You can turn in your Bibles to Psalm 19. Psalm 19. I'll read the psalm and then our focus this morning will be on verses 1 to 6. So beginning in verse 1 of Psalm 19.
To the chief musician, a psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day unto day utter speech and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven and its circuit to the other end, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. 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 forever.
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 in the honeycomb. Moreover, by them your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for Your Word.
We know that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, that it's profitable for us for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. And we pray that You'd give us ears to hear and hearts to receive this wonderful psalm that expresses the revelation of God both in nature and through the written Word. We ask that you would be glorified in this glad hour, that you would set Christ before us as that one who's altogether lovely and chief among 10,000. And to that end, Father, we pray for the ministry of the Holy Spirit, that we would know his presence and his power, that he would bring conviction for sin to sinners and cause them to see Christ as one able to save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through him.
And for your people, build us up in our most holy faith, strengthen and sanctify us, and cause us, Lord God, to reflect upon the glory of our blessed God, even Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Do forgive us now for all sin and unrighteousness, and cleanse us in that precious blood of the Lamb. And we pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Well, as
Introduction
we come to Psalm 19, we see that it's a contemplation by the psalmist on the revelation of God. And that first section, verses 1 to 11, focuses on what we call general revelation, more on that in a moment, and then special revelation. The hinge is at verses 6 and 7. So in verses 1 to 6, we have an emphasis on general revelation, and then on verses 7 to 11, we have an emphasis on special revelation. what the God of heaven has revealed specifically through His word.
Or in the popular language of C. H. Spurgeon, what we have in the first section is the world book, and then in the second section is the word book. And the bottom line with reference to both is to make known God's glory, to make known God's power, to make known God's grace.
Well, as we approach this psalm, as I mentioned, we're just going to take up the first section this morning. But if you want an outline, I just want to break it down into two main parts in terms of the whole psalm. You have the psalmist's contemplation on the revelation of God in verses 1 to 11. And then the second broader point is the psalmist's response to the revelation of God in verses 12 to 14.
So essentially what he teaches us is that we cannot come face to face with the Word of God and not be moved, not be shaped, not be changed, not be transformed. And that's how the psalm ends, his response to what God has revealed in nature and through His Word. But as we come to verses 1 to 6, I want to focus on two things here. First, the didactic emphasis of the psalmist.
Now, we don't use that word didactic a lot, but it simply means designed or intended to teach. What is the psalmist teaching us here in verses 1 to 6? What is the emphasis in terms of the specific context relative to God's glory and the revelation of Himself through the created order? But the second thing that I want to observe is the prophetic significance of the psalm.
The prophetic significance of the psalm. And I want to show that afterwards, or after we move through the didactic emphasis, based ultimately upon Paul's use of verse four in Romans 10, verse 18. So the apostle Paul quotes Psalm 19, four, which is a general revelation text under the didactic emphasis, but Paul uses it and seems to interpret it as having fulfilled prophecy. So more on that later.
But
Doctrine of General Revelation
with reference to the didactic emphasis of the psalmist, basically what we see here is the doctrine of general revelation. General revelation is God's revelation of Himself, His being, and His perfections through the things that He has made. In other words, as the psalmist says here in verse 1, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. When we as God's creatures look at God's creation, we cannot but know that God is, that God is glorious, that God is wondrous.
So it is the revelation of the being and perfections of God through His creation and the things that He has made. It's a simple concept. God has not left Himself without witness in this present world. God everywhere screams concerning His existence through the things that He has made.
Our confession highlights the doctrine of general revelation in chapter 1, paragraph 1, relative to the Holy Scriptures. It starts off by saying, although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God as to leave men inexcusable, yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto salvation. So the light of nature these divines point to. In other words, God's revelation of Himself through the light of nature, through the things that He has made.
Chapter 22, paragraph 1 in our Confession of the Christian Sabbath, a religious worship in the Christian Sabbath, says, the light of nature shows that there is a God who has lordship and sovereignty over all. Those of you brought up in the Dutch Reformed circles will understand Belgic Confession number 2. We know Him by two means. First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe, since that universe is before our eyes like a beautiful book in which all creatures, great and small, are as letters to make us ponder the invisible things of God, His eternal power, and His divinity, as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1.20.
You've got the World Book, God's revelation of Himself through the created order, and then the Word Book, God's revelation of Himself through the printed page, through the doctrine of inspiration by which the Spirit came upon the prophets and the apostles and they penned the very Word of God Almighty. Now, Belgic Confession 2 highlights Romans 1. You can turn there. Romans 1 is a New Testament counterpart to what we find in Psalm 19.
Romans chapter 1, you'll remember, is Paul's great presentation of the Christian gospel. He highlights the reality that it is in fact the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in that gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed as it is written, the just shall live by faith. So that thesis statement basically announcing what Paul's going to do in the book of Romans comes at Romans 1, 16 and 17.
But before he gets to the application of the righteousness of God, before he gets to the gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, he starts where we would believe he ought to start. He starts with the bad news. So in Romans 118, he says, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth and unrighteousness. In other words, man is guilty before thrice holy God, and they're particularly Gentile man, that man that is removed from the oracles, the writings, the special revelation of God Almighty that was given to the Jews in the old covenant.
And then to prove his point, Paul then turns his attention to the culpability or responsibility of man in sin relative to the God who is everywhere declared himself in terms of his being and his perfections. So notice in Romans 1 19. He says specifically, verse 18, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress or hold down or bury or attempt to flee from, who suppress that truth in unrighteousness. Now note the rationale in verse 19, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
For since the creation of the world as invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even as eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." So essentially what the apostle says is that general revelation communicates true knowledge to man. Verse 19, very clear, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. Psalm 19 too tells us, day unto day utter speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. Not pseudo knowledge, not make-believe knowledge, but general revelation effectively communicates true knowledge of the living God to the creature of God.
That is one of the functions that it brings to the table. And then specifically note not only God's being, but certain perfections or certain attributes of God are related through creation. For since the creation of the world, verse 20, his invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made. Basically, what the apostle says is that the effect or the thing that is made leads us to the one who made it.
The effect leads us to the cause. The thing made brings us back to consider the maker. Now there are certain persons out there that say all this just sort of happened. All this just came as a result of a bang.
But any thinking individual that is not suppressing the truth in unrighteousness knows that watches just don't appear in watch stores. There had to have been somebody who built the watch. There had to be somebody who went in there with tools and mechanisms and springs and all those sorts of things to put together a watch. Paul says that general revelation functions to communicate the reality that God is and that there are certain things that even general revelation communicates to us concerning what God is.
And then again in verse 20, even His eternal power and Godhead. Those are two attributes or perfections or things about God that are clearly seen through the created order because God has made it manifest to us, according to verse 19. I've got a third thing. Notice in verse 32, they also understand that it's righteous with God to send sinners to hell.
Notice in verse 32, who? Knowing the righteous judgment of God. Man inherently, man intrinsically, man as creature of God knows something of God's eternal power, he knows something of God's Godhead, and he knows something of God's righteous judgment with reference to those who break His laws, who violate His commandments, and who transgress the very authority of the special revelation that He has given. So, what we have here is another sort of a communication of that same reality of general revelation.
Then notice verse 20 tells us that they are without excuse. General revelation makes known God. General revelation makes known certain perfections of God, but general revelation doesn't make known the way of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, and Christ alone. And our confession and the Belgian confession number two or article number two goes on to specify the absolute necessity of special revelation or the scriptures, that record of the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that is absolutely imperative that sinners hear that and sinners believe that and sinners are saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
So general revelation leaves a man inexcusable, but general revelation doesn't bring him to heaven. But nevertheless, general revelation does precisely what God has purposed for it to do. It's not bad, it's not deficient, it is sufficient for the purposes by which God gave it. It is to make Him known, it is to make certain perfections known, and it is ultimately to bring man to face the reality that as creature of God he stands before a just and holy God.
So Psalm 19 and Romans 1 are singing off the same page. The psalmist who is a prophet, our blessed King David, and the Apostle Paul both testify concerning this reality.
Content of General Revelation
Going back to Psalm 19, when we come to the text itself, we notice the content of general revelation. Notice in verse 1, got the superscription, you've got to the chief musician a Psalm of David. So it was written and it was to be sung, it was to be prayed, it was to be chanted, it was to be read, it was to be preached, it was to make its way into corporate worship. I love that tune that we sang.
I love the fact that a lot of people here know it and sang it because on your own, it's a bit of a difficult one. The psalm we sang, don't look puzzled. We just sang this psalm. Don't look suspicious.
What's he talking about? That Arthur's Seat, I think is the title of that particular tune, kind of brings you up to the very pinnacle of what we have in Psalm 19. It's beautiful. It's a great way for edification one to another in terms of singing.
But look at the content of general revelation. Verse 1, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. The created order reveals the glory of the Creator. If you didn't think about God this morning on your drive to the church this morning, you should have.
What a beautiful morning. What a beautiful day. Especially as Chilliwackians and Abbotsfordians and those from other parts of the lower mainland, we know that these mornings are not gonna last forever. We know that soon it's gonna be rain and it's gonna be clouds, which has a demonstration of God's glory all in itself.
But it's hard to look around today at the mountains and the blue sky and the puffs of white cloud and the green grass and all of the things that God has made and not be struck with the glory that is revealed in the created order. David Dixon says, for in substance, the heavens declare that they are not their own maker, but that they are made by one infinite, incomprehensible, omnipotent, everlasting, good, kind and glorious God. A man by the name of Vieira says the most ancient preacher in the world is the sky. This is what David's saying in Psalm 19, 1.
The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. Our confession at chapter 4, paragraph 1, which is of creation. In the beginning it pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness to create or make the world and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days and all very good. For the manifestation.
God made to reveal Himself. God made in order to declare. God made in order to display. God made in order that the creature of God may worship in response.
The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. As well, the created order renders men inexcusable for their rejection of the Creator. That's the accent in Romans 1, 18 to 32. Without excuse, without a defense, without an apology or apologetic, nobody's ever going to stand on that day of judgment and say, well, I just didn't know.
Everything screamed such that you should know. If you hadn't busied yourself in your sin, suppressing the truth and unrighteousness, you would have known. Spurgeon makes the observation here, it is not merely glory that the heavens declare, but the glory of God. For they deliver to us such unanswerable arguments for a conscious, intelligent, planning, controlling, and presiding creator, that no unprejudiced person can remain unconvinced by that.
Again, it's not the unprejudiced that are unconvinced. It's the prejudice. It's the suppressors of truth and unrighteousness that just don't see any proof for the existence of God. If anybody ever asks you, how can you prove the existence of God?
Just do one of these. You really believe all of this just showed up? All of this design didn't have a designer? All of this glory didn't have one more glorious putting it all together?
Spurgeon goes on to say, he who looks up to the firmament and then writes himself down an atheist, brands himself at the same moment as an idiot or a liar, as an idiot or a liar. Those are your two options. When you look at general revelation and say, well, there's no God, you're either an idiot or you're a liar. And based on what David says here in Psalm 19 and based on what Paul says in Romans 1, we conclude that Spurgeon's analysis is absolutely positively right.
That's not how it is today, though. All those atheists suppressing truth and unrighteousness with their philosophical justification for the non-being of God and calling into question Christians, those flat earthers, those morons that subscribe to this concept of some pie in the sky, they're not smart people. Now based on the doctrine of general revelation, they are smart people on the one hand. They know two plus two equals four.
They know how to build refrigerators. There's a common grace element in terms of the communication of general revelation. Man, apart from Christ, isn't just a blathering idiot. He doesn't just sit in a corner and not know anything.
But all the while, with the gifts that God has given, the communication of Himself through general revelation, and the skills that they've been able to develop, nevertheless suppressing that truth in unrighteousness, they're either idiots or liars. The fool has said in his heart, there is no God, Psalm 14, 1. So the content of general revelation is clear in verse 1. It is the declaration of the glory of God in His being and in His perfections.
Notice secondly, the
Constancy of General Revelation
constancy of general revelation in verse 2, constancy, continuousness, I tried to alliterate here, so bear with me. The constancy of general revelation, verse 2, day unto day utter speech and night unto night reveals knowledge. On the one hand, this confirms verse 1 and explains the constancy of verse 1. So verse 1, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork.
Verse 2, day unto day utter speech and night unto night reveals knowledge. What is that? Knowledge it's revealing. Well, what David just said in Psalm 19 verse 1, the heavens declare the glory of God.
The firmament shows his handiwork, shows his intricacy, shows his skill, shows his craftsman-like ability relative to a created order. the created order, and this is a constant communication on the part of God vis-à-vis the created order. Again, man as creature, if he shuns it, if he suppresses that truth and unrighteousness, he shows himself to be an idiot. He shows himself to be a liar. There is no God.
Oh, really? Have you investigated every part and parcel of the universe and can come up with that particular conclusion? Notice the constant communication of his general revelation. Matthew Poole says, Day unto day utter speech and night unto night reveals knowledge.
In other words, it's a constant communication. Didn't dry up after Moses wrote Genesis 1-3. Didn't dry up after David wrote Psalm 19. Didn't dry up after Paul writes Romans 1.
This is a constant communication via the created order of God, the reality that He is, and certain perfections of who He is. And then notice the
Comprehensive Scope of General Revelation
comprehensive scope of general revelation in verses 3-6. The comprehensive scope of general revelation in verses 3 to 6. Note verse 3, there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. And then in verse 4, their line or their sound has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end, and there is nothing hidden from its heat." So in terms of the comprehensive scope, I think what he does is state the reality in verses 3 and 4a, and then he illustrates that reality in verses 4b to 6. The statement, very clear, verse 3, there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.
Statement, declaration, it's universal. It's comprehensive. All men everywhere in all ages have been privy to and are privy constantly because of verse 2, the content of verse 1. The heavens declare the glory of God.
The firmament shows His handiwork. This isn't just confined to a handful of Christians living in Chilliwack in 2026. This reaches to the bush. This reaches to the heathen.
How do you think Paul can condemn the heathen in the bush in Romans chapter 1? He can condemn them based on general revelation. And they, as creature of God, not living in a way that God has purpose. So with reference to this statement, it's glorious and it highlights the reality of the provision involved.
All men everywhere have the world book. All men everywhere have this revelation of God's glory in the created order. As well, the inescapability involved. the inescapability. Again, verse 3, there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard, their line or sound has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.
Nobody's going to be able to say, well, you know, I just, I didn't live in Canada. I wasn't from the right tribe. I didn't have the privileges and the benefits of those perhaps in the Western world. I wasn't privy to that.
What does Paul say in Romans 1, verse 19? He has made it known. He has demonstrated it unequivocally by the things made. The things made or the effects lead us to the maker or the cause of those particular effects.
That is enough to render men without an excuse. And remember, the sinner or the heathen that is standing before God on the Day of Judgment is going to be judged for his sin, his transgression, his violation. his breach of the Decalogue, his murder, his adultery, his rape. All those things are the reasons why ultimately sinners are sent away from God Almighty. Bless God for special revelation.
Bless God for the reality of faith in Jesus Christ, for the cleansing of all of our sins. Bless God for that redemptive religion that special revelation sets forth so clearly. We'll see that as we move through the psalm, God willing, next week. But the condemnation involved, as I said, 2 London 1.1 says, yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto salvation.
Second, he makes himself more clearly and fully known to us by his holy and divine word. That is to say, as far as is necessary for us to know in this life, to his glory and our salvation. Again, to use the popular language of Scourge, the world book makes known God. and certain perfections. The word book makes known God and other certain perfections, both designed to accomplish the purpose for which God gave it, both designed to carry out His will amongst His creatures.
And then in terms of the illustration, note the sun. Note the sun in verse 4b to 6, in them God has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven and its circuit to the other end and there is nothing hidden from its heat. So when we consider the created order, and we consider the heavens, and we look around this morning on the way to church, and we see the mountains, and we see the sky, and we see the grass, and we see the cows, and we see other image bearers that God has made, what kind of dominates attention in a lot of ways?
It's the sun. The sun is central in terms of God's created order. As far as we're concerned, with no sun, we got big problems. So the centrality of the sun, the created glory of the sun as well, in them, in the heavens, he has set a tabernacle for the sun.
In other words, God has placed the sun, according to Genesis 1, on that fourth day. but also notice the constant testimony of the son. And then he has set a tabernacle for the son, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber. I think that invokes the language, not prior to the marriage. There's been many weddings and I'll be a little candid here that has made me feel a bit sad at the time, not, but when I've reflected upon it, my beloved and I eloped.
So there wasn't that moment when, you know, she walked around the corner and there she was looking, you know, amazing. I see that look when I do the weddings and I see the young lady come around the corner and the bridegroom standing there happy as a pig in the mud. Right? I don't think that's the accent.
I think it's the morning after. The bridegroom has his beloved. The bridegroom has been blessed richly by God. The bridegroom is now empowered and energized to do the work that is set before him.
It's not good that a man is alone. Men are called to labor. Men are called to exercise the cultural mandate that you see in Genesis 1. Go into the world, multiply, be fruitful, fill the world with other image bearers, and subdue the earth for the glory of God.
Man needs a helpmeet with reference to that. So the bridegroom comes out of his chamber that morning, and he is delighted. He's happy. He's ready to go.
God sets the sun in the tabernacle. Every single morning, that sun comes back up, and every single morning, it's ready to go. And every single morning and hereafter, the sun's effects will be felt. There's no hiding from it.
There's no escape from it. It is in fact the embodiment, I think, of the didactic emphasis in the text on general revelation. You can't run from the sun. You can't hide from the sun.
Even when the clouds come, even when it's tempest out, we know the sun is there. We see it peek through from time to time, even in the midst of the blackest and darkest clouds, we know that the sun is back there. So in terms of illustration, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, it rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven and its circuit to the other end, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
There's no flight from, there's no escaping from, there is no retreat from the sun. Brethren, that's a good thing. And I'm going to argue at the end of the message this morning that God didn't set the sun in its tabernacle to not shine. Well, neither did he set the sun of his love in our stead to live, to die and to be raised again to not save.
Just as the shining of the sun shows the glory of God, so does the saving benefits of the Son of God show the glory of God. And
Prophetic Significance of the Psalm
this is probably a good time to sort of transition now into the prophetic significance of the psalm up to this particular point. I wanna just quote from John Gill. I think this will provide a bit of context for where we're about to go. Gill says, commenting on 19, 4 to 6, but this is all to be understood spiritually and mystically of Christ, the son of righteousness, who has his tabernacle among his people, his churches, and particularly has a place and the chief place in the ministry of the gospel. being the sum and substance of it.
And this is of God's putting there, who committed to his apostles the word of reconciliation, the sum of which is Christ. And this is what makes the gospel so glorious a light, so clear a revelation as it is. So in terms of the prophetic significance of the psalm, as I said, if Paul didn't invoke verse four in Romans 10, 18, then this might be a stretch. But that Paul invokes verse 4 in Romans 10, 18, I think legitimizes a Christological approach to verses 1 to 11, verses 1 to 6, specifically 4b to 6.
So
Paul's Use of Psalm 19:4
let's turn to Romans chapter 10 for just a moment and see what Paul is doing. Romans chapter 10. He starts the passage off similarly to how he started off Romans 9. longing that ethnic Jews would find their way by God's grace to our Lord Jesus Christ and believe in Him. Notice in 10.1, Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.
For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. I want them to be saved.
They're probably alarmed that Gentiles are confessing Israel's God and Israel's Messiah, whom these unbelieving Jews had denied. Probably perplexed that the Apostle Paul, who was a Pharisee of Pharisees, is now out preaching Jesus as the one raised from the dead and the one in whom all sins are forgiven and a righteousness is given. Notice in verse 13, whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Verse 14, how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things.
But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah says, Lord who has believed, I'll report. Notice then, axiomatically, so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And then in verse 18, as it were, Paul anticipates what might be an objection. Notice again, verse 3, for they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
So Paul anticipates an objection in 18a. Notice in 18a, but I say, have they not heard? What's the objection? Paul, this isn't very fair.
This doesn't seem like clean pool. You're upbraiding us for rejecting Jesus the Messiah and Jesus the Messiah we've not heard of. You haven't told us. You haven't preached him to us.
You haven't set him before us. Pretty good objection. Why am I being punished when I didn't even know of the one that God sent? Notice how he responds to that potential objection.
But I say, have they not heard? Yes, indeed. Their sound has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19, 4.
General revelation, right? Yes. But could David, the prophet, Acts 2.30, be doing a bit of Christology, especially in 4b-6? I answer yes.
See, the most popular modern approach to verse 18 is to say, well, it's just a comparison. In fact, I think that Calvin sort of encapsulates this. Yet as he spoke to the Gentiles at a distance by the voice of the heavens, he showed by this prelude that he designed to make himself known at length to them also." So yeah, there's a connection between 1904 and 1018, but it's just kind of a prelude to basically say what's going to happen more so in the coming era. Calvin though also writes prior to giving his interpretation, which if you haven't figured it out yet, I don't agree with.
He writes, this passage of Paul gave occasion to the ancients in Calvinism or Calvinese rather, his language is about church fathers. He's talking about medieval theologians. He's talking about the ancients that came before the Reformation in terms of interpretation. He says, this passage of Paul gave occasion to the ancients to explain the whole psalm allegorically and posterity had followed them.
So that without doubt, the son going forth as a bridegroom from his chamber was Christ and the heavens were the apostles. So Calvin acknowledges the interpretation. Calvin says the ancients taught this and some follow them now. As far as Calvin's concerned, it's not allegorical.
There's not a deeper meaning. There's not Christ in Psalm 19. It's a comparison.
The Ancients' Christological Reading
I rather think Paul is interpreting the psalm. I rather think the ancients were right. I rather think that John Gill gets at it when he says, after surveying a couple of different options, but certain it is, that the apostle is speaking neither of the light of nature nor the law of Moses, but of the preaching of the gospel. And what the psalmist literally understood says of the heavens, that the apostle, in an allegorical and mystical sense, or by an argument from the lesser to the greater, or by way of illusion, applies to the apostles and ministers of the gospel, the luminaries of the world, and stars of heaven, whose ministry by this time had reached the then-known parts of the habitable world." Paul's not just bringing 19-4 as somewhat of a loose connection by way of prelude to what's going to happen later.
No, David the prophet is speaking prophetically. And to see Christ in 19.4-6 has been a large report up until the modern era. I would submit and suggest that the ancients got it right. Now, Augustine sees Christology pretty much in all of verses 1-6.
He gets incarnation out of verse 5, and he gets eternal generation out of verse 6. Pretty amazing, isn't it? Samuel Isles Pierce, a 19th century commentator on the Psalms. He only got Christ out of verses one to six.
For Pierce, basically what we have is that the heavens are gospel churches. The sun is Jesus Christ, the son of righteousness, Malachi 4.2, and the great bridegroom of his church. Think with me for just a moment where you see that imagery of bridegroom more often. There's a whole psalm devoted to it, Psalm 45.
We don't have any problems or difficulties applying that to Jesus. There's a whole book about it in the Old Testament called the Song of Solomon. We've got John the Baptist telling us that Christ is the bridegroom. And we've got Revelation 19, 7 being the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Bridegroom is kind of a huge concept in the scripture. As well, Pierce sees the stars in the heavens as gospel messengers. Oh, well, you know, I can't accept that. Well, John the Apostle could accept that.
And in Revelation chapter 1, he tells us that the lampstands are the churches and the stars are the messengers, the angels of the churches that make known the great bridegroom of the church. All of this designed to declare the glory of God. The old created order does that, general revelationally. The new created order emphasizes that glory of God Christologically and most blessedly.
Now I'm not sure that Augustine is absolutely right on incarnation in verse 5 and eternal generation in verse 6. So I've kind of followed Peirce and, well, not even Peirce. Peirce goes further than maybe Augustine on Christ in that first section. But Gill does what I have attempted to do, show the didactic, what the text meant or means, Psalm 19 verses 1 to 6. but then the prophetic element.
And again, if there was no Romans 10, 18, if Paul's not making a gospel argument, if Paul's not invoking Psalm 19, 4 in a manner consistent with his argument there, I'm not sure how it works. So Gil emphasizes didactic and the prophetic. Spurgeon follows suit as well. I think this is a safe position to be in.
What is the doctrine of general revelation? Psalm 19, verses 1 to 6. What does it prophesy concerning the blessed Lord Jesus Christ? Psalm 19, verses 1 to 6, with a special emphasis on verses 4 to 6.
In fact, Luther introduces the psalm thus, this is a prophetic and didactic psalm. You'll see where I stole my title. It prophesies that the gospel will be preached in the whole world. That's how Paul's using it in Romans 10, 18.
Yes, general revelation. Yes, the declaration of the glory of God. Yes, man is image bearer of God. Yes, man as suppressor of truth and unrighteousness.
Yes, correspondence and connection with Romans chapter one. But yes, in the hand of the apostle, in Romans chapter 10 at verse 18, it is a showstopper. It is a mouth shutter to those who would say, well, we just didn't know. Why not?
God had purposed and God has fulfilled it going forth, conquering and to conquer. And I think in balance, Ash offers some very good help on this passage. With reference to the Psalm, he says, the first eight lines, If you look at the Psalm and you looked at it and you just count lines, he says, the first eight lines about creation are followed by no less than six lines about the Son. This is more than simply an emphatic example of creation added to the main point.
Ash is saying there's something more going on in terms of God setting the Son in the tabernacle And then that son coming out of his chamber as a bridegroom, basically ready for the events of the day, and that including the universal comprehensive nature of all creatures everywhere. He also says later, the key I suggest, in other words, how do we, I don't want to say get Christ out of Psalm 19, 4 to 6. How do we see Christ in Psalm 19, 4 to 6? He says, the key, I suggest, is the extended celebration of the sun, 19, 4 to 6.
It is, I think, inadequate to say that David writes thus of the sun, either because it's the brightest part of the creation to our eyes, though it is, or as a polemic against sun worship, though it may be. Many of the ancient writers link the sun with Christ. Since Calvin, this has fallen into disfavor. I want to suggest that although the ancient writers jumped to Christ too quickly for our taste, I parenthetically insert, not mine, their whole Bible theological instincts may have meant that they had a point.
At the very least, I think we do well to reconsider our sometimes casual dismissal of what they say. This is in vogue presently. You quote Augustine on a psalm like this and oh that's just allegory, that's just mysticism. By the way Aquinas sees the incarnation in the psalm too at its deeper meaning, its deeper spiritual meaning.
This has been commonplace for interpreters, for commentators, and for preachers to preach the didactic element, general revelation, and the Christological prophecy, the reality that this one, this bridegroom of the church, is gonna rejoice to go about his task. And I suggest that if we can make that comparison, if we can see that application, Again, what I said earlier, God doesn't set the sun in the tabernacle so it doesn't shine. Could you imagine that? Building your greatest creation.
I'm not here to argue whether it is or not. Let's just suppose for the sake of argument, that's the greatest thing God makes. He puts it in the tabernacle and shuts the door? He doesn't want it to shine?
He doesn't want it to radiate? He doesn't want it to be useful in the growth of food. He doesn't want it to be useful in the healing of the human body. He doesn't want it to be used.
So the Son of Righteousness assumes our humanity, lives a life of perfect obedience, dies a horrible death on the cross, raised again the third day, To be set in the tabernacle and have the door shut so that nobody feels its rays? I think a Christological reading of Psalm 19, 4 to 6 is very encouraging. The bridegroom comes ready. The bridegroom's a champion.
The bridegroom's a mighty man. The bridegroom's ready to go. He's ready to engage the work that the God of heaven and earth has given Him, just as the Son is ready to engage the work that God has given Him. He's going to shine upon men.
He's going to promote life. He's going to promote health. He's going to promote goodness. He's going to promote happiness.
He's going to promote joy. If we see Christ as the son of righteousness, why would we think that God has not intended to use him for his own glory? I don't mean use in some sort of a cheapened way. I don't know how better to say it.
To employ him? To deploy him? To utilize him? Do all those things fit?
Rather than a Christological reading of Psalm 19, 4-6 fits, David's a prophet, Acts 2.30 fits, so much of the other psalms are Christological in nature. It fits in the biblical imagery used by the psalmist picked up by later writers. Again, the psalmist in 45, the Song of Solomon. The language of the marriage supper of the Lamb?
The language of the Baptist when he calls him the bridegroom? John the Baptist is a friend of the bridegroom. Who's the bridegroom? It's the one of whom John said, he must increase, but I must decrease.
I think the ancients were right. We may quibble on some jots and tittles in terms of incarnation and eternal generation, all that sort of thing, but that they beheld Jesus in Psalm 19, 4 to 6? I think the showstopper there is Romans 10, 18. I've often read Romans 10, 18 and I've wondered, how does that fit?
How does a statement concerning the publication of general revelation fit Paul's argument? I don't make it sound like the light bulb has gone off, but the light bulb has gone off. Paul's not just comparing, Paul's interpreting. Paul's exegeting.
Paul is seeing Jesus where Jesus was always intended to be seen. So was Augustine. So was Aquinas. So was Gil.
So was Spurgeon. So was Pierce. So in our day is Christopher Ashe. Notice how he lays the blame primarily at the feet of John Calvin.
Ever since Calvin, that reading has fallen into some question. Brethren, I think this is the only way to read the passage.
Concluding Observations
In terms of some concluding thoughts, the doctrine of general revelation, it's great. It's wonderful. The heavens declare the glory of God. The firmament shows his handiwork.
It shows his attention to detail. It shows his love for his creation, the types of food that we have, the blessings that he conveys. I mean, you gotta really be messed up to look around at this world, if you're thinking rationally for about a second, to realize Or to think that God's not good? What do you mean God's not good?
You been to Costco? You seen that meat? What do you mean God's not good? Have you lived in Chilliwack?
Have you opened your eyes? What do you mean God's not good? God's benevolence is showered upon the created order, and not in some stingy or begrudging way. No, the bridegroom comes out of his chamber with joy, energy, vigor, ready to go, ready to engage, ready to shine that blessed light on all of God's creatures such that it declares the glory of the Most High.
General revelation is the revelation of a good God, His being and His perfections.
Glory of David's Greater Son
I would suggest, secondly, the glory of David's greater son. Again, we may quibble with a few of the details in terms of exegesis in Psalm 19, verses 1 to 6, but I think Ash's comments are appropriate. I just want to reread. I want to suggest that although the ancient writers jumped to Christ too quickly for our, not mine, taste, their whole Bible theological instincts may have meant that they had a point.
How'd they get to where they got relative to the doctrine of the Trinity? It was their hermeneutic. How'd they get to where they got relative to Christ in Psalm 19, 4-6? It was their hermeneutic.
Now, was there weird stuff in the early church? Yeah. I love this argument, but they wore weird hats. They said weird things.
They had some weird doctrines. Have you looked around at the modern situation? At least they don't have preachers rappelling in with headsets or riding in on a Harley Davidson. I don't know how much weirder we could possibly get than this present age.
But I think Ash exercises a good encouragement to us. We might need to consider that they could have been right. They could have been onto something. He says, at the very least, I think we do well to reconsider our sometimes casual dismissal of what they say.
To write it off, oh, that's allegory. Oh, that's mysticism. Really, there's no comparison between the Bridegroom of verses 4 to 6 and other Bridegroom passages that we see replicated throughout Scripture? I think there is.
I think there's tons of them. That's what he means by their whole Bible approach. These men interpreted the Bible prior to the Enlightenment. They approached the Bible as one book written by one author.
Beautiful, wonderful, simple, and I would argue, correct way to understand scripture.
Power of the Christian Gospel
I would suggest a third observation, the power of the Christian gospel. The power of the Christian gospel. I've already mentioned a few of the passages, but just to underscore this again, in them, verse four, he has set a tabernacle for the son, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices, notice, like a strong man or a champion to run its race. The power of the Christian gospel is encapsulated here in terms of the power of the God-wrought Son.
Is the Son powerful? Yeah! Is the gospel powerful? Yeah!
Luther again, but this psalm teaches that Christ and his gospel cannot be hindered any more than one can hinder the course of the sun. He says by sun he means a symbolic reference to Christ. Previously he had thought of heaven, therefore he now mentions the prince of heaven, the sun, and indicates by this that his kingdom will extend under all heaven. In other words, when you look at the sun in verse four, think of the sun that is shining on Chilliwack today, but also think of the son of righteousness, the great bridegroom of the church, and realize that as no one on this earth can stop the course of the sun, neither can they stop the course of the son of righteousness.
His kingdom will be everlasting. Bonar says, Christ is the son, the bridegroom, the warrior, whose words and going forth shall yet be from one end of the world to the other and nothing be hid from his heat. A brother this morning in prayer meeting cited in the background the promise of the prophet. The knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
It's kind of an interesting convention. Waters cover sea? Well, yeah. You get rid of all the water, what's the sea?
It's a great big hole, right? The knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. It almost sounds tautological. It almost sounds like you're saying the exact same thing until you realize that, no, there's a big hole there.
And it's the water that constitutes, along with the hole, sea-ness. The waters will cover the earth, or as the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. And then
Hope of the Christian Gospel
I want to end on the hope of the Christian gospel. Again, back to that God doesn't set the sun up into the tabernacle so that it doesn't shine. What's the theology that teaches God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law and to bring us into that blessed adoption as the children of God? Why does He do that if He hasn't purposed to save a great multitude that no man can number from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation?
Why do we revel in a theology that tries to keep men from the cross Instead of inviting them to come to the cross, why would we so work things out that we lambast anybody forever thinking they could possibly believe and be saved? It's exactly what we want. We want you to believe. We want you to be saved.
We want you to see the son of righteousness and know the healing benefits that far surpass what the earthly son can promote. Yeah, the earthly son keeps us alive. The earthly son helps us. The earthly son makes sure we eat.
All those things are functions of the earthly son. But what does the son of righteousness convey? And this is eternal life, that they may know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. He who believes the Son has everlasting life.
The one who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. So the Son of righteousness shines his rays right into the heart of man. And incidentally, I think that's how the Psalm ends in verses 12 to 14. He takes the general revelation of God and the special revelation of God, and then he goes to heart work.
He prays to God. He petitions to God for protection. He petitions God for acceptance. In other words, we can't come face to face with this blessed Word and not be moved for transformation.
Going to end with another quote from Spurgeon. I try not to quote as much anymore because I know it's tough at times to follow, especially longish quotes, but Spurgeon's usually pretty good, even in his longish ones, to make known what I think does better than how I'd say it. He says, Jesus, like a son, dwells in the midst of revelation, tabernacling among men in all his brightness, rejoicing as the bridegroom of his church to reveal himself to men, and like a champion to win unto himself renown, He makes a circuit of mercy, blessing the remotest corners of the earth. And there are no seeking souls, however degraded and depraved, who shall be denied the comfortable warmth and benediction of His love.
Even death shall feel the power of His presence and resign the bodies of the saints, and this fallen earth shall be restored to its pristine glory. God made his son to shine. Don't resist him, don't reject him, don't try to argue yourself out of going to him, but by all means come. Believe on him and you, by God's grace, will be saved.
Let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for what the psalmist records here concerning general revelation and what he prophesies here concerning our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, David's greater son. We thank you for your mercies. We thank you for your graces.
We thank you that you have manifested yourself through the created order and that you have manifested yourself through the redemptive order. I pray that you'd open hearts to receive the truth. I pray that you would encourage and build us up in our most holy faith and cause us to appreciate once again that the great bridegroom of the church goes about his task with joy as a champion, as one who will indeed do all that the Father has given him. And we ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.