God is Speaking
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Introduction
Introduction
Many times it has been questioned that “if there is a God, why doesn’t He speak and make Himself known?” Another popular one is “Why has God hidden Himself?”. On the surface these look like valid questions because we cannot visibly see God and we do not audibly hear God and therefore we wonder since we cannot see and we do not hear God is God there and can we know Him. In our series “Songs For Our Heart” through the book of Psalms we come tonight to Psalm 19. Psalm 19 is a Psalm again written by David - (he wrote 73 of the 150), but this Psalm that touches on the communication of God. The truth that Psalm 19 brings out is that God has spoken and God is speaking today - are we listening? As we look at this Psalm tonight what David penned and God intended to communicate is that He has spoken to us and is still speaking today to us as Creator, Teacher and Redeemer. Lets read together and learn and understand how God is speaking so we can be sure that we are listening and hearing.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. 3 There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard.
4 Their message has gone out to the whole earth, and their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming from his home; it rejoices like an athlete running a course. 6 It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous.
10 They are more desirable than gold— than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. 11 In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward. 12 Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.
13 Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule me. Then I will be blameless and cleansed from blatant rebellion. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
Through Creation Around Us
Through Creation Around Us
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. 3 There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard.
4 Their message has gone out to the whole earth, and their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming from his home; it rejoices like an athlete running a course. 6 It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from its heat.
As Creator God is speaking through creation around us. The Psalmist states that the heavens declare the glory of God. We should look up and listen to what God has spoken through them.
The Earth moves at a blazing pace not only turning on its axis but also spinning around the sun. It spins on its axis at a speed of approximately 1,000 miles per hour. The orbit around the sun comes at a speed of 67,000 miles per hour. We do not feel this speed or the spinning motion because it is constant and because of centrifugal force. If the world were to stop spinning and rotating we would fly off the face of the planet. The constant speeds produce our predictable day of 24 hours and year consisting of 365 1/4 days. The same constancy that keeps our world spinning declares the constancy of God’s glory!
As we look up realize that the God who created all this is glorious, and it speaks of His glory. The expanse proclaims the work of His hands. Everything visible above and around us was made by the very hands of God.
He is glorious in His size having created something of such enormous expanse
He is glorious in His detail and specificity of engineering having created all these systems and laws that work with and govern everything so well.
He glorious in His artistry - not only in the beauty of everything created but also in the way that the color and the lights work together to continue to produce massive displays of artistic splendor!
He is also glorious in creating such beauty for all humanity to see and enjoy
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
6 Then God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, separating water from water.”
Day after day and night after night - their constancy and their continuing speaks and pours out speech. Day and night God is speaking through His creation and to His creation, communicating knowledge. The knowledge that God is communicating is revelation of Himself. There is no speech and there are no words, voice is not heard but yet it communicates. It’s message has gone out to the whole Earth - all mankind and to the ends of the world - everywhere it speaks the same thing.
It has been said that by looking at a building you know there was a builder, and by viewing a painting it reveals a painter, and the in the same way creation reveals and tells of our CREATOR!
18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them.
20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.
While God’s speech in creation is not verbal or audible it is real nonetheless.
The marvel of the sun - the tent pitched is the idea of where the sun goes at night when it sets. As the new day dawns it is radiant and glowing with light as a bridegroom adorned for his bride. Crossing the heavens so that the earth receives its light, splendor, warmth and glory. Nothing is hidden from its heat.
Pagans worship creation i.e. Sun and Moon as gods, but all of creation declares the glory of God and calls and speaks to us to worship Him as Creator!
In His Word To Us
In His Word To Us
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous.
10 They are more desirable than gold— than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. 11 In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.
God is speaking not only through His works, but IN His word to us. David moves from creation to instruction of the LORD. The word for instruction can be torah or law and it means revelation not just legislation. This instruction or revelation of the LORD is perfect - tamim - blameless, complete sound and whole.
Part of the perfection of God’s instruction is that it renews one’s life. The one who reads and heeds that instruction. There is power in the reading, studying and hearing of God’s word and it goes beyond intellectual benefit - it produces change for the better, literally converting souls. Literally reviving and bringing new life to the soul.
3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
The word comes in many descriptions - testimony, precepts, command, the fear of the Lord, and ordinances. It has great value in that we see it is perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, endures forever, reliable, altogether righteous. The testimony of the LORD is trustworthy making the inexperienced wise and the precepts of the LORD are right and make the heart glad. The command of the LORD is radiant making the eyes light up - what was dark and dull is now radiantly lit up with new life. The fear of the LORD is pure and endures, and the ordinances are reliable bringing righteousness.
The Word of the LORD is treasure to be sought after more desirable than gold, sweeter than honey (Psalm 34:8 - Taste and see that the Lord is good…) and in the keeping of them there is abundant reward! Not only is His word our treasure but it is our delight as well. Through God’s word we are warned and in obedience we are also rewarded.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,
The reward of hearing the word of the Lord is three-fold. First is the reward of knowing and doing the Father’s will. Second is the reward of living the abundant and fulfilled life - converted, wise, rejoicing, enlightened, enduring, true and righteous. Finally it is the assurance to being ready to stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
By the word of the LORD we know what to do and how to please the LORD bringing joy and gratitude. We were created to know and worship God and enjoy Him.
“From nature we know only the hands and feet of God, but from scripture we may know His very heart.” John Calvin.
By the Witness In Us
By the Witness In Us
12 Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. 13 Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule me. Then I will be blameless and cleansed from blatant rebellion. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
God is speaking through creation around us and in His word to us, but also by the witness in us. Now since creation and the fall in the garden there has been as revealed in God’s word sin within the world corrupting everything alongside the deception of Satan himself. The word of God is neither our natural instruction nor our natural delight. It is through God’s spirit that brings conviction of sin and and also provides cleansing from sin.
7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:
5 he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
David asks who perceives his unintentional sins - these are sins unknown unplanned and without rebellion in mind.
7 What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! But, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.
4 For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 So don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.
12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.
Through the word of God the spirit of God works in us to sanctify us. God through His spirit in us as we come across the word of God - speaks to us and we either cooperate with the Holy Spirit or we quench and grieve the Holy Spirit.
With the Holy Spirit and God’s word we see our true condition and crisis.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,
Keep your servant from these and do not let them rule me. The psalmist does not want to be ruled by sin and rebellion and those who are in Christ are no longer ruled by sin but by the Spirit of God.
2 because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
7 The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.
15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children,
Conclusion
Conclusion
The Psalm concludes with one of the great short yet powerful prayers. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You. Lord, my rock and Redeemer.
God is Speaking - are we listening?
God has revealed Himself and is speaking through His works, His word and His Spirit in us - speaking through redeemed and changed lives.
25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.
All of revelation - creation, general, special, and all of God’s streams of communication to us have one single united goal. God wants us to know Him, to worship Him, to love Him. By faith we must hear and respond to God speaking around us, to us, and in us.