This week we leave off our study of Exodus for a while and will look at various subjects over the next month or so. Psalm 19 gives us insight into how God reveals himself to us, and I want to look at the psalm from that perspective.
In verses 1-6 we see that God reveals himself in creation. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork (verse 1).” Creation is so staggering, the message from it is loud and clear; God who made it and holds it together is great. It is a message that repeats every day and every night (verse 2).
This message has no language barriers (verse 3); neither is there any place it does not reach (verse 4). The sun is so prominent in the daily lives of men, we are directed to be in awe of its daily appearance in the skies (verse 5-6).
There are men who scoff at the depiction of the sun “rising” and “running its course.” It seems clever to them to catch the Lord who made the heavens and earth in a scientific mistake. The text, of course, is a poem that is pointing to the wonder of whatmen see every day. It also points to our accountability to what is revealed. Scoffing at the Lord is not clever at all.
For believers the creation directs us to be in awe of God and worship him alone. It is a reminder God will take care of his people though they have tribulation in this world. God who made all does not forget any of his people. In Isaiah 40, God directs his people to look above at the stars and remember he set them in their place and calls each by name.
Therefore, his people are not to wonder if there path is hidden from the Lord, but remember the Lord is the everlasting God, who made all things. The testimony of the heavens is not a mere hint, but an unmistakable declaration that you can depend upon God. Jesus says the same in Matthew 6 with respect to more simple creatures such as birds and lilies. If God helps them, he will help his people.
Another way God reveals himself is in his word (verses 7-11). The phrases David uses, “The law of the Lord, the testimony of the Lord, the precepts of the Lord, the commandments of the Lord,” all refers to God’s Word. We call this special revelation. The Scriptures are God’s special revelation. For David this would have meant at least the first five books of the Bible. For us, it is the whole Bible.
However great natural revelation or the creation is in revealing God to us, special revelation is more important. It is vital for a correct understanding of God. It directs us how we may have a right relationship with God. It points us to Christ. It tells us of God’s nature and his will for us; how we may glorify and enjoy him.
David says Scripture gives us light and joy (verse 8). This doesn’t mean a Christian understands everything perfectly nor has joy all the time. It means there is no other place to have your eyes enlightened to God (savingly), and to know joy of fellowship with God. Scripture is essential for us coming to know God and walking with God.
This is why David speaks of it as being more desired than gold and sweeter than honey. Scripture is to be the daily companion of the believer. A person with failing lungs cannot go without his oxygen machine with him; neither can a Christian, subject to assaults everywhere on his faith, dare to live without the Word of God. God’s word is life to us; we must treat it that way.
Another way God reveals himself to us is in our conscience (verses 12-14). The conscience is treacherous because of sin. We tend to form our opinions of God as we want him to be rather than how he is. David helps us here by directing us to principles of how to know we are being rightly affected by God’s revelation from nature and Scripture.
One way is becoming aware of our dependence upon God’s help. David says, “Who can discern his errors?” Praying for God’s help means you know you need God’s Spirit to not only understand rightly, but also not to ignore the revelation God has given you (keep me from presumptuous sins). David’s plea in verse 14 is for a humble, right response to God’s revelation.
