Daily in the Psalms : Psalm 19 GOD’S WORLD REVEALED The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. Psalms 19:1-6 The Psalmist gives us some good instructions here in the glory and goodness of our God. First, we are to direct our attention to the Heavens, to the course of the sun and it’s influence and blessing upon our lives. Then, we are to direct our attention to His Word, it will remind us of His care, it will increase our understanding and knowledge of Him. The world is shown here as a great cathedral, with the sun as the great Preacher, declaring the glory of the Creator. There is no way that a person with a rational mind can stand under God’s Heaven and not feel the force of these truths. David says, “The Heavens declare the Glory of God.” God is surely made known by the works of His hand. There are many that have realized this glory and mistakenly set out to worship God’s world. That is not the desire of God; His desire is that we go higher than that, beyond the Heavens, to the knowledge of the Glory of God, the One that created it all. That is why we have the problems we do today with those that do not care about the environment. We have not considered it’s glory and the glory of the One than created it. While we know that the Green Peace crowd and the other wackos of our day are ignorant, let’s not be ignorant ourselves of the things that God’s world shows us and what they speak to our hearts. The Heavens, the wonderful work of God, reflect the Glory of God in their own glory. The glorious colors and the magnificent beauty is simply a message of God’s own love for beauty. He created it for Himself and He shares it with us. He loves beauty, He is filled with beauty and we can get a glimpse of that beauty in the things that He has created. How poor and meaningless are the words and lives of those that do not believe in God, when compared to His works. If God did not do this perfect work, what part of it did they do? If God left something undone, who of them will finish it? Long before they arrived and long after they are gone, the mighty works of God still speak. Day to Day, always declaring, the Heavens speak of the Glory of God. No matter what man may do or say, tomorrow, the sun will rise to tell of His greatness. Even in the silence of the darkest night, the creation of God is still speaking of His greatness. The language of the creation of God cannot be compared to any on this earth, but the message is able to pierce the heart of every man. Although they cannot speak with a voice like God has given to a man, their message is no less powerful and their lessons are no less clear. The clouds, the sun, the darkness of the night, the light of the day, the clap of the thunder, the flash of the lightening, and the many ways that the works of God speak, Preach to us the greatness, mercy, love and kindness of our God. GOD’S WORD The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: 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. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Psalms 19:7-11 The same God that created all that we see in nature is also the giver of the Law, the Bible. Just as nature is worthy of it’s Creator, so is the Word of God. We must not see God only as He is revealed in the glory and greatness of nature and then forget Him as He is revealed in His Word. The Heavens can tell of the glory and greatness of God, but they cannot tell of His will, that is why He has given us His Word. Fallen man must have the truth of God brought to him in a way that nature could never bring it. There are many truths that nature knows nothing of, sin, redemption, eternity, etc. There is a great difference in the book of God’s nature and the Book of His grace. The book of God’s nature was created in splendor and glory, formed for man in his innocence. But the Book of God’s grace was created and is suited for the corrupt nature of man, telling us of our condition, His mercy and how we avail ourselves to His power. No one without a right relationship with God can rightly meditate of the works of God; that is why we need His Word. While the lost man can appreciate and even love the works of God, his thoughts can go no further. It is by faith that we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God. The person that wishes to find deep joy in the workmanship of God must turn to His Moral Law, which is a revelation of His nature. The wonder of the Word of God will cause us to praise God for it. We cannot trust other sources. We cannot trust religion, because one religious person will contradict another. (Popes, false profits, those that claim to have a special word of knowledge, etc.) We cannot trust man and his opinions or philosophies. One generation of great thinkers is laughed at by the next. We cannot trust ourselves. The only absolute moral guide is the Word of God. It is worthy of our praise. It is perfect, it converts the soul, it is the testimony of the Lord, it is sure, and it makes wise the simple. That’s enough to cause all of us to praise Him.
We need guidance and we can praise God that He has given us that guidance in His Word. Then the Psalmist says that the statutes of the Lord are right, they rejoice the heart, they are the commandments of the Lord, they are pure and they enlighten the eyes. Again, those things give us cause for praise. When we read the Word of God and do our best to allow it to penetrate and control our lives, there will come a time when it will not seem as grievous, but as sweet poetry. Its truths become a song; its beauty enlightens our eyes, sweetens our taste and brings music to our ears. The more of God’s Word we know, the more we approve of it. Those that fight and hate it really know very little about it. The more of God’s Word we know, the more we love it. A growing love turns the Law into music and rejoices the heart. The more of God’s Word we know, the more we obey it. Every act of obedience makes the next easier, until we reach the point where obedience is no longer a chore, but a delight. The Word of God places all of Heaven before our eyes. There is something irresistible and glorious about the sight of perfection. The Word of God places within us a desire for purity. There is little purity today because there is little reading of the Word. The Word of God takes us to a higher plane of life. Then David says that the Word of God gives us a holy fear of the Lord. That fear is clean, it endures forever and it makes us realize that the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. The fear of the Lord that is produced by His Word is so great because it has no error or unrighteousness in it. It leads us to no wrong thought or action, and that makes it right, pure, clean and eternal. God help us to see the connection between keeping the Word and reward. That is why the Word of God is more to be desired than gold. God rewards us for the keeping of the Truth and He has given us that Truth in His Word. Because it is God’s Word, it’s more precious than even fine gold; it can do for us what gold could never do. It is also sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. Nothing can compare with filling your soul with its sweetness. This converting, instructing, true, righteous, enlightening, eternal, pure Word of God is much more preferable than all the riches and much sweeter than the sweetest thing we have ever tasted. How sad it is to see so many reject these true riches to gain the false mammon of the world, to see them barter away its sweetness for the bitterness of self-gratification. The reward of the Word of God is it’s value and it’s sweetness. But David also says that there is profit in the Word of God because it warns us. If we heed its warnings, we are preserved. It points out the dangers and tells us how to avoid and overcome them. Thank God for His perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true Word. GOD’S WORK IN OUR LIVES Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalms 19:12-14
As we see God’s world, we are inclined to worship. What are these secret faults that David mentions? First, they are sins, known to us, but not to others. There is a part of your life that is hidden from the eyes of others. God allows us this part to reveal how much we do for others to see and how much we do for Him alone. God wants to know that you will serve Him and do right when there is no other human to criticize or judge you. There are many that are much cleaner before other men that they are before the Lord. Our human nature wants to hide our true character from our neighbor. We don’t want others to see our anger, our schemes, our pride, our greed, our vile imaginations, and our true loves. I believe it is true of all of us, if the world knew us better, it would praise us less. Second, they are sins that are known to others, but not known to us. There are so many that plunge headlong into sin that they did not see, most didn’t even know it existed. The wicked know all about it, but many times a Christian will walk into a bad situation unsuspecting of the evil. This also could mean those sins that we have convinced ourselves are not sins. We think that we are doing right, while the world knows that we are doing wrong. Just as sure as you see faults in others that they cannot see, others see faults in you that you cannot see. Many times the picture that others have of us is far different than the picture we have of ourselves. Third, they are sins that are not known to us or others, but are known to God. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9). I’ll tell you who knows it, God! What strangers we are to ourselves many times, there is unexplored territory in every life. It may be because of our culture, our intellect, our circumstances, or even what we have been taught by those we love. That is why we must examine ourselves often and ask God to cleanse us. We may cover it, the world may cover it, but sin is never covered from God. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13). The problem many have today is, they convince themselves that their secret sins are not real sins. If we don’t see them as real, we will not see our need for cleansing. Our secret faults make us weak, rob our character, mar our beauty, and separate us from our God. More important, they will confront us at the Judgment Seat. They must be purified. GOD’S WORK IN OUR LIVES - CONTINUED Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalms 19:13-14 What are these presumptuous sins? These are the deliberate, willful sins in our lives. David instructs us to deal with every sin, the secret and the open. If we do not deal with them, they will rule us; they will have dominion over us. The person that refuses to repent of his sins early and allows those sins to rule him will have great difficulty repenting at all. He will be at the mercy of his sin. While those sins are secret, while they are willful, but recent, we have a better chance of being restored to an upright position with the Lord and escape His wrath. There are those in high office of our land that have become slaves to their sins, they refused to repent, they allowed those sins to grow and grip them to the point that they are now controlled by the sin. David gives indication here of an absolute sin, a sin so great that one will not repent. These willful sins that go without repentance will extinguish the work of the Spirit of God in a person’s life. The truth given here is, Secret sin will develop into presumptuous sin, and presumptuous sin will develop into a great transgression. David ends his meditation with a prayer for grace, which redeems, sustains and saves. After David examined himself, he saw that it was vain for him to try to cleanse himself, so, he calls out for the grace of God. It is He who will purify us and preserve us and keep us unspotted from the world.
psalms 19So Glad To Be So Saved
Danny "Preacher" Bezet
|