Ps. 104 notes

1) I wonder if wisdom here is personified as in Prov. 1-9, especially 8. 2) v.25 enjoys the diversity of creation. Notice it is not measured by human need or appreciation. 3) Leviathan was a fearsome beast, but the sea is so immense it has it as a playground. Even Leviathan seems a child in God’s creation. shaq means to play with, dance with, mess around with. 4) As part of creation we all look to god for sustenance. 5) Notice we all mourn without the presence of God (29) this is also striking as god takes away the breath/spirit from these living beings. 6) A sense of natural renewal, perhaps, then is evoked in the next verse. 7) God’s glory picks up the old theophany themes of smoke and earthquake as part of the glory/gravitas/presence of God. For Christians it is good to recall that creation is a holy act of god as opposed to nature and natural forces. 8)In the face of this creation, the response is to sing and rejoice. 9) We live in a time of visual wonders. Consider Hubble pictures, or movies like Blue Planet to illustrate this psalm. 10) Limburg on Psalms (WJK:355) is a superb outline that someone lazy could well consider as a powerful set of sermon outlines.