Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

In the first chapter of 2 Peter there are verses that have bearing on Psalm 19.

Peter is an old man at this point (cf.

v. 14), and he has been reflecting on the time he and two other disciples saw the Lord Jesus Christ transfigured before them on the mountain.

It was a great experience.

“We were eyewitnesses of his majesty,” he says.

We heard “this voice that came from heaven” (vv.

16, 18).

It was an experience comparable to that of Moses meeting with God on Mount Sinai.

Nevertheless, in spite of having seen the Lord’s glory and having heard the very voice of God from heaven, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased,” Peter says that there exists an even greater witness to the truth.

“We have the word of the prophets made more certain,” is his testimony (vv.

17, 19).

The Authorized Version of the Bible calls this witness a “more sure word of prophecy,” that is, more sure even than the voice from heaven.

This has bearing on Psalm 19, as I say.

For the verses in 2 Peter 1 are a New Testament equivalent of the transition from verses 1–6 in Psalm 19, which talk about the general revelation of God in nature, to verses 7–11, which talk about the special revelation of God in Scripture.

The revelation of God in nature is glorious, just as the visible transfiguration of Jesus and the heavenly voice were glorious.

But glorious as it is, it cannot compare to the written revelation.

It is that “more certain” or “more sure” revelation that concerns David in the second half of this psalm.

19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect.

In both Egyptian and Mesopotamian thought, law and justice were closely related to the sun-god, whose penetrating rays illumined every human activity.

In the Babylonian Hymn to Shamash, the sun-god even discerns the covetous heart and weighs the fairness of each business transaction.

With this divine character in view, King Hammurapi illustrated his famous law code with an engraving of himself standing before Shamash, the sun-god, who sanctions his kingship and law (see note on Ps 72).

Egyptian kings, who embodied the sun-god, Ra (or Re), boasted the following epithet: “The Son of Re who lives by Maat (justice).”

This background provides an important bridge between the first and second halves of Ps 19.

For the psalmist, it is not a deified sun who presides over law and justice; rather, it is Yahweh, whose commands are perfect and who perceives “hidden faults” (v.

12) and every “meditation of [the] heart” (v.

14).

19:7 On law, see note on 1:2.

perfect.

See note on 19:13.

reviving the soul.

That is, giving refreshment (see Prov. 25:13, “refreshes the soul”; Ps. 23:3 uses a similar expression).

Sure, or trustworthy.

simple.

See Introduction to Proverbs: Character Types in Proverbs.

19:7 The close relation between God’s instruction through creation (vv.

1–6) and through his law (vv.

7–14) anticipates the role of Christ as mediator in creation and redemption (Col.

1:15–20).

V. 7. The law—The doctrine delivered to his church, whether by Moses, or by other prophets.

Having discoursed hitherto of the glory of God shining forth in, the visible heavens, he now proceeds to another demonstration of God’s glory, which he compares with and prefers before the former.

Perfect—Completely discovering both the nature and will of God, and the whole duty of man, what he is to believe and practice, and whatsoever is necessary to his present and eternal happiness.

Whereas the creation, although it did declare so much of God, as left all men without excuse, yet did not fully manifest the will of God, nor bring men to eternal salvation.

Converting—From sin to God, from whom all men are naturally revolted.

Testimony—His law, so called because it is a witness between God and man, what God requires of man, and what upon the performance of that condition, he will do for man.

Sure—Heb.

faithful or true, which is most necessary in a witness: it will not mis-lead any man, but will infallibly bring him to happiness.

Simple—Even persons of the lowest capacities.

V. 8. Right—Both in themselves, and in their effect, as guiding men in the ready way to eternal happiness.

Rejoicing—By the discoveries of God’s love to sinful men, in offers and promises of mercy.

Commandment—All his commands.

Pure—Without the least mixture of error.

The eyes—Of the mind, with a compleat manifestation of God’s will and man’s duty: both which, the works of nature, and all the writings of men discover but darkly and imperfectly.

19:8 pure.

Unmixed with evil (cf.

24:4).

enlightening the eyes.

For the eyes to have light or to be bright is for the person to be alert and active (cf. 1 Sam.

14:27; Ezra 9:8; Ps. 13:3; 38:10; Prov.

29:13).

19:9 The fear of the Lord often means revering God, but here it is the revealed way by which one properly reveres God, i.e., the precepts of the covenant (similarly 34:11).

true.

A reliable transcript of God’s will.

V. 9.

The fear—The law and word of God, because it is both the object and the rule, and the cause of holy fear.

Clean—Sincere, not adulterated with any mixture.

Constant and unchangeable, the same for substance in all ages.

Judgments—God’s laws are frequently called his judgments, because they are the declarations of his righteous will, and as it were his judicial sentence by which he expects that men should govern themselves, and by which he will judge them at the last day.

19:10 pure gold.

This imagery is known from other ancient Near Eastern cultures.

A number of inscriptions on doors at a Ptolemaic-period Egyptian temple at Edfu read: “Everyone who enters by this door, beware of entering in impurity, for God loves purity more than millions of possessions, more than hundreds of thousands of fine gold.”

The Hebrew word translated “pure gold” is somewhat obscure (it is a single word, not a noun with an adjective describing pure or refined).

It could refer to a particular grade or to a particular variety, e.g., rose gold or white gold.

honey.

Represents a natural resource, in most occurrences the syrup of the date rather than bees’ honey.

Since sugar was not available, honey was the most commonly used sweetener.

There is evidence of bee domestication at Tel Rehov in Israel, and the Hittites and Canaanites also used honey from domesticated bees in their sacrifices.

In the Bible, honey occurs in lists with other agricultural products (e.g., 2Ch 31:5).

It is possible that the first reference to honey in this verse is date honey, but the second reference is clearly referring to bee honey since the “honeycomb” is mentioned.

19:10 The fundamental attitude here is one of delight: God’s instructions are more desirable than the best riches (cf.

119:127; Prov.

8:19) and more pleasurable than the finest tastes (cf.

Prov.

24:13–14).

19:11 reward.

The proper outcome, in this case assurance and character growth (see notes on vv. 12 and 13).

19:7–11.

Following the testimony of creation, God’s character, works, and will for humanity are further specified by His Word, which is perfect.

The first and foundational part of God’s Word is the law (see the comment on 1:3–4), here described by the various other biblical synonyms including testimony, precepts, commandment, and judgments (“ordinances,” as in Ex 21:1).

Through this verbal/written revelation man is instructed in the fear (i.e., worship) of the Lord (cf.

111:10; 2Kg 17:28).

Two key biblical concepts of worship and obedience (i.e., “keeping/obeying”), presented at the outset of the Torah, are reiterated here (see the comment on Gn 2:15; cf. also Ec 12:13).

God’s words are a guide and a warning for how to live, and in keeping them there is great reward (cf.

Ps 1).

Psalm 19:11-14

19:12–14.

Whether one’s errors are hidden or committed in open arrogance (presumptuous sins), God brings conviction because nothing is hidden from Him (Dt 29:28; Ec 12:14).

David concludes with a request to be kept away from sin and that God not allow it to rule over me.

Then he asks the Lord to Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight.

On the meaning of meditation (19:14) see the comment on Ps 1:2; on rock as a divine title see the comment on Ps 18:46.

19:12 who can discern their own errors?

The belief in the ancient world was that the gods had many more regulations, requirements and restrictions than were known to people.

In a “Prayer to Every God,” an Assyrian worshiper goes through an elaborate listing of possible offenses (“the forbidden thing I have eaten, I do not know; the prohibited place on which I have set foot, I do not know”) asking that his unwitting sins be pardoned, claiming the offense was committed in ignorance.

Additionally the penitential prayers from Mesopotamia known as shigu prayers contain frequent reference to being absolved of unknown sins.

Egyptians were also concerned with unknown sins, as reflected in a late demotic wisdom piece (Papyrus Insinger), in which the author begs forgiveness for unwitting sin.

V. 12. Who—Thy law, O Lord, is holy and just and good.

But I fall infinitely short of it.

Cleanse—Both by justification, through the blood of thy son; and by sanctication thro’ thy holy spirit.

Though the first may seem to be principally intended, because he speaks of his past sins.