Psalms 104

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Psalms 104
[Psalms 104:1] BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL. O LORD MY GOD, THOU ART VERY GREAT;  THOU ART CLOTHED WITH HONOUR AND MAJESTY.   
CLOTHED.  Seforno: When God created the world it was as if he took on these attributes, i.e. they are reflective. They need something beyond themselves to be realized.
HONOUR. Hebrew "hadar".  Seforno, The quality of your goodness is to do good to others.
MAJESTY. Hebrew "hod". Seforno meaning Royalty ("Malcut") that can command everything else.
          
[Psalms 104:2] WHO COVEREST THYSELF WITH LIGHT AS WITH A GARMENT: WHO STRETCHEST OUT THE HEAVENS LIKE A CURTAIN:                     
 
[Psalms 104:3] WHO LAYETH THE BEAMS OF HIS CHAMBERS IN THE WATERS: WHO MAKETH THE CLOUDS HIS CHARIOT: WHO WALKETH UPON THE WINGS OF THE WIND:
These allegories could be worth examining. The Almighty uses physical agents to express HIMSELF unto his creators. We may experience an awareness of the Almighty through physical phenpomenon. Likewise physiological experiences and exhilaration may also induce within us a greater spiritual awareness.                   
 
[Psalms 104:4] WHO MAKETH HIS ANGELS SPIRITS; HIS MINISTERS A FLAMING FIRE: 
This verse may also be rendered,
HE makes spirits to be HIS agents. A flaming fire are they who serve HIM.                   
 
[Psalms 104:5] WHO LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH, THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE REMOVED FOR EVER.                     
 
[Psalms 104:6] THOU COVEREDST IT WITH THE DEEP AS WITH A GARMENT: THE WATERS STOOD ABOVE THE MOUNTAINS.
There is a claim that that the waters of the Oceans of the world bulge out at the Equator due to centrifugal force as well as a difference between the gravitational pull of the moon and sun on water than on the earth, similar to tidal effect.  If it was not for this "bulging" the claim goes the waters would flow back and cover all the earth including the highest mountains.  
I do not remember where I picked this idea up from. I thought it was written in one of my school textbooks in Australia.  When I raised the notion on an "academic" list one of the resident "experts" who had some scientific training said it was wrong. Maybe it is wrong but I am still not convinced and thought it worth mentioning.               
 
[Psalms 104:7] AT THY REBUKE THEY FLED; AT THE VOICE OF THY THUNDER THEY HASTED AWAY.
The "fleeing of the waters"  would  be the bulging out described above.                  
 
[Psalms 104:8] THEY GO UP BY THE MOUNTAINS; THEY GO DOWN BY THE VALLEYS UNTO THE PLACE WHICH THOU HAST FOUNDED FOR THEM. 
Everything in nature is arranged in right proportion and everything has its place.                   
 
[Psalms 104:9] THOU HAST SET A BOUND THAT THEY MAY NOT PASS OVER; THAT THEY TURN NOT  AGAIN TO COVER THE EARTH.                     
 
[Psalms 104:10] HE SENDETH THE SPRINGS INTO THE VALLEYS, WHICH RUN AMONG THE HILLS.                     
 
[Psalms 104:11] THEY GIVE DRINK TO EVERY BEAST OF THE FIELD: THE WILD ASSES QUENCH THEIR  THIRST.                     
 
[Psalms 104:12] BY THEM SHALL THE FOWLS OF THE HEAVEN HAVE THEIR HABITATION, WHICH SING  AMONG THE BRANCHES.                     
 
[Psalms 104:13] HE WATERETH THE HILLS FROM HIS CHAMBERS: THE EARTH IS SATISFIED WITH THE FRUIT OF THY WORKS.                     
 
[Psalms 104:14] HE CAUSETH THE GRASS TO GROW FOR THE CATTLE, AND HERB FOR THE SERVICE OF MAN: THAT HE MAY BRING FORTH FOOD OUT OF THE EARTH;                     
 
[Psalms 104:15] AND WINE THAT MAKETH GLAD THE HEART OF MAN, AND OIL TO MAKE HIS FACE TO SHINE, AND BREAD WHICH STRENGTHENETH MAN'S HEART.    
In Biblical Times they used to use the byproducts of olive oil as soap and also anoit their faces, hair, and bodies with olive oil. I have heard that some health food aficionados have revived this practice. It may be worth looking into. The olive tree grows abundantly in the Land of Israel. Nearly all the trees in Israel were cut down by the Arabs and then by the Turks in World War-1 who needed the wood for fuel to drive their trains. Most trees in Israel, "Palestine" and "Jordan" derives from those planted by the British and Jews. Here and there however exist a few trees that date back to before World War-1. In Hebron there still exist a few olive trees that may have been around in the time of Abraham the Patriarch!                  
 
[Psalms 104:16] THE TREES OF THE LORD ARE FULL OF SAP; THE CEDARS OF LEBANON, WHICH HE HATH PLANTED;
Nowadays most of the CEDARS OF LEBANON have been cut down and Lebanon suffers from denudation and resulting soil erosion. This is part of Artab culture; to cut down all the trees and create a desert. They also kill off all the birds through incessantly hunting them.                    
 
[Psalms 104:17] WHERE THE BIRDS MAKE THEIR NESTS: AS FOR THE STORK, THE FIR TREES ARE HER HOUSE.                     
 
[Psalms 104:18] THE HIGH HILLS ARE A REFUGE FOR THE WILD GOATS; AND THE ROCKS FOR THE CONIES.                     
 
[Psalms 104:19] HE APPOINTED THE MOON FOR SEASONS: THE SUN KNOWETH HIS GOING DOWN.                     
 
[Psalms 104:20] THOU MAKEST DARKNESS, AND IT IS NIGHT: WHEREIN ALL THE BEASTS OF THE  FOREST DO CREEP FORTH.                     
 
[Psalms 104:21] THE YOUNG LIONS ROAR AFTER THEIR PREY, AND SEEK THEIR MEAT FROM GOD. 
The Almighty has designed nature and HE provides all the animals with their means of sustenance.                   
 
[Psalms 104:22] THE SUN ARISETH, THEY GATHER THEMSELVES TOGETHER, AND LAY THEM DOWN IN THEIR DENS.                     
 
[Psalms 104:23] MAN GOETH FORTH UNTO HIS WORK AND TO HIS LABOUR UNTIL THE EVENING. 
We get up in the morning and go to work and come back at night. It may be that we finish our labors before nightfall and do other things. Alternately some of us continue working well after nightfall. Nevertheless psychologically we all consider day to be the time of activity and night that of rest and recuperation.                   
 
[Psalms 104:24] O LORD, HOW MANIFOLD ARE THY WORKS! IN WISDOM HAST THOU MADE  THEM ALL: THE EARTH IS FULL OF THY RICHES.                     
 
[Psalms 104:25] SO IS THIS GREAT AND WIDE SEA, WHEREIN ARE THINGS CREEPING INNUMERABLE,  BOTH SMALL AND GREAT BEASTS.                     
 
[Psalms 104:26] THERE GO THE SHIPS: THERE IS THAT LEVIATHAN, WHOM THOU HAST MADE TO PLAY  THEREIN.                     
 
[Psalms 104:27] THESE WAIT ALL UPON THEE; THAT THOU MAYEST GIVE THEM THEIR MEAT IN DUE SEASON.                     
 
[Psalms 104:28] THAT THOU GIVEST THEM THEY GATHER: THOU OPENEST THINE HAND, THEY ARE  FILLED WITH GOOD.                     
 
[Psalms 104:29] THOU HIDEST THY FACE, THEY ARE TROUBLED: THOU TAKEST AWAY THEIR BREATH, THEY DIE, AND RETURN TO THEIR DUST.                     
 
[Psalms 104:30] THOU SENDEST FORTH THY SPIRIT, THEY ARE CREATED: AND THOU RENEWEST THE FACE OF THE EARTH.                     
 
[Psalms 104:31] THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL ENDURE FOR EVER: THE LORD SHALL REJOICE IN  HIS WORKS.                     
 
[Psalms 104:32] HE LOOKETH ON THE EARTH, AND IT TREMBLETH: HE TOUCHETH THE HILLS, AND THEY  SMOKE.                     
 
[Psalms 104:33] I WILL SING UNTO THE LORD AS LONG AS I LIVE: I WILL SING PRAISE TO MY GOD WHILE I HAVE MY BEING.  
We should worship God and praise HIM as long as we can. This is our life. This is what we have. This is the time we can offer. We should take advantage of it. When we do worship the Almighty  we find our lives enhanced and vitality added unto them.                 
 
[Psalms 104:34] MY MEDITATION OF HIM SHALL BE SWEET: I WILL BE GLAD IN THE LORD.                     
 
[Psalms 104:35] LET THE SINNERS BE CONSUMED OUT OF THE EARTH, AND LET THE WICKED BE NO MORE. BLESS THOU THE LORD, O MY SOUL. PRAISE YE THE LORD.  
We ask that our inner beings be enabled to acknowledge the Almighty and praise HIM.