Two Ways to See God
Psalms • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
One of the things that I love about the psalms of David is how practical they are.
Today we are looking at Psalm 19, and in this psalm David is going to tell us that there are two distinct ways in which humans can come to know God.
The first way is through nature—People can come to know God by just looking up at the night sky and seeing the millions of stars!
The second way that people can come to know God is through God’s wonderful Word!
If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to Psalm 19 and we’ll see how God will reveal himself to us this morning.
We’ll begin our study by looking at verse 1.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
God’s Creation Reveals His Glory
God’s Creation Reveals His Glory
The heavens (Hebrew: shamayim; heaven or sky) declare the glory of God. All of the references to “God” in this first six verses will be the Hebrew word “el.” It means: strong one, mighty one, hero, god (cf. Ps. 8:1) (v. 1a).
Stated in a different way for emphasis: the skies (Hebrew: raqia; firmament, expanse, the space above the earth) proclaim the work of God’s hands (v. 1b).
David wants us to know that God’s Creation Reveals His Glory!
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
Every day the heavens declare the glory of God! (v. 2a)
Every night the heavens reveal knowledge about God! (v. 2b)
They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
For their declaration, the heaven and skies use no words (v. 3a).
In fact, no sound comes from them (v. 3b).
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
Nevertheless their voice goes out and is heard by the entire world (v. 4a).
Their voice is heard everywhere (v. 4b)!
Now there’s an example of how the heavens and/or sky proclaim God. First, God created a “tent” for the sun. A tent: a place for from which the sun can come and go (v. 4c).
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
Now, David equates the sun to a bridegroom. He says it is like the bridegroom coming out of his chamber (v. 5a).
Or the sun is like a champion coming in to compete (v. 5b).
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
The sun comes up on one side of the heavens (v. 6a).
Makes its path across the earth to the other side (v. 6b).
As it move across the sky, nothing is deprived (Hebrew: hidden from) its warmth (lit. heat).
So, David declares that looking at the stars in the sky, looking at the moon, and particularly looking at the sun, all of mankind can know something about God.
Romans 1:20 tells us that what may be known about (specifically God’s eternal power and His divine nature) have been clearly seen by what has been created! That renders mankind void of excuses (cf Rom. 1:18-19; 21-25).
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
God Revealed through Scripture
God Revealed through Scripture
In this section there is a cause/effect relationship. Because something it causes something.
When you come to verse 7, David changes the Hebrew word for God. He changes from el to Yahweh. David’s use of Yahweh ties it to El (the strong one) from verses 1-6. They are one in the same. The Strong One is Yahweh!
Look at verse 7.
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The law (torah a specific reference to the first five books of the Bible) of Yahweh is perfect (Heb.: complete, sound, whole, without blemish, blameless) so the soul is refreshed (lit restoring the soul --nephesh: soul, breath, living being, heart, life) (v. 7a).
The statutes (Heb.: testimony, witness, stipulations) of Yahweh are trustworthy (Heb.: true, firm, reliable, faithful, permanent) they make the simple wise (v. 7b).
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The precepts (Heb.: commands, commandments, orders, directions, instructions) of Yahweh are right (lit. fair) so they produce joy in the heart (cf. Matt. 11:29-30) (v. 8a).
The commands of Yahweh are radiant (lit. they reflect God’s character of purity) so they give insight for our life (v. 8b).
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.
The command to fear Yahweh is pure (lit. right, ceremonially clean) and that command endures forever (v. 9a)!
The decrees (lit. judgement, decision, legal decision) of Yahweh are firm (lit. trustworthy, stable, true, faithful, lasting, constant) and all of them are righteous (lit. totally just) (v. 9b).
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
God’s decrees are more precious than pure gold (v. 10a). Gold was the most valuable object in David’s day.
God’s decrees are sweeter than the freshest honey (v. 10b). Honey, straight out of the honeycomb was the sweetest food.
By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
God’s decrees have two effects on those who are living for God:
—They warn God’s servant of the dangers that are awaiting him (v. 11a).
—And when God’s servant keeps God’s law, there is great reward (v. 11b).
David’s Response to God’s Revelation
David’s Response to God’s Revelation
But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
Through the use of a rhetorical question, David expresses his own blindness-- “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?” (v. 12a NLT) David understood that he was blind to many of the sins that battled inside of him (cf. Jer. 17:9)
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
So he calls on God to cleanse him from his hidden sins (cf. 1 Jn 3:6) (v. 12b).
No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Now look at Psalms 19 13.
Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
Next, he calls on God to keep him from deliberate sins—things he might blatantly do that go against the Lord (v. 13a).
He also pleads to God for Him to keep sin from controlling him (cf. Rom. 6:12) (v. 13b).
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
David desired to be free from sin’s guilt—blameless (cf. Rom. 6:18) (v. 13c).
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
And he desired to be innocent of any great sin (v. 13d).
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Finally, David prays that his words and thoughts might be pleasing to God (v. 14a). David viewed both his words and thoughts as “sacrifices of praise.” This idea is reinforced Psalm 119:108.
Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.
David also wanted God to be pleased with him. The writer of Hebrews echoed this idea in Heb. 13:15.
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
Then in verse 14b, David eclares that God is two things:
Psalm 19:14b (NIV)
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
—Yahweh is his Rock (Heb. rocky cliff) (v. 14b). This is a metaphor for Yahweh being his protector.
—Yahweh is his redeemer (Heb. to buy back used of a kinsman redeemer, savior) (v. 14c).
In this psalm, David expresses his vibrant relationship with the living God. He wants us to understand that relating to God is far more than simply going through the religious motions.
David knew God in a real and intimate way.
I like what theologian and author Warren Weirsbe wrote:
“The Word in the hand is fine; the Word in the head is better; but the Word in the heart is what transforms us and matures us in Christ.
Writing to the church at Colosse Paul put it this way in Colossians 3:16.
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
So What?
So What?
