Psalms

Psalm 19

Good Morning Everyone,

Let’s pray:

Dear God,

You tell us how beautiful and good your law is for us, Lord, we ask that you help us to see how that is still true today, and how we might grow to love your perfect law,

Minister to us as we unpack this beautiful Psalm today,

We pray in Jesus name,

Amen.

Last week, our preacher David Stuples, encouraged us to go outside with a cup of hot cocoa and look up at all the stars in the heavens, as we were reflecting on the majesty of God by observing the works of God’s hands,

well this week, it’s as if David the author of this psalm has done just that! Imagine him sitting in a field watching the world around,

And after all that observation, he writes a simple poem where he ends up contemplating the law of God, of all things. And yet he speaks of God’s law with such beauty, which might seeem strange as to how it all fits together and what it means for our lives today.

This Psalm has a clear outline that our Bibles have probably divided up for us already,

In verses 1 -6 David tells us that God’s creation expresses God’s glory

Then in verses 7 - 11 he speaks of how God’s law reveals God’s glory

finishing with verses 12 - 14 where he shows us that God’s glory is our salvation

(Creation expresses God’s glory)

let us read verses 1 - 3

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.

Notice, David is using the language of Genesis 1, when God created the world, he is using the words of creation.

And for David, the word heavens essentially describes everything from the earth upwards and beyond well into the depths of space, all those galaxies that were spoken of last week, those are in the heavens.

And the sky he refers to is the more immediate area above the earth surface still undefined exactly, he’s simply speaking about the elements of creation that have a felt impact on the earth, which includes the sun.

and as he is looking up, he thinking about the day, the night, and it’s poetic. In the day, all the elements of the earth are illuminated by the sun, as if the sun is pouring speech into the all the objects of earth, as the light reveals the world the people.

Yet, David writes, there is no voice to be heard. And that’s because creation doesn’t need a voice to say something about the one who made it, all of creation speaks about the creator without the use of words.

For example, when I say the Mona Lisa, or the Christchurch Cathedral. These object cannot speak, they have no words but yet they tell us so much about the ones who made them. The colours, the materials, each element tells us of the designer and creator.

Which is what David is doing here, the world around us is telling us something about the amazing creator that put it all together. The handiwork of God in all creation is declaring his glory, giving knowledge to all people that there is infact a creator, a God who has designed all that we see.

And while the heavens and creation does not speak, David says in verses 4 -6

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.

At this point he is really focussing on the sun. Which in ancient times was worshipped by many as a god. The sun was thought to be a very powerful god that needed to be appeased and given devotion along with sacrifice.

So for David to speak of the sun he is making the point that the sun, in all it’s glory, is actually a creation of God. That for as glorious as the sun it, all it’s glory is owed to God, for it is God who set the sun in the sky, that each day like a strong man would run it’s course with joy.

And David’s not shy to acknowledge the power of the sun as he states at the end of verse 6, there is nothing hidden from its heat. That indeed is a powerful statement that gives insight as to why people might have devoted themselves to the sun.

Possibly an apologetic of his day,

challenging us in how we might speak of other gods that people worship today. I think it’s really helpful to see that David can affirm what others believe to be true of the sun, it’s hot like a strong man, rises from the ends of the heavens, runs its course, and nothing can hide from its heat.

Yet he helpfully places the sun into the order of God’s creation, for it is God who has set the tent for the sun. The sun therefore declares the glory of God who made the sun.

So I wonder if there are false gods that we see others worshiping, that rather than simply slamming them as false gods, we might place the object of worship into the order of creation, revealing the truth that what ever power this object has, it only has it on account of the creator God.

Just a thought,

Because David then moves his reflections from what creation from how creation expresses God’s glory to suddenly speak about God’s law.

our second point today:

The Law reveals God’s glory

Verses 7 - 9

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.

Can there be a higher bar set for any rule of law that you have ever come across?

For instance, in our house, we have a few home made rules and laws.

One rule in particular is: “no toys at the table when we are eating.”

See it’s not that easy to fold a paper mache boat next to the guy building a lego truck next to the guy colouring in, all the while slopping cereal and milk everywhere because you got bumped or distracted.

So when food is the main event at the Carey’s, there are no toys at the table.

And the result is so satisfying to me! I mean, there is so much less mess, toys aren’t dirty, and the colouring page doesn’t have liquid marks all over it! Such joy it brings me.

The boys don’t seem to appreciate the satifaction that I get as I don’t have to look upon their mess.

Which really reveals the heart of this home made rule.

See this is Joe’s rule and really the biggest benefactor is Joe. Simply said, Joe doesn’t have to look at the mess, nor clean the mess, nor listen to the crying as a result of the messed up picture, or broken lego truck.

You see, I’m really saying that Joe’s no toys at the table rule, is absolutely driven by the selfish motives of Joe’s heart. I fight for this rule because I see it as easier than having to deal with mess.

I mean, forsure I might tell you that I’m teahcing them good table manners. But if I’m honest, I care less about their table manners, because I care more about my own satisfaction of eating meals together according to how I most enjoy them.

The truth is, Joe’s rules are not pure, they are not clean, if closely examined you will find that every rule that I’ve made up in my house reflects the attitude of my heart. Which I’m not saying is necessarily bad, I’m simply saying that our homemade laws are not as perfect, sure, right, pure, clean and true as we might like to think, but they especially are not like God’s law.

The point is that, God’s law is so very different to people’s laws. As our author points out to us, God’s law is given, for our good. It is from God and we are the ones who benefit.

Notice that the law revives the soul, makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, endures forever, righteous altogether.

And at this point we have to be asking of the author, How?

How does God’s law benefit us so much?

And it’s here that we should understand that David is thinking about the first five books of the Bible. Because that is essentially what he is referring to when he speaks of the law,

yes, he means the 10 commandments:

You shal not, steal, murder, commit adultery and so on.

But it’s so much more, God’s law is very much everyword of the first five books of the Bible.

And to summarise the first five books of the Bible, notice that David concludes in verse 9 that the rules of the Lord are true and righteousness altogether.

Which in David speak, he is saying that the law brings us into a right relationship with God, for that is what righteousness is. A right relationship with God.

And so the logic of this poem so far is:

Creation declares the Glory of God without words.

And with Words, God reveals the glory that Creation is declaring through the law.

Which is through God’s Word.

And what is revealed through God’s word, which is his law, is the path towards a right relationship with God.

Creation

Law

Right relationship with God.

Therefore, David concludes in Verse 10 and 11

That God’s law is

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.

See, David understands the rich rewards of keeping God’s law, he is so inspired by them, so delighted by them

yet, in all the beauty of the law

he is struck with the overwhelming weight of what the law has revealed about himself, and the tension of his desire to recieve the reward for doing what the law requires.

We can see David here, struggling with the reality of this tension, The law is for my good, it is my righteousness,

Yet because of the law, I am aware of my own behaviour.

which leads us to the final point of the sermon

God's glory is our salvation

I was listening to someone explain the difference between Christianity and every other major faith group.

It was a very simple explaination that in every major faith group, you are required to obey the laws of the faith. And for every transgression, or sin against the faith, you were required to make amends.

You needed to pray 5 prayers,

Walk a certain distance

Punish yourself to some degree

Every faith group, has some sort of transactional arrangement for overcoming the amount of wrong doing someone does.

Every faith group that is, except Christianity.

And you can see that exemplified in this poem by the direction that David goes to as he closes out the poem.

Because notice firstly what David doesn’t do.

He doesn’t then finish the poem to say:

I’m going to work harder at living according to the law!

I’m going to be the best ever at doing all of the law!

God, I’m going to punish myself because I broke your law.

David doesn’t do that.

He doesn’t even make a suggestion that he would do 50% better, 10% better, or even suggest that he will be slightly better than last week,

No,

Notice what David does say

verses 12 -13

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.

David says,

I’m a sinner

David admits that he has hidden sins, he has deliberate sins, that he is even under the control of sins, and that he is unable to do that which the law requires. David is unable to be perfect, which he free admits, as that is what God’s word has revealed about him.

David also asks God for forgiveness.

He asks God for help to conquer sin, and he asks to be made innocent of his sin.

Does he offer anything in exchange for all this forgiveness?

Does he promise anything?

No,

David simply, and humbly admits that he is fully reliant on the mercy of God. That there is nothing David can offer God. He’s got nothing.

Which is the difference between Christianity and every other faith group. David has nothing to offer God for all the sins that he has committed. David is relying 100% on the mercy of God.

And at this point, someone must be thinking, but hold on Joe, didn’t David live like over 1000 years before Jesus, how could David be a Christian?

And that’s the beauty of what David saw in the Law.

David knew that the Law reveals God’s Glory. He knew that the law revealed that God would one day send a saviour to bring God’s people out of slavery to sin and into the freedom of life in the presence of God’s glory.

That is essentially the summary of what Genesis to Deuteronomy is all about. It reveals God’s redemption plan for human relationship with God

And so, David had faith that God would one day provide the redeemer, the perfect spotless lamb, who would take away the sin of the world.

David trusted that God would do what he said he would do,

And how blessed are we?

Because we benefit from knowing that God did what he said he would do!

God did send his saviour, he sent the redeemer,

God sent Jesus, to forgive our sins, to declare us innocent from hidden faults, to show that he has power over sins to break its dominion over us. That Jesus would make us blameless and innocent because Jesus would sacrifice himself on our behalf.

Which once again, is the amazing news of the Christian faith,

I mentioned earlier that every other faith requires something of you to make amends for the wrong doings. In Christianity, Jesus is the one who makes the amends for our wrong doings.

All we need to do is what David is showing us,

Fall upon his mercy, declare to Jesus your faults, your sins, and ask him for forgiveness, not with any promise of doing better next time, but simply relying fully on God’s mercy to bring you into a right relationship with him.

For this is the beauty and wonder of God’s law,

God’s law describes Jesus, his redemption plan was always Jesus. God’s law describes his righteousness and it shows us what it took for Jesus to bring us into a right relationship with God.

For which we shout Praise the Lord!

And then in verse 14,

David shows us the how we are to approach living in light of God’s law and what God has done for us in Jesus,

David says:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight,

O LORD, my rock and my redeemer

David asks God for help.

He’s previously asked for forgiveness, and now he asks for help.

For it is only through God’s Spirit that we are able to be better at doing the law.

And we do want to be better at doing God’s law, because God’s law is good for everyone, David told us that in the second stanza.

Therefore as we live towards God’s law, we would show an unbeliving world, the beauty and glory of God. Just as creation is declaring God’s glory, our lives are for proclaiming God’s glory in both our deeds and our words.

And so we live reliant on Jesus by relying on God’s strength. For only Jesus is able to live out his law perfectly, only Jesus is able to make the relationships of those we live with right with him.

Only Jesus is able to purify us, clean us, bring us into a right relationship with him, and he does so through His Spirit which is at work in our lives everyday.

Which is a very good application for us from this passage,

Rely on Jesus through The Spirit.

Which means, don’t go out set yourself up with promises to God, that you will do better next time, or that you’re not going to do that sin for a whole week.

Don’t make those promises or set those goals, because you will fail, maybe not immediately, but eventually you will fail and in doing so, you will just feel guilty and useless.

Rather, pray for God to be at work in you that the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart be acceptable to God.

Which is to say, when faced with the tempation to sin, turn to God in prayer. We can’t live up to the law in our own strength, we have hidden faults, we sin deliberately, but God has given us his Spirit that we can turn to him with the Words of David from this Psalm,

Next time temptation knocks at your door, shout out loud:

“O’Lord, you are my rock and my redeemer.”

Let us pray