Which other scriptures highlight God's authority over the earth and waters? Psalm 136:6—Our Launch Point “He spread out the earth upon the waters, for His loving devotion endures forever.” Creation: The Original Display of Authority • Genesis 1:1–10 — God speaks and separates waters, then gathers them so dry land appears. • Genesis 2:6–7 — A mist rises by His design, preparing the ground for life. These opening scenes set the pattern: when God commands, earth and water obey. Firm Foundations: Earth Resting Secure • Psalm 24:1–2 — “For He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” • Psalm 104:5 — “He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved.” • Proverbs 8:29 — Wisdom recalls, “when He set a boundary for the seas.” Each verse echoes Psalm 136:6, stressing that land exists only because God fixes its place. Boundaries on Every Wave • Job 38:8–11 — God shuts in the sea “when it burst out” and declares, “This far you may come and no farther.” • Jeremiah 5:22 — The Lord sets “the sand as a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.” • Nahum 1:4 — He “rebukes the sea and dries it up.” These passages picture waters as powerful—yet permanently restrained by their Maker. Historical Moments That Prove His Control • Genesis 7–8 — The Flood covers the earth, then recedes at God’s command. • Exodus 14:21–28 — The Red Sea parts, making a pathway, then closes on Pharaoh’s army. • Joshua 3:13–17 — The Jordan River stops flowing so Israel can cross on dry ground. God’s authority is not abstract; it breaks into history. Psalms That Celebrate the Pattern • Psalm 33:7 — “He gathers the waters of the sea into a heap; He puts the depths into storehouses.” • Psalm 89:9 — “You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them.” • Psalm 95:5 — “The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.” The songbook of Israel repeatedly turns to this theme for worship. Christ Reveals the Same Authority • Mark 4:39 — Jesus rebukes wind and sea: “Peace, be still!” and “there was a great calm.” • Matthew 14:25–32 — He walks on the water; Peter follows, upheld so long as his eyes stay on Jesus. • Colossians 1:16–17 — “In Him all things were created… and in Him all things hold together.” The Son exercises the identical sovereignty seen in Psalm 136:6, affirming His divine identity. Living Confidence Because the Lord who “spread out the earth upon the waters” still speaks today, every shoreline, storm, and season remains under His rule. The same steadfast love that ordered creation continues to hold everything—and everyone—secure. |