Psalms 104:24-30

Psalms 104:24-30

[24] O LORD,  how manifold  are thy works!  in wisdom  hast thou made  them all: the earth  is full  of thy riches.  [25] So is this great  and wide  sea,  wherein are things creeping  innumerable,  both small  and great  beasts.  [26] There go  the ships:  there is that leviathan,  whom thou hast made  to play  therein. [27] These wait  all upon thee; that thou mayest give  them their meat  in due season.  [28] That thou givest  them they gather:  thou openest  thine hand,  they are filled  with good.  [29] Thou hidest  thy face,  they are troubled:  thou takest away  their breath,  they die,  and return  to their dust.  [30] Thou sendest  forth thy spirit,  they are created:  and thou renewest  the face  of the earth. 

What does Psalms 104:24-30 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The psalmist broke out in praise to Yahweh for His wisdom in creating as He did. He also acknowledged that all things God created belonged to Him. This even included the sea with all its hidden treasures. Leviathan probably refers to a large sea animal (cf. Job 41). [1] In the ancient Near East it symbolized chaotic evil. [2] This whole psalm is a polemic against the Canaanite gods who supposedly controlled the earth and the sea.
"Rather than being viewed as forces that oppose God, the sea and its creatures, including Leviathan, are presented as prime examples of God"s creative skill ( Psalm 104:24-26)." [3]
Psalm 104:27-30 describe how dependent all of God"s creatures are on Him for their lives. He supplies or withholds food. They live or die. The writer viewed God as creating new creatures whenever they come to life. This is the work of His Spirit (cf. Genesis 1:2). God is responsible for the birth of all animal life forms, indeed of all life forms. Whereas the Son of God is the agent of creation ( Colossians 1:16), the Spirit provides life. For this reason God often described the Spirit as His breath ( Genesis 2:7). The translators have rendered the Hebrew word ruach "breath," "spirit," "air," and "wind," depending on the context.