7-5-2020 The Real Deal Psalm 19
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
What happens to people after they die when they have never had the opportunity to hear the gospel, the good news about the Christ? Perhaps like those that are born and raised in remote African tribes? this is a great question dealing with the topic of Christian apologetics- the study of the defense of the Christian faith. For those of you familiar with this topic, or any other topic in apologetics, typically you don’t think of the book of Psalms for finding great support material. You would probably first think of the New testament-- and rightly so-- because the New testament is more concerned about doctrine, then the topic would dictate which one of the gospels or the apostle Paul’s letters you would turn to specifically.
However as we saw with last week in Psalm chapter 14, the Psalms do indeed touch on the topic of apologetics. Psalm chapter 14 is a hint of it, then Psalm chapter 19 starts to unpack a key tool in understanding how YHWH works and through apologetic
Transition:
To give some context, Psalm 18, David’s deliverance from Saul is a foreshadowing of future salvation. Psalms 18 and 19 both give a picture of God’s appearance, Psalm 18 in terms of the exodus and Sinai (18:7–15), and Psalm 19 in terms of the heavens’ declaration of God’s glory (19:1–6) and the Law/Torah’s enlightenment (19:7–11).
Psalm 19 tells us that the reality of God can be understood in two ways:
through God’s creation and
through His commandments—the Bible!
The first few verses form what is called natural/general revelation (Rm 1:19–20), meaning that the observation of creation calls for an acknowledgment of God’s existence.
19 because what can be known about God is evident among them, for God made it clear to them. 20 For from the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, both his eternal power and deity, are discerned clearly, being understood in the things created, so that they are without excuse.
The wisdom and power and glory of God are displayed in what He has made; it is a continuous revelation in the skies (vv. 1–4) dominated by the sun (vv. 4–6).
The second half of our Psalm speaks of “special revelation”
Scripture Reading: So let’s read Psalm 19 together
For the music director. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.
2 Every day they pour forth speech, and every night they tell knowledge.
3 There is no speech and there are no words; their sound is inaudible.
4 Yet in all the world their line goes out, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5 and it is like a bridegroom who comes out of his bridal chamber. It is glad like a strong man to run its course.
6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens and its circuit to the other end of them; and nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The law of Yahweh is perfect, reviving life. The testimony of Yahweh is firm, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of Yahweh are right, making the heart rejoice. The command of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of Yahweh is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of Yahweh are true; they are righteous altogether,
10 more desirable than gold, even much fine gold; and sweeter than honey, even honey in the comb.
11 Moreover, your servant is warned by them; in keeping them is great reward.
12 Who can perceive his errors? Acquit me from hidden faults.
13 Also, keep back your servant from arrogant sins; let them not rule over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your presence, O Yahweh, my rock and my redeemer.
We see here that the heavens silently declare God’s glory in the everyday ever-expanding cosmos. Verses 1–6 portray the Creator God, who stands over and transcendent/apart from His world. The only possible way for David to describe this portrait is by the personification of the sun that rises like a bridegroom from his tent and streaks across the sky in a parade of strength and joy to the other extremity of the firmament. Parallel to that universal witness of YHWH is the Torah/or law (vv.7–11), which presents God’s personal involvement/ or His eminence with the world.
The shift from the cosmos to humanity in v.7 is no coincidence, King David highlights the power of the law/Torah to transform life, and to ensure that the Torah (rather than sin) rules over life. This may be seen as an application of the Torah (the spoken and written word of God) to the story of Genesis 2–3, which would have produced a totally different outcome. The Genesis story itself was a challenge to God’s word (“Did God really say …,” Gen. 3:1). If the message of this psalm had been the answer that the woman, Eve, gave the serpent, the history of humanity would have been radically different.
Transition:
Within this song, we have David who has several proclamations to make. Let’s look at these proclamations together:
I. The Creation’s (not so) Silent Proclamation (19:1–6)
I. The Creation’s (not so) Silent Proclamation (19:1–6)
This is the proclamation of God’s voice:
The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.
“The heavens declare the glory of God.”
Psalm 148:1 and 4 also picture the heavens praising God.
Notice that the “heavens” and the “firmament” (NIV: “skies”) are parallel, as they are in Genesis (especially Gen. 1:8, “God called the vault ‘sky’”). The sense is similar to Ezekiel 43:2, where the “glory” of God alludes to the splendor and light of God’s presence. One Rabbi commentator said that this verse “intimates that the light from the heavenly bodies is but a flicker of the wondrous light of God’s glory.”
Every day they pour forth speech, and every night they tell knowledge.
“pour forth”
The metaphor is the bubbling of a spring, which is the basic meaning of the verb translated as “pour forth”
Every culture, every people, every situation has a missionary, for the heavens declare the glory of God, the greatness of the Creator.
There is no speech and there are no words; their sound is inaudible.
This makes sense since there is no air for sound waves to travel
Yet in all the world their line goes out, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has pitched a tent for the sun,
“their line/voice goes out"
The word translated as “their line/voice” is “measuring line” in Hebrew (thus the LEB & KJV: “their line”). The NIV and other translations follow the LXX, which has “their voice” (phthoggos), which fits the context better. The metaphor is the wedding festival, and the nuptial tent where the bride and groom consummated their marriage, or the bridal house from which the bridegroom departs (as the rising sun) to claim his bride.
In Romans 10:18, Paul quotes this exact verse using the word “voice” to answer his question “Did they [Israel] not hear?”
But I say, they have not heard, have they? On the contrary, “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world.”
This message, if not the word from Christ himself, is the penultimate word of God, spoken in the silent voice of the heavens, on the way to Christ.
and it is like a bridegroom who comes out of his bridal chamber. It is glad like a strong man to run its course.
“like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber… glad/rejoicing”.
The poetic description of the sun as a groom was intended to undermine a false belief in the sun’s divinity. In the ancient world the sun god, who was also the god of law (later worshiped in Israel, 2 Kg 23:11), was described in a similar way. The sun is not a divinity; instead, with its energy it dominates the skies as a testimony to its Creator.
Illustration:
Before we move on, these first few verses are used in a couple Apologetic arguments
Do Apologetic Arguments Prove There Is a God?
Do Apologetic Arguments Prove There Is a God?
YES!
The cosmological argument
The cosmological argument
It is also called the argument from first cause. It starts with the existence of the universe and reasons to the existence of God as the best explanation of the universe. There are different forms of the argument, but generally it says that everything that exists was caused to come into existence by something other than itself. That cause was itself caused by something else, as was the previous cause, and so on back. Yet as we trace this series of causes backwards, we must eventually come to a first cause. We have only one concept that matches our idea of a first cause, itself not caused by anything. That concept is God. Therefore, God must exist since there are things in existence today.
then there is:
The teleological argument
The teleological argument
The teleological argument proves the existence of God through the evident design of the universe. Everything in nature, from the intricate design and complexity of the human body to the pollination of plants exhibits deliberate design, much like a watch must have a watchmaker. The difference is that whatever intelligence designed the universe was of far greater capacity than the human mind. This, we call God. Therefore, God exists.
AND while these are great arguments, they (like other apologetic arguments) are incomplete. Mainly because these arguments prove that a God exists-- it doesn’t necessitate the God of the Bible, so it could prove any God-like divinity. This is one of the big reasons why “Special” Revelation is necessary. This is exactly where King David takes us:
Transition:
After talking about the glories seen in nature, David proclaims the supernatural revelation seen in the Word.
II. The Torah’s Oral Proclamation (19:7–11)
II. The Torah’s Oral Proclamation (19:7–11)
This is the proclamation of God’s word:
This second part of the psalm is the transition from General Revelation to Special Revelation and explains revelation in verbal form through divine inspiration. The law did not come from a sun god, but from the Lord, the sovereign Creator. Now, I do recognize usually when talking about Special Revelation-- you think of the Gospel of Jesus, the Christ; but since this is before Christ came, this is the best that King David can do for his time.
The law of Yahweh is perfect, reviving life. The testimony of Yahweh is firm, making wise the simple.
“The law of the LORD is perfect...”
The “law” (torah) is a general term for God’s self-revelation-- It comes from a verb (yrh) that means “to point out” or “teach,” thus giving us “instruction,”
For the most part, the “law” nouns in verses 7–9, while they have their fine nuances, are synonyms of the Torah, with the exception of “the fear of the LORD” (which is the human response to God’s instruction; 19:9). Kidner concludes: “Together, these terms show the practical purpose of revelation, to bring God’s will to bear on the hearer and evoke intelligent reverence, well-founded trust, detailed obedience.”12 This is the perfect life enabled by the perfect law.
This law is “perfect” (temimah, “whole” or “complete”), The Law of the Lord is perfect—but I’m not. I need to be converted. I need to be saved. The Law is a schoolmaster, Paul would say, to show us our sinful condition and that we’re in need of salvation (Galatians 3:24, 25).
His revelation is open to all, to guide them in righteousness; the full revelation of the Godhead will come in Jesus, the Christ (Heb 1:1–3). The sudden shift here from the realm of nature to the realm of Israelite law proves that God’s moral law—His principles for human behavior—are grounded in the structure of the universe (Rm 1:17–25). The creative power of God underlies the integrity of the law. Immanuel Kant had this to say: “Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the oftener and more steadily we reflect on them: the starry heavens above me, and the moral law within me.”
The law of Yahweh is perfect, reviving life. The testimony of Yahweh is firm, making wise the simple.
“…reviving life/converting the soul/refreshing the soul…”
(Ps. 23:3 uses the same Hebrew terms)
He restores my life. He leads me in correct paths for the sake of his name.
“He restores my life”
The law of Yahweh is perfect, reviving life. The testimony of Yahweh is firm, making wise the simple.
“The testimony/statutes … making wise the simple.”
The word translated “statutes” means attested truth. The Word of God never is out of date and this is still true today.
The precepts of Yahweh are right, making the heart rejoice. The command of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes.
“The precepts"
The word “precepts” (piqqudim) carries the meaning of “regulations” Being morally right brings great joy to the heart.
The precepts of Yahweh are right, making the heart rejoice. The command of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes.
“enlightening the eyes.”
illuminate one’s understanding (“eyes”) just as the sun illuminates the world.
When my kids were little, we had a two-foot wading pool in the backyard. After all the neighborhood kids came for a swim, the water would be so cloudy that I couldn’t even see the bottom. So I would empty it out, patch the holes and fill it up. Then it would be crystal clear once again. That’s what the Word does. It’s pure and allows us to get to the bottom of things, to see clearly.
The fear of Yahweh is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of Yahweh are true; they are righteous altogether,
“The fear of the LORD is pure…”
Now David turns to the human response to God’s law and describes it as “pure,” with the same word that is used of something ceremonially “clean”.
That’s what the Word does. It reveals my sin, but it also removes sin as it shows me the blood that was shed and the way I am to walk as I depend on God.
[{Psalm 119:9)
How can a young man keep his way pure? By taking heed according to your word.
Jesus takes this further in the NT [(Ephesians 5:26)]
in order that he might sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word;
“cleansing...washing ... by the word”
David see the ordinances’ value in terms of the world’s most precious commodity:
more desirable than gold, even much fine gold; and sweeter than honey, even honey in the comb.
(gold) to enrich life materially, and the sweetest delicacy (honey) to increase life’s pleasure.
The worth of the Torah is communicated through my kind of understanding! “sweeter than honey.” Everyone knows that with my sugar addiction, this is extremely valuable!!
Each phrase takes the thought further toward refinement, not just gold, but “much pure gold,” not just honey, but “honey from the honeycomb.”
Illustration:
The value of God’s Word
The value of God’s Word
Pakistan is one country that has religious freedom guaranteed by its constitution but where Christians often face prosecution under blasphemy laws or persecution from neighbors. One pastor, “Edward John,” held sewing classes at a sewing center in Karachi. A student, Abia, was curious about the daily Bible readings and asked repeatedly to have a copy of her own. So one day Pastor Edward gave her a Bible, and he never saw her again. Instead, five men (one, Abia’s brother) came and shot up the center and brutally beat Pastor Edward.16
Despite dangers like these, there are Christians all over the world who treasure their Bibles and who seek to put God’s Word into people’s hands, even at great personal risk.
Moreover, your servant is warned by them; in keeping them is great reward.
Notice here that it is not in just hearing or in knowing the judgments of the Lord that there is great reward. It is in keeping them that there is great reward.
Transition:
now with general and special revelation out in the open, King David moves to his own personal proclamation:
III. The Psalmist’s Personal Proclamation and Prayer (19:12–14)
III. The Psalmist’s Personal Proclamation and Prayer (19:12–14)
I hope you appreciate the alliteration I did there in this last point!
King David’s reflections in vv.12–13, interestingly, focus on the power of sin, which is the centerpiece of Genesis 2–3.
Who can perceive his errors? Acquit me from hidden faults.
Judging from his entreaty “Forgive my hidden faults” (literally, “Cleanse me from hidden [faults]”), David is alluding to his own sin.
Also, keep back your servant from arrogant sins; let them not rule over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
“Lord, show me my faults,” David prays. “Don’t let me get away with either deliberate sins or secret sins.”
Also, keep back your servant from arrogant sins; let them not rule over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
“rule”
As he contemplates his own sin, he even employs the verb that came to describe sin’s overpowering force in the early history of the human family. The “hidden faults” (v.12), the willful sins, and the great transgression are echoes of humanity’s fall. Now David faces the situation again on a personal scale.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your presence, O Yahweh, my rock and my redeemer.
“Cause my meditation in Your Word and my meditation about You to be acceptable in Your sight in order that I might have fellowship and intimacy with You.” Oh, that this prayer of David’s would be ours.
Illustration:
Psalms & hymns grow out of life experience with God
Psalms & hymns grow out of life experience with God
The Hymn: “How Great Thou Art,” by Stuart K. Hine.
Hine was an English missionary to Poland in the 1920s. During his time there, he heard a Russian version of a Swedish poem put to a Swedish melody. Later, Hine made his own arrangement of the Swedish melody and added English words, creating the hymn we sing today. The first three verses were written based on experiences after climbing to a village in the mountains. He heard the thunder echoing through the mountains and wrote the first verse. Pushing on, he crossed through Romania continuing into Bukovina. As he wandered through the woods and forest glades, listening to the birds singing in the trees, he was inspired to write the second verse. Throughout his journey, Hine preached the gospel. The third verse was inspired through the conversion of many of the people who lived in the Carpathian Mountains. Like the Psalms, the hymns and worship songs we sing have a context, coming out of people’s lives and experiences with God. Hine, overwhelmed by the glory of God, was moved to write this great hymn of praise.
So What?
So What?
An obvious but easily overlooked feature of the text is the use of the divine names. “God” (’el, shortened form of ’elohim) in verse 1 refers to the Creator of the world(the longer form ’elohim occurs much like in Genesis). Then, when the song shifts to the meditation on the Torah, “LORD” (YHWH), the name of the covenant God, occurs seven times. We can speak of the transcendent God of Genesis 1, who is distinct from creation, and the immanent God of Genesis 2–3, who enters into a personal relationship with creation through the covenant.
This leads us into the literary beauty and theological balance of the psalm. C.S. Lewis has called it “the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.”
Two points for the central thrust of this psalm.
First, David hears the voice of the creative word, or the voice of nature, God’s creation. It is, in fact, a whole choir, singing the oratorio of creation, even though its audience is like the deaf Beethoven hearing the spiritual rather than the audible symphony. Paul confirms that in creation we can see that there is a God—his eternal power and deity (Rom. 1:20). The message of the planetarium choir, the multiple billions of celestial bodies, is this: the God of Scripture made the universe (Ps. 100:3).
We may point to the ageless human effort to equate the God of creation with the creation itself. Sinful human nature leans in the direction of pantheism. It is invoked in the temptation narrative: “The woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom” (Gen. 3:6)—the fruit was virtually a substitute for God.
Second, we hear the voice of Scripture informing us about what kind of God is the God who speaks in nature. John Calvin is attributed with the saying, “From nature we know only the hands and feet of God, but from Scripture we know His heart.” The heavens cannot tell us that “God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son” .
We can effectively emphasize here the transforming power of God’s word and its value for life. On the contrary, it is our sins that are burdensome, from which the divine word releases us. The qualities in verses 7–9 reminds us that YHWH, through His Word, remakes, restores, and re-creates us into the persons he intends us to be.
In Conclusion:
▪ The heavens are a silent witness to God’s glory.
▪ The Torah is a vocal witness to God’s glory.
▪ The Torah life is sweet.