God Dwells in Unapproachable Light – Psalm 104

Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering Yourself with light as with a cloak, stretching out heaven like a tent curtain. (1-2)

He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. 1 Timothy 6:15-16

The language in this Psalm is magnificent, describing the benevolent care of the creator for His creation. The Psalmist makes it clear that our great and mighty God is the one who established the earth on its foundations and who created every living thing on the earth. God is the creator of the whole earth and all it contains, and He is also the sustainer of every living thing. He gives food in its season and cares for all this earth’s inhabitants. Our Lord is the creator of every ecosystem, and He created them to live in a delicate, harmonious balance. He owns everything in creation (including us), and we are simply His stewards responsible for managing and utilizing this glorious creation He has placed in our care.

Yet who is this great, and might God? The Psalmist tells us He is clothed with splendor and majesty, shrouded with light as a cloak. This description is similar to Paul’s, who tells us that God dwells in unapproachable light. Those who saw Jesus saw God in the flesh, but the fleshly veil somehow shrouded his glory. No man has ever seen God in all His glory, and we would likely be destroyed if we ever caught a full glimpse of Him in glory. Someday, we will see Him in heaven and gaze into that unapproachable light. Until then, we must understand that His glory and greatness are beyond our comprehension and description.

I think this is an important thing to remember when we pray. If we are not careful, we will close our eyes and conjure images of actors we have seen portray Jesus in various films. Perhaps when you pray, some other image of God or visual portrayal fills your imagination. No man has ever seen Him in all His glory, so it is helpful when the Psalmist tells us that He is clothed with splendor, majesty, and light. When I close my eyes and “images” of what God might look like flood my mind, I just imagine the brightest, purest light possible. It helps me avoid false images of Jesus and reminds me of what His glory must be like. One day we will see Him face to face (1 Cor. 13:12).  Until then, unapproachable light is the best description of the indescribable.