When theology and poetry are used together, like in this psalm, a unique literary beauty is best expressed musically. The words, the sounds, and the meaning all combine to create an awe in one's soul. Especially when many participate as one voice; this is a psalm of the daytime in which what is seen teaches with silence imposed as one observes evidence of infinite order, power, beauty, intelligence, and design in the Triune God who created everything and knew it was good. It displayed His glory, work, and superiority to human beings and thought. Such marvels in creation surpass human thought. To scrutinize everything we can see with the eye defies our ability to describe the greatness of God's glory. When looked at through the inventions man has made, creation unfolds even more glory than the natural eye would have considered. The knowledge of the fact of a Creator-God is obvious worldwide without a word ever having to be spoken. The ongoing effect of seasons, the continual growth of life, and provisions brought forth from the fullness of God's earth leave no excuse for anyone not to believe in a Divine Creator.
We learn from creation the extent of our limitations and the infiniteness of God and His power. This evidence goes far beyond the limitations of human speech and culture to encompass the whole earth, so that no person can say they did not have the opportunity to know God. The God who explains Himself in the Bible may not be clearly understood by creation alone, "but in every nation, he that feareth Him (God), and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him." Being awakened to an evident fact is one thing. A sunrise or sunset is a thing of beauty for anyone worldwide.
The sun rising to bring a new day reminds us of the Sun of Righteousness, who will arise and have healing in His wings. He is the Creator, the Source, and the Sustainer of all things. The consistency of creation, even though some changes take months, as the seasons of the year, and other things happen quickly, like the falling of a leaf, all testify to the Living Person who created, sustains, and maintains everything in its order. As long as we live in this changing world, the changes that God has built into creation will be consistent and orderly.
However, there have been exceptions for specific purposes. The whole earth was flooded when the water covered it, as the Creator cleansed His creation of the pollution human sin had brought upon it. There was also the time when "there was darkness over all the earth" from noon until mid-afternoon when God dealt in judgment against our sin by laying on our Lord Jesus Christ "the iniquity of us all." There are several ways God speaks without words, and the creation and our conscience that is placed in every person by God leaves us all without excuse.
So, in this hymn of praise and worship, our attention is focused on "God is." "He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Even if they do not know His name, people who want to know the Creator-God can find Him when they respond with intelligence and faith to the unseen Person. They can know Him by faith in what they see, even in the silence of creation.
Then, the psalmist writes of the revelation of God in the law. Creation reveals the fact of God. His law reveals the character of God. In this part of the psalm, He is not the Mighty One (Elohim) but is T referred to as Jehovah, who is just, holy, and pure. This tells us what God is like in Himself. His laws give us an understanding of His expectations of us. This is now a specific revelation of God in the scripture rather than the general revelations of God in creation. Even more in its impact is that the moral characteristics of God are revealed in His commandments. The standard of holiness is set by God for our teaching, instruction, and guidance. To be made aware of God's holiness is to be made aware of the godliness God expects in His people. In describing the characteristics of God's laws, we are conscious of how short we come of God's expectations by nature. We "have come short of the glory of God."
The rules are not only to point out what is wrong with us, our sins, and our failures that have a tendency to leave us in despair, but they can also have the opposite effect. What can be done when we realize we do not measure up to such a standard necessary to please God, for our life to have a purpose, so we can have the liberty to do what is right and pursue happiness? The law is perfect. There is nothing wrong with it, and we have no right to change it to suit ourselves. It is the law of God. The law is complete in itself. There is nothing to be added to it or taken from it. It is the law of God. In that way, it reveals who we are and what we cannot do ourselves and emphasizes our need for God Himself. Nothing but divine intervention can help us face the demands of a perfect law.
The commandments of God make it clear that just judgment will be carried out based on the "sure," the unchanging "testimony of the Lord." The changing laws of men, which are meant to adapt to the rapid decline of morality in human beings, will not affect or change the sure testimonies of God's law. Man hopes that changing laws to suit people makes rules more acceptable. The reality is that once standards are changed, there are no more standards. From then on, everything is up to interpretation. When that comes from the morally depraved minds of people, there is no limit to how far from God's standards people will go.
It is not uncommon for people to say. "How do you know what is right?" The answer is plain. "The statutes of the Lord are right." He made the rules because he determines what is right based on His own character. When our response is right, and when our response is to do what is right, we have joy from within that makes us glad. "The commandment of the Lord is pure." This statement clarifies what is real, in contrast to what can corrupt the mind, soul, and body. A clear understanding of truth gives us a clear and pure vision of all ahead. Conscious awareness of God's holiness puts fear of God in us. There is a sensible fear of doing wrong, and the consequences motivate a believer to be clean morally and spiritually. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
When God makes decisions, they are based on truth that does not change, and justice is based on righteousness. There is no compromising to make people feel good about themselves. The law of God is given not to discourage us and cause despair but to revive us and give us wisdom and joy that comes with common sense and obedience to God's law. It gives us the light of understanding, warnings as to the consequences of sin when laws are broken, and the blessings that are ours when He guides us in obedience to the Lord. The law warns us against the seriousness of sin and tells of rewards when they are kept. Gold is precious, and honey is sweet, so it is when we respond in faith and holiness to the Lord there is great reward
The law certainly does its work by making us face our sins. Humans often don't realize how morally flawed we are until we face the reality and consequences of God's law. Sometimes we sin and don't realize it until we experience a sense of guilt when we may have done something good but for the wrong motive. Self- interest can creep up on us until we become so used to it that we don't know what is really wrong with it. Other times, we may have work to do, but we neglect some parts of it or avoid the hard parts and concentrate on what is easy. "Secret faults" are ideas that make us try to justify ourselves or convince us that we haven't sinned. Then there are those "presumptuous sins" that are determined to overcome us, such as self-will and rebellion. The "great transgression" of unbelief and rejection of God's mercy and grace is actually like calling God a liar. Unbelief is a personal attack on the integrity of God by not believing what He says.
David understood the importance of open expression with his mouth, the thoughts that come from his heart. To deliberately be open to the Lord with the meditations of our hearts and put them into words is worship. One should question whether we would like our thoughts to be openly expressed in front of people. How much more should it make us conscious of all I am and am known for is examined by the Lord. It is incumbent upon all God's children to be careful about what we allow ourselves to meditate on and to ensure our spoken words are used properly.
The Lord Jehovah, who knows all about us, is the One with whom we want our true fellowship. He is our Rock, unmovable and safe. He is the Redeemer who has taken responsibility for the sins of those who trust Him by paying the price of our sins Himself with His life. His grace makes it possible for us to have the personal relationship David wrote about when he used the personal pronoun "my." "My Rock. My Strength. My Redeemer." What a blessing! What grace!
PSALM 19. Natural revelation and the written word. There are two revelations here:
1. A “general” revelation of God in the heavens. A child has to be taught not to believe in God.
2. A “special” revelation of God in history and scripture (Knowing God, Jer. 9:24).
This is the most outstanding, concise statement on the sufficiency of scripture. It is a catalog of scripture's characteristics and benefits. There are six statements about scripture.
His WAY is perfect. Ps. 18:30. His WORK is perfect. De. 32:4. His WORD is perfect. Ps. 19:7. His WILL is perfect. Rom.12:2.