:: By Andrew Moore
Ministry sentence: To impact Ps 19 on our daily lives viz to appreciate the wonder of God’s creation and attribute it to Him; to realise that our saving knowledge of Him depends on his special revelation recorded in the written Word and recorded in the living Word; and thus to be in a vital growing relationship with Him through His Word.
Introduction
I’m fascinated with space. What about you? It was great experience visiting Cape Kennedy 5 years go: to see the Apollo space rocket, to view the shuttle’s journey around the world on I-Max.
I’m fascinated with attempts to discover intelligent beings in outer space by sending out radio signals and waiting for return messages. Do you think there is life out there?
Most peoples in the world believe there is something or some one out there. Ancient Greek and Chinese culture had the idea of LOGOS and DHAO an impersonal order or intelligence behind the observable universe. Hebrew culture had the idea of a personal creator God. Then there is everything else in between, various gods, deities, spirits of this or that, angels and demons.
Today we look at Psalm 19 which begins with acknowledging God’s glory in the sky, and ends via the Law of Yahweh with an expression of relationship with the living God.
Let’s look at the text.
TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID
Note this is not part of the biblical text but an editor’s going back at least to the hymn book of the second temple. Originally attributed to King David, the shepherd boy become king, but entirely appropriate for the Jews as they returned from captivity in Babylon and resumed worship of Yahweh the covenant God of Israel.
1-6 The Glory of God’s Creation in Space
BC :
David the shepherd boy would have often seen the stars at night as he tended the sheep on the hillsides around Bethlehem. Who has been to outback Australia? The brilliance of the stars is overwhelming. Banjo Patterson wrote in Clancy of the overflow
Not unlike David’s outburst in v 1. The difference is that Banjo here does not give the credit explicitly to God, whereas David did.
“The heavens” cf Gen 1:1
Light Gen 1:3 Night and Day
“The sky” cf Gen 1:6-83
Sun moon and stars Gen 1:14-19 Day 4
V 2 Day and night there is an abundance of knowledge is yelling at us
V 3 But not with megaphone or PA system in a known language, but
V 4 there is a music-like resonance which takes the message to the ends of the earth
V4b eg The sun comes out of the tent of darkness in the dawn
V 5 like a newly married man radiant with joy and like a champion sprinting the Olympic 1500 metres sets in a blaze of evening glory.
V 6 back to its tent and the next day the same – just in case you didn’t get it the first time. Nothing on the ground escapes its searing heat.
Space and it lights in the darkness are not objects of worship, but evidence of the Creator – who by the way has revealed himself more gloriously in His Word, His Law.
Before we go to v 7 let reflect on creation from the NT point of view:
AD: In Christ all things hold together (Col 1:17) God the Son participated in creation, John 1:1-3, Heb:1:1-3
Natural Revelation is enough to make us accountable (Rom 1:20 and 3:19), enough to give us reason to seek Him (Acts 17:24-27 But not enough to save us (Gen 15:6). Only faith in God and His especially revealed Word of promise. Of course such faith always results in obedience. Does that seem a bit unfair? It is a hard thing but God has revealed that it is only by grace and through faith are we saved and that faith is directed to God revealed in Israel in OT and Jesus in the NT.This why we need to keep sharing the Gospel to people all over the world, Our sinful response to the tiniest bit of natural revelation is to twist the revelation and reject God
7-9 The Impact of Yahweh’s Law in Israel
BC: Daily experience of God, cf Ps 119 Have a quick look Hebrew Bible has a pattern
Yahweh’s redemption preceded His Law-giving (Ex19:4-6)
Jews saw Return from Babylon as a second Exodus so David’s psalm still relevant.
AD: Christians see Jesus death and resurrection as an even greater deliverance than the exodus or Babylon. Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the law, but in practical terms the moral law of the OT still holds and amplified it with the sermon on the mount and “love one another”
Christ is the power and wisdom of God (1Cor 1:24)
Christ is the Word of God become human. (John 1:14)
Look at each verse
V7 reviving or converting the soul, etc. Why need reviving? Because of the sin problem. People always accountable
10,11 God’s Word is Precious and Sweet, Now and Always
BC: Gold if acquired, honey if tasted = if God is trusted and obeyed.
AD: Christ has the words of eternal life (John 6:68).
He is the pearl of great price (Matt 13:44) If ….
12 – 14 Response to God and His revelation
BC: Dealing with sin against God
Growing in fellowship with God
AD: Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Bible, Prayer, Fellowship, Service, Witness