Psalm 104:9 (NASB)
You set a boundary that they may not pass over, So that they will not return to cover the earth.
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Bible Commentary
Psalm 104:9 is a Bible verse from the Old Testament which praises God for the boundary of the waters that He set in place.
This is a very important statute from God. We remember from the story of Noah’s ark that He promised to never again flood the earth with water. We also know from reading the first few verses of the Bible that God formed the earth from the waters.
To understand the depth of Psalm 104:9, we must first look at the Hebrew meanings of “water,” which are: water; figuratively juice; urine, semen.
These meanings are fascinating and not at all what we think of when we see the word, “water” in the Bible. You probably remember from health class that about 60% of the human body is made up of water. If you study this word in the Bible, you’ll discover God’s commands concerning sexual intercourse.
Proverbs 5:15-23
Drink water from your own cistern And fresh water from your own well. 16 Should your springs be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? 17 Let them be yours alone And not for strangers with you. 18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 As a loving hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love. 20 For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress And embrace the bosom of a foreigner? 21 For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He watches all his paths. 22 His own iniquities will capture the wicked, And he will be held with the cords of his sin. 23 He will die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.
To sum up, this is God’s blessing upon sex within the boundary of marriage and a warning about the pitfalls of sex outside that boundary.
Notice the word “boundary” in Psalm 104:9, “You set a boundary that they may not pass over, So that they will not return to cover the earth.” God set a boundary that we are not to “pass over,” which in Hebrew also means: to cover (in copulation).
God’s commands in the Bible are there for our protection and provision, to keep us from harm and to prosper us. But it is up to us to seek Him out and follow His ways for successful and righteous living. Just like the prodigal son, when we repent, He accepts us back into His protective covering and embrace. Praise the Lord!
Unlocking the Truth – Who May Ascend?
If you really study Psalm 104:9, you might remember His rainbow promise, that He would never again cover the earth with water, as He did in Noah’s day.
It is us—the inhabitants of the earth—that cover it with water (sexual immorality) because we have passed over His established boundary.
Just like Proverbs 5:22 above says, “His own iniquities will capture the wicked, And he will be held with the cords of his sin.” It is very interesting that the word “cord” is used here, because Psalm 104:9 says, “You set a boundary,” which in Hebrew means: a cord (as twisted).
Inside God’s boundary is safety, protection and blessing. The blood of Jesus Christ covers us as Christians. We are cleansed from our sins because of our acceptance of what Christ did for us on the cross.
Those who reject Christ and practice sexual immorality outside of God’s established boundary are not protected, but held by the cords of his sin. They live in polluted waters.
Follow His Righteousness
In the Kingdom of God, there is no sexual immorality nor any other sin. It is a place of purity filled with the holiness of God and the bright splendor of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 24:3 says, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place?”
We draw nearer to the Kingdom of God—ascending to the hill of the Lord—as we follow His righteousness and live within the boundaries He established to protect us from harm and to prosper us with abundant living.
The light of His righteousness draws us up and out of the muddy waters,
–through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ and
–into the hill of the Lord so we can stand in His holy place.
Hallelujah!
Study the Bible verse of Psalm 104:9 and ascend into the hill of the Lord, leaving the muddy waters, rejoicing in the protection and perfect provision of the boundaries of God. Amen!
