What does "founded it upon the seas" mean in Psalm 24:2? Text “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” – Psalm 24:1-2 Immediate Literary Context Psalm 24 functions as a temple-entrance liturgy (cf. vv. 3-6). The worshiper first confesses God’s universal ownership (v. 1) and His primordial creative work (v. 2) before approaching His holy hill. The phrase underscores Yahweh’s exclusive sovereignty in a polytheistic milieu that attributed seas to chaos deities. Creation Frame of Reference Genesis 1:2-10 supplies the backdrop: 1. Waters originally envelop the globe (1:2). 2. God separates waters to form “expanse” (1:6-8). 3. He gathers seas so that dry land appears (1:9-10). Psalm 24 compresses that narrative: the dry “earth” now rests securely because God has already done the hydrological engineering—founding and establishing. Theological Force of “Upon the Seas” 1. Sovereignty over Chaos: In Near-Eastern myths, the sea personified disorder. Israel’s God, by contrast, tamed rather than battled it (Job 38:8-11; Psalm 89:9-10). 2. Providence: Water is both threat and life-giver. By “founding” the land on it, God turns potential chaos into stable blessing (Psalm 104:5-9). 3. Covenantal Reliability: Just as He set boundaries for the seas, His moral order is fixed (Jeremiah 5:22). Geological and Flood Connections A global Flood (Genesis 6-9) redistributes sediment layers and fossils, leaving continent-sized marine deposits packed with sea creatures hundreds of miles inland—Grand Canyon’s Redwall Limestone, the Whitmore Nautiloid Bed, and Karoo fossil layers in South Africa. These formations confirm that present continents were once “upon the seas,” aligning with Psalm 24:2’s memory of a watery foundation and post-Flood uplift (cf. Psalm 104:8). Catastrophic plate tectonics models show rapid subduction generating new ocean basins while “mountains rose, valleys sank”—language mirrored in Psalm 104. Modern Observation Over 70 percent of Earth’s surface remains water. Continental crust literally “floats” on the mantle, itself partly composed of super-heated, water-influenced minerals. Geophysicists have identified a vast subterranean “reservoir” in ringwoodite potentially holding more water than all surface oceans. Thus, from a physical standpoint the land truly rests “upon” watery depths. Ancient Near-Eastern Contrast Ugaritic and Babylonian epics—Baal’s victory over Yamm, Marduk against Tiamat—depict cosmic struggle. Scripture flips the script: no contest, only command. This polemic clarifies that “founded upon the seas” is not mythological concession but triumphant monotheism. Christological Dimension Colossians 1:16-17 : “In Him all things were created…in Him all things hold together.” Jesus, the incarnate Logos, is the One who originally “founded” the earth. His command over Galilee’s waves (Mark 4:39) and His resurrection—validated by over 500 eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6)—prove continuing authority over both creation and chaos. Ethical and Devotional Implications Because God set the earth on watery foundations, every breath, career, and ecosystem belongs to Him; stewardship replaces autonomy. Approaching His “holy hill” (v. 3) demands clean hands and a pure heart (v. 4), attainable only through the cleansing of Christ (Hebrews 10:22). Answer to the Question “Founded it upon the seas” proclaims that God: 1. Created dry land by commanding chaotic primordial waters to recede. 2. Continues to uphold and stabilize the earth that still physically rests atop vast watery reservoirs. 3. Displays unrivaled kingship, refuting pagan myths. 4. Foreshadows Christ’s dominion, who calms literal seas and the moral chaos of sin. The phrase is thus literal in origin, poetic in form, theological in intent, scientifically consistent with a water-dominated planet, and doxological in purpose—summoning every generation to worship the Architect whose handiwork still rides “upon the seas.” |
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