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Good morning and greetings in Christ's name. Would you please turn in your Bibles to Psalm 19. We've just sung a portion of this Psalm. Let me read it for you, and it will be the focus of our attention this morning. 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 and 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. This is God's word. Let's pray together. Oh Lord, we read your word. It is inspired, it's given to us by your Holy Spirit. It has been preserved. Its words are life. Now as we come to study it, give us insight, give us understanding. Help me as a preacher to be faithful and true to your Holy Word. Give all of us ears to hear, hearts to believe what is written. We ask for your glory to come down upon us and be evident in the way that we hear and receive and believe the word of God. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Several of us had the privilege this past week of visiting Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory and enjoying the Northern Lights, something that I had wanted to see all of my life, and we were able to enjoy a spectacular evening on Wednesday night. of watching the glory of God.
There were about probably 16 of us at this place, and we were out there in the snow, and we were watching the lights. And it struck me as I was watching these northern lights how wonderful it is to think about what God has done. Now, for many of those who were standing there with us, they were simply looking at and marveling at Earth's wonders. But the fact is, anyone can do that. The eye of faith sees and ponders. All these come from the hand of God, who created and providentially maintains everything we see.
To notice the ripple of the lights in the sky, to be rejoicing at their dancing, is something special when it brings praise to your heart as you think about what the Lord has done. Well, this was King David's experience. It moved him to compose Psalm 19.
David lived in a world without artificial light. A wood fire or an oil lamp would have been the only means of illumination at night, and even these would only cast a limited glow. Unlike our contemporary Western world with cities full of many lights beaming brightness into the night sky, David looked up from a place of true darkness and he marveled at what he saw. Living as we do in the modern world, I'm not sure that we can enter into the glories of stargazing in the way that people before us might have done.
In his commentary on Psalm 19, William Plummer describes his own experience of astonishment at the night sky. He said this, early in June, 1658, at Lewisburg, Virginia, some 2,000 feet above the level of the sea, the atmosphere was in the best condition for seeing. The heavens were so brilliant that I do not think I can forget the splendid vision while memory serves her office. Bright stars and numerous nebulae overwhelmed my imagination. Had a man never before beheld such a sight, it seems impossible that he must have confessed a god." The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork.
Now we don't know when David penned these words. Was it when he was young, tending sheep in a field at night? Or later on when he was in the wilderness fleeing from Saul and other enemies? Or perhaps while he was king and living in peace? Well it really doesn't matter, because whatever his circumstance might have been, the Spirit of God led him to compose these words.
As he looked up, facing north, and saw immovable Polaris, or scan the sky to see the piercing beauty of Venus and the red planet Mars, he saw more than light against darkness. He saw God's glory. David's thoughts about the heavens, though, were not confined to the evening. because he speaks of the day and of God's purpose to set the sun in a tabernacle, a dwelling place from which its brilliance shines like a bridegroom or a well-trained runner. From its rising in the east to its setting in the west, the sun gives light and heat to the whole world. The heavens, night and day, display the glory of God. Now contemplating the sky and all its parts, David clearly understood that sun, moon, and stars were a constant witness to the majesty of their creator.
They speak in every language. It matters not what tongue sounds forth, all people everywhere look up and see the witnesses of God's glory. They may speak of Seoul, as many Europeans do, or Yuwa, as the Swahili, or Ra, among the Maori of New Zealand, or Ohisan in Kyoto, Japan. Our language calls the lesser light moon. In Hawaii, they refer to Mahaina, and in Malaysia, Bulan. The words and pronunciation don't matter.
Everywhere, God has established an unmistakable testimony to his splendor. Now we find this kind of reflection on the universe all over the Bible. In fact, we don't need to travel far to notice other occasions when the inspired authors of scripture use creation and the things created to speak of our God.
Maybe you remember David's words in Psalm 8. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have ordained, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you visit him. Listen to these texts.
Psalm 33, six. By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Psalm 50, verse six. Let the heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Psalm 89, verse 5, the heavens will praise your wonders, O Lord. Psalm 96, 5, the Lord made the heavens. Psalm 97, 6, the heavens declare his righteousness and all the people see his glory.
You know, we might easily continue. As he looks up, David contemplates a portion of creation and a great portion at that. But if we think a little bit more deeply about what the scriptures teach, we will remember that much of nature speaks to us of the greatness, power, and majesty of the one true living God. We might lower our eyes and look at the world around us, seeing many more testimonies to the splendor and grandeur of God.
Psalm 89, 11, the heavens are yours, the earth also is yours, the world and all its fullness, you have founded them. Psalm 120, verse one, I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help, my help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.
Think about this, the Lord uses illustrations from creation to teach us about himself. We read, the Lord is my rock in Psalm 18. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people. Now we know that God is a spirit and has no body, yet he uses bodily language to teach us about himself. The Lord brought Israel out of Egypt with a strong hand and outstretched arm. We read, the eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
James 5.4 speaks of the ears of the Lord of hosts. Our bodies are a useful metaphor to teach us things about God. Even God's works for people may be illustrated by the world around us.
Remember in the Sermon on the Mount, how our Lord Jesus uses the birds of the air and the lilies of the field to teach us about the care that he has for his people, calling us to faith in his providence? In Matthew 10, he tells us that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Lord's will. when the idolaters of Lystra mistook Paul and Barnabas for incarnations of their false deities, Paul's response was to speak of the creator and the good gifts that he gives to people. His argument when he was among the philosophers of Athens was similar. Paul began his evangelistic preaching here.
These things happen because there is one true God who created heaven and earth who sends rain on the just and on the unjust, repent and believe in the redemption provided by the Son of God. The old writers called this the light of nature. Today we more commonly speak about general revelation, but these terms remind us that God has given everyone, everywhere, and always a witness to his power and his being. It is a true testimony, a light shining in darkness, like a lantern at night pointing to a safe destination, and it leaves each person without excuse. The heavens above and the earth beneath continually testify that God is real.
William Plummer cites an anonymous poet, I looked it up, his name was William Herschel, who considering our subject said this, An undevout astronomer is mad. We put that into modern language, it might be rephrased like this. An atheist who looks at the heavens above and fails to see the hand of God is absurd. But this is the reality of the world. in which we live.
We are surrounded by people who fail to see things that are clear and plain to them. Paul expressed this reality in Romans 1. Keep your finger in Psalm 19 and turn with me to Romans chapter 1. Beginning in verse 18, Romans 1.18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Now notice what's next. 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, his invisible attributes are clearly seen. Did you ever think about that? Invisible attributes. What does it mean to be invisible? It means you can't see it. Yet Paul says they are clearly seen. The invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
Because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools. and change the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. You see, our world was not made to be like the paintings done by skilled artists who are able to hide their subjects in plain sight. Rather, it is a constant, clear, and brilliant display of the Creator's power and glory. The might and the majesty of God may be as plain as the nose on your face. But when you're spiritually blind, you cannot see reality as you should.
I wondered what was in the minds of those people who weren't believers as we stood in the snow and looked up at the heavens and the marvelous show that God put on. It's terrible and it's sad that unbelievers can't see these things. But this is the experience of the world in which we live. David says, the fool has said in his heart, there is no God. He's not a fool because he's silly, not because he's a jester. He's a fool because he's morally corrupt. He hides his love of sin beside a facade of unbelief.
But he cannot escape from the universal testimony of the created universe to the existence of God. In fact, the denial of God, atheism, must be the most difficult intellectual exercise anyone may engage in. Because what you have to do to profess to be an atheist is to deny everything that is around you. The creation constantly shouts out, there is a God. The atheist has to say, no, it doesn't. No, it doesn't. You're constantly resisting that which God has given. Now I wonder, is it possible for a Christian to have atheistic thoughts? Well, it is.
The world, the flesh, and the devil will seek to distract us from the Lord. And when you have thoughts of atheism, remember that this is the blindness of sin making your thoughts dark. It is the influence of the evil one seeking to enclose you in thick fog, obscuring all light. I wonder, do you ever struggle with such thoughts?
Well, if you do, that I urge you to repent of them and repent now. If you allow your mind to dwell on this world, if you look down to the earth rather than looking up to the heavens, the only result will be the pursuit of sin in your life, and this will be the cause of sorrow and grief for you and many others, for it will produce sinful thoughts, words, and deeds in your life. Do as David did and look to the world around and wonder, recognizing God's handiwork and rejoicing in it, and then go to the scriptures. Your soul will be revived, your simple thoughts will be made wise, your heart will rejoice, your eyes will be enlightened, and the fear of the Lord will cleanse you through Jesus Christ.
Consider the foolishness of atheism. The end of the denial of God is death. It is grim. Do you have friends or relatives who profess atheism? Maybe their minds are blinded by sin and cannot perceive any of the glory of God in the world around them, nor the beauty of his holy word.
Here in the second half of Psalm 19, we find help. In order to see the truth of heaven and earth's testimony to God's glory, we need two things, a converted soul and the word of God. Verses 7 through 11 make this point powerfully. Let me remind you of what they say.
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 and the honeycomb. Moreover by them your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.
David's words here explain the problem of unbelief. We said that the world in which he lived was a world without artificial light, a world that was dependent on fire to illuminate the night. For unbelievers, blindness prevents them from seeing in a spiritual sense. They can't even feel the warmth of the sun as it shines on their faces. They are dead.
Believers, however, have a very different perspective, because the Spirit of God has granted us life through Jesus Christ, opening our eyes to see the splendor of the triune God and the beauty of His work in creation and providence, The light of nature shines like a blazing sun at high noon.
We see in scripture, and in this world around us, the hand of the one who is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. As we grow in faith and in the knowledge of God, we're able to perceive that which blinded eyes cannot. With David we can say, the heavens declare the glory of God. and were able to hear their speech in every language. To use the words of creation, we see and we hear God's work. Consider the strong words that the psalmist uses to write about faith's opinion of the word of God. It is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, righteous altogether. And each of these adjectives is followed by an explanation of the powerful benefits we receive from scripture when we believe its words.
It changes us, for it transforms the soul. Before God's spirit came to us and made us alive, God's books, creation and scripture, were closed to us. We did not see his handiwork. We didn't care for his grace. In fact, as his enemies, we raised our fists to heaven and comported ourselves like the foolish atheist. but God in His mercy came to us and gave us life and we were transformed. Our sins were forgiven and we gladly followed Him.
In the words of our Confession of Faith, This transformation is the result of God's call by his word and spirit out of that state of sin and death in which we are by nature and brought to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ, enlightening our minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God, taking away our heart of stone and giving unto us a heart of flesh, renewing our wills and by his almighty power determining to us that which is good and effectually drawing us to Jesus Christ. The conversion of the soul through the perfect law of God allows us to see the things that David describes in verses one through six. It's not just the beauty of nature, because that's what unbelievers see, many of them even worship it, but rather we see the wonders of creation from the hand of an almighty God. The following verses continue to make this point.
The simple are made wise. They understand what was hidden before. The heart rejoices, the eyes are enlightened with the result that we recognize that the insight given by scripture is better than most delicious delicacies earth may provide to us. More desirable are they than gold and sweeter than the honeycomb.
They lead us on the path of life like a lantern for our steps and they bring great spiritual benefit to the soul. But David continues, 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. Near the end of the psalm, David recognizes that he needs the help of the Spirit and the Word to live a life of holiness and to be protected from the sin and temptation he faces. Maybe this is a hint that the psalm was written later in life when he had some experience of life. But the final verse sums up the teaching of the entire psalm. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Whatever he speaks, whatever he thinks, he desires to be guided by holiness. Whether he contemplates the law of God or the heavens above, scripture and creation, his greatest desire is that his life would be a sanctified offering to God.
The Lord is his strength, itself a word from this world, and his redeemer. He understood the gospel and knew that salvation only comes through the redemption accomplished by God's holy son, Jesus Christ. David is able to trust the Lord, receive forgiveness, and walk through life dependent upon him.
See, God has given us two books, the book of creation and the book of the new creation. John Calvin spoke of this world in which we live as the theater of God's glory, the place where faith sees the Lord's beauty and power and mercy and grace, but also knows that his judgment is real and his wrath will engulf his enemies. Together, creation and scripture provide an eloquent testimony about God.
Now at this point, we may ask, what should we learn from Psalm 19? Or to use a simile from David's experience, what should our contemplation be as we muse over this inspired poem? Well, we've already talked about the foolishness of atheism, but let's think about some other matters. For example, consider our children. Think about our children in light of Psalm 19. Think about this. Psalm 19 directly relates to the task of Christian education in the home and in the school.
The first six verses speak to the fact that God has given us much to learn in the created world around us and it all points to him. Verses seven through 11 describe the special revelation God gives us in his holy word and teaches us that unless we have a converted soul, we cannot properly understand general revelation.
For example, much of the curriculum in any school, whether it's a homeschool or a Christian school, is about general revelation. It's about the light of nature. Class by class, hour by hour, day after day, week after week, teachers instruct children about the world that God created and the world that God rules. In fact, the majority of classes in our schools are about various aspects of general revelation, the light of nature. For the most part, the light of nature instructs us about the knowledge and skills our children must have in order to enter the adult world.
Society knows this and develops its curricula accordingly. Children may look through a telescope or a microscope, both of which provide important information for life. Arithmetic and mathematics teach skills everyone must use, whether working as an accountant or simply struggling to fill out tax forms. Physics, chemistry, biology, and the rest of scientific studies provide insights into the mechanics of nature.
Language studies, fine arts, even physical education shed light on how to live in this world. Whether your children attend a Christian school or a home school or a state school, their studies will generally be the same. The topics expressed and implied in Psalm 19, one through six, govern the curriculum of most schools, even when unbelievers don't realize it. There is, however, a major difference in the way these subjects may be taught in the different types of schools.
A secular environment will almost certainly fall into the trap of viewing them naturalistically, apart from God and apart from his rule in the world. Children are told that the universe came into existence on its own, that history is nothing but an ongoing series of events depending on previous actions, so that ultimately there is no real meaning to life. Que sera, sera. Despite the fact that the heavens declare the glory of God and the world around us testifies to him at all times, the blind lead the blind into a ditch of death.
Now it may be that that's not always the case. I have met Christians who teach in state schools and who give their best to counter the trends in modern secular education, and I thank God for them. But they fight an impossible battle against powerful enemies, and we ought to pray for them.
In a well-ordered home, The latter portion of Psalm 19 provides instruction for parents. Consider the relationship between the two portions of this psalm. Verses seven through 11 are dependent on the first six verses. The converted soul that is made wise by faith through the word and the spirit changes everything. Parents and teachers who profess faith in Christ understand that the beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord. What Psalm 19, nine calls clean, and enduring forever. Christian teachers gladly explain the principles of arithmetic and mathematics, of biology and physics and chemistry and astronomy and language and history and fine arts and physical education and the rest, but explain them as examples of the rule of the living God. The contents of the instruction given by believers and unbelievers are often alike.
The quadratic equation works the same way no matter which school you're in. But the climate of instruction is very different. I don't mean that every class is a lesson in how these things flow from the Bible, not at all. The Bible wasn't given to us to be a manual of mathematics nor a textbook for physics. God has given us the light of nature for those things and many more, and we need to receive it for what it is, a true revelation about creation and providence. If we reject it, we reject a good gift from God.
But rather, I mean that the spiritual environment of the school undergirds the necessity of faith. The students hear their teachers pray. They see them live as Christians. They're in an environment where Christ is honored and the triune God is praised. Teachers help children to understand general revelation as the theater of God's glory. It's really only the eye of faith that properly sees the objects lit by the light of nature.
Parents, though you may not have the ability to teach these things to your children, help them to see and to understand that they do in every way speak to the greatness and majesty of the one true living God. What is it that we want for our children? Well, doesn't verse 14 summarize our deepest desire? Let the words of their mouths and the meditation of their hearts be acceptable in the sight of the Lord, their Redeemer. Thank God for believers who understand.
Whether it's in your home school, or your Christian school, or even if you have your children in state school, make sure that they see the glory of God in the world that is around them. Let the light of nature shine on the triune God. Secondly, we learn from this Psalm, we need to remember that this created world, heaven and earth, is a testimony to the being and majesty of God. As you look at the world around you, bring this to mind. When you do so, you train your mind to recognize the presence of God at all times in your life. Our confession speaks of our communion with God and comfortable dependence on him.
We ought to live so that we see God's hand in everything. Now, the universe alone will not point you to Christ, but when you begin to see the hand of its creator, you may see things you've never seen before. There's a really beautiful poem. It was written by an English pastor named Frederick W. Pitt just over 100 years ago, but it captures this point very well. Listen to these words.
The maker of the universe, as man, for man, was made a curse. The claims of law which he had made, unto the uttermost he paid. His holy fingers made the bow which grew the thorns that crowned his brow. The nails that pierced his hands were mined in secret places he designed. He made the forest whence there sprung the tree on which his body hung. He died upon a cross of wood, yet made the hill on which it stood. The sky that darkened o'er his head by him above the earth was spread. The sun that hid from him its face by his decree was poised in space.
The spear which spilled his precious blood was tempered in the fires of God. The grave in which his form was laid was hewn in rocks his hands had made. The throne on which he now appears was his from everlasting years. And a new glory crowns his brow. and every knee to Him shall bow."
As we know the Gospel, even creation becomes more precious to us. We can see God's hand at work. Thirdly, above all things, remember the exceeding beauty of God's Word. The heavens and the earth testify to the glory of God. but we cannot see or understand that glory without the illumination that comes from Holy Scripture.
It has no flaws. It is certain. It is right and pure. It is clean and altogether righteous. It should be our greatest desire. It leads to life. It gives us understanding of our errors and cleanses us from secret faults. It's the means by which we are kept from sin and may be blameless.
Dear brothers and sisters, receive God's revelation in the world, but place greatest value on his word recorded in the Bible, because our prayer must be as David's. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Amen, let's pray.
O Lord, we see in the world that you have created your mighty hand. We marvel at its beauty. We marvel because it points us to you, helps us to know that you are a great, a loving, a majestic, a kind God who provides to people rain, good climate, a means by which we might live. It shows us your power. and that you've made things that are beyond our ability to make, it calls us to bow before you. And yet it points us to your holy word, in which we read about our Lord Jesus Christ, his incarnation, his holy life, his death upon the cross, his resurrection from the tomb, his ascension to the right hand of God. We give you thanks. Lord, would you help us to see in these two books, the book of creation and the book of scripture, your glory, your majesty, your power. We thank you for these gifts, in Jesus' name, amen.
