Psalm 19

This Psalm is another truly classic “Psalm of the Word”.  It speaks to us of God’s revelation of Himself.

God has revealed Himself in Creation (v1-6).  In theology this is called general revelation.  It is God’s revelation to all men, speaking generally of God’s reality and character.  (Rom. 1:18-32 explains this message and man’s responsibility in light of creation’s truth.)  We are told that creation reveals God’s glory, giving a visible footprint of the invisible God.  This revelation is available to all men, 24 hours a day, in every part of the world.  Man’s greatest danger is that he would turn from the Creator and worship creation (Rom. 1:22-25).  We ought to avail ourselves of the study and enjoyment of creation, but we need to know more about God.  Creation does not provide us with knowledge of salvation; it only leaves us without excuse in our sin (Rom. 1:20).

God has revealed Himself in Scripture (v7-11).  This is His special revelation in that it reveals specific truth about God and what He expects of His creation.  Special revelation reveals God’s plan of salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ.  It is special also in that it requires the Holy Spirit’s ministry to understand it (1 Cor. 2:4-16).  Special revelation is the content of the Bible.

Let us not miss the marvelous things Scripture can do for those who delight in it.  It …

·       7: converts the soul and makes the simple wise.

·       8: brings joy to the heart, enlightenment to the eyes.

·       9: endures forever in complete truth and righteousness.

·       10: is both valuable and satisfying.

·       11: warns of the dangers of disobedience and rewards obedience.

These are not just poetical devices.  The word of God has great power in the life of the one who devotes himself to it.  It can do for us what wealth, friends and worldly pleasures cannot do.

The closing verses speak of another revelation (v12-14).  Having seen God in Creation and Scripture the writer asks God to reveal his sins to him so that his words and thoughts might be pleasing to God.  This is the only proper response when we have seen God in His general and special revelations.  Perhaps you will want to make this your prayer of response today, and often, as you reflect on God’s truth.
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Additional thoughts, April 8, 2018

Psalm 19:1-4:  The recent passing of Billy Graham and Stephen Hawking brings this passage to the front.  The one thing you can say about both is that they were consistent in their beliefs.  They lived out their “theology” if you will.  Hawking did not play the game many play by trying to give God a supporting role in the formation of the universe.  Those who try to join evolution and theism are dishonest. 

Hawking tried hard to explain the beginnings of the universe, knowing that this was a major question.  I am not an expert on his views nor do I claim to have the intelligence to think about some of the things he thought about.  But the essence of his answer in the closing days of his life had to do with some view that “time” itself had a beginning; that in the far distant past time did not exist as it does now.  Strangely this is the Biblical idea, with the opening words of Scripture: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  The beginning of time coincided with the creation of the heavens and the earth.  That would have been the view of Billy Graham.

The issue of “how did it all start” is a major obstacle to evolution; but it is not the only major obstacle.  Identifying the driving force of evolution is another.  Providing evidence for the transitional forms is another.  Not to mention overcoming the countless illustrations of transitions that could not have happened step-by-step but which has to happen all at once or not at all.  Some might want to bring God into these situations that defy evolution, but eventually you see that it is, in fact, a game; how often do we bring God into the process before we are really making fools of ourselves.

But here is what Psalm 19:1-4 says on this issue.  Our view of the beginning of things glorifies Someone or something.  We have a situation where no one on this earth was on the scene when it all started.  So there are no eyewitnesses.  And furthermore, our lives will reflect our “theology”.  Hawking’s theology (atheism, fueled by the purest evolutionary thinking of our day) glorified time and chance, a view acknowledged in the Scriptures (Ecclesiastes 9:11).  He had no expectation of meeting God after he died, which is also acknowledged in Scripture.  Paul said if there is no resurrection (life after death) then the only thing that makes sense is that we “eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (1 Corinthians 15:32). 

I suppose we might say that at that point Hawking might have been inconsistent.  To his credit, he tried to live a significant life, warning mankind that if he didn’t change the world would no longer be inhabitable in 200,000 years or so.  But if the issue is pressed as to why, in a world without a Creator to Whom we give account, we should seek to live significant lives, there is no answer.  We are wasting our time, something I love to point out to people as they stand in front of the tomb at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem.

Psalm 19 is consistent.  It begins by acknowledging the glory of God through creation; and it ends with the prayer of the person who wants to glorify God through his life by acknowledging the glory of God through creation; and it ends with the prayer of the person who wants to glorify God through his life by acknowledging the glory of God through creation; and it ends with the prayer of the person who wants to glorify God in all his words and desires.