cling to my skin.

David now describes his affliction as coming from the hand of God. Physical weakness, emotional sadness, are just some of the burdens that he now bears as the nations leader, and are sufferings that can also be attributed to Jesus Christ’s sufferings for us all on the Cross. In many ways in David we see God’s leaders also suffer His chastening, just as the nation of Israel did. The ultimate fulfillment of this is first foretold then seen in the Lord Jesus Christ's Sufferings in Isaiah 52:14, first for the nation of Israel, then in Isaiah 53 for the sins of us all. Think also of the Apostle Paul’s suffering for/with the church as well, see 2 Cor. 12:20-21). God's leadership then will often have to bear His chastisement along with the congregation, for it brings both to repentance (2 Chr. 7:13-14). 

Vs. 6-11 ⁶I am like a pelican of the wilderness;

I am like an owl of the desert.

⁷I lie awake,

And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.

⁸My enemies reproach me all day long;

Those who deride me swear an oath against me.

⁹For I have eaten ashes like bread,

And mingled my drink with weeping,

¹⁰Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;

For You have lifted me up and cast me away.

¹¹My days are like a shadow that lengthens,

And I wither away like grass.

David's colorful metaphors now describe his plight to God. And maybe by doing so he alleviates some of his own sorrow and sadness by giving vent to it. David then draws on the pelican who lives isolated and alone in the wilderness, and the owl who dwells high up in the trees to describe his own feelings of isolation in the day time (vs. 6). While in the night, he lies awake unable to sleep because of the burdens he now bears, and so he looks out from his housetop all alone like a little sparrow which one gives any regard to (vs. 7). And his thoughts while there are not healthy and contemplative, but only recall his enemies who reproach him all day long, while those who deride also him swear an oath against him (vs. 8). For they are only seeking to orchestrate all kinds of troubles for him, and so he thinks to himself, who and what will be next? As for his food which should nourish his body refresh his soul it has only become like ashes to him, even his drink which should bring joy to his heart is now only mixed with his tears (vs. 9). David in verse ten then declares that this is a burden that God has laid upon him, that he is suffering His indignation, so much so that he feels as if God has lifted him up and cast him away. That the breadth of his days is now narrowing like a shadow, and like the grass, his beauty and vitality only wither away.

Vs. 12-14 ¹²But You, O Lord, shall endure forever,

And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.

¹³You will arise and have mercy on Zion;

For the time to favor her,

Yes, the set time, has come.

¹⁴For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,

And show favor to her dust.

And as it seems like David is approaching hopelessness, he has his breakthrough moment where his faith conquers his current circumstances. For in turning from himself to the Lord he now sees that no matter what happens to him the Lord who shall endure forever, His Name shall remain to all generations. Thus, whether David lived or died or anything else did not matter, the Lord’s people and His nation would endure, because the Lord Himself endures forever!

Therefore, David now knows in his heart that the Lord will arise and have mercy on Zion, (for God’s chastisement of His people individually or His nation collectively never means His abandonment of us). Therefore yes, the set time to favor her has come (vs. 13). For the Lord’s servants love his chosen dwelling place, Jerusalem, for even its dust and stones are precious to us, because this is where He will dwell in His Millennial Reign, this is where He rules the nations! Thus, David is now seeing far beyond himself and his own circumstances to a future that he now greatly anticipates with the Lord Himself.

Vs. 15-16 ¹⁵So the nations shall fear the name of the Lord,

And all the kings of the earth Your glory.

¹⁶For the Lord shall build up Zion;

He shall appear in His glory.

David now sees that the Lord's Reign will be established by Him. For it will be a reign in which the nations shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth His glory. For He shall have subdued and vanquished them all before His Reign, therefore the Lord Himself shall build up Zion, it shall not fall to men's shoulders like David anymore, For the Lord Himself shall appear in glory in the New Jerusalem, and in the Zion that He Himself has built, He shall Regin and Rule over all! 

Vs. 17 “He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,

And shall not despise their prayer.”

Incredibly, David now sees the Lord Jesus Christ as King of the Nations; but not ruling like the kings of the earth always do; looking out for their own and their rich and influential friends interests, for He will hear the prayer of the destitute, and the one who has no helper, (who are of no regard to the power brokers of this world) these then the Lord will hear for He will never despise their prayer. There will be a just world (without partiality) and He Himself will be the cause and maker and ruler of it!

Vs. 18 “This will be written for the generation to come,

That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.”

David now realizes that this Psalm given through his own trials was not for himself (for his own comfort), but for the generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord! How incredibly insightful, Holy Spirit insightful.  Therefore when we read the Holy Scriptures as those people, as born-again children of God, we should always read them in this light, that they are given for us all who believe in Him to find our comfort and our hope (Rom. 15:4).

Vs. 19-22 ¹⁹For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;

From heaven the Lord viewed the earth,

²⁰To hear the groaning of the prisoner,

To release those appointed to death,

²¹To declare the name of the Lord in Zion,

And His praise in Jerusalem,

²²When the peoples are gathered together,

And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

David now celebrates the Lord's Righteous Reign. For he sees the Lord hearing the cries of all of His afflicted people, His hearing the groaning of the prisoner, and His releasing those appointed to death. So that they too may declare the Name of the Lord in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem. This then will be done when the peoples are gathered, And all the Kingdoms to serve the Lord (vs. 22). For when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth it will be the ultimate Jubilee! For one and for all! Free at last!

Vs. 23-28 ²³He weakened my strength in the way;

He shortened my days.

²⁴I said, “O my God,

Do not take me away in the midst of my days;

Your years are throughout all generations.

²⁵Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,

And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

²⁶They will perish, but You will endure;

Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;

Like a cloak You will change them,

And they will be changed.

²⁷But You are the same,

And Your years will have no end.

²⁸The children of Your servants will continue,

And their descendants will be established before You.”

David now gives a testimony of the Lord's dealings with him, declaring how the Lord had weakened his strength in the way, and how He had shortened His days. Quite a contrast to the lying "prosperity" preachers who always speak of their ease and comfort of their increasing in wealth. Therefore David now cries out to Him, asking Him not to take him away in the midst of his days, for the Lord’s years are throughout all generations, (vs. 23-24), but David knows his years are not. And in appealing to the Lord, David goes on to declare to the Lord that of old He laid the foundation of the earth, that the heavens are all the work of His hands (vs. 25); thus, David is confessing God’s Sovereignty over all of creation, including his own life. For it is God alone who sustains us or not, who keeps us alive or not. And in seeing the Lord's creation, David now wisely considers its temporary nature, for it will all perish, all of it, but the Lord Himself shall endure forever, long after it is all gone, even beyond forever. For it will all grow old like a garment, and like a cloak the Lord will change it all (vs. 26). For On His Day He will create a new heavens and new earth in which we all the redeemed of the Lord will dwell with Him. For the Lord never changes, and His years shall have no end (vs. 27). Therefore, the children of His servants will continue, for He Himself will see to it, see that the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance, therefore even our decedents will be established before Him (vs. 28). Our end in this life then is just our beginning! 

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.