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THREE THINGS GOD REVEALS TO US (Psalm 19)

This is one of the most beautiful psalms. I often hear people quote the first part in reference to nature and God’s creation, but you really need to read it in its entirety to get God’s full message.

Psalm 19 begins this way: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” From there it goes on to talk about God’s beautiful creation. But it is interesting to see how the end of the psalm gets quite personal, dealing with matters of the heart. Look at verse 14. “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”

We do not know when David wrote this particular psalm or its historical context, but we do know what it tells us about God:

He is so big that He holds the entire world in the palm of His hand, but He is so personal that He deals with the most intimate issues of my life.

He is so great that He sustains the whole creation, but He is also so merciful and personal that He comes to where I am and deals with my heart.

This is one of those psalms that brings comfort and conviction at the same time. Isn’t it amazing how scripture can do that? The Lord can encourage you and chasten you simultaneously. It truly is “sharper than any twoedged sword” (Hebrews 4:12) and cuts both ways.

Psalm 19 is a psalm of God’s revelation. It reveals three things.

1. The general revelation, which everyone knows, is the revelation of creation. Just read verses 1-6:

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.”

What he is saying here is that all people have some light, and by that, they have some revelation from the Creator. That is why you can go anywhere in the world, get off an airplane with any group of people in any context, and at least begin with this truth. You can point to the sky and say, “Someone put that there.” You can point to the earth and say, “Someone keeps this going.” That is the general revelation of creation.

2. A sinner needs God’s special revelation, which is the revelation of scripture. Verse 7: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” Previously the emphasis was on everything around us that shows people there is a God, but that is not enough to save someone.

Every man must be converted, having his heart changed. The only way that can happen is through what God reveals in His word. The Bible says in I Peter 1:23, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” The one thing that never changes is the Word of God.

Verses 8-10: “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”

Notice that he points out not only what is true about the scripture but how we are to use it in our lives. After affirming in verse 7 that it is “perfect,” he points out what it does: “converting the soul.” The same is true for each of the succeeding attributes of the Word of God.

It is not enough to say that you believe the Bible or have the Bible. What are you doing with it? Are you allowing the Word of God to do its work in your life today?

Are you hungry for God and to know Him better? If so, then you should have a hunger for the scripture, because that is God’s revelation of Himself.

Verse 11: “Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.”

3. There must be a personal revelation. Verse 11 shows us the benefits of keeping God’s law and what it protects us from. It gets a bit painful after that because it becomes the revelation of my sin, which is made known in light of who God is.

As I look at the world and then at the Word, I see not only God but also myself. The Bible is not only a window to who God is. It is a mirror of who I am, showing my unholiness in the light of His holiness and my need in the light of His sufficiency.

Verse 12: “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.”

Coming to know God’s Word does not just give you more facts that you can absorb. It makes you want to be clean. You will have a desire for Him to cleanse you of those things only you and He know about.

Verse 13: “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.”

See the digression? If you do not want great sins, do not let presumptuous sins have dominion over you. If you do not want those sins, deal with your secret sins. Let God deal thoroughly with the inner recesses of your heart.

Here is the final verse, which should be the prayer of every one of us today: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”

The Lord is the One who saves and who sustains. He will give you the strength today to be who you ought to be. He is the Creator of this world, the God who is revealed in His Word, and the One who wants to deal thoroughly with your heart.

Let Psalm 19 open up God to you and you to Him. May the Lord help all of us stay right with Him.