Reflections
Psalms - Chapter 19
Entered: October 21, 2008
In this psalm David is overwhelmed with the splendor of God as seen in creation. The heavens declare God's glory, he says, and the sky the work of His hands. Though there is no voice heard, the heavens, influenced by the dominance of the sun, continually communicate God's glory. As Matthew Henry points out, what fools are they who look at all this and say there is no God and see their effect and say there is no cause. David praises the Lord's instruction that makese the inexperienced wise. His precepts are right and His commandments make the eyes light up. His ordinances are more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. Finally, David prays that God will keep him from willful sin and cleanse him from those that are hidden and concludes with these oft quoted words, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, LORD, my rock and my Redeemer."
Entered: November 18, 2013
David testifies in this psalm of two sources of revelation we have of God: His creation and His word. The first does not involve words while the second does. Together they form a whole.
What is communicated by the revelation of God's creation? It declares God's glory and proclaims "the work of His hands." (19:1) Throughout creation we are told that God exists, that He is glorious and He is capable of amazing things. For the thoughtful person this is enough to be drawn to God with a desire to worship Him and learn from Him. In Romans chapter 1, the apostle Paul says that through God's creation His eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen. This communication of God is clear enough, Paul says, that people have no excuse for failing to accept these truths. He went on to say that though people know God they do not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. This is not an informed choice but rather an intention choice. A choice such people claim to be wise but is, instead, foolish. Such people become fools, Paul says, and their thinking becomes nonsense and senseless.
What, then, is communicated by the revelation of God's word? It gives instruction that will make one wise. This instruction is perfect and it is trustworthy. To those who receive the Lord's instruction, they are of greater value than pure gold and are sweeter than honey. In other words, there is nothing of greater value to us than God's instruction, nor are they distasteful to who seek them. This is not to say that some people find them to be distasteful. But this is only because they do not want to accept God's instruction. They have decided they have a better idea. They are convinced God's instructions are aimed at making their lives miserable. Such thinking is an example of the senseless thinking of those who have chosen not to accept the revelation of God's creation.
David jumps from referring to the great reward of keeping God's instructions in verse 11 to speaking of hidden and willful sins in verse 12 and following. His message to us is that failing to follow God's instructions is not only foolish but is sinful. David's prayer was that God would cleanse him from those sins that were hidden from him and therefore unintentional as well as helping him not to willfully sin, allowing sin to rule him. Instead, he prayed, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, LORD, my rock and my Redeemer." (19:14)