Psalms 19

Psalms 19THEME: The revelation of God in His creation, in His commandments, and in ChristThis can be called a great psalm of creation. It has been divided by many scholars into two parts: creation and the revelation of Jehovah in the Law, that is, in His Word. I have attempted to divide the psalm into three parts: creation of the cosmos, the commandments, and ChristI feel that He has a special place here in the subject of redemption, salvation, and the grace of God. We will find God revealed in His creation, in His commandments, and in His grace in Christ. This is all that God saw fit to give to man, and I do not think He has exhausted all the things He could tell us about Himself. This is another psalm of David, and it is so called in the inspired text. Also there is a division right in the text: the first part (vv. Psa_19:1-6) uses El for the name of God, meaning the “Mighty One.” He is the Mighty One in creation"In the beginning Elohim [Elohim is the plural of El] created the heavens and the earth" (see Gen_1:1). Elohim is His name as the Creator. The second division begins at verse Psa_19:7, “The law of the LORD is perfect"and His name is Jehovah. It is so used seven times in this section, and the last time two other names are added, Jehovah, Tzuri, Goeli, meaning “Jehovah, my Rock, my Redeemer.” Common sense scholarship does not try to explain the difference in names by contending that it was written by two different authors.

If the same common sense had been used in the study of the Pentateuch, some scholars would not have come up with the “Jehovist and Elohist” writers of the Pentateuch theory. The same writer wrote it, using the two names for God. The Psalms flood light on many sections of the Bible. I trust they bless your heart and life.

Psalms 19:1

GOD IN CREATIONThis is a morning psalm. It speaks of creation in the first six verses. Psalms 8 was a creation psalm, and in it we saw the moon and the stars. It was a night psalm. Psalms 19 is called a day psalm because it is the sun that is brought before us. Now I want to share with you the translation made by Dr. Arno C. Gaebelein, who was one of my teachers, and in whom I have great confidence. He was well acquainted with the great Hebrew and German scholars who made a thorough study of the Book of Psalms: “The heavens declare the glory of God and the expanse maketh known the work of His hands. Day unto day poureth forth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledgethere is no speech and there are no words, Yet their voice is heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and to the end of the earth their words; in them hath He set a tent for the sun.

And he is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, He rejoiceth as a strong man to run the course. His going forth is from the end of the heavens, and his circuit unto the ends of them, and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof” (The Book of Psalms, p. 89). This is a marvelous psalm. “The heavens declare the glory of God.” Paul says it this way in Rom_1:20, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” The heavens tell out the wisdom of God, they tell out the power of God, and they tell out, I think, something of the plan and purpose of God. From the beginning creation has been the primitive witness of God to man, His creature. In all the creeds of the church, including the Apostles’ Creed, creation is ascribed exclusively to God the Father. But when you come to the New Testament, where there is an amplification even of the act of creation, you find that it is not exactly accurate to say that God the Father is the Maker of heaven and earth. The Trinity was involved in the creation of the earth. In fact, the word Elohim is a plural word in the Hebrew, and it speaks of the Trinity. The New Testament tells us that the Lord Jesus was the agent of creation, and the Holy Spirit came in and refurbished and revamped it: “…the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Gen_1:2). The apostle John tells of another beginning: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (Joh_1:1-3). This is the Lord Jesus Christ. Col_1:16, speaking about the Lord Jesus, says, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” The Lord Jesus was the agent in creation. The first chapter of Ephesians tells us that all the members of the Trinity were involved in our redemption: God the Father planned it, the Son paid for it, and the Holy Spirit protects it. This applies to God’s creation as well: God the Father planned this universe; the Son carried out the plan, and He is the One who redeemed it; and the Holy Spirit today is moving and brooding over this creation. It is interesting to note that the sun is prominent and likened to a bridegroom coming out of his chamber. When I was in Jerusalem, every morning I could see the sun come up over the side of the Mount of Olives. What a thrill it was to see the light breaking on Jerusalemthe walls of the city, the high places first. It touched David’s tomb on Mount Zion, then touched the tops of the buildings, and then moved to the temple area. It was thrilling, and it was a picture of another bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. Some day He is coming in glory to this earth, but before He comes, He is going to take His church out of the world.

He is the Bright and Morning Star. The Bright and Morning Star always appears before the sun rises. What a picture we have here in creation! There is nothing quite like it. This wonderful, wonderful psalm pictures creation.

Psalms 19:7

GOD IN HIS COMMANDMENTSAgain let me give you Dr. Gaebelein’s translation: “The Law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring for ever; the judgments of Jehovah are truth, they are altogether righteous. More to be desired than gold, than much fine gold, and sweeter than honey, and honey-comb. By them thy servant is warned, in keeping them the reward is great” (The Book of Psalms, p. 91). Now notice what he says about the commandments:

1. They are perfect. The Law cannot save us because it is perfect and we are not. We cannot measure up to it, but there is nothing wrong with the Law. Paul, who set forth the grace of God, says this about the Law, “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin” (Rom_7:12-14). There is nothing wrong with the Law, but it is an administration of death to us because there is something radically wrong with us. The Law was given to show us that we are sinners before God. The Law is perfect.
2. “The testimony of the LORD is sure.” Don’t bank on God changing to the “new” morality. God is not reading some of the new views of psychology, and He is not listening to the decisions that some judges are handing down. God is going to punish sinHe says that is what He is going to do. The testimony of the Lord is sure. Judgment is coming. The commandments reveal that.
3. “The statutes of the LORD are right.” Someone says, “There are certain commandments I don’t like.” Well, maybe you don’t like them, but God does. They are right. What makes them right? In a college sociology class years ago, I had a professor who was always saying, “Who is going to determine what is right? How do you know what is right?” I didn’t know the answer then, but now I know that God determines what is right. This is His universe; He made it, and He made the rules. Maybe you do not like the law of gravitation, but I advise you not to fool with it. That is, if you go to the top of a ten-story building, don’t step off, because God will not suspend the law of gravitation for you. It operates for everyone, doesn’t it?
4. “The commandment of the LORD is pure.” I tell you, it is pure. It will do something for youennoble you and lift you up.
5. “The fear of the LORD is clean.” We are told that this word fear means “reverential trust.” I believe it means more than that. It means fear. We do well to fear God, my friend. I loved my Dad, but I sure was afraid of him. He kept me in line, and I think, in the final analysis, that is what kept me out of jail. I knew that when I did wrong there would be trouble. The fear of the Lord is clean; the fear of the Lord will clean you up. Fear of my Dad made me a better boy, but I still loved him.
6. “The judgments of the LORD are true.” Do you want to know what truth is? Pilate wanted to know. He asked our Lord, “…What is truth? …” (Joh_18:38), and Truth was standing right in front of him in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
7. “The judgments of the LORD are …righteous.” They are right. Whatever God does is right. This is a tremendous section. We ought to learn to love all of the Word of Godall of it. Several people have written to me because they think I am opposed to the Ten Commandments. Why, the Ten Commandments are wonderful; I am not opposed to them. I am opposed to Vernon McGeehe can’t keep them. If you can keep them, then you can ask God to move over; and you can sit beside Him because you have made it on your own. But God says you cannot keep them, and I agree with Him. He told me I would not make it on my own, and I agree with Him. I have to come as a sinner to God.

Psalms 19:12

THE GRACE OF GOD IN CHRISTThis brings us to the grace of God in Christ. “Who can understand his errors?” Who can? I use subterfuge a great deal. My wife says I rationalize. In fact, I am pretty good at that. I can give excuses, but God won’t accept them. God says that you cannot understand your errors. Just take His word for it that you are a sinner. “Cleanse thou me from secret faults.” Secret faults are the problem with a great many folk today. They are secret from themselvesthey think they are not sinners. “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins …and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.” Do you know what “the great transgression” is? It is the rejection of Jesus Christ, the One who is set before us in this psalm. Now listen to the psalmist. This is a verse that you hear many times in a believer’s prayer. “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Who was David’s strength? Christ! Who was his redeemer? Christ. He is also my strength and my redeemer. He becomes that through the grace of God. What a wonderful psalm this is!