THE GLORY OF GOD IN CREATION AND IN HIS WORD
TEXT: Psalm 19:1-14
Psalms 19:1-14 (KJV) To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. [2] Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. [3] There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. [4] Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, [5] Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. [6] His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. [7] The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. [8] The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. [9] The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. [10] More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. [11] Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. [12] Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. [13] Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. [14] Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
I. INTRODUCTION—A HYMN OF DAVID
-We take note again in the superscription of this psalm because it gives us a clue. This psalm is meant to serve as a hymn. It is to the chief musician and we first saw this identifying mark in Psalm 4.
-The chief musician was the one who directed the music in Israel’s worship services. It was used by the choir leader of the Levitical priests and of the congregational singing that accompanied their worship (1 Chron. 23:5, 30; Neh. 11:17).
-Psalm 19 was a song that encouraged the worship to God for His creation and for His Law. It serves to make us aware that God’s glory is on constant display before man both with all of creation and with the Word of God.
-Psalm 19 serves as a centerpiece of praise to God because it is the middle Psalm falling into a category of Psalms 15-24. Psalm 15 is a portrait of a true worshiper and when you come to Psalm 24, there is much that is very similar because it speaks as well to the character of the one who is involved in worship. So Psalm 15 and Psalm 24 serve as bookends of what comes between them and Psalm 19 is the center of that.
-There is an arrangement of these Psalms that follows a circular pattern of sorts.
• Psalms 15 and 24 make up the outer ring by telling us about the high majesty of God and the moral character of what a true worshiper looks like. My view of God has a direct impact on my quality of worship. A low view of Him, there will be a low view and value of worship and a high view of Him, a corresponding high view and value on worship.
• Then you have Psalms 16 and 23 showing the Lord as a refuge and then as a shepherd.
• This is followed by Psalm 18 paired up with Psalm 21-22 that gives a description of David being attacked by enemies from within and without Israel.
-When we look at Scripture in this way, we suddenly find that we are well served when we take Paul’s command to Timothy seriously to be a student, a learner, and a pupil, even a scholar of the Word (2 Tim. 2:15). We are to be an apprentice, a workman, a laborer who is willing to seek out the treasures that Scripture has.
-Before we move into the heart of this psalm, we also can characterize this psalm as not just a hymn but a wisdom psalm. It is noted with the other wisdom psalms: 1, 19, 32, 37, 49, 73, 112, 119, and 128.
II. PSALM 19—THE GLORY OF GOD IN CREATION AND IN HIS WORD
-As with several other messages in this series already, I am borrowing an outline from Steven J. Lawson from the Holman Old Testament Commentary—Psalms 1-75 (published by Broadman and Holman).
-At the heart of this psalm, we find that it praises God’s revelation in His Creation and the Lord’s revelation in His Scriptures.
A. The Glory of God in Creation—vv. 1-6
Psalms 19:1-6 (KJV) To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. [2] Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. [3] There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. [4] Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, [5] Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. [6] His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
-The one who gives the Law is also the Creator of the universe. We discover that there are physical, scientific laws that control our physical world; there are spiritual laws that would guide the spiritual world as well.
-It is a great blessing to realize that the same laws that God created to hold the planets in their orbit and the stars in their places that He also has given us His Law to help spiritual men and women steady their lives for eternity.
1. His Glory in Creation is Unmistakable—v. 1
-The heavens literally show us the vastness, splendor, order, and majesty of the hand of God.
Romans 1:20 (KJV) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
-David marks it down as the “handywork” of God. There is a huge contrast in our day versus those ancient days. David looked around and saw the sun, the stars, and the creation around him in the pastures where the sheep were and he saw God. He knew that God had worked a wonder with the creation of the heavens and the earth.
-The modern world looks at the very same elements and they acknowledge so-called “natural” laws. David looked and saw God; they look today and never see God. In fact they think that they can remove Him totally from the picture and saw there is no God. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Rom. 1:22).
-Yet the glory of God is literally unmistakable in creation. Take note of Isaiah 40:12-31 (READ THIS!) and you will literally be astonished at the greatness of God in the way He created this world.
-Here is a distinct difference between the saint and the humanist, the tree-huggers, and the pagans, we see God’s creation and worship Him. They see God’s creation and they worship creation more than the Creator, which is the pattern that Paul had worked out in Romans 1. It is a very vicious cycle to worship God’s creation more than you worship Him!
2. His Glory in Creation is Unceasing—v. 2
-If the glory of God is unmistakable in creation, it is also unceasing! Whether or not the world realizes it or not, the heavens are shouting out a constant message, a sermon, an anointed proclamation, and a Word from the Lord every single day!
-His glory in daytime as well as the nighttime has no ending to it. The part that is unceasing is that this has been taking place from the beginning of creation.
-The image that is given in the Hebrew language: A gushing spring that is constantly pouring out sweet, cool, refreshing water of revelation.
-Everywhere we look, the revelation of God is being poured out:
• The stars testify of a God with great power who made them.
• The human body testifies to an all-wise Creator.
• The petals of a flower, the majesty in a snowflake, the orbit in a tiny atom, the nature of light, the aspect of gravity, and a host of other things point to God.
-We scratch the surface of God’s creation and it becomes even greater and complicated. It is literally beyond the mind of man to fathom it. Day after day, speech is poured out. Night after night, knowledge pushes its way toward us.
3. His Glory in Creation is Unspoken—v. 3
-This message is unceasing but what is unique about it. . .There is never a word uttered at all. The Hebrew vernacular for this verse would literally be. . . There is no need for language or speech because the creation of God is a message all its own.
4. His Glory in Creation is Universal—v. 4a-b
-There is something else that David establishes when he comes to 19:4: Even though there are no words needed to preach the message of God’s glory in creation, their voice reaches all of creation.
-That voice goes through all the earth even to the end of the earth. There isn’t a limitation to the North or South Poles, nor is there a limitation of east to west. God’s message reaches beyond that.
5. His Glory in Creation is Undiminished—v. 4c-5
-David works with the end of verse 4 and all of verse 5 to show us three pictures of the way that God’s glory in creation is undiminished:
• Like a shining torch—This is the sun.
• Like a glowing bridegroom—He is full of strength and joy.
• Like a strong champion—He is like a hero that will win a championship.
-David reverts back to his days as a shepherd when he would see the rising and the setting of the sun. He affirmed the fact that God was so glorious that he had created a tabernacle, a tent, just to house the sun when it fell into darkness in the evenings. He then would watch the sun come out of its “house” in the morning and cover the world in light.
6. His Glory in Creation is Un-resting—v. 6
- Lastly, David uses two examples to show us that God’s glory in creation never rests:
• The sun is always rising.
• The sun is always setting.
-The sun is literally a ball of gases, mainly hydrogen, burning itself in a vast nuclear reaction, but it has been designed by God in such a way that it can continue to burn for at least six billion years longer.
-The sun is right at 93 million miles away from the earth. That means that if the sun rises at 6:00 AM, it will take eight minutes before the light actually gets to the earth. When you consider that the speed of light is 186,000 miles/second, even just that little thought about God and His creation is staggering.
-Every morning the sun rises and every morning the sun sets! It is going to be unceasing for at least a potential of six billion more years. When you even think of a man who wants to lift himself up against God, that is amazing that a man could be so proud to do that.
-There are many environmental groups all over the world that place much emphasis on the glory of creation because they are worshiping the creation more than the Creator. I saw this in Portland and Salem, Oregon, this past summer (July ’15) when I saw the emphasis these two cities place on being so-called “green” and encouraging all people to park their cars and ride bicycles everywhere.
-Here is the point to recognize before we move to the next segment of this Psalm, David placed great value on the Creator but when he worshiped the Creator there was much room for an awe of the creation. We should have the same set of values that David had.
B. The Glory of God in His Word—vv. 7-11
Psalms 19:7-11 (KJV) The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. [8] The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. [9] The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. [10] More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. [11] Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
1. Scripture is Perfect—v. 7-9
-As great as creation may be, when David shifts gears in this Psalm, he shows to us that the law of the Lord is even greater than creation. Why would that be? Because the world will pass away and the Law of the Lord will not (Matt. 24:35). Heaven and earth will pass away but my words shall not pass away.
-Scripture is perfect. God-breathed, inspired, revered, honored, and exalted.
Henry Ward Beecher—The Bible is God’s chart to you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbor is, and how to reach it without running on rocks or bars.
A.W. Tozer—The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
-The Bible is literally indestructible!
Century follows century—There it stands.
Empires rise and fall and are forgotten—There it stands.
Dynasty succeeds dynasty—There it stands.
Kings are crowned and uncrowned—There it stands.
Emperors decree its extermination— There it stands.
Despised and torn to pieces—There it stands.
Storms of hate swirl about it—There it stands.
Atheists rail against it—There it stands.
Agnostics smile cynically—There it stands.
Profane prayerless punsters parody it—There it stands.
Unbelief abandons it—There it stands.
Higher critics deny its claim to inspiration—There it stands.
Thunderbolts of wrath smite it—There it stands.
An anvil that has broken a million hammers—There it stands.
The flames are kindled against it—There it stands.
The arrows of hate are discharged against it—There it stands.
Radicalism rants and raves about it—There it stands.
Fogs of sophistry conceal it temporarily—There it stands.
The tooth of time gnaws but dents it not—There it stands.
Infidels predict its abandonment—There it stands.
Modernism tries to explain it away—There it stands.
Devotees of folly denounce it—There it stands.
It is God’s highway to Paradise.
It is the light on the pathway of the darkest night.
It leads businessmen to integrity and uprightness.
It is the great consoler in bereavement.
It awakens men and women drugged by sin.
It answers every great question of the soul.
It solves every problem of life.
It is a fortress often attacked but never failing.
Its wisdom is commanding and its logic convincing.
Salvation is its watchword. Eternal life is its goal.
It punctures all pretenses.
It is forward looking, outward looking, and upward looking.
It outlives, out-lifts, out-loves, outreaches, outranks, and outruns all other books.
Trust it, love it, obey it, and Eternal Life is yours. A.Z. Conrad
-But David already knew about the power of God’s Word and God’s Law.
-He described Scripture as something that was perfect. His word is flawless, without defect, and will never mislead you or fail you. The perfection of Scripture does a number of things to a true worshiper:
• Revives his soul
• Teaches the simple
• Rejoices the heart
• Enlightens the eyes
• Reverences the spirit
• Directs a life
-The testimony of the Lord is literally the revelation of God’s will and the whole duty of man. We have to understand that a man will never be relieved of his effort to pursue holiness. The pursuit of holiness cannot ever be associated with a work like some of our critics would like to accuse us of.
-However if you are going to have the testimony of the Lord working in your life, you will pursue holiness, which will generate some works in your life. Don’t ever forget that all of the churches in Revelation 2-3 have their assessment beginning with “I know thy works!” If works were not important, then why would the Lord make such a priority to assess them? I want the testimony of the Lord in my life!
-The testimony of the Lord makes the simple to become wise. Those who remain simple in their relationship with God will find great calamity coming to their soul. The whole chapter in Proverbs 7 speaks to this end of the “simple,” a simpleton, or a fool who thinks they may have more knowledge than the wise. Not so!
-A man that closes his heart and mind to the instruction of the Lord is a man who is bound for great heartache and trouble.
-The commandments of the Lord are pure (v. 8). Commandments are precepts, laws, or points that make me aware of my own obligations. That is the whole power of the Gospel—man being made aware of his state without God and the necessity of having God in his life.
-To David, the law of the Lord was not something that was burdensome to him but it added great moral satisfaction to his life. A clean life equals a clean mind that equals to a clear conscience. That is what Paul wanted to make sure that he always had in his possession, a clear conscience (1 Tim. 1:19; 3:9; 2 Tim. 1:3).
-Speaking to the matter of Scripture being pure—This Hebrew term only occurs seven other times in Scripture and it is always in the poetic books of the Bible. Here in verse 8 the connection is made with the eyes that suggest radiance about them. David is attempting to show the glory of God’s Word is to have an impact of cleanliness but especially a purity of heart.
-The closer that we live in a relationship with the Word, the greater the moral purity and inner holiness that will prevail in my walk with God.
2. Scripture is Precious—v. 10
-Scripture is perfect but it is also precious.
-The precious nature of Scripture is evident as well and David uses two descriptions to show us the value of it:
• More valuable than gold
• Sweeter than honey
-The law of the Lord is the greatest treasure for a man to pursue in his life. We ought to treat as if we had all of the gold that is in Fort Knox in our possession. Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee (Ps. 119:11)!
-A huge reward is offered to those who are willing to preserve it and keep it.
3. Scripture is Powerful—v. 11
-Scripture is not only perfect and precious, it is also powerful!
-David tops it off by telling us that there is a great reward in the keeping of the Law. He determined that a servant is warned by his interaction with it.
-The Bible is not like any other book. J. B. Phillips confesses in the introduction to his Letters to Young Churches that he did not initially believe in the inerrancy of Scripture when he first started the translation. It was more or less just an academic exercise to him. But in the process of translating it he received so many shocking facts from the New Testament that he changed his mind. The material he was handling had power. He said it was like literally working with live electricity as he worked through it.
-If you can ever get turned on and tuned in to the power of the Word, it will change everything about your life!
C. David’s Response in Prayer—vv. 12-14
Psalms 19:12-14 (KJV) Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. [13] Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. [14] Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
-What was it that stirred a response of David? The power of the perfection, preciousness, and power of Scripture. The whole crux of David’s prayer is this: When we are exposed to the Law of the Lord it will cause us to express a personal need of God. We ask for the Lord to preserve us (v. 13).
1. Reveal My Sin—v. 12
-The clearer that my view of the Law of the Lord, the more glaring that our sins become in the sight of God. Our only hope is the outworking of the grace of God. BUT for me to really gain a good grasp of the Law of the Lord, divine grace has to do some things:
• Show me my faults
• Acquit me of my sins
• Restore me from practicing those things
• Fear me from the power of sin
-The whole drive of every child of God should be that blamelessness that Paul speaks on in 1st Timothy 3. My spirit, my attitude, my actions, and my behavior should be blameless.
-The errors that are mentioned in v. 12 are the unintentional sins that we come into contact with.
• A flare up of your temper (not a habitual action)
• An exaggeration or a stretching of the truth
• A sudden fall into some snare of some sin
• A time when we find ourselves on a roll and instead of heeding the inner call of the Spirit to stop talking but instead we plunge headlong into gossip and slander
• Discontentment
• Unthankfulness
• Pride
• Selfishness
• Lack of self-control
• Impatience and Irritability
• Anger
• Judmentalism
• Envy and Jealousy
• Worldliness
-David was asking the Lord to keep him back from that kind of activity.
2. Restrain My Sin—vv. 13-14
-David’s plea—O Lord, don’t let those hounds of hell and the lure of sin have dominion over me.
-Dominion could be understood as this way—Lord, don’t let those sins become a ruler over me.
-Presumptuous are the most chilling of all. This psalm explains to us that there are sins that literally can become a ruler in a person’s life and they are not even aware any more that they are in violation of God’s Law. They have a conscience that has been literally seared with a hot iron. Their sin has become a tyrant over them.
-In another time in my life, I knew a couple of men who had such a presumption toward adultery that they literally were in a deadly game dancing with the devil. They literally found it a game to destroy the marriages of some people that I knew. We dare not allow any of those kinds of sins gain dominion over us!
III. CONCLUSION
R. D. Lange—There has never been a lack of preaching God, but often of people to hear the sermon, heed it, and obey it.—Even pious people have still hidden faults, but they do not hide them.—God helps us not only to know our sins, but likewise to receive pardon for our errors, and to obtain preservation from crimes.
-We ought to literally cry out the same words as the sinner in Luke 18:13. . . Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!
-I want those blessings of your Word:
• Revive my soul
• Teach the simple
• Rejoice my heart
• Enlighten my eyes
• Reverence my spirit
• Direct my life
-Our hope is in the Lord!
Philip Harrelson
April 28, 2016
