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Psalms 104:24

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

O Lord, how manifold are thy works - In this verse there are three propositions:

  1. The works of the Lord are multitudinous and varied.
  • They are so constructed as to show the most consummate wisdom in their design, and in the end for which they are formed.
  • They are all God's property, and should be used only in reference to the end for which they were created.
  • All abuse and waste of God's creatures are spoil and robbery on the property of the Creator. On this verse Mr. Ray has published an excellent work, entitled, "The Wisdom of God in the Creation," which the reader will do well, not only to consult, but carefully to read over and study.

    Albert Barnes
    Notes on the Whole Bible

    O Lord, how manifold are thy works! - literally, “how many.” The reference is to the “number” and the “variety” of the works of God, and to the wisdom displayed in them all. The earth is not suited up merely for one class of inhabitants, but for an almost endless variety; and the wisdom of God is manifested alike in the number and in the variety. No one can estimate the “number” of beings God has made on the earth; no one can comprehend the richness of the variety. By day the air, the earth, the waters swarm with life - life struggling everywhere as if no placc was to be left unoccupied; even for the dark scenes of night countless numbers of beings have been created; and, in all this immensity of numbers, there is an endless variety. No two are alike. Individuality is everywhere preserved, and the mind is astonished and confounded alike at the numbers and the variety.

    In wisdom hast thou made them all - That is, Thou hast adapted each and all to the different ends contemplated in their creation. Anyone of these beings shows the wisdom of God in its formation, and in its adaptations to the ends of its existence; how much more is that wisdom displayed in these countless numbers, and in this endless variety!

    The earth is full of thy riches - Hebrew, “possessions.” So the Septuagint and the Vulgate. That is, these various objects thus created are regarded as the “possession” of God; or, they belong to him, as the property of a man belongs to himself. The psalmist says that this wealth or property abounds everywhere; the earth is full of it.

    Matthew Henry
    Concise Bible Commentary
    We are to praise and magnify God for the constant succession of day and night. And see how those are like to the wild beasts, who wait for the twilight, and have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Does God listen to the language of mere nature, even in ravenous creatures, and shall he not much more interpret favourably the language of grace in his own people, though weak and broken groanings which cannot be uttered? There is the work of every day, which is to be done in its day, which man must apply to every morning, and which he must continue in till evening; it will be time enough to rest when the night comes, in which no man can work. The psalmist wonders at the works of God. The works of art, the more closely they are looked upon, the more rough they appear; the works of nature appear more fine and exact. They are all made in wisdom, for they all answer the end they were designed to serve. Every spring is an emblem of the resurrection, when a new world rises, as it were, out of the ruins of the old one. But man alone lives beyond death. When the Lord takes away his breath, his soul enters on another state, and his body will be raised, either to glory or to misery. May the Lord send forth his Spirit, and new-create our souls to holiness.
    Ellen G. White
    Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, 273-5

    Not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Father's notice. Satan's hatred against God leads him to delight in destroying even the dumb creatures. It is only through God's protecting care that the birds are preserved to gladden us with their songs of joy. But He does not forget even the sparrows. “Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:31. 8T 273.1

    “Bless Jehovah, O my soul.
    O Jehovah my God, Thou art very great;
    Thou art clothed with honor and majesty:
    Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment;
    Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain;
    Who layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters;
    Who maketh the clouds His chariot;
    Who walketh upon the wings of the wind;
    Who maketh winds His messengers;
    Flames of fire His ministers;
    8T 273.2

    “Who laid the foundations of the earth,
    That it should not be moved forever.
    Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a vesture;
    The waters stood above the mountains.
    At Thy rebuke they fled;
    At the voice of Thy thunder they hasted away
    (The mountains rose, the valleys sank down)
    Unto the place which Thou hadst founded for them.
    Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over;
    That they turn not again to cover the earth.
    8T 273.3

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    Ellen G. White
    Lift Him Up, 54.4

    All that man has—life, the means of existence, happiness, and other blessings unnumbered that come to him day by day—is from the Father above. Man is a debtor for all he proudly claims as his own. God gives His precious gifts, that they may be used in His service. Every particle of the glory of man's success belongs to God. It is His manifold wisdom that is displayed in the works of men, and to Him belongs the praise (Youth's Instructor, April 4, 1905). LHU 54.4

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    Ellen G. White
    Education, 101

    In no other way can the foundation of a true education be so firmly and surely laid. Yet even the child, as he comes in contact with nature, will see cause for perplexity. He cannot but recognize the working of antagonistic forces. It is here that nature needs an interpreter. Looking upon the evil manifest even in the natural world, all have the same sorrowful lesson to learn—“An enemy hath done this.” Matthew 13:28. Ed 101.1

    Only in the light that shines from Calvary can nature's teaching be read aright. Through the story of Bethlehem and the cross let it be shown how good is to conquer evil, and how every blessing that comes to us is a gift of redemption. Ed 101.2

    In brier and thorn, in thistle and tare, is represented the evil that blights and mars. In singing bird and opening blossom, in rain and sunshine, in summer breeze and gentle dew, in ten thousand objects in nature, from the oak of the forest to the violet that blossoms at its root, is seen the love that restores. And nature still speaks to us of God's goodness. Ed 101.3

    “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil.” Jeremiah 29:11. This is the message that, in the light from the cross, may be read upon all the face of nature. The heavens declare His glory, and the earth is full of His riches. Ed 101.4

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    Ellen G. White
    Maranatha, 367.1

    O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. Psalm 104:24. Mar 367.1

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