Psalm 19

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading — Psalm 19
• Sermon
• Prayer

---

Sermon Title: Two Books — Nature and Scripture

Scripture: Psalm 19

I. The Book of Nature — General Revelation (Psalm 19:1–6)

A. General Revelation is loud

1. The heavens declare, the sky proclaims, day to day pours out speech — creation is not merely hinting at a designer; it is screaming the glory of God
2. We are called not just to be awed superficially but to study creation and mine its depths for knowledge of God — like an art expert opening up the meaning of a great painting

B. The sun as the star of the passage (Psalm 19:4–6)

1. In the ancient Near East, surrounding pagan cultures treated the sun as a divine being (e.g., the Egyptian Pharaoh as the sun god)
2. David makes a polemical point: the sun is not divine — it moves at the command of Yahweh; the God of Israel is the God of the sun
3. The sun as bridegroom imagery anticipates Christ: the Son of God, the light of the world, the bridegroom who comes for his bride

C. Creation as metaphor for the Redemptive narrative

1. Jesus does not say "I am like the bread / vine / light" — he says "I am" (John 6:35, John 15:1, John 8:12) — creation itself points to him
2. Romans 8:19–22 — all creation groans and longs for the revealing of the sons of God; creation pours out speech about the grand redemptive narrative
3. Regenerate Christians should bask in creation, seeing in it glimpses of the glory of God and the meta-narrative of redemption centered on Christ

II. The Book of the Bible — Special Revelation (Psalm 19:7–10)

A. The shift in the divine name is significant

1. Verses 1–6 use Elohim — the majestic God of the universe, fitting for creation
2. Verses 7–10 use Yahweh (LORD) no fewer than seven times — the personal covenant name, signaling that in Scripture God condescends to have personal relationship with his people

B. The nouns used for God's revelation

1. Law (Torah) — comprehensive term for God's entire revealed will; think: the whole Bible
2. Testimony — God's self-attesting covenant declaration binding his people to himself
3. Precepts and Commandments — indicate the precision and authority of God's speech
4. Rules (ordinances / judgments) — judicial decisions recorded for various human situations; sound verdicts found within Scripture
5. Fear — our fitting response of reverence, awe, and respect

C. The adjectives used for God's revelation

1. Perfect — flawless, blameless; no spot or wrinkle in God's Word
2. Sure — self-verifying, self-authenticating, self-confirming; Scripture attests itself (cf. Westminster Confession on Scripture)
3. Right — morally straight, not crooked; the Bible is an ethical masterpiece
4. Pure — untainted, no dross whatsoever
5. True — dependable; it always supports those who lean on it
6. The comprehensive scope of these terms mirrors the all-encompassing witness of creation — from the ends of the earth to Genesis through Revelation, a grand witness to the wonder of God

III. The Response to Special Revelation (Psalm 19:11–14)

A. There is great reward in keeping God's Word (Psalm 19:11)

B. Yet David's response is not self-congratulation but humble dependence (Psalm 19:12–14)

1. Hidden faults — David recognizes sins he cannot even perceive in himself that bar him from the glory of God; he needs God to declare him innocent
2. Presumptuous sins — he asks God to keep them from having dominion over him
3. Even his words and meditations he places in God's hands — "let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight"

C. The psalm is structurally consistent throughout

1. It begins in awe of Elohim in creation
2. It moves to awe of Yahweh in Scripture
3. It ends calling on the awesome God to work his strength in the psalmist's life — David never takes his eyes off God even in self-examination; there is no navel-gazing, only God-gazing
4. The power of God displayed in nature is the same power at work in his children by the Spirit, enabling them to walk in his Word and receive the crown of righteousness won for them in and through Christ