We know that it is especially the work of God the Father to uphold and govern all creation. In Lord’s Day 9 of the Heidelberg Catechism, we confess that the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ upholds and governs heaven and earth by his eternal counsel and providence. However, just as the Holy Spirit was involved in the work of creation, so he also takes part in that great work of upholding all that has been created. It was especially Calvin who called attention to this. Calvin speaks continually of the “hidden inspiration” of the Spirit, which upholds this world. Creation remains deeply dependent on the Creator. Without the working of the Holy Spirit all things would sink back into nothingness. The Reformer of Geneva points to the Spirit as the Giver of life, especially in the upholding of this created world. “For it is the Spirit who, everywhere diffused, sustains all things, causes them to grow, and quickens them in heaven and in earth.” ¹

Although the upholding and governing of the world is especially the work of God the Father (cf. Mt 6:26; 5:45), we will also here have to honor the Holy Spirit. Calvin considers our text a very important word of Scripture. He sees here accentuated that also the Holy Spirit is constantly active in creation as the Giver of life. Our texts impresses on us again that we may not limit the work of the Spirit to regeneration and renewal of God’s children. Much more can be said about what the Holy Spirit does. He is also the Spirit who lets him self be sent out to give life to man and beast in order to renew the face of the earth. Also for the sustaining and governing of this world we have to adore the Holy Spirit as the One who is Lord and Giver of life.

Psalm 104 is a song that praises the majesty of Yahweh in his creation and preservation. The first verse is at the same time the theme of the whole psalm: “Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great.”

The praise that is sung in this psalm speaks even more to us when we realize that it is a believing Israelite who is singing this in a Canaanite world. In that world the sun, moon and stars as well as the powers of nature, such as rain and fertility, were worshiped as gods. The Old Testament time and again shows us how strong the influence of the Baal worship and the cult of the heavenly bodies has been.

When we keep this in mind, we understand that Psalm 104 is more than a song of praise. It must also have been a powerful confession over against the Canaanite cult. This psalm not only praises the honor of Yahweh but also fights for his honor.

The author of this psalm sings of God’s glory in close conjunction with Genesis 1. What Genesis 1 proclaims, Psalm 104 sings of in poetic song. The order of the six creation days is clearly recognizable in this song. Yahweh, the glorious heavenly King is the Creator and Sustainer of the earth and everything in it. The world is one great divine household, governed by Yahweh, in which he is continuously active. He maintains this beautiful world from moment to moment and all creatures are completely dependent on him. Psalm 104 clearly impresses upon us how foolish it is to speak of a world in which everything happens according to so-called eternal laws of nature.

Modern man’s talk of God’s absence goes right against what Scripture tells us. The author of our psalm sees God precisely present everywhere. He makes springs pour water into the ravines (v. 10). He makes grass grow for the cattle (v. 14). He brings darkness and it becomes night (v. 20). The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God (v. 21).

Nowhere else is this total dependence of man and beast on the LORD God more strongly expressed than in verse 29. The causal relations are completely left out of the picture. Man and beast receive their life from God. When God hides his face, they are terrified; when he takes away their breath, they die and return to the dust (v. 29).

Our text speaks of the opposite in order to confirm the utter dependence of man and beast. “When you send your Spirit, they are created.” (v. 30.) When God sends his Spirit, new life awakens in man and beast, and new generations arise.

It is remarkable that the author speaks here of the sending out of God’s Spirit. From this it is evident that it is especially the work of the Spirit to awaken and give new life. In the majestic work of the preservation of all creation, it is the Holy Spirit who comes to the fore as the Giver of life. When our Savior tells us in John 6:63 that it is the Spirit who gives life, we may not limit this to regeneration and renewal. It is exactly the Old Testament that shows us that the Holy Spirit is the One who gives life everywhere in God’s wide world. He renews the face of the earth by continually sending his life-giving power (cf. Ps 104:30b).

That man owes his life to God the Holy Spirit, is pointed out in more than one text. Before the flood, the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever (now that they have sinned), for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” (Gen 6:3) The LORD takes his Spirit away from man. This means that after one hundred and twenty years they will be swept away by the flood.

Job acknowledges that as long as his breath is in him, the Spirit of God is in his nostrils (cf. Job 27:3). And Elihu confesses, “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (Job 33:4.) The Hebrew word ruach can mean “breath” as well as “spirit”, so we can also translate: “and the Spirit of the Almighty gives me life.”

The Old Testament shows us clearly how totally dependent man is on the LORD God. Man has the breath of life and vitality thanks to the Breath, the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit of the Almighty who gives life to man.

Our text also mentions the word “created.”  When God sends out his Spirit, new generations are “created.” It should strike us that the author uses the word “created.” In doing so he accentuates the magnificence of God’s work of preservation. He sees it on the same level with God’s work of creation. He uses the word “create” even though he knows of God’s work of creation in the beginning (cf. vv. 5-9).

God’s almighty and eternal power is still active in this world. Only the life-giving power of the Spirit assures us that life of man and beast will continue to exist.

Our text teaches us to respect life as a gift from God the Holy Spirit. Every birth is a miracle of his almighty power. Every spring with its prolific blossoms and baby animals, proclaims to us that it is the Holy Spirit who gives life! 

The ancient hymn of the church “Veni Creator Spiritus” (“Come Creator Spirit”) has to be understood from the perspective of Psalm 104: “When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.”