Psalms

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Psalm 19


The heavens proclaim the glory of God
and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
and night unto night makes known the message.

No speech, no word, no voice is heard
yet their span goes forth through all the earth,
their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

There he has placed a tent for the sun;
it comes forth like a bridegroom coming from his tent,
rejoices like a champion to run its course.

At the end of the sky is the rising of the sun;
to the furthest end of the sky is its course.
There is nothing concealed from its burning heat.

  * * *

The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul,
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is holy,
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.

They are more to be desired than gold,
than the purest of gold
and sweeter are they than honey,
than honey from the comb.

So in them your servant finds instruction;
great reward is in their keeping.
But who can detect all his errors?
From hidden faults acquit me.

From presumption restrain your servant
and let it not rule me.
Then shall I be blameless,
clean from grave sin.

May the spoken words of my mouth,
the thoughts of my heart,
win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rescuer, my rock!

Commentary


Some scholars claim that Psalm 19 is a composite of two separate psalms which differ from each other so much in metre, subject matter, mood and language that they could not be composed by the same author. Verses 1-6 present a nature song similar to Psalm 8, while verses 7-11 extol the Law. The Bible attributes the whole work to David. We shall consider it according to its subject matter, as a psalm with two distinct movements. The first is concerned with the broad sweep of God’s revelation of Himself in the universe, the Book of Nature; and the second with the clarity of God’s self-revelation in Scripture, the Book of the Law, or the Word. The psalm ends with the heart-searching of verses 11-14, as the worshippers respond to both.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God
and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
and night unto night makes known the message.

No speech, no word, no voice is heard
yet their span goes forth through all the earth,
their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

There he has placed a tent for the sun;
it comes forth like a bridegroom coming from his tent,
rejoices like a champion to run its course.

At the end of the sky is the rising of the sun;
to the furthest end of the sky is its course.
There is nothing concealed from its burning heat.
                                                     (vv. 1-6).

Believer and unbeliever alike are invited to observe that the starry sky is an eloquent, if silent, testimony to the glory of God. No matter how educated or uneducated we are, the Book of the Firmament is forever open to the one who cares to examine it. It silently declares the presence, the power, the wisdom and the goodness of the supreme being who is its designer and controller. By day we have one version of the story, but we would be ignorant of its mysteries were it not for the revelation of its myriad galaxies at night, when it can be examined even more closely, and delivers up to us some of its secrets.

Anyone examining the heavens must extol the majesty of the creator unless completely blind; we learn about the worker from his “handiwork”. This testimony is seen in every part of the earth, so that we are without excuse if we say there is no God. St Paul said that the pagans of his day were without excuse for their atheism and depravity because what can be known about God is “perfectly plain to them since God Himself has made it plain. Ever since God created the world his everlasting power and deity – however invisible – have been there for the mind to see in the things that he has made”(see Romans 1:18-21; J.B.). In Romans 10:18 Paul goes on to re-interpret this verse, saying that God’s messengers, namely the Christian missionaries, have gone through all the earth proclaiming the message. These two witnesses leave us with no excuse for failing to acknowledge God. St Matthew declares that the Magi sought and found the Lord by following God’s guidance in the heavens, at a time when no other help was available (see Matthew 2:1-12) (vv. 1-4).

David now launches into a hymn in praise of the sun, which dominates the heavens by day and rests at night, according to the scientific understanding of his time. Remembering that the sun was worshipped by millions of people, the psalmist corrects this erroneous notion by declaring that God the Creator assigned the sun its place in the heavens, where it must run its appointed course in obedience to its maker. Thus he demonstrates that the worship of the sun-god is nonsense, while admiring the sun’s great power to light up the world and provide heat for all living creatures. The magnificence of the sun is compared to that of a young bridegroom decked out for his wedding, and its power compared to that of the champion runners of the day – this because the glory of the sun is experienced in every part of the earth simultaneously.

To sum up the testimony of this first part of the psalm, we can say that the witness of the heavens is specific, revealing God’s wisdom, power and glory. It is also incessant. The firmament, which is the residence of the numberless galaxies, shows forth the divine glory by the number, the variety, the brightness and the beauty of its hosts. The days add to this with their warmth and life-giving light and heat, while the nights complete the message with their stillness, solemnity and starry splendour. These inaudible witnesses are universal and are read in the languages of every people on earth. They are God’s travelling preachers who show up the nonsense of idol worship. Finally, they are glorious witnesses, full of mystery, strength and power, not at all under the control of man. They run their course independently of man, in obedience to their glorious maker. Thus we see that the heavens do indeed declare the glory of God.

The New Testament applies this hymn to Jesus, the sun of justice, the true bridegroom of the Church, the one who enlightens all men who come into this world; the one through whom the full radiant glory of God was made manifest, and through whom the fullness of God’s message to the earth was revealed. It is His missionaries who continue to carry this glorious message of light and life to the ends of the earth, so that all peoples will be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (see John 1:9; Mark 2:19; Hebrews 1:3, etc.).

The law of the Lord is perfect,
it revives the soul,
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted,
it gives wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
it gives light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is holy,
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth
and all of them just.

They are more to be desired than gold,
than the purest of gold
and sweeter are they than honey,
than honey from the comb.
                                        (vv. 7-10).

Verses 7-10 are very close in teaching, even in wording, to the longest psalm in the Psalter, Psalm 119, which is dedicated to the same theme, namely, the power and value of the Word of God revealed in the Law, or the Scriptures. God’s law evokes not only admiration and awe, but also a personal response to its lofty moral standards which brings the obedient to true holiness (vv. 11-14).

The Word of God (I am using “Word” instead of “Law” because the Law came to be the written Word, for both Old and New Testament believers), is here described in six different statements – the law, the rule, the precepts, the command, the fear of the Lord, and His decrees. These present different shades of meaning to explain the value of the Word of God to us. The law refers to the comprehensive revelation of God’s will to man. The rule (given as “Testimony” in R.S.V., “statutes” in N.I.V., “decree” in N.A.B. and J.B.) is the witness which God bears to Himself, and to what we should be also. Precepts and commandments indicate the precision and authority with which God deals with us, while reverential fear is the human response fostered by the Word. The last name, given in our translation as decrees, is rendered “judgements” in J.B., and “ordinances” in R.S.V., N.A.B. and N.I.V., and refers to God’s judicial decisions on man’s behaviour and human situations.

No matter what aspect of the Word we consider under the above titles, we are now told that the Law of God is perfect; it is without flaws or defects (v. 7); it is trustworthy, sure, reliable, so that we can receive guidance for our lives from it (v. 8). It is upright, or morally correct, presenting the right path for man to follow (v. 9); it is pure and clean, proclaiming truth without shadow of error (v. 10). These characteristics of the Scriptures lead us to a deeper appreciation of their worth.

The Word of God is now shown to have six effects upon us. Firstly, it restores the soul, renewing its spiritual life in the same way as food renews the body. It gives wisdom to those who err. It rejoices the heart, while enlightening the inner eye, and offers sure guidance for the duration of life. Lastly, it contains the most precious good known to the psalmist – righteousness. One who lives out the precepts of God, as outlined in Scripture, will reach the goal of life in real holiness and intimacy with God.

So in them your servant finds instruction;
great reward is in their keeping.
But who can detect all his errors?
From hidden faults acquit me.

From presumption restrain your servant
and let it not rule me.
Then shall I be blameless,
clean from grave sin.

May the spoken words of my mouth,
the thoughts of my heart,
win favour in your sight, O Lord,
my rescuer, my rock!
                                 (vv. 11-14).

The second book which God provides is that of the law or the Scriptures, and is available to anyone who wishes to know God’s will in detail. Its value is above the purest gold, and the satisfaction to the soul greater than that which the sweetest honey can give to the body. In these simple images we hear what a marvellous possession the Word of God is, and how privileged we are to have it. The keeping of it brings great reward, for it forms the character according to the mind of God. This produces great inner freedom, and enduring happiness, stemming from the enlarged vision, the sense of destiny, and the clear guidance as to how to reach it.

As God is more interested in our character than our comfort, the Word also warns us not to be seduced by sin, or lured into wrong ways by evil-doers. The Word also produces an enlivened or quickened conscience, for only God can reveal the hidden sinfulness of the human heart. An increased sense of sin goes hand in hand with increased knowledge of God, just as ignorance of sin reveals ignorance of God. The Word is the bridge which brings enlightenment, and since it is available to all, God must hold us responsible for our so-called ignorance of His will which the Scriptures so clearly reveal.

Lastly, the Word of God produces not only a more sensitive and enlightened conscience, but also a more confident heart. When one comes to know God better, one grows in confidence of His boundless mercy and love, also of His eternal faithfulness to His Word regardless of our sinfulness, and so we pray to Him with ever greater confidence and love. We turn for refuge and help to the only One who could rightly condemn us for our sins, and in utter joy proclaim Him as our everlasting rock of defence.

Taking the psalm as a whole we find a three-fold testimony to the greatness of God. The heavens bear their silent witness, the Word of God gives the written witness, while man himself is the personal witness. It was for his sake that the other witnesses were given, and to him that God revealed Himself personally. Science and revelation, then, bear witness to God, and they both prepared for the greatest revelation of God in the incarnate Word, Jesus the Messiah. He is God’s eternal Word, hidden in the bosom of the Father from all eternity, and made manifest when the Word became flesh in the womb of Mary of Nazareth, yet He it was whose Word brought all things into being at the dawn of creation. The heavens are the works of His hands, and the Scriptures were given to prepare the stunned world for this greatest good news, that the Word would dwell among us and reveal Himself in all His glory. Jesus is the presence of God among us, the Word made flesh, to whom both heaven and earth bear witness (see John 1:1-5,
9-18).

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