"The Wonderful Reason To Praise God."
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Good Morning. Turn with me to Psalm 19. I want to begin our time today by starting with a question. Why should we praise God? As we look around our world and even into our own lives there are many days where we can find that it is difficult to praise God. So, as believers why should we praise God? Today we can praise God for the world that He alone has created. God has given us the sun, moon, stars, mountains and seas all to show us His awesome power and control. We can also praise God for the Word He has written. The mighty God of this universe speaks to us through His written word called the Bible. These two reasons should give us a desire to praise God. Praise God for His Works and His Word.
C.S. Lewis once said about Psalm 19, “I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in all the world.”
Francis Bacon, a fifteenth-century scientist who is credited with developing the scientific method said, “There are two books laid before us to study, to prevent our falling into error. First, the volume of the Scriptures, which reveal the will of God. The second, volume is God’s creation, which expresses the power of God.” Psalm 19 addresses both of these wonderful areas.
Psalm 19 is broken down into two different sections. Verses 1-6 deal with the handiwork of God in and through creation. We see mention of the heavens, sky, day and night and the sun. The second section of Psalm 19 deals with the word of God and His laws for mankind. God’s word is perfect and wonderful and we will see a list of reasons why it is so helpful for us as we journey through life.
This Psalm contains some of the most beautiful poetry with some of the greatest and profound biblical theology. So, how do we praise God as He shows Himself through His creation and through His mighty word?
1. We Praise God As He Reveals Himself Thru His Creation.
1. We Praise God As He Reveals Himself Thru His Creation.
Here in verses 1-6 we see that God reveals himself in creation in several ways.
A. First, the Heavens or skies show us the glory of God.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
The heavens above are not just empty space, but they are God’s magnificent handiwork in that all of the heavenly things are there. The heavens are the place where God has placed the sun, moon, stars, planets, galaxies for His purpose. Notice in verse one we see the words “declare” and “proclaim.” This means that it is continuous. It is continuous because God continues to declare and proclaim His work through creation. It continues even now. God alone is creator of this universe and everything in it. Well how do we know this? Let me encourage you to write some of these scriptures down and the reason is because some of you work with or have family members who don’t believe God is the creator of this universe. They believe in evolution or the big bang theory. So, let’s start at the beginning.
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
6 “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
All of God’s creation are the work of His hands. We are not to worship His creation, but we are to worship Him. Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:3 address this because unfortunately other countries and nations like Egypt began to worship the Sun with their god names Ra or Re. So, there is a warning not to worship the creation of God. But to worship the creator.
In verse 2 we see the cycle of God’s wonderful plan for our life. Day after day and night after night. This leads us to the seasons of life and it shows us the knowledge of who God is through His revealed creation. What is so interesting here is that God’s natural creation of the heavens and what is set in the sky we can see with our eyes. We know that it is there and because of this we can admire God’s wisdom and power, and give Him praise.
B. Second, the Sun shows us the Glory of God.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
David now describes the sun and gives us several illustrations to make his point. The sun is truly a wonderful thing that God has given to mankind. Although it is 93 million miles from planet earth, we are dependent on it rising and falling and then returning once again every day. The first illustration David gives us is in verse 4 with the sky, likened to a tent, as the suns backdrop. We also see in verse 5 the sun is like a bridegroom coming out of his bridal chamber headed to see his bride. This would have been a joyful and beautiful thing. In other words the sun that God has given to us is radiant and magnificently adorned. The sun is also like an athlete champion running a course. It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to the other end. This represents the power and strength of the sun. It also reveals God’s glory, wisdom and power. The sun is that strong, and we people from West Texas understand this better than most people especially in the Summer months. The psalmist says, “nothing is hidden from the suns heat.” All who see the sun and feel it’s warmth know that there is a God and a creator who had made all things. From these verses we learn several important lessons church.
First, we can know that God exists. Creation points us to a creator.
Second, people everywhere have a visible knowledge of God. How? Because we can see everyday the things He has created.
Third, creation shows us that there is a powerful and mighty God who is in control of this universe. We need to listen to God and praise Him for His creation, but we must listen clearly and carefully and truthfully. But even more than praising God for His creation there is something more that we need to hear and know. In fact, to truly know God, we also need to know His Word.
2. We Praise God As He Reveals Himself Thru His Word.
2. We Praise God As He Reveals Himself Thru His Word.
As we come to verse 7 now there is a shift from God’s creation to God’s law, and God’s law is even clearer to us than the revelation in nature. How so? It is greater because it has been given by a covenantal God whose name is Yahweh which is Lord here in our text. We see this mentioned specifically in verses 7,8,9. These are the very words of God. So, again let me read this to us.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Take a moment with me to look at all the synonyms for God’s revelation.
-The law of Yahweh.
-The testimony or statutes of Yahweh.
-The precepts of Yahweh.
-The commands of Yahweh.
-The fear of Yahweh.
-The rules or ordinances of Yahweh.
I want you to know today church, that all of the words of God are beneficial for us today. How great and wonderful is God’s revealed word to us His children? This is why we should praise God today and everyday.
There are 4 benefits in verses 7-8 that are given to encourage the godly, so let us take a look at these benefits.
A. God’s Word revives the soul. (vs. 7) In other words, God’s teaching and direction and instruction bear witness to the divine author who is God. God’s word gives healing to the us by assuring believers of forgiveness and cleansing. God’s Word shows us the promises of God by His wonderful redemptive acts.
B. The second benefit is that God’s Word is a source of wisdom. (vs. 7) To those who are ready to receive it and fully submit to Christ, both the experienced and unexperienced or simple can learn from God’s word and understand His will for their lives.
C. The third benefit is God’s word gives us joy. ( vs 8) When we follow and obey God’s Word we have an inner peace and tranquility as we love God with all of our heart, mind, and soul. Even though we may go through hardships we will still have a joy as we follow God and obey His Word.
D. Finally, God’s Word gives light to our eyes. (vs. 8) With all the darkness and dark things happening in our world it is good to know that light dispels darkness. The internal joy we have by following God and His word radiates through the eyes of His children. We have a joy of being alive and receiving God’s blessings. God has given us His word for light in Redemption.
God’s Written Word shows us everything we need for this life and the one to come. It is perfect because it reflects God’s integrity, uprightness and fidelity. God’s word is blameless, trustworthy, right, pure, and flawless. I want to take time here to speak about the sufficiency and inerrancy of Scripture. We live in a day and age where more and more people are getting a way from believing in God’s Word and that it is enough. In fact, many churches and leaders think that we must add to God’s Word or take away from it to stay culturally relevant. Many people think because times change so should God’s Word, but that is a lie from Satan himself. God’s word is sufficient for us today just like it was in the early church.
5 Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
God and His word are the same yesterday today and forever. God’s Word is all that we need and we don’t have to add anything to it or take away from it. The other point I want to make here is that we also need to understand the inerrancy of Scripture. This means that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything which is contrary to fact. In simple terms it just means that the Bible always tells the truth and that it always tells the truth concerning everything it talks about. God and His Word are truth because it is impossible for God to lie.
2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began
18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
All the words of Scripture are completely true and without error in every part and they are needed for life. God’s Word is always sure. God’s word causes God’s people to live with integrity loyalty, uprightness, purity and to continue to grow in right living. When we come to verse 11 we see that in keeping God’s Word there is great reward. The rewards here of being responsive to the revelation of God are compared to gold and honey. The value or reward has more worth than gold and is even sweeter than honey. God’s Word keeps the wise on the narrow path by warning us as God’s children of the pitfalls ahead and through this life. It shows us the great rewards of a godly life because it brings joy, wisdom, contentment and peace.
David now closes this psalm with a prayerful reflection.
12 Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Notice here in verse 12 of how David sees his own sinfulness and limitations. David knows that God is perfect in every way but we as mankind are sinful and evil in every way. As believers we should stand in awe and fear of God and live for Him. David addresses the fact here that we all have faults. There may however be hidden faults and errors and we may not know what these are until someone around us point these out. David still asks the Lord for forgiveness of even these sins. We see that he is humble and contrite. He desires true godliness.
The major difference here between those who are righteous and those who are unrighteous and are unbelievers is that the unbelieving world sees nothing wrong with their sin. They live in open arrogance and rebellion to what God and His word say about sinful things. The wicked and rebellious live or act out against God by defiance, arrogance and even pride. They take pride in their sin. These people have no regard for God and His Word.
David of course when he was caught in his sin knew that it was wrong and repented of it and turned toward God by confessing his sin and asked God to forgive him. He didn’t continue in it or act boastfully or arrogantly about it.
David in verse 14 closes with a prayer. God has revealed to us His written words, and David is now expressing his words and his praise to God so that his life may be acceptable to his God, his Rock, and his Redeemer.
(Pray and Lead into Communion)