Divine Revelation: Nature’s Song and Scripture’s Word

By Denise Trio

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”—Psalm 19 (NIV)

Imagine a sunrise walk on the beach. The waves are calm. The wind is still. The colors are dark. Suddenly, the first beams of light from the sun peak over the horizon and begin to paint the vast sky and the mirror-like ocean with beautiful pinks, oranges, yellows, and blues. “The heavens declare the glory of God.” And this doesn’t just happen one time. Every morning, without human effort or thought or input, the sun rises and the heavens once again proclaim the glory of God. “Day after day they pour forth speech.”

About twelve hours later, the sky grows dark. The moon shines. White specks of stars dot the expanse, they’re indicators of light farther away than we could imagine. “Night after night they reveal knowledge.” Every night the sun sets and the moon rises, just as the sun did hours earlier and will again hours later. This complementary song of night and day happens every day in every part of the world. “Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

This is a general revelation. This is a way Creator God communicates with the people He’s made. He uses nature and creation to reveal Himself to us, so everyone might know what He’s like. This is indicative that the God of the Universe wants to have a relationship with you.

But general revelation isn't enough to fully understand God and enter into a relationship with Him. That’s why God gave us His Word. The Bible is called special revelation, and it reveals to us the way to salvation. As this chapter says, the law and decrees are the Word of God. It’s the only thing that can refresh our souls, give us wisdom, bring light to our eyes, and bring joy to our hearts. The Word is everlasting, perfect, and righteous. It's more precious than gold and sweeter than honey.

What’s more, is that the Word of God points us to Jesus. John tells us that the Word, special revelation, is Jesus, who existed in the beginning of creation, general revelation. So, in Jesus, we have general revelation and special revelation, the most perfect and whole demonstration of God’s desire to show His people what He’s like and how to be in relationship with Him.

The psalmist, David, through divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, writes this way and summarizes his chapter with a beautiful prayer. He’s asking for forgiveness, because standing in front of a holy God, it’s impossible to not see our sins. In Jesus, our sins are made clean and we can stand before our holy God.

David further acknowledges the power and perfection of God’s revelation to us through nature and the Word, and in response, He asks God to be pleased with his thoughts and his speech. It’s almost as if he’s responding to God’s call to be known by His people and wants to join in the sounds of glory being raised by the heavens. Would you join with the psalmist today?

Pause: What are some ways you’ve experienced God through creation? How has God spoken to you through His Word?

Practice: Go outside to watch the sunrise or the sunset. As you look up into the heavens, notice how God reveals Himself. Join in the songs of praise and thank God for all He’s done.

Pray: Thank You God for the ways You’ve chosen to reveal Yourself. I see You in all of creation. I see You in the Bible. I want to know You more. I want to join the song that all of nature is singing. I echo the prayer of David. Forgive me of my sins, Lord. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.