John Calvin Commentary Psalms 104:15

"And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, [And] oil to make his face to shine, And bread that strengtheneth man`s heart." — Psalms 104:15 (ASV)

And wine that cheereth the heart of man. In these words we are taught that God not only provides for human needs and bestows on them what is sufficient for the ordinary purposes of life, but that in His goodness He deals even more bountifully with them by cheering their hearts with wine and oil.

Nature would certainly be satisfied with water to drink; therefore, the addition of wine is owing to God’s superabundant liberality. The expression, and oil to make his face to shine, has been explained in different ways. As sadness spreads a gloom over the countenance, some offer this explanation: that when people enjoy the commodities of wine and oil, their faces shine with gladness.

Some, with more refinement of interpretation but without foundation, refer this to lamps. Others, considering the letter מ, mem, to be the sign of the comparative degree, take the meaning to be that wine makes people’s faces shine more than if they were anointed with oil. But the prophet, I have no doubt, speaks of unguents, intimating that God not only bestows on people what is sufficient for their moderate use, but that He goes beyond this, giving them even their delicacies.

The words in the last clause, and bread that sustains man’s heart, I interpret thus: Bread would be sufficient to support human life, but God, over and above (to use a common expression), bestows on them wine and oil. The repetition, then, of the purpose which bread serves is not superfluous: it is employed to commend to us the goodness of God in His tenderly and abundantly nourishing people as a kind-hearted father does His children. For this reason, it is here stated again, that as God shows Himself a foster-father sufficiently bountiful in providing bread, His liberality appears even more conspicuous in giving us dainties.

But as there is nothing to which we are more prone than to abuse God’s benefits by giving way to excess, the more bountiful He is toward people, the more they ought to take care not to pollute, by their intemperance, the abundance which is presented to them. Paul, therefore, had good reason for giving that prohibition (Romans 13:14):

“Make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”

For if we give full scope to the desires of the flesh, there will be no bounds.

As God bountifully provides for us, so He has appointed a law of temperance, so that each may voluntarily restrain himself in his abundance.

He sends out oxen and asses into pastures, and they content themselves with a sufficiency. But while furnishing us with more than we need, He enjoins on us an observance of the rules of moderation, so that we may not voraciously devour His benefits. Indeed, in lavishing on us a more abundant supply of good things than our necessities require, He puts our moderation to the test.

The proper rule with respect to the use of bodily sustenance is to partake of it so that it sustains, but does not oppress us.

The mutual sharing of the things needed for the support of the body, which God has enjoined on us, is a very good check to intemperance. For the condition on which the rich are favored with their abundance is that they should relieve the needs of their brethren.

Since the prophet, in this account of divine goodness in providence, makes no reference to human excesses, we gather from his words that it is lawful to use wine not only in cases of necessity, but also to make us merry.

This mirth, however, must be tempered with sobriety: first, so that people may not forget themselves, drown their senses, and destroy their strength, but rejoice before their God, according to the injunction of Moses (Leviticus 23:40); and secondly, so that they may exhilarate their minds with a sense of gratitude, so as to be made more active in the service of God.

He who rejoices in this way will also always be prepared to endure sadness whenever God is pleased to send it. That rule of Paul ought to be kept in mind (Philippians 4:12):

“I have learned to abound—I have learned to suffer want.”

If some sign of divine anger is manifest, even he who has an overflowing abundance of all kinds of dainty food will restrict himself in his diet, knowing that he is called to put on sackcloth and sit among ashes.

Much more ought he whom poverty compels to be temperate and sober to abstain from such delicacies.

In short, if one person is constrained to abstain from wine by sickness, if another has only vapid wine, and a third nothing but water, let each be content with his own lot, and willingly and submissively wean himself from those gratifications which God denies him.

The same remarks apply to oil. We see from this passage that ointments were much in use among the Jews, as well as among other eastern nations.

At the present day, it is different with us, as we tend to keep ointments for medicinal purposes rather than use them as articles of luxury.

The prophet, however, says that oil also is given to people, so that they may anoint themselves with it.

But as people are too prone to pleasure, it is to be observed that the law of temperance ought not to be separated from the beneficence of God, lest they abuse their liberty by indulging in luxurious excess. This exception must always be added, so that no person may take encouragement from this doctrine to licentiousness.

Moreover, when people have been carefully taught to bridle their lust, it is important for them to know that God permits them to enjoy pleasures in moderation when they have the ability to provide them.

Otherwise, they will never partake even of bread and wine with a tranquil conscience; indeed, they will begin to scruple about tasting water, or at least they will never come to the table except in fear.

Meanwhile, the greater part of the world will wallow in pleasures without discrimination because they do not consider what God permits them. For His fatherly kindness should be to us the best teacher to instruct us in moderation.