Sermon for January 26, 2026 - Psalm 19
This past Wednesday at the men’s Bible study we were looking at the song of Miriam and Moses from Exodus chapter 15 after they crossed through the Red sea.
It’s a song, though the melody is lost to us because they had no way to write melodies 3000 years ago and of course they couldn’t record music as we do so easily now on our Smartphones.
So when it came to Dave Buckley’s time to read his portion of the Scripture passage, he sang it, making up his own lovely melody.
That inspired me, so I did the same. It was an interesting, unexpected experience. Music, melody adds something that somehow takes the words to a deeper place in us.
Experiment:
Does someone here want to make up a melody for the first few lines of Psalm 19 that’s up on the screen?
[If people sing] How did that feel? How was the experience of the Psalm different when you sang it or heard it being sung?
[If people don’t sing] Ok. No problem. We’re a shy bunch.
[Either way] The point is, to remember that this was written, as inspired by God, as a song. So while it contains facts and important ‘data’, it is meant to be experienced, felt, appreciated at the level perhaps of art.
This is a beautiful song, a Psalm of King David. The word Psalm means: a song sung to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. It is a brilliant model for us for reflection and prayer.
Let’s dive in.
19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
My wife and I read and discussed this passage in our devotions this past Friday. Her thoughts included that all of creation reveals God.
‘And she said that science, far from replacing God, simply peels back the onion of all that God has made.
Francis Collins is acting science advisor to US Presidents and, a brilliant, renowned physicist-geneticist noted for his service for twelve years as the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
He is also known for his leadership of the international Human Genome Project, a team of over 2000 scientists who collaborated to determine the three billion letters in the human genome – our own DNA instruction book.
He said, ‘I cannot see how nature could have created itself. Only a supernatural force that is outside of space and time could have done that.’
That’s interesting, the way he put that: “I cannot see how nature could have created itself”
That is the studied observation of a scientist. But of course, there are many who would say “I can’t see how God could’ve created creation”.
So it comes down to what we can see and what we can’t see, and of course that is incredibly personal and individualized for each of us.
A relative of mine who writes songs decided at a young age that he didn’t want to follow Jesus.
We wrote a song called: “I Go Wrong”, and these are a few of the lyrics:
“Where did I go wrong?
'Cause even though I'm low inside
I don't want the light
'Cause even with my open eyes
I can't see the light
So even though I'm low inside
I don't want your light”
When I was an atheist, I could appreciate the beauty of the creative order, I could see its loveliness, I could feel its splendor, somewhat.
But because of the orientation of my heart, because of my prejudices against the concept of God, because of the sin in my own heart, I could not see.
I could look but I couldn’t see. I couldn’t see because I didn’t want to see, kind of like my relative.
What does it mean when we cannot see? Well, someone who is blind suffers an impairment.
And someone who was born blind could and would never know that there was anything that could be seen, unless somebody told them, once they reached the age that they could understand. Pause
And I think that this is a good way to approach people who are agnostic, meaning they don’t believe that it’s possible to know if God exists, or for people who are atheists, people who say that they know that God does not exist. It is to realize that they are impaired.
They cannot or will not see the reality of God, and in the absence of being able to see what is real, the human mind hating a vacuum of acknowledge, seeks other ways to understand.
So yes. What I was an atheist, I was impaired I could not see.You are familiar with the old and treasured hymn “amazing Grace”. What does it say? “I once was blind but now I see”.
So, science peels back The onion of what God has done in creation.
That is actually the only thing that pure science ever does. Scientifically minded people who say that evolution or the big bang removes the need for their to have been a God to create all things, they are not speaking scientifically.
They are speaking philosophically. And of course they are speaking in error, because they are impaired.
So as we do for most people who suffer impairments, we should be compassionate and patient and understanding.
19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
So the sky, the stars, the heavens are telling, they are counting, they are revealing God’s glory. His abundance, his dignity, His reputation, His honour.
And the skies are proclaiming, declaring expressing the work of His hands. The more we learn about the universe, the more clearly we can see the work of God.
The Message paraphrase, which is more of a great commentary on the Bible, puts in into easily understandable language:
1-2 God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening.
At the very least, we can understand that creation that self is, in a sense, constantly preaching, constantly communicating to humanity about God glory and about the powerful works of his hands;
they are revealing knowledge to those who will understand.
Jesus would sometimes say: Mark 4:9 “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
Gotquestions.org, which is an excellent web resource to use to better understand the Bible, says this:
“There is a difference between having ears and having “ears to hear.” Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seed contrasts types of hearers: those who let the Word of God pass straight through their ears and those who truly listen and seek understanding (Mark 4:13–20).
“Some hear the Word, yet they do not allow it to take root because the seduction of worldly pleasures and comfort overcomes them. Others end up rejecting the Word because of persecution or trials.
“Others hear the Word and open themselves to understand and accept it so that it transforms them.
“Those who have “ears to hear” allow the Word to bear fruit to the glory of God. It is up to the hearer to decide whether to take the Word seriously and pursue understanding; only a few are willing—the rest have ears, but they do not have “ears to hear” (Matthew 7:13–14, 24–27).
So the heavens, the skies, all of creation, are constantly teaching us. The only question then is, are we listening? Even though
3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
God’s revelation in creation is available to everyone. No one is excluded from this.
But...here’s a question...even though creation itself is constantly communicating about God,
or we could say that God is constantly communicating to us through His creation, why do we sometimes not hear?
What impairs us from hearing God speak, from hearing God’s voice. I’m asking.
Sin blocks us from hearing God’s voice.
Grief can block us from being able to listen to God’s voice. Choosing to do things that are an offense to God, which is what sin is, makes us very much like Adam, who hid from God in the garden.
We don’t want God near, because God’s nearness makes sinning super uncomfortable.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
Of the created realm, the sun is the supreme metaphor of the glory of God as it makes its daily triumphant sweep across the whole extent of the heavens and pours out its warmth on every creature.
Psalm 84:11 says:
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favour and honour;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose way of life is blameless.
Isaiah 60:19
The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow will end.
Let’s continue:
God’s Law
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
This section is an overt celebration of God’s law, statutes, precepts, commands and decrees. It’s interesting.
From the inside, for Christ followers, this is a no-brainer. We know this is true, we know that God’s ways are best through our experience.
For those of us who have tried other paths, be they religious paths or philosophical paths, we know how those other ways just do not work, especially when compared to following Jesus.
We know their limitations. We know that religion that does not have at its centre the person of Jesus Christ, fails to meet our deepest needs.
We know that human philosophy, as interesting as it is, fails to meet our deepest needs.
God’s ways are perfect and soul-refreshing. God’s design for life as described in the Bible is completely trustworthy and it makes those who follow it wise.
God’s ways and teachings are right and righteous and they give joy to our hearts.
God’s directives, His commands illuminate, they give light to our eyes, they are radiant. They are firm, reliable and completely right.
They serve as a heads up - a warning to avoid evil, to shun darkness, and when humans keep them, there is enormous benefit.
All that is completely true.
But there’s a problem. It’s a big problem. Want to guess what the problem is? James 2:10 “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it”.
Sometimes we might be inclined to think of the law as the 10 Commandments
The truth is that there are 613 OT laws
Play 613 Laws Video
Under the law there are only two categories: Keep 2. Break
The law is purposefully strict. The whole point of the law is to show us how impossible it is to obey God through rule-keeping.
Why? Because Jesus was on his way with a better and more hopeful way. Rather than us trying hard to keep a bunch of unkeepable rules, Jesus was bringing the way of faith.
That is, that if you put your trust in His fulfillment of the law, then the whole law will be fulfilled in you as well. What does that mean?
“For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” - Romans 8:3
Watch this one closely:
“Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” - Galatians 3:23
In other words, the Law was like babysitter, keeping an eye on the children until the parents arrived. And what happens once the parents arrive?
The babysitter is no longer needed, so he/she is sent on their way.
The Law was a strict babysitter with harsh punishments for disobedience, and how much more will you appreciate the love of your parents once they show up and send the babysitter home?
On the one hand the Law is a mirror that reveals our true state apart from God. It shows us our sin.
Paul the former chief of sinners said, “I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law” (Rom 7:7).
So the law reveals to us our sinfulness. Most importantly it shows us our need for a Saviour.
Gal 2:15-16 “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.
So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in[d] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
That’s the point of the law in all its overwhelming detail: to frustrate, to condemn, to punish, to be unmercifully harsh, so that when the uncondemning
Father shows up, we will want nothing more than to jump on his lap and say, “Thank God you’re here! I never want to be under her watch again!”
Rom 5:20 'The law was added (given) so that the trespass might INCREASE. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Gal 3:23-25 'Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.
The other profound value of the Bible, not necessarily just the law, but the entire Bible including the prophets, the psalms, the history and the proverbs, and then the entire New Testament…
Is that it is God‘s way of correcting our thinking.
It is God‘s way of rewriting a false thought patterns, incorrect mental processes; it is God‘s way of fixing our thinking.
There are many challenges to becoming a person who follows Jesus in sincerity.
For me, one of those challenges was in realizing that everything I thought about everything was wrong.
Even if some of the ways that I thought somehow lined up with scripture, that was only because, unbeknownst to me, I was influenced by the scripture, in as much as our entire culture in the west has been influenced by the Bible.
So I encourage you to consciously allow God to fix your faulty thinking, to heal your wounded thought processes, to give light to the dark recesses in your mind and your heart.
One way that I think of it is that any hopeless thought, any selfish thought, any way of thinking that leads a person to despair and to a sense of meaninglessness, that is not a thought inspired by God.
That is not God‘s way of thinking. And we need to replace our compromised and diminished hopeless thinking, with the truth of God.
So this is probably one of the main reasons why I love to read scripture. I love to read it, I love to have it playing when I am driving back-and-forth between Toronto and Frankford as I do each week at least once.
It’s because as I read scripture, as I listen to scripture, God is rewriting my brain, God is fixing my damaged thinking, God is redeeming my mind.
Do you want your mind to be fully restored to where God wants it to be? do you want your heart to be healed?
Do you want to purge every self destructive, negative thought from your being? Then immerse yourself in the word of God, swim in the waters of the holy Bible.
Allow it to become the air that you breathe,allow it, and by it I really mean allow God to fix and reclaim and restore and renew and reconcile your entire inner world.
A few thoughts as we wrap up. Verses 12 and 13
12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
This gives further weight to what I’m trying to say.
Even when we might desire to follow God‘s law in all of its minute detail, strictly and exactly, even if we could possibly put God in our debt by our full obedience to the law, which of course is ridiculous, there is also the reality that you and I have blind spots.
David says here, “who can discern their own errors?“. Who is able to be fully self-aware? Who does not get distracted?
“Who is not sometimes blind to their own behaviours and faulty thinking? I’ve heard more than one person in this congregation say that they don’t understand themselves.
I’ve heard people say that they can’t comprehend some of their actions.
Of course David is asking what’s called a rhetorical question, a question that answers itself.
By saying “who can discern their own errors?“, David is saying that no one can do that.
This is one reason why we very much need the body of Christ around us, we need other brothers and sisters around us.
Not to nitpick, not to judge us. Not to poke us when we do or say something wrong. But we need other sisters and brothers in Christ, all of us entirely dependent upon God for everything, to help us sort ourselves out.
And so David, personalizing this rhetorical question that is really saying that no one can possibly know their own errors, he then prays a very beautiful and I would say tremendous prayer: “Forgive my hidden faults“.
“Forgive me of my blind spots. Forgive me of those areas where my discipleship is lacking, and where my old way of thinking rears it’s ugly head and starts to screw up my thinking.
“Am I growing bitter? Am I getting angry? Am I focussing on conspiracy theories? Am I judging others instead of judging myself? Am I failing to exercise self-control? Or any one of a hundred blindspots, glitches that are cluttering up my inner world.
“Forgive me God, and transform my heart, transform my thinking so that I become more like Jesus, so that I don’t fall backward into the mirey clay that you have rescued me from. The mire that you pulled me up from.
“And while you’re doing that God,
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
“You know my weaknesses, holy God. You know that sometimes I intentionally do things that I know are sinful, that I know are an offence to you.
Sometimes my will is strong, but my will is not good. Please do not allow that part of me, that part of my will that is not good, to rule in my life.
‘I am your servant, so keep me please From ever behaving as though I am not your servant, from ever behaving as though I don’t belong to you.
“I’m really asking for your discipline, I’m asking for your power to strengthen myself control, your power to not focus on immediate gratification.
And when you do this, God. When you keep me from wilful sins, then I will be blameless, innocent of great Transgression.
And finally for today:
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
May what I say and what I meditate on, may they be pleasing in your site, Lord, my foundation, my Cornerstone, the rock of my life, and my Saviour.
The one who has redeemed my life from the pit, the one who has Brought me into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the one who has made me a beloved, adopted child of the most high king of the universe and author of life.
This week, I want to challenge you to spend time reflecting on the ways you see God's creation revealing His glory around you.
And I want to issue you a challenge for this coming week. I want to challenge you to pray as David prayed...
This week, use this Psalm, Psalm 19 as a guide for your prayers. Ask God to speak to you as you read and reflect on it. Having ears to hear, expect God to speak.
The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face toward you and give you His peace. Amen.
