Psalm 19 Part 2

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Introduction

The Law of the LORD Is Perfect

19 TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID.

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,

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.

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.

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.

In our last time, we focused on the first 6 verses of psalm 19, that the heavens declare the glory of God, that the skies proclaim his handiwork, and that God is revealed in his creation. Like a painting declares the glory of it’s painter, the heavens declare the glory of God. And just like a painting makes it obvious that it has a painter, so all of creation makes it plain to see that it has a creator.

Suppressing the truth about God

This is why David wrote in Psalm 14:1, that “the fool says in his heart there is no God.” He’s a fool because, while it’s plain that God exists, he denies it. He kicks against the obvious. All around him, the creation declares the glory of God, yet he rejects it.
Just as the Apostle Paul points out in Romans chapter one, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, because by their unrighteousness they suppress the truth about him. Paul says that “what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.” And “his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. Therefore, they are without excuse.

General revelation

In short, the heavens and the earth are enough to condemn us for our sin. All of creation stands as a testimony to God’s existence, his eternal power, and divine nature, therefore our rebellion against him is justly condemned. However, while natural revelation is enough to condemn us, it’s insufficient to redeem us. What nature reveals about God, particularly his eternal power and divine nature, while it’s enough to condemn us for our sin, it’s not sufficient to save us from our sin. Theologians refer to this type of revelation as natural, or general revelation. That God reveals himself in a general sense through what he has been made.
And in the first six verses of Psalm 19 David magnifies Yahweh in light of his created universe, in light of this natural revelation. When David considers the heavens his heart responds in worship, and he does so because he knows the God who made it all.

Special revelation

Then verses 7-14 describe another kind of revelation, what theologians call special revelation, that is, his word, the scriptures. It’s in your Bibles that God “makes himself more clearly and fully known to us,” it’s where the “promise of Christ and of salvation is revealed.”
So, in the first half Psalm 19 David describes how God has revealed himself in his world, and in the second half, how God has revealed himself in his word. And while his world is sufficient to condemn us, only his word is sufficient to save us. This is why our evangelism must always include words, the Gospel is a message of specific information necessary for salvation.
It teaches us that God is holy and that we are not, that we are sinners who have broken his law and deserve just punishment, therefore God commands that every man everywhere repent, but that God has provided a way of salvation for everyone who trusts in his Son. This is specific information that one cannot glean from merely looking at the sun, moon and stars. Instead, the Gospel must be proclaimed. And no one will ever give glory to God for his world unless they have first come to faith through his word.

God’s word described

So, as David moves from the first six verses to verses 7-14, he goes from glorifying God for his world, to glorifying God for his word. And as he does, he refers to the word of God in six different ways, using six parallel statements. As if he were examining a precious stone, he refers to the word of God as the law of the Lord, the testimony of the Lord, the precepts of the Lord, the commandment of the Lord, the fear of the Lord, and the rules of the Lord. And while these are all similar they’re meant, together, to paint a more complete picture of God’s word.
He also outlines eight characteristics of God’s word. He says that it’s perfect, that it’s sure, that it’s right, that it’s pure, that it’s clean, that it endures, that it’s true, and that it’s righteous. And finally, he describes six effects of the word, that it revives, that it makes wise, that it rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, warns us, and rewards us. Interestingly enough Psalm 19 seems almost to be a condensed version of Psalm 119. Many of the same titles, descriptions and effects of God’s word, which are included here are repeated and expanded upon in Psalm 119. So, I’d encourage everyone to carve out some time this evening to read it when you get home.

Perfect, converting the soul

But let’s start with verse 7,

7  The law of the LORD is perfect,

reviving the soul;

The idea here, when David describes the law of the Lord as perfect, is that the law has no imperfection. And more than that, it indicates that the law is lacking in nothing, and possess everything, that it’s sufficient and complete. That the law of God is not missing anything, that it’s without defect. When the Jews were to bring a sacrifice they were commanded to bring an animal without defect or blemish, which included whether they were missing any limbs or not, the animal had to be whole.
And David says this perfect law is able to revive the soul. Other translations use the words restore, renew, and convert. And I think convert is the most helpful to describe what David is saying here. The idea is more than just a superficial change, but rather a fundamental change to the person’s soul. On par with causing one to be born again, or to born from above, as Jesus described it in John chapter 3. The assumption, of course, is that God’s word is accompanied by God’s Spirit.

Certain, making wise the simple

David also says there in verse 7, that,

the testimony of the LORD is sure,

making wise the simple;

The testimony of the Lord is sure, that is, it’s certain. I love what the Apostle Peter says in 2 Peter chapter 1 when he describes the Scriptures as a more sure word, or a prophetic word more fully confirmed when he compares it even to his experience on the Mount of Transfiguration. He writes starting in verse 16,

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention

The testimony of the Lord is certain, it’s not a cleverly devised myth or the unreliable opinion of men. Rather, Peter says,

21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The idea here is that the origin of this word is not ultimately the will of man, but rather the Spirit of God. This is why it is certain.
The testimony of the Lord also makes wise the simple. Who are the simple? In short, the simple are the naive, they are those without any discernment. Proverbs 14:15 says,

15  The simple believes everything,

but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

The testimony of the Lord is able to make the simple wise, and it does so by instruction. The word of God provides the parameters by which we are to think and behave. The word of God provides us the with the lens by which we are to see and interpret the world around us. This is called a biblical worldview, for the bible to inform how we see and interact with the world. This is why doctrine is so essential to the Christian life. So many in the church today say they despise doctrine, but to despise doctrine is simply to despise what the Bible teaches. This results in a dangerous lack of discernment. This is why the Apostle says in Romans 12:2,

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

How are we to know what is good and acceptable and perfect? We know by having our minds renewed, by thinking as God thinks, or as Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 2:16, having the mind of Christ. And the only way we will ever possess the mind of Christ is by having our minds renewed by the word of God. Therefore, if our thoughts are not regularly occupied with studying God’s word we will remain naive and tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, our minds will not be renewed by the word of God.
Instead our minds will transformed by whatever else we’re choosing to direct our thoughts toward. Our minds will be transformed by our social media feeds, the entertainment we consume, the books we read, our co-workers at the office, or anything else we subject our minds to. If we are not immersed in our bibles we will inevitably put our spiritual lives at risk. Likely the greatest danger that faces the church today is a lack of biblical knowledge, because a lack of biblical knowledge inevitably leads to a whole host of problems, not the least of which is a lack of discernment, and a lack of discernment in the Christian life will lead to spiritual peril.
When warning the church against apostasy, the writer of Hebrews says this in chapter 5, starting in verse 11,

11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

But the good news is that it’s not too late, for,

the testimony of the LORD is sure,

making wise the simple;

Therefore, set out to make the Scriptures the chief influence in your life, to be frequently reading them, studying them regularly, and meditating on them often.

Righteous, rejoicing the heart

Then look at verse 8,

8  the precepts of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart;

Precepts are meant to instruct, they command us to do something. They’re not suggestions or merely recommendations. Some translations use the word statutes, which refers to written laws. The precepts we’re probably most familiar with are the 10 commandments, you shall have no other gods before me, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet, and so on. And David says here that the precepts of the Lord are right, in other words, they are just, upright, and righteous; they’re good.
And he says they rejoice the heart. They rejoice the hearts of those who fear God, because their hearts love righteousness, and desire a good conscience. The Bible describes the pleasures of sin as fleeting, and as leading ultimately to sorrow, not joy, whereas the precepts of the Lord rejoice the heart of the righteous. Jesus says in Luke 11:28, “Happy … are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” And as David says repeatedly throughout the psalms, “…for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.” Joy doesn’t come from having possessions, indulging pleasures, pursuing ambitions, it comes from the word of God.

Pure, enlightening the eyes

Then David continues there in verse 8, saying,

the commandment of the LORD is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

The Greek translation of the OT , known as the Septuagint, of which the early church used, translates the word ‘pure’ as clear, radiant, or bright. The idea here is that the commandments of the Lord are easily understood, that they’re not ambiguous or hard to understand. The theological term that refers to this clarity is known as the perspicuity of Scripture, that the most important parts of the Bible (as it pertains to salvation and obedience) can be clearly perceived, or understood. Therefore, you don’t have to be a biblical scholar to understand God’s word, and for it to have the affect of enlightening your eyes and illuminating your mind. The commandment of the Lord is clear, and able to give understanding to the one who reads it.
One of the driving doctrines of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century was the perspicuity of Scripture. Which ran contrary to the Roman Catholic Church’s assertion that authentic interpretation of the word of God had been entrusted to the living, teaching office of the Roman Church alone . In other words, the Roman Church believes the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the Pope. This is why so many were killed for translating the Bible into common languages during the Reformation. These translation efforts, however, were, in large part, why the reformation spread and endured, when the people were able to read the Bible for themselves. Therefore, it is a great grace that we have law of the Lord in our hands to read, and for it to enlighten our eyes.

Clean, enduring

Then, in verse 9 we read,

9  the fear of the LORD is clean,

enduring forever;

Here in verse 9 David uses what’s called a metonym for the word of God. A metonym is a word or expression used as a substitute for something else of which it’s closely associated. For example, when we say, “Can you give me a hand” we’re not asking for your literal hand, but for your help. But you usually use your hand to provide help, the helping and the hand are related. So, in this case, in verse 9, when David uses the phrase “the fear of the LORD” he’s referring to the word of God, because the word of God is the reason (or cause) for fearing the Lord. The word of God and the fear of the Lord are directly related.
And so David here is saying that the word of God is clean, that it’s not corrupt, therefore it endures forever. This is why Jesus can say in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” The word of God is undefiled, therefore anyone who follows it will ever be defiled. Commentator, William Plummer, writes that, “it will lead to no corrupt thoughts, emotions, words or deeds.”

True, altogether righteous

Then David wraps up verse 9 and says that,

the rules of the LORD are true,

and righteous altogether.

It might be helpful to translate this verse to say, the judgments of the Lord are true. In other words, what God has said to be right and wrong is certain. When we come to the word of God with a dispute, God’s word settles that dispute, because its judgments are true. Therefore his rules rightly govern our lives. This is why we should seek to have earthly judges that make judgments according to the law of God, and not the changing moral opinions of men, because the judgments of the Lord are true, and altogether righteous.
And if God’s judgments are true, this teaches us that they’re unchanging, just as the beginning of verse 9 affirms, that it endures forever. God’s rules are unchanging, they can be relied upon, and are unrelenting in a world where people think no one can know truth, or that everyone has their own truth. The Apostle Paul described this in his day, in 2 Timothy 3:6-7 when he says there are those who are led away by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at the knowledge of the truth; and that their fundamental problem is not that the truth is unknowable, but that these men oppose the truth.

Bether than gold and honey

Then it’s at this point that David says there in verse 10,

10  More to be desired are they than gold,

even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey

and drippings of the honeycomb.

In other words, this book is beyond all comparison, worth more than gold, and sweeter than honey. The law of the Lord is able to transform one’s life. It’s perfect, it’s certain, it’s righteous, it’s clear, it’s without corruption, it endures forever, it’s completely true, and it’s altogether righteous. It’s able to convert the soul, to make one wise, to rejoice the heart, and enlighten the eyes. There’s nothing more valuable given unto man than this, it’s like a treasure hidden in a field, worth selling all that you have to buy that field.

Declare me innocent

And more than that, David says there in verse 11, that by the rules of the Lord,

is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

That the word of God protects us by its warnings, and that it rewards us for keeping it. That without it we would simply wander off. Now, you might ask, how can David say that there is great reward in keeping it? Doesn’t the law condemn us? For Psalm 130:3 says, “If you , O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” and Paul says in Romans 3:20 that “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes the knowledge of sin.” While this is all true, David also understands, even in his day, that God intends to provide a savior, and that God is also merciful, that he forgives sin. He may not know how God will justify him, or how God will justly forgive his sin, but he knows that he will.
This is why he can go on in verse 12 to say “declare me innocent from hidden faults.” Look at verses 12-13 with me,

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.

In other words, David knows his sins are great, in fact who can know them all? Who can even discern them all? There are too many to count and to know, many of which he’s unaware of, so David throws himself upon the mercy of God, and says, “Declare me innocent from secret sins.” Then he goes on to also ask the Lord to restrain him from presumptuous sins, sins that he’s aware of, and asks that they wouldn’t have dominion over him. Then in the confidence he has in God’s mercy he says, “Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.”

Conclusion

And finally, he ends the psalm in verse 14, saying,

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.

David not only asks for the Lord to keep him from sinful actions, but even to restrain his mouth and his thoughts, that his whole person would be acceptable in God’s sight. David’s prayer gives evidence that his concern is not merely with external acts of obedience, but ultimately with an obedience that comes from the heart. That the Lord would sanctify even his thoughts. That the Lord would redeem him completely from the inside out.

Prayer

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