Shownotes
Welcome to Day 2765 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.
Day 2765 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 104:10-23 – Daily Wisdom
Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2765 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2765 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today’s Wisdom-Trek is: The Domesticated Chaos – Water, Wine, and the Rhythms of Life. Today, we continue our exploration of the magnificent Psalm One Hundred Four, trekking through the middle section, verses ten through twenty-three, in the New Living Translation. In our previous trek through the opening verses of this psalm, we witnessed Yahweh as the Cosmic Architect. We saw Him robed in light, stretching out the heavens like a tent, and riding the storm clouds as His personal chariot. We saw Him rebuke the primeval chaos waters—the Tehom—driving them back with a shout of thunder to establish the dry land. That was a picture of Power and Conquest, establishing order over chaos. But today, the tone shifts from the dramatic to the domestic. Once the house is built, it must be furnished and supplied. In this section, the psalmist shows us that the very waters God rebuked in verse seven have now been tamed. They are no longer a threatening flood covering the mountains; they are now a life-giving gift flowing between the mountains. We will see God not just as the Builder, but as the Provider and the Timekeeper. He is the Host of a vibrant, teeming world where wild donkeys, nesting birds, roaring lions, and laboring humans all find their place and their portion from His hand. This is a celebration of the ecosystem of grace. So, let us walk by the quiet waters and through the green pastures of God’s creation. The first segment is: The Taming of the Waters: Drink for the Wild. Psalm One Hundred Four: verses ten through twelve. You make springs pour into the ravines, so streams gush down from the mountains. They provide water for all the animals, and the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees. The psalmist begins by revisiting the element of water. In verses six through nine, water was a chaotic force that needed to be bounded. But now, in verse ten, God has domesticated it: "You make springs pour into the ravines, so streams gush down from the mountains." This is a profound theological statement. In the Divine Council worldview, the sea often represented hostility and death. But here, Yahweh transforms the chaotic element into a servant of life. He channels the water into "springs" (ma’yan) and "ravines" (nachal). He creates an irrigation system for the earth. And notice who the first beneficiaries are. It isn't humans. "They provide water for all the animals, and the wild donkeys quench their thirst." God cares for the "wild donkeys" (pere). These are creatures that live far from human civilization. They have no owners to draw water for them. If God did not provide these mountain springs, they would perish. This reminds us that creation does not exist solely for human utility; God loves the wild things that we never even see. This abundance of water creates a habitat: "The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees." The sound of the gushing water is joined by the song of the birds. The psalmist paints a picture of a world that is not just functional, but audible and joyful. The ecosystem is a choir, and the water is the conductor. The second segment is: The Divine Agriculture: Bread, Wine, and Oil. Psalm One Hundred Four: verses thirteen through fifteen. You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home, and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor. You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth— wine to make them glad, olive oil to soothe their skin, and bread to give them strength. The provision moves from the ground up to the sky. "You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home..." Literally, "He waters the mountains from His upper chambers" (aliyah). Remember in verse three, God built His palace on the waters above the firmament. Now, He opens the windows of that palace to water the high peaks that human irrigation cannot reach. The result is satisfaction: "...and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor." The entire planet is satisfied by God's work. Then, the psalmist distinguishes between the diet of animals and humans: "You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use." God is the ultimate Farmer. He ensures the cattle have grass, which in turn serves man. But for humans, He provides something more complex. He allows us to "produce food from the earth" through agriculture. Specifically, the psalmist lists the "Holy Trinity" of the ancient Mediterranean diet: Wine, Oil, and Bread.- "wine to make them glad,"
- "olive oil to soothe their skin," (literally, to make the face shine)
- "and bread to give them strength." (literally, to sustain the heart).
Transcripts
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.
Day: dom-Trek Podcast Script - Day: hamberlain, and we are on Day:The title for today’s Wisdom-Trek is: The Domesticated Chaos – Water, Wine, and the Rhythms of Life.
Today, we continue our exploration of the magnificent Psalm One Hundred Four, trekking through the middle section, verses ten through twenty-three, in the New Living Translation.
In our previous trek through the opening verses of this psalm, we witnessed Yahweh as the Cosmic Architect. We saw Him robed in light, stretching out the heavens like a tent, and riding the storm clouds as His personal chariot. We saw Him rebuke the primeval chaos waters—the Tehom—driving them back with a shout of thunder to establish the dry land. That was a picture of Power and Conquest, establishing order over chaos.
But today, the tone shifts from the dramatic to the domestic.
Once the house is built, it must be furnished and supplied. In this section, the psalmist shows us that the very waters God rebuked in verse seven have now been tamed. They are no longer a threatening flood covering the mountains; they are now a life-giving gift flowing between the mountains.
We will see God not just as the Builder, but as the Provider and the Timekeeper. He is the Host of a vibrant, teeming world where wild donkeys, nesting birds, roaring lions, and laboring humans all find their place and their portion from His hand. This is a celebration of the ecosystem of grace.
So, let us walk by the quiet waters and through the green pastures of God’s creation.
The first segment is: The Taming of the Waters: Drink for the Wild.
Psalm One Hundred Four: verses ten through twelve.
You make springs pour into the ravines, so streams gush down from the mountains. They provide water for all the animals, and the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees.
The psalmist begins by revisiting the element of water.
In verses six through nine, water was a chaotic force that needed to be bounded. But now, in verse ten, God has domesticated it: "You make springs pour into the ravines, so streams gush down from the mountains."
This is a profound theological statement. In the Divine Council worldview, the sea often represented hostility and death. But here, Yahweh transforms the chaotic element into a servant of life. He channels the water into "springs" (ma’yan) and "ravines" (nachal). He creates an irrigation system for the earth.
And notice who the first beneficiaries are. It isn't humans.
"They provide water for all the animals, and the wild donkeys quench their thirst."
God cares for the "wild donkeys" (pere). These are creatures that live far from human civilization. They have no owners to draw water for them. If God did not provide these mountain springs, they would perish. This reminds us that creation does not exist solely for human utility; God loves the wild things that we never even see.
This abundance of water creates a habitat: "The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees."
The sound of the gushing water is joined by the song of the birds. The psalmist paints a picture of a world that is not just functional, but audible and joyful. The ecosystem is a choir, and the water is the conductor.
The second segment is: The Divine Agriculture: Bread, Wine, and Oil.
Psalm One Hundred Four: verses thirteen through fifteen.
You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home, and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor. You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth— wine to make them glad, olive oil to soothe their skin, and bread to give them strength.
The provision moves from the ground up to the sky.
"You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home..."
Literally, "He waters the mountains from His upper chambers" (aliyah). Remember in verse three, God built His palace on the waters above the firmament. Now, He opens the windows of that palace to water the high peaks that human irrigation cannot reach.
The result is satisfaction: "...and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor."
The entire planet is satisfied by God's work.
Then, the psalmist distinguishes between the diet of animals and humans: "You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for people to use."
God is the ultimate Farmer. He ensures the cattle have grass, which in turn serves man. But for humans, He provides something more complex. He allows us to "produce food from the earth" through agriculture.
Specifically, the psalmist lists the "Holy Trinity" of the ancient Mediterranean diet: Wine, Oil, and Bread.
"wine to make them glad,"
"olive oil to soothe their skin," (literally, to make the face shine)
"and bread to give them strength." (literally, to sustain the heart).
This is a beautiful acknowledgment of common grace. God doesn't just give us survival rations (bread); He gives us luxury and joy (wine and oil).
Wine represents celebration and the gladdening of the human spirit. Oil represents health, hygiene, and the cosmetic "shine" of well-being. Bread represents the fundamental sustenance of life.
The psalmist sees God’s hand not just in the miracle of manna, but in the slow, natural process of growing grapes, olives, and wheat. Every meal is a gift from the "upper chambers" of the King.
The third segment is: The Housing Project: A Home for Every Creature.
Psalm One Hundred Four: verses sixteen through eighteen.
The trees of the Lord are well cared for— the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. There the birds make their nests, and the storks make their homes in the cypresses. High in the mountains live the wild goats, and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.
God provides not only food and drink but also shelter.
"The trees of the Lord are well cared for—the cedars of Lebanon that he planted."
The "trees of the Lord" refer to the massive, ancient forests that no man planted. They are watered by God’s rain (saturated, literally) and grown by God’s hand. In the ancient world, the Cedars of Lebanon were the kings of the forest—symbols of majesty and strength.
These trees are not just for lumber; they are apartment complexes: "There the birds make their nests, and the storks make their homes in the cypresses."
Even the geography of the dangerous places has a purpose: "High in the mountains live the wild goats, and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes."
The "wild goats" (ya’el—specifically the Nubian Ibex) are designed to navigate the sheer cliffs that would kill a human. The "hyrax" (shaphan—or rock badger) is a small, defenseless creature that survives by hiding in the crevices of the rocks.
The wisdom here is profound. What looks like a barren wasteland to us—the jagged rocks and high cliffs—is actually a custom-built "refuge" for God’s specific creatures. Every niche of creation, from the marshy cypress to the arid cliff, is a home. God is the Landlord who ensures every tenant has a place to stay.
The fourth segment is: The Rhythm of Time: The Moon and the Sun.
Psalm One Hundred Four: verses nineteen through twenty-three.
You made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to set. You send the darkness, and it becomes night, when all the forest animals prowl about. The young lions roar for their prey, stalking the food provided by God. At dawn they slink back into their dens to rest. Then people go off to their work, laboring until evening.
Finally, the psalmist moves from the provision of space to the provision of Time. God organizes the chronology of life.
"You made the moon to mark the seasons..."
This harkens back to Genesis One: Fourteen. The moon (yareach) is the primary calendar of the ancient world. It determines the "seasons" (mo’adim)—the appointed times, the festivals, and the months.
"...and the sun knows when to set."
The sun is personified here. It "knows" its duty. It doesn't overstay its welcome. It sets obediently to allow the next phase of life to begin.
And what is that next phase? The Night.
"You send the darkness, and it becomes night, when all the forest animals prowl about."
Usually, we fear the darkness. We associate it with evil or danger. But the psalmist sees the darkness as a provision. It is the "shift change" for creation. When the sun clocks out, the forest animals clock in. The darkness is a curtain God draws so that the shy, nocturnal creatures can feel safe enough to eat.
"The young lions roar for their prey, stalking the food provided by God."
This is a startling verse. The roar of a lion is terrifying to us. But to God, it is a prayer. The lion is "seeking its food from God" (El). The predator does not hunt outside of God’s sovereignty; it is fed from God’s hand just as much as the sheep. God sustains the entire food chain.
Then, the shift changes again: "At dawn they slink back into their dens to rest. Then people go off to their work, laboring until evening."
When the sun rises, the lions retire, and humanity emerges.
"Then people go off to their work, laboring until evening."
Notice the dignity of human labor here. It is placed right alongside the hunting of the lion and the nesting of the stork. Just as the beaver builds and the lion hunts, man works. Labor is our natural, God-given function in the ecosystem. It is how we participate in the maintenance of the world.
God has instituted a perfect, non-competitive rhythm. The lions get the night; humans get the day. By dividing the time, God allows potentially dangerous species to share the same space without destroying each other. It is a masterpiece of logistical planning.
Psalm One Hundred Four, verses ten through twenty-three, teaches us to see the world as a giant, well-oiled machine of grace.
Everything is connected. The water flows from the upper chambers to the springs, to the donkeys, to the trees, to the birds. The grass feeds the cattle, which serve the man. The sun and moon choreograph a dance that allows lions and humans to be neighbors.
This is Wisdom: realizing that we are not the owners of this house; we are merely guests. We share the table with the wild donkey and the rock badger. And we all look to the same Host—the One who sends the rain and teaches the sun when to set.
As we walk our trek today, look at the birds, look at the sunset, look at the work of your own hands—and recognize that it is all part of the great liturgy of creation, sustained by the God who is glad in His works.
If you found this podcast insightful, please subscribe and leave us a review, then encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of, ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’
Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal. As we take this Trek of life together, let us always: Live Abundantly. Love Unconditionally. Listen Intentionally. Learn Continuously. Lend to others Generously. Lead with Integrity. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day.
I am Guthrie Chamberlain, reminding you to’ Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ and ‘Create a Great Day…Everyday! See you next time for more daily wisdom!