Great Prayers of the Old Testament
Part 14: Behold the Wonders of God's Glory!
Psalm 19:1-14
Sermon by Rick Crandall
(Prepared January 11, 2025)
BACKGROUND:
*We are studying some of the great prayers in the Old Testament. And today's Scripture one of my favorites. It's King David's prayer in Psalm 19. But first, think about the glory of God. God's Word speaks of His glory around 300 times, about half in the Old Testament and half in the New. The first time we see God's glory is in Exodus, the second book if the Bible, and the last time we see His glory is in Revelation 21:23, where the new city of Jerusalem was described. There the Bible tells us that "the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light." Wow!
*God's Word speaks of His glory almost from cover to cover. But what is God's glory? The Old Testament word-picture for "glory" is a weight -- something heavy. And God's glory is heavy indeed. It's something we should never take lightly. That's especially true since God's glory is the standard of perfection by which He measures us. We know this is true because Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fall short of the GLORY OF GOD." And the original word for "glory" in the New Testament carries the ideas of dignity, honor, praise, worship, splendor, brightness, majesty, and the perfect excellence of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (1)
*John Piper explained that "glory" is a very hard thing to define. It is like the word "beauty." We all can use it and communicate with it but to try to reduce it to words is very frustrating. It is easier to point to examples."
*A beautiful sunset seen from the tallest building in Monroe, that's a taste of nature's glory. A hole-in-one, a grand-slam home run, and LSU winning the National Football Championship, these are examples of athletic glory.
*And John Piper said that God's glory "is the beauty and excellence of His manifold perfections. It refers to His infinite and overflowing fullness of all that is good. God's glory is the perfect harmony of all His attributes in one infinitely beautiful and personal being." (2)
*We need to get a better sense of the overwhelming radiance of the glory of God. In Exodus 24, Moses went up on Mount Sinai to meet with God for 40 days and 40 nights. And there in vs. 16-17, God's Word says:
16. Now the glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17. The sight of the glory of the LORD was like a raging, consuming, devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.
*Thinking about these verses and the overwhelming power of God's glory, Robert Crilley said: "Speaking with the Almighty is one thing. Actually seeing His face is quite another. -- Like trying to drink from Niagara Falls, the unveiled glory of God would simply overwhelm us." (3)
*Think of Peter, James and John trembling on the mountain when Jesus was transfigured before them and His face shined like the sun. Speaking of Jesus, in John 1:14, the Apostle would later write, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Think of the Apostle Paul, struck to the ground and blinded by the glory of the Risen Savior. Paul would later testify, "Since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus." (Acts 22:11)
*We also need to know that God's glory is vitally important to Him. He has great passion for His glory. God's main motivation as He acts in the universe is His own glory. He is driven to protect and proclaim His glory. For example, in Isaiah 48:9-12, the LORD spoke to His people and said:
9. "For My name's sake I will defer My anger, and for My praise I will restrain it from you, so that I do not cut you off.
10. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
11. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; for how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.
12. Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last."
*God wants everyone in the world to recognize and appreciate His perfect glory, and Psalm 19 helps us get there. Let's get started by reading Psalm 19:1-14.
MESSAGE:
*God's main motive as He acts in the universe is His own glory, and that is totally proper because He deserves all the glory.
1. SO FIRST, BEHOLD THE GLORY OF GOD IN HIS UNIVERSE.
*Here in vs. 1-6, David urges us to behold the wonders of God's universe, and guided by the Holy Spirit, King David wrote:
1. The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.
4. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
5. Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
6. Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
*In vs. 1 David said, "The heavens declare the glory of God." And what a declaration! In vs. 2, "Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge." The idea is that the information just gushes out. This knowledge of God's glory pours out like a fountain all over the universe.
*The (s-u-n) sun in vs. 4 is a pale image compared to the glory of the (S-o-n) up in heaven. And in vs. 5, Jesus is the ultimate Bridegroom looking forward to His Heavenly marriage. And Jesus is the strong man rejoicing as He runs a race that He is sure to win. The glory of God is on display every day in the heavens. We just need to look up and let the Lord transform our lives, because we get glimpses of His glory in the wonders of the universe He created.
*In 2004, scientists pointed the Hubble telescope at a blank looking patch of sky near the Orion Constellation. The Hubble stayed focused on that spot for 400 orbits over 11 days. The tiny area of sky was only as big as a grain of sand held out at arm's length. And in that tiny patch of sky, they discovered over 10,000 galaxies!
*A few years ago, astronomers thought that there were 100 billion galaxies in the universe. Then the number jumped to 200 billion galaxies. In 2012, scientists thought our universe might have as many as 500 billion galaxies. Then in 2016, Astrophysical Journal reported a new study that estimates 2 trillion galaxies in the universe! Each of those galaxies has hundreds of millions of stars, and God made them all! He also takes care of them all. So in Isaiah 40:25-26 the Holy LORD says: "To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal? Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing. (4)
*William MacDonald gave us a simple way grasp the vast size of the universe. And he began by reminding us that the speed of light is 186,000 miles a second or roughly six trillion miles a year. And at the time William wrote, it would have taken us ten billion years to reach the farthest point we could see with a telescope. And William shared this comparison: Suppose it cost a penny to ride 1,000 miles, a trip to the moon would cost $2.38, a trip to the sun would cost $930, but a trip to the nearest star would cost $260 million. (5)
*Church: The vastness of our universe is just a small part of the greatness of our God! And we all need to see the glory of God, because it will transform our lives. It will also help solve many problems that plague our society. But we mostly need to see the glory of God, because God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the awesome, Almighty, Creator, Designer, and Keeper of this universe! Colossians 1:16 focuses on the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and says, "By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him."
*When we take a good look at the wonders of God's universe, we should be reminded of the God who made it all. We should be reminded that God is infinitely bigger and better than we are. And this knowledge of His glory will change our lives.
2. SO BEHOLD THE GLORY OF GOD IN HIS UNIVERSE. AND BEHOLD THE GLORY OF GOD IN HIS WORD.
*David tells us why in vs. 7-11, where he said:
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 forever; 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 Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.
*The Bible is a miraculous book, and it can have a miraculous impact on our lives. Wise men and women down through the ages have looked to the Word of God for salvation, strength, and renewal. We can see this starting in vs. 7, where King David said, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple."
*"The law of the Lord is perfect." This means it's complete, perfectly free from corruption, and completely good. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." The NIV says it "revives" the soul. God's Word turns us from sin to holiness, bringing us back to goodness and to God. This word "convert" or "revive" is the same word translated as "restore" in the 23rd Psalm, vs.1-3. There David said, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. . ." Believers, we need that restoration. We need that revival. I need it. And the Bible is the best place to get it.
*Also in vs. 7, "The testimony of the Lord is sure." This reminds us that we can rely on everything God says. His testimony will give us a sure foundation for today and forever! "The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." God's Word turns foolish people into wise people.
*In both the Old Testament and the New you will find sure testimony about Jesus Christ: Testimony that Jesus is God, one with God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit; Testimony that Jesus loves us beyond our understanding; Testimony that Jesus was born as a man to die on the cross for our sins; and testimony that He rose again from the dead.
*Here in the Bible we also find sure testimony that God will forgive our sins and give us eternal life, if we will turn our hearts to Him and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
*In John 3:31-36, John the Baptist gave this testimony about Jesus Christ:
31. "He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
32. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony." (That is: No one receives the Lord's testimony without the work of the Holy Spirit in their heart.)
33. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.
34. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure unto Him.
35. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.
36. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
*When we truly believe God's testimony about Jesus Christ, He gives us a brand-new life that will last forever. That's why the Bible has the power to save our souls and give us eternal life.
*That's also why 1 Peter 1:23-25 in the New Living Translation tells Christians:
23. You have been born again. Your new life did not come from your earthly parents because the life they gave you will end in death. But this new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
24. As the prophet says, "People are like grass that dies away; their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of wildflowers. The grass withers, and the flowers fall away.
25. But the word of the Lord will last forever." And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.
*Gaylord Kambarami told one of my favorite stories about the life-changing power of God's Word. Gaylord was the General Secretary of the Bible Society in Zimbabwe when he tried to give a New Testament to a very grouchy, hot-tempered man. The man gruffly said he would take the New Testament, but only so he could tear out the pages, roll them up, and use them to make cigarettes.
*Gaylord told the man, "I understand that, but at least promise to read the page of the New Testament before you smoke it." The man agreed and the two went their separate ways.
*Fifteen years later, the two men met at a Methodist convention in Zimbabwe. By then, the Scripture-smoking atheist had trusted in Jesus, and was a full-time evangelist! He told the people, "I smoked Matthew, and I smoked Mark, and I smoked Luke. But when I got to John 3:16, I couldn't smoke anymore! My life was changed from that moment." (6)
*That Scripture-smoking man was saved by the miraculous power of God's Word, and that is the only way to be saved! So let God's Word change you in miraculous ways. it can create new, eternal life in us. it can also cheer us up. We see this truth in vs. 8, where David said, "The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. . ." Well, praise God for that! -- Because bad news is all around us. And everybody needs cheering up from time to time.
*God's Word is the gospel. That means GOOD NEWS! And the Bible has the message we need to restore our joy. Maybe you're not feeling down about the world. Maybe you're just down on yourself, but cheer up Christian!
*Think about who you are in the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's just part of who we are if Jesus is our Lord and Savior:
-In John 1:12, we are God's children.
-In John 15:13, we are friends of Jesus Christ.
-In Romans 5:1, we have been justified.
-In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we are bought with a price, and we belong to God.
-In 1 Corinthians 12:27, we are part of Christ's spiritual body.
-In Ephesians 1:4-6 we have been chosen by God, adopted as His children, and accepted by God.
-In Colossians 1:13-14, we have been redeemed and forgiven of all our sins.
-In Hebrews 4:14-16, we have direct access to God's throne through Jesus Christ.
-And in Philippians 1:6, we can be confident that God will complete the good work He started in us.
*That's a whole lot of good news! And that's why the Word of God can rejoice our hearts. So let God's Word change you in miraculous ways. It can cheer us up, and it can clear our spiritual vision. God's Word can open our spiritual eyes. As David wrote in the last part of vs. 8, "The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes." The Word of God can open our eyes to see what's really good and true, what is really important, what has true value, and what will last forever. So in vs. 9-10 David said, "The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."
*I also love what Hebrews 2:9-10 says about Christians seeing Jesus with our spiritual eyes: "We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings."
*God wants us to see so much more than we have seen. But we will miss it, if we don't spend enough time studying God's Word. "The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes."
*Let God's Word change your life in miraculous ways. It can clear our vision, and it can convict us of our sin. As David said in the first part of vs. 11, "Moreover by them Your servant is warned. . ." In other words: "Lord, your servant is warned by your commandments, testimonies, judgments and laws." God's Word is filled with warnings for us. We could find dozens, maybe hundreds of examples.
*One of God's great warnings is in Proverbs 3:5-8:
5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
6. in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
7. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.
*God's Word will warn us when we are heading in the wrong direction. It will warn us of the supreme danger of sin. It will convict us of our sins, and this is the warning we need most of all.
3. SO BEHOLD THE GLORY OF GOD IN HIS WORD. AND BEHOLD THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE PRAYERS OF HIS PEOPLE.
*In vs. 12-14, David began to pray, and he said:
12. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.
13. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.
[1] IN THIS VERY BRIEF PRAYER, DAVID EXPRESSED TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ESSENTIALS IN OUR PRAYER LIFE. AND THE FIRST IS CONFESSION.
*In vs. 12, David confessed his sinful weakness with two questions: "Who can understand his errors?" and "Cleanse me from secret faults." In other words, "LORD, I know I'm not perfect, and I am sure I have some blind spots about sin, things that are wrong, and I don't even know it." Then in vs.13 David asked the LORD to restrain him, keep the king away from arrogant, presumptuous sins. David had some blind spots about sin. And Christians: So do we.
*You may be thinking, "I don't have any blind spots about sin." Well, -- That's your blind spot. Remember what Paul urged us to do in Philippians 2:3. "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." The Living Bible says, "Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself." King David admitted his weakness to sin and asked the LORD to cleanse him from it all.
[2] HERE DAVID CONFESSED HIS WEAKNESS TO SIN. THEN HE EXPRESSED GREAT CONFIDENCE IN IN THE LORD.
*We see this in vs. 14 where King David prayed, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer." It's as if King David was saying, "LORD, I need YOU! I need you to lead me, guide me, and change me." This is what Jesus will do for you when you receive Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus redeemed us when he died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead three days later. Now the Lord will be our strength to carry us through every situation..
*About 22 years ago, I had the privilege of baptizing a young mother named Kristina. The Lord renewed her strength in an amazing way. And here is part of a testimony she gave in 2004:
"A couple of years ago, Bro. Rick asked me if he could share my testimony with the church. I told him 'no' because I felt like it would make people look at me differently. Today I realize how wrong I was to say that. If I could make an impact for God on just one person by what He has done for me in my life then I would feel that I have fulfilled His purpose for me.
*You see, over seven years ago I was shot in the back of the head with a 38-caliber handgun at point blank range. The doctor told my mother that I would more than likely not make it through the surgery that night. By the grace of God, he was wrong. A few months later, he told my mom that I was only here by God's will, and I know that is for sure.
*Only by God's grace, I learned how to walk, talk, eat, dress myself, and care for my one-year-old child again. Eventually, I started driving again and I went to work. I got married again, and although my new husband and I were told that I probably could not have children, we have two more beautiful children.
*There have been so many instances such as that in the past seven years of my life. I look back and think about what a tremendously wonderful God we have. I wish I had lifted Him up to others in all of those moments.
*You may not have had such a tragedy as mine in your life. But surely our Gracious God has pulled you through some sort of trial in your life, whether it was the loss of a loved one or even a close miss of what could have been a horrible car accident. I urge you to look for God's grace in even the tiniest instances of your life and to give Him praise for it. Pray that He will show you how you can share his blessings with others."
CONCLUSION:
*Kristina's strength was renewed in a miraculous way by the amazing grace of God. And God will renew our strength too! That's why in Philippians 4:13 the Apostle Paul could say, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
*So, pray, Christians, pray like King David. Reach out to God with reverence. Trust God as the loving Father of His Family. And pray for more spiritual strength, because you are surely going to need it.
*And if you have never put your trust in the Lord, I urge you to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today! You can call on the Lord to save you right now, as we go back to God in prayer.
(1) Sources:
-BROWN-DRIVER-BRIGGS' HEBREW DEFINITIONS - Published in 1906; public domain- Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
-STRONG'S HEBREW AND GREEK DICTIONARIES - from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D. - Published in 1890; public domain. - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
-THAYER'S GREEK DEFINITIONS - Published in 1886, 1889; public domain. - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
(2) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "God Created Us for His Glory" by John Piper - Isaiah 43:1-7 - July 27, 1980
(3) ChistianGlobe.com sermon "Veiled Glimpses of God's Glory" by Robert S. Crilley - Exodus 33:12-23
(4) Sources:
-You Tube: The Hubble Ultra Deep Field in 3D
-http://www.universetoday.com/24325/how-many-stars-are-in-galaxies/
-Houston Chronicle, 10/17/2016, p. A2 - Source: "In Other Words" - November 2016 #2 produced by Dr. Raymond McHenry - www.iows.net
-We Were Very Wrong About the Number of Galaxies in the Universe by George Dvorsky - 10/13/16 12:30PM - https://gizmodo.com/we-were-very-wrong-about-the-number-of-galaxies-in-the-1787750693#_ga=2.186129578.267493449.1531754467-3674648492.1521482270
(5) BELIEVER'S BIBLE COMMENTARY by William MacDonald - Edited by Arthur Farstad - Thomas Nelson Publishers - Nashville - Copyright 1995 - "Psalm 19:1-14 God's Two Books" - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2021
(6) American Bible Society Record, March 1990 - Source: Raymond McHenry - STORIES FOR PREACHERS AND TEACHERS
