The Word That Won't Be Silenced, Part 2 Series

The Word That Won’t Be Silenced, Part 2 (Psalm 19)

Good morning! Please turn in your Bibles to Psalm 19 as we continue to study this amazing Psalm. CS Lewis said this about Psalm 19. He said,

'I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.'"

Actually, I think CS Lewis sells it a little short. This isn’t just one of the greatest lyrics in the world, I think it is the greatest poem that’s ever been composed in any language. We could truly spend weeks on just Psalm 19 and still just be scratching the surface of it. So let’s jump right in with part 2 of our study of Psalm 19.

Just to review, here’s how we defined the difference between the two parts of Psalm 19. We said that

Verses 1-6: The World God Created (General Revelation)

Verse 7-10: The Word God Communicated (Special Revelation)

What’s in a Name? (Exodus 3:13-14)

• V. 1: God = El: This was the generic name for god. It is used for the one true God, as it is here, but its also used throughout the Old Testament to refer to gods of other religions. Think about the Canaanite god “Baal” for example. David uses it in the first half of Psalm 19 to remind us that through creation, we can know that there is a God. But the knowledge we get about God through general revelation is not enough for us to have a relationship with God. We need something else.

• V. 7, 8, 9: Lord = Yahweh: This is the covenant name of God. It’s the name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. We read in Exodus 3 [slide]

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

Exodus 3:13-16

We usually pronounce it as Yahweh, but the Jews don’t pronounce it at all for fear of breaking the Third commandment (you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain). So whenever a rabbi is reading Scripture, whenever they come across the name of God in the test, they will replace it with “Ha Shem” which means “The name.” In nearly every English Bible translation, the translators give us a clue whenever the covenant name of God is used. They translate it “Lord,” but they do it in small caps: LORD.

So here is the question, and it is so important to understand this, because it’s the key to understanding the difference between the first part of Psalm 19 and the second part of Psalm 19: How did Moses know God’s name? Because God told him. That is the difference between general revelation, which is the understanding of the existence of God we can get through observation, and special revelation, which can only come about through a personal relationship with God.

What follows in Psalm 19 are eight breathtaking verses of Hebrew poetry. Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word, and Let these words wash over you…

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,[c]

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the LORD is sure,

making wise the simple;

8 the precepts 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 rules[d] of the LORD are true,

and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold,

even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey

and drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors?

Declare me innocent from hidden faults.

13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;

let them not have dominion over me!

Then I shall be blameless,

and 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 rock and my redeemer.

Pray…

Listen to verses 7-9 again. Notice the pattern. There’s a synonym for God’s Word, followed by an attribute of God’s Word, followerd by a benefit to following God’s Word. [slide]