CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST
July 25, 2004
CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING:
Our congregation Various friends, co-workers and relatives
Our nation, military and leaders David and Leon in the Navy
The Stolte’s in Germany Yevette’s parents
HAPPENINGS:
July 26th - SYS at First Colony
August 2nd - SYS at Southeast
August 9th - SYS at Clear Lake
DECLARING GOD’S GLORY
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1).
Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise and wisdom to God by David with a response. It can be divided into three parts, the first being a hymn about God’s creation, the second about the Torah or Law, and the third a request that God hears.
In verses 1 to 7, David sings of the creation. “The heavens declare the glory of God.” Isn’t the earth and the universe magnificent? Just think of the amazing sights one can see. Various water falls and the power of water throughout the world is one. The Grand Canyon comes to mind. Yellowstone Park and the geysers found there. Beaches, reefs, forests, and mountains all display majesty. Man spends far too much time trying to figure out how all of this was formed rather than seeing the glory of God being expressed in it. The same is true of space. The Hubble Telescope has opened up new views of the heavens that stagger the imagination. All of these, David tells us, declare God’s glory. They “pour forth speech” and “display knowledge.” Stop and smell the flowers is more than just a saying to cause people to slow down. How often do we miss something God is trying to tell us through creation? “There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” Are we listening? In our hurried lives we miss a lot of what God is telling us just by observing His creation. They declare God’s glory.
Verses 8-11 speak of the Torah or Law. It is a series of statements, not on legalism, but on the grace of God given in the spoken word. The Law is “perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure” and “sure.” It causes the reviving of the soul, gives wisdom, joy and light, and endures forever. The Law is more precious than fine gold. God has communicated to us His word for our benefit. David speaks of them being a warning but they are also of great benefit (vs. 12). The Pharisees turned this into a system that became a burden to those who attempted to live under it. That is not the Law’s intent. Paul saw the Law as good (Romans 7:12). Rather the Law or Torah is God’s gracious activity in developing a communal relationship with His people. He did not give Israel a burden to live under but a means of building a relationship through faith and trust. David grasps this idea.
But what about sin? Sin causes us to ignore the glory of God in creation and the gracious activity of God through the Law. So David makes a request (vs. 12-13). “Who can discern his errors?” Good question. Humans try to justify or rationalize away sin so as not to face its consequences. David tried that but failed (see Psalm 32). God reveals our sins so David makes his request: “Forgive my hidden faults.” Sometimes we just do not know that we have sinned. Maybe we don’t because we do not want to go too deep into our souls and examine ourselves for fear of seeing those sins (see Psalm 139). Ignorance is bliss, or so we think. But that doesn’t build relationships. We must learn to be honest with ourselves, with God, and with others. There is more. “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.” Sometimes we walk into sin with our eyes wide open. The problem here is not that we sin but that they do not rule over us in such a way as to destroy us. Again, we can deny that we sinned, or justify our actions, or just harden our hearts, all dangerous activities. Paul too addresses this in Romans 6:1-14. David wants to be free from this, to be blameless and innocent.
After seeing the glory of God in creation and the instruction of God in the Torah, and recognizing the problems of sin, he asks that “the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Where else could he go? His power would not save him nor his ability to write songs. Man’s wisdom is meaningless without God according to The Teacher. Today we hear about “self-made people” who have done it “their way.” They boast in the work of their hands and minds, and brag that no one would or could stand in their way. All the while the creation is declaring the glory of God and the Law the benefits of God’s grace. All of this is missed by the self-made who after all is said and done, find life most unhappy.
The scriptures are repetitious for a reason. We need to be constantly reminded that God is Sovereign and rules His creation. We see His glory in creation even when science thinks it’s an accident. The word given by God is beneficial even though scholars ridicule it as fable and myth. We continue to trust in our Rock and Redeemer even when the world says He does not exist. Why? We know the song and we know the word, and because of that we know the Author of both. This is a great life!
George B. Mearns