GOD S TWO SOURCES OF REVELATION (Psalm 19:1-14) INTRODUCTION We all have a daily routine when we get up in the mornings. The first thing I do is go put on the coffee pot. Then I let the dogs out of their cage to go to the yard. Then I take my coffee and go have my daily Bible reading and prayer. We all have a daily routine. I can imagine that Psalm 19 was David s daily routine. As he gets up in the morning he sees the sun rising and he reflects on God s glory displayed in the heavens. Then he considers God s law and experiences its reviving, joy giving, and enlightening work in his heart. Then he considers his own short comings and asks for God s cleansing and deliverance, and concludes with a desire to please God with the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart. C.S. Lewis called Psalm 19 the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world. This is quite a statement from C. S. Lewis who was one of the most qualified literary critics of his day. What makes this Psalm so great? Is it the use of its arresting figurative language like the personification of the heavens and the skies; and the similes of the sun as a bridegroom and champion runner? Is it the elevated language about the effects of God s law. It is a great piece of poetry. But that is not what makes it great. What makes it great is its theme. Its theme is God s revelation to man and David s response. God s revelation of Himself is the greatest wonder of the world! If God had not revealed his true nature to mankind, we would not arrive at it from human reason. Only God can reveal God because God is infinite and man is finite. Most religions of the world are about man reaching up to try to find God and to describe God. The religion of the Bible is about a God who reaches down to us because He wants us to know Him personally and truly. God reveals Himself to man freely, universally, and effectively. The word reveal means unveiling, disclosing something previously hidden. God has revealed himself to us and He uses two basic sources. What are these sources of revelation? God reveals himself through nature and the Scriptures. This is the theme of Psalm 19; God s revelation to man. Let s reflect on this Psalm to see how we are to respond to God s revelation. September 16, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 1
GOD S REVELATION IN NATURE First, what is God revealing about himself in nature? David says that He is revealing His glory 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. The heavens speak without words! What are we to see when we look at nature? We don t see God Himself, but we see His glory. God clothes Himself in his glory. He reveals his glory day by day, night by night in his handiwork. He reveals Himself to all the earth to every man, in every age, in every day. No man is able to hide from this revelation of the glory of God. As Paul tells us in Romans 1 that man is without excuse in knowing God. Joseph Addison in his one hymn, The spacious firmament on high expresses well the message about God from nature: What though no real voice nor sound Amidst their radiant orbs be found? In reason s ear they all rejoice, And utter forth a glorious voice, For ever singing, as they shine, The hand that made us is divine. The message of the heavens is The hand that made us is divine. Then David focuses in on the sun s orbit to continue the point that the heavens declare the glory of God: (4-6) 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. Imagine a man on the day he is to be married and he leaves his house on his way to the bride s house. Would he be expressing joy? The sun is a picture of God s joy every day to reveal His glory to mankind September 16, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 2
Think of a champion runner and he is ready to a great race. He anticipates the glory of winning. So is God s glory shining through His handiwork of the sun. It races across the sky as a champion runner. One Bible teacher put it this way, God has created everything in order that man would glorify His name; we are born into this world to praise him. (Waltke). We were created to praise God and God has given us his beautiful, wonderful universe to elicit praise from us. GOD S REVELATION IN HIS WORD As powerful a witness to the existence, glory, and blessing of God s revelation through His creation, it does not tell us enough to know God personally and to know His Will for us specifically. God s purpose in creating mankind is that we may know Him personally and to know His will. This is why God condescended to reveal His will and ways to mankind in the form of his written Word. David now reflects on God s written revelation and what it does for us. Psalms 19:7-11 NIV 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. The written Word of God is essential for our salvation and knowledge of the true nature of God and His will. Note how David refers to God in this Psalm. In verses 1-6 David uses the Hebrew word el for God. This is the generic name for God, which points to His power and might. In creation we see God as the Creator or the God who is allpowerful. But in verses 7 11 David uses the word Yahweh for God. This is indicated by the way the word LORD. Is spelled (in all small capital letters). This is God s covenant name as revealed to Moses. When God reveals Himself through Scriptures He wants us to know Him as Personal and as the Covenant Keeping God who is faithful and full of mercy. Another observation is that in verses 7 and 8 the first part gives us an attribute of the Law. It is perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, enduring. The second part of these verses tells us the function of God s law. It converts the soul. It makes wise the simple. It rejoices the heart. It enlightens the eyes. Although in creation God reveals his power, glory, and greatness. Through the Scriptures he September 16, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 3
reveals in specifics the true nature of God and how we are to be saved and live. It reveals how we can come to know God as the God of covenant love and faithfulness. THE EXCEEDING BENEFITS OF GOD S REVELATION THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES As David reflected on the written revelation of God he gives testimony to his love of them in verses 10-11: Psalms 19:10-11 NIV 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. David says that there is exceeding joy in God s Word. Getting back to C. S. Lewis reflections on this Psalm, he said that when he was in college he fell in love with two things. One was a girl named Paula and the other was with the Scriptures. Although he was a Christian when he went off to college, he didn t have a love for the Word of God. It was only after he had to study it and reflect on it as part of a Bible study group did he fall in love with the Bible. We all need to fall in love with the Bible. David did! Remember, David wrote this psalm with only a fraction of what we have today as the word of God. David would have the first five books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy); Joshua, Judges, a few Psalms, and perhaps Job and Ruth. We can only imagine what David would write about Isaiah or Hosea or the entire Psalter; much less any of the books of the New Testament. We can say with confidence that God s word is far more glorious than David knew! God gives us the written revelation of Himself to warn us and to bless us. This is why we are to meditate on them day and night and to apply them. God s word gives us warnings that wealth or pleasures do not give (is warned). Warning is needed for sins we are susceptible to. Warning is needed for dangers we cannot see. Warning is needed for dangers we cannot appreciate. Warning is needed for dangers far off in the future. September 16, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 4
If we truly love the Word of God, and we spend time in it, it will make us wise unto salvation, rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes, warn us of spiritual dangers, and reward or bless us. WHAT SHOULD BE MY RESPONSE After David considers the heavens as the handiwork of God and after he meditates on the law as God s revelation of His will for him, he now has a greater sense of his own shortcomings. He cries out for deliverance from his sins and protection from temptation. Psalms 19:12-13 NIV But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. (13) Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. Forgive my hidden faults. We all have hidden faults. We have faults that we cannot see and/or don t see as sins. We need forgiveness for these. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. David was crying out for what Jesus accomplished for us. Romans 6 tell us that in Christ we have been freed from the dominion of sin. Romans 6:11-12 NIV In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (12) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. When the law of the Lord converts us through faith, then we are united to Christ in His death and resurrection. By being united with Christ in His death, as Christ died unto sin once for all on the Cross, so we died to sin in Christ. That is, the power or reign of sin in our lives has been broken once for all. We have been delivered from the reign of sin in our lives. This is what David cried out for. This is what Christ has done for us. CONCLUDING PRAYER If I have the daily routine of praising God glory as revealed in this universe, by meditating on His Word and what it teaches me about God and His will for my life, and coming to the place of desiring God s power to deliver me from my sins, then I will pray the concluding prayer of David in verse 14: September 16, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 5
Psalms 19:14 NIV May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. We should always end our daily quite-time reflecting on God and His revelation with a heart that wants to be pleasing in His sight. We need to go through that day with God as our Rock, our strength, and our Redeemer. Someone has pointed out that If our Rock were not our Redeemer, we should be without hope. If our Redeemer were not our Rock, still might we be afraid. God is our Rock and our Redeemer! CONCLUSION What decision is this Psalm asking from us? One decision we need to make is to take time each day to reflect on God s glory as revealed in nature and even more importantly to take time each day to listen to God s revelation in Scriptures. What is your schedule each day for doing this? If you do this daily, then you will be warned of spiritual dangers, and be blessed by spiritual strength. Amen? Amen! September 16, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 6