Welcome to Day 2767 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Day 2767 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 104:24-35 – Daily Wisdom

Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2767 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred sixty-seven 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 Playground of God – Leviathan, Breath, and the Renewal of the Earth. Today, we reach the glorious conclusion of our expedition through the cathedral of creation, Psalm One Hundred Four. We are trekking through the final movement, verses twenty-four through thirty-five, in the New Living Translation. In our previous journeys through this masterpiece, we have witnessed Yahweh in many roles. We saw Him as the Cosmic Architect in the first section, stretching out the heavens like a tent and riding the storm clouds as His chariot. Then, in the middle section, we saw Him as the Provider and Timekeeper, taming the chaotic waters to feed the wild donkeys, planting the cedars of Lebanon, and choreographing the dance of the sun and moon so that lions and humans could share the earth in peace. Now, as we approach the end of the psalm, the psalmist steps back to look at the whole picture. He is overwhelmed not just by the power of creation, or the utility of it, but by the sheer Wisdom and Joy of it. We will see God playing with sea monsters. We will learn that the breath in our lungs is on loan from the Spirit of God. And finally, we will confront the one thing that mars this perfect picture—human sin—and hear the psalmist’s radical solution for restoring the harmony of Eden. So, let us take one last look at this wonderful world and bless the Creator who renews the face of the earth. The first segment is: The Wisdom of Diversity and the Playground of the Sea. Psalm One Hundred Four: verses twenty-four through twenty-six. O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures.  Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small.  See the ships sailing along, and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea. The psalmist pauses in sheer wonder. After listing the birds, the goats, the lions, and the humans, he exclaims: "O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all." The word "variety" (or "manifold works") speaks to the endless creativity of God. He didn't just make one type of tree or one type of animal. He filled the earth with diversity. And the tool He used to craft this complexity was Wisdom (Chokmah). In Proverbs Chapter Eight, Wisdom is personified as the master craftsman at God’s side during creation. Here, the psalmist acknowledges that the ecosystem isn't just a happy accident; it is an engineered masterpiece. The earth is "full of your creatures"—literally, "full of Your possessions" (qinyan). Every squirrel, every bacteria, every whale belongs to Him. Then, the psalmist turns his eyes to the most terrifying part of the ancient map: The Ocean. "Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small." In the Ancient Israelite worldview, the sea was often a symbol of chaos and death. It was the realm of the unknown. But here, the psalmist sees it as God's aquarium. It is "teeming" (creeping) with innumerable life. And then, we meet two occupants of the sea: "See the ships sailing along, and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea." This mention of Leviathan is structurally explosive. In the mythology of Israel’s neighbors—the Canaanites and Babylonians—Leviathan (or Lotan or Tiamat) was a terrifying, multi-headed chaos dragon. He was the enemy of the gods. In those myths, the creator god had to fight a desperate war to kill the sea monster in order to bring order to the world. But look at how the psalmist treats Leviathan here. There is no war. There is no sword. There is no fear. Yahweh created Leviathan "to play" (sahaq). This demythologizes the monster completely. To the pagan nations, Leviathan was a god-killer. To Yahweh, Leviathan is a rubber ducky. It is a pet. He made this massive sea creature not to fight it, but just to watch it frolic in the waves. This is a supreme statement of sovereignty. God is so powerful that the most terrifying creature in the ancient imagination is merely a toy in His backyard pool. It reminds us that the things we fear—the "monsters" in our lives—are under the complete control of the One who made them. The second segment is: The Theology of Breath: The Absolute Dependence of Life. Psalm One Hundred Four: verses twenty-seven through thirty. They all depend on you to give them food as they need it. When you supply it, they gather it. You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satisfied.  But if you turn away from them, they panic. When you take away their breath, they die and turn back to dust.  When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth. The psalmist now moves from the variety of life to the fragility of life. He describes the entire biosphere—from the plankton to the Leviathan to the King of Israel—as being on a permanent IV drip of God's grace. "They all depend on you..." (Literally, "They all wait with hope upon You"). The image is of animals waiting for the feeder. "You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satisfied." This is the posture of the universe: mouth open, waiting for God’s hand to open. If He closes His hand, the universe starves. But the dependence goes deeper than food; it goes to the very essence of existence. "But if you turn away from them, they panic." Literally, "You hide Your face, they are terrified." The "Face" of God represents His conscious attention and favor. The moment God stops thinking about a creature, that creature begins to unravel. "When you take away their breath, they die and turn back to dust." The word for "breath" here is ruach. It can mean wind, breath, or Spirit. This connects directly to Genesis Two, verse seven, where God breathed into the dust, and man became a living soul. The psalmist is saying that the biological life force in every creature is not their own property. It is a loan. We do not "have" a life; we are being "sustained" in life, moment by moment, by the ruach of God. When He decides to call that loan back—"gather their spirit"—the creature instantly collapses back into the dust from which it came. But the process isn't just one of death; it is one of renewal. "When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth." "You send forth Your Spirit (Ruach), they are created (bara)." This is creation language. The same Spirit that hovered over the waters in Genesis One is the Spirit that ensures the next generation of lions, birds, and humans is born. God is constantly pumping His Spirit into the world to keep it alive. He is "renewing" the face of the ground. Every spring season, every birth, every sunrise is a fresh infusion of the Holy Spirit into the physical world. This teaches us a profound humility. Every breath I take in the next five seconds is a direct gift from God. If He withdraws His Spirit, I am dust. The third segment is: The Joy of the Creator and the Creature. Psalm One Hundred Four: verses thirty-one through thirty-four. May the glory of the Lord continue forever! The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!  The earth trembles at his glance; the mountains smoke at his touch.  I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath!  May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. Now, the psalmist breaks into a doxology—a declaration of praise. "May the glory of the Lord continue forever! The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!" This echoes the refrain of Genesis One: "And God saw that it was good." The purpose of creation is the Pleasure of God. He enjoys His world! He enjoys the frolicking Leviathan; He enjoys the singing birds. The universe is not a machine running on autopilot; it is a source of delight to its Maker. But let’s not mistake His pleasure for tameness. "The earth trembles at his glance; the mountains smoke at his touch." This reminds us of Psalm Ninety-seven and the appearance at Sinai. God is playful with Leviathan, but He is terrifying to the mountains. He remains the dangerous, holy, transcendent King. The creation responds to Him with a mixture of delight and trembling awe. The psalmist’s response to this God is lifelong devotion: "I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath!" Since God is the one who gives the breath (verse 29), the only appropriate use of that breath is to give it back to Him in praise. As long as the ruach is in my lungs, a song should be on my lips. "May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord." This is a beautiful request for communion. The psalmist wants his "meditation" (or musing) to be sweet to God. Just as God takes pleasure in His works, the psalmist takes pleasure in God. It is a reciprocal joy. The fourth segment is: The Jarring Conclusion: Cleaning the House. Psalm One Hundred Four: verse thirty-five. Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth; let the wicked disappear forever.  Let all that I am praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! We arrive at the final verse, and suddenly, the record scratches. The beautiful nature documentary comes to a screeching halt. After thirty-four verses of singing birds, playful whales, and glorious mountains, the psalmist suddenly says: "Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth; let the wicked disappear forever." Why? Is he just being mean? Has he lost his temper? No. This verse is actually the theological climax of the entire psalm. Think about the picture the psalmist has painted. A world of perfect order. A world where everything obeys God. The sun knows when to set. The ocean stays in its boundary. The animals wait on God for food. The angels ride the winds. The whole cosmos is a symphony of obedience and harmony. Except for one thing. Man. Sinners. The Wicked. In the Divine Council worldview, sin is not just breaking a rule; it is Chaos. It is anti-creation. It is the introduction of disorder into God’s ordered house. Sinners are the only creatures in this entire psalm who are out of step with the rhythm of grace. The lions obey; the storms obey; the Leviathan plays. But the wicked rebel. So, for the creation to be truly "Very Good" again, for the joy of the Lord to be complete, the one element of discord must be removed. The psalmist is praying for the New Creation. He is praying for the restoration of Eden. He is saying, "Lord, Your world is so beautiful. Please, remove the stain of sin so that it can be perfect again." It is not a prayer of personal vengeance; it is a prayer for cosmic hygiene. He wants the "face of the earth" to be fully renewed (verse 30), and that requires the vanishing of wickedness. And with that heavy, hopeful prayer, he returns to the beginning: "Let all that I am praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!" This final phrase, "Praise the Lord," is the Hebrew word Hallelujah. Fun fact: This is the very first time the word "Hallelujah" appears in the Bible. It appears at the end of a psalm that celebrates the perfect order of creation and looks forward to the removal of sin. Psalm One Hundred Four leaves us with a profound vision. It teaches us that nature is not secular; it is sacred.   It teaches us that Leviathan is God’s pet, and our breath is God’s loan.   It teaches us that the only logical response to being alive is to rejoice in the Lord. And it teaches us to long for the day when sin will vanish, and the harmony of the garden will be restored. So today, as you walk your trek, take a deep breath. Feel the air filling your lungs. That is the ruach of God sustaining you. Watch the birds; look at the trees. And join the chorus of creation by letting all that you are praise the Lord. Hallelujah! 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!  

Welcome to Day: 2767

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Day: 2767

dom-Trek Podcast Script - Day: 2767

Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand seven hundred sixty-seven 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 Playground of God – Leviathan, Breath, and the Renewal of the Earth.

Today, we reach the glorious conclusion of our expedition through the cathedral of creation, Psalm One Hundred Four. We are trekking through the final movement, verses twenty-four through thirty-five, in the New Living Translation.  

In our previous journeys through this masterpiece, we have witnessed Yahweh in many roles. We saw Him as the Cosmic Architect in the first section, stretching out the heavens like a tent and riding the storm clouds as His chariot. Then, in the middle section, we saw Him as the Provider and Timekeeper, taming the chaotic waters to feed the wild donkeys, planting the cedars of Lebanon, and choreographing the dance of the sun and moon so that lions and humans could share the earth in peace.  

Now, as we approach the end of the psalm, the psalmist steps back to look at the whole picture. He is overwhelmed not just by the power of creation, or the utility of it, but by the sheer Wisdom and Joy of it.  

We will see God playing with sea monsters. We will learn that the breath in our lungs is on loan from the Spirit of God. And finally, we will confront the one thing that mars this perfect picture—human sin—and hear the psalmist’s radical solution for restoring the harmony of Eden.  

So, let us take one last look at this wonderful world and bless the Creator who renews the face of the earth.  

The first segment is: The Wisdom of Diversity and the Playground of the Sea.

Psalm One Hundred Four: verses twenty-four through twenty-six.

O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures.  Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small.  See the ships sailing along, and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea.

The psalmist pauses in sheer wonder. After listing the birds, the goats, the lions, and the humans, he exclaims: "O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all."  

The word "variety" (or "manifold works") speaks to the endless creativity of God. He didn't just make one type of tree or one type of animal. He filled the earth with diversity. And the tool He used to craft this complexity was Wisdom (Chokmah).  

In Proverbs Chapter Eight, Wisdom is personified as the master craftsman at God’s side during creation. Here, the psalmist acknowledges that the ecosystem isn't just a happy accident; it is an engineered masterpiece. The earth is "full of your creatures"—literally, "full of Your possessions" (qinyan). Every squirrel, every bacteria, every whale belongs to Him.  

Then, the psalmist turns his eyes to the most terrifying part of the ancient map: The Ocean.  

"Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small."  

In the Ancient Israelite worldview, the sea was often a symbol of chaos and death. It was the realm of the unknown. But here, the psalmist sees it as God's aquarium. It is "teeming" (creeping) with innumerable life.  

And then, we meet two occupants of the sea: "See the ships sailing along, and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea."  

This mention of Leviathan is structurally explosive. In the mythology of Israel’s neighbors—the Canaanites and Babylonians—Leviathan (or Lotan or Tiamat) was a terrifying, multi-headed chaos dragon. He was the enemy of the gods. In those myths, the creator god had to fight a desperate war to kill the sea monster in order to bring order to the world.  

But look at how the psalmist treats Leviathan here. There is no war. There is no sword. There is no fear.  

Yahweh created Leviathan "to play" (sahaq).  

This demythologizes the monster completely. To the pagan nations, Leviathan was a god-killer. To Yahweh, Leviathan is a rubber ducky. It is a pet. He made this massive sea creature not to fight it, but just to watch it frolic in the waves.  

This is a supreme statement of sovereignty. God is so powerful that the most terrifying creature in the ancient imagination is merely a toy in His backyard pool. It reminds us that the things we fear—the "monsters" in our lives—are under the complete control of the One who made them.  

The second segment is: The Theology of Breath: The Absolute Dependence of Life.

Psalm One Hundred Four: verses twenty-seven through thirty.

They all depend on you to give them food as they need it. When you supply it, they gather it. You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satisfied.  But if you turn away from them, they panic. When you take away their breath, they die and turn back to dust.  When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth.

The psalmist now moves from the variety of life to the fragility of life. He describes the entire biosphere—from the plankton to the Leviathan to the King of Israel—as being on a permanent IV drip of God's grace.  

"They all depend on you..." (Literally, "They all wait with hope upon You").  

The image is of animals waiting for the feeder. "You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satisfied." This is the posture of the universe: mouth open, waiting for God’s hand to open. If He closes His hand, the universe starves.  

But the dependence goes deeper than food; it goes to the very essence of existence.  

"But if you turn away from them, they panic."  

Literally, "You hide Your face, they are terrified." The "Face" of God represents His conscious attention and favor. The moment God stops thinking about a creature, that creature begins to unravel.  

"When you take away their breath, they die and turn back to dust."  

The word for "breath" here is ruach. It can mean wind, breath, or Spirit. This connects directly to Genesis Two, verse seven, where God breathed into the dust, and man became a living soul.  

The psalmist is saying that the biological life force in every creature is not their own property. It is a loan. We do not "have" a life; we are being "sustained" in life, moment by moment, by the ruach of God. When He decides to call that loan back—"gather their spirit"—the creature instantly collapses back into the dust from which it came.  

But the process isn't just one of death; it is one of renewal.  

"When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth."  

"You send forth Your Spirit (Ruach), they are created (bara)."  

This is creation language. The same Spirit that hovered over the waters in Genesis One is the Spirit that ensures the next generation of lions, birds, and humans is born. God is constantly pumping His Spirit into the world to keep it alive. He is "renewing" the face of the ground. Every spring season, every birth, every sunrise is a fresh infusion of the Holy Spirit into the physical world.  

This teaches us a profound humility. Every breath I take in the next five seconds is a direct gift from God. If He withdraws His Spirit, I am dust.  

The third segment is: The Joy of the Creator and the Creature.

Psalm One Hundred Four: verses thirty-one through thirty-four.

May the glory of the Lord continue forever! The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!  The earth trembles at his glance; the mountains smoke at his touch.  I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath!  May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.

Now, the psalmist breaks into a doxology—a declaration of praise.  

"May the glory of the Lord continue forever! The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!"  

This echoes the refrain of Genesis One: "And God saw that it was good." The purpose of creation is the Pleasure of God. He enjoys His world! He enjoys the frolicking Leviathan; He enjoys the singing birds. The universe is not a machine running on autopilot; it is a source of delight to its Maker.  

But let’s not mistake His pleasure for tameness.  

"The earth trembles at his glance; the mountains smoke at his touch."  

This reminds us of Psalm Ninety-seven and the appearance at Sinai. God is playful with Leviathan, but He is terrifying to the mountains. He remains the dangerous, holy, transcendent King. The creation responds to Him with a mixture of delight and trembling awe.  

The psalmist’s response to this God is lifelong devotion: "I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath!"  

Since God is the one who gives the breath (verse 29), the only appropriate use of that breath is to give it back to Him in praise. As long as the ruach is in my lungs, a song should be on my lips.  

"May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord."  

This is a beautiful request for communion. The psalmist wants his "meditation" (or musing) to be sweet to God. Just as God takes pleasure in His works, the psalmist takes pleasure in God. It is a reciprocal joy.  

The fourth segment is: The Jarring Conclusion: Cleaning the House.

Psalm One Hundred Four: verse thirty-five.

Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth; let the wicked disappear forever.  Let all that I am praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

We arrive at the final verse, and suddenly, the record scratches. The beautiful nature documentary comes to a screeching halt.  

After thirty-four verses of singing birds, playful whales, and glorious mountains, the psalmist suddenly says: "Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth; let the wicked disappear forever."  

Why? Is he just being mean? Has he lost his temper?  

No. This verse is actually the theological climax of the entire psalm.  

Think about the picture the psalmist has painted. A world of perfect order. A world where everything obeys God. The sun knows when to set. The ocean stays in its boundary. The animals wait on God for food. The angels ride the winds. The whole cosmos is a symphony of obedience and harmony.  

Except for one thing. Man.  

Sinners. The Wicked.  

In the Divine Council worldview, sin is not just breaking a rule; it is Chaos. It is anti-creation. It is the introduction of disorder into God’s ordered house. Sinners are the only creatures in this entire psalm who are out of step with the rhythm of grace. The lions obey; the storms obey; the Leviathan plays. But the wicked rebel.  

So, for the creation to be truly "Very Good" again, for the joy of the Lord to be complete, the one element of discord must be removed.  

The psalmist is praying for the New Creation. He is praying for the restoration of Eden. He is saying, "Lord, Your world is so beautiful. Please, remove the stain of sin so that it can be perfect again." It is not a prayer of personal vengeance; it is a prayer for cosmic hygiene. He wants the "face of the earth" to be fully renewed (verse 30), and that requires the vanishing of wickedness.  

And with that heavy, hopeful prayer, he returns to the beginning:  

"Let all that I am praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!"  

This final phrase, "Praise the Lord," is the Hebrew word Hallelujah.  

Fun fact: This is the very first time the word "Hallelujah" appears in the Bible. It appears at the end of a psalm that celebrates the perfect order of creation and looks forward to the removal of sin.  

Psalm One Hundred Four leaves us with a profound vision.  

It teaches us that nature is not secular; it is sacred.   It teaches us that Leviathan is God’s pet, and our breath is God’s loan.   It teaches us that the only logical response to being alive is to rejoice in the Lord.  

And it teaches us to long for the day when sin will vanish, and the harmony of the garden will be restored.  

So today, as you walk your trek, take a deep breath. Feel the air filling your lungs. That is the ruach of God sustaining you. Watch the birds; look at the trees. And join the chorus of creation by letting all that you are praise the Lord. Hallelujah!  

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!