SELF-DISCLOSURE-Psalm 19

Old Testament, Psalms, Sermons

A. The heavens

B. declare

C. the glory of God;

C’. the work of his hands

B’. proclaim

A’. the skies (Ps 19:1).

A. Day after day

B. they pour forth

C. speech;

A’. night after night

B’. they display

C’. knowledge (Ps 19:2).

[Prayer: Psalm 8:1-9.] Psalm 19 is a beautiful hymn attributed to David, praising God’s creation and his word, celebrating God’s revelation through nature (1-6) and word (7-11). It “combines the most beautiful poetry with some of the most profound of biblical theology.” Peter Craigie. The psalmist is raised to the status of a great poet who has stimulated the creative work of such eminent men as Goethe, Beethoven and Haydn.” LISTEN to The Heavens Are Telling the Glory of God [The Creation] (Psalm 19:1-3) by Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). His oratorio “Creation” included a movement based on Psalm 19 that has outstripped tha larger composition in fame and recognition. The magnificient orchestral movements join with choral voices to create a splendid aural painting of the heavenly testimony to God’s glory that lies at the heart of this psalm.

SELF-DISCLOSURE. The Self–Revelation of God (19:1-14). 3 Voices in Harmony. God’s Perfections Revealed in Work and Word.

  1. 1. Creator (1-6): General revelation. The soundless word. The eloquence of nature: Heavens (1-4b). Sun (4c-6).
  2. 2. Lawgiver (7-11): Special revelation. The perfect word. The clarity of Scripture.
  3. 3. Redeemer (12-14): Personal revelation. The acceptable word. Man’s response.

Nourishment for the Soul. “The book of Psalms is God's prescription for a complacent church, because through it He reveals how great, wonderful, magnificent, - ppt downloadI. General/natural revelation: The Glory and Greatness of the Creator God (19:1-6). The soundless word: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Ps 19:1).

  • The “tent for the sun” (Ps 19:4b) metaphorically describes how God has established the sun in the sky.
  • The sun, depicted as a bridegroom or a champion (Ps 19:5), highlights its brightness, vitality, and consistency. A bridegroom symbolizes joy and vigor, while a champion symbolizes strength and purpose.
  • The sun’s journey across the sky (Ps 19:6) is all-encompassing, providing light and warmth to all, symbolizing the pervasive nature of God’s presence and provision. cf. Rom 1:19-20.
  • Just as the sun leaves nothing hidden, we need to let the light of God’s word into our heart’s inner recesses (Heb 4:12).

II. Special revelation: The Perfection of the Lawgiver (19:7-11). The perfect word: “The law [tôrâ] of the Lord is perfect… The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy… The precepts of the Lord are right… The commands of the Lord are radiant..” (Ps 19:7-8). [Bicola (pleural), a poetic device. In Hebrew poetry, a bicolon [singular] is a pair of lines of poetry that are set in parallelism to each other and are considered a single unit. The device that binds the lines together is called parallelism. Cola are short utterances that are usually grouped in pairs or triplets, and these groups are also called tricola.]

  • “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty” (Jer 15:16).
  • Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. (Eze 3:3).
  • So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey’” (Rev 10:9). 
  • God’s Torah [words and laws] (Ps 19:7-9) are valued above the most precious and sweetest things on earth (Ps 19:10), signifying their supreme worth and desirability. It is praised in terms of precious metals and gourmet delectables!
  • God’s laws serve as a warning to His servants, helping them avoid sin and leading to great rewards when they are obeyed (Ps 19:11).

III. Personal revelation/reflection: Man’s response to God’s self-disclosure (19:12-14). “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” (Ps 19:12-13).

  • Having affirmed the supreme value of God’s word (19:7-11), the psalmist confesses that, even with the best of intentions and effort, an imperfect sinful being can scarcely not violate God’s commands.
  • He recognizes human imperfection and limitations in recognizing all his sins and faults, and thus there is always the need for forgiveness (Ps 19:12).
  • He also asks for help in avoiding intentional sins and not being dominated by them (Ps 19:13a). The goal is to remain blameless and free from the power of sin (Ps 19:13b).
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Ps 19:14). Psalm 19 concludes with a humble prayer for personal purity and alignment with God’s will. He acknowledges God as his strength and reliable foundation [Rock] and savior [Redeemer]. 
  • “The psalm falls into two halves: God in nature (1-6) and God in Scripture (7-14). Each half begins with a strong statement and develops it in six lines.” Derek Kidner.
  • “The point of Psalm 19 is that the cosmos is a gigantic, unmistakable sign pointing to the creator.” N.T. Wright.
  • “I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.” C.S. Lewis.

Practical Application:

  1. Praise God for the beauty of His creation (Ps 19:1-6).
  2. Love the Torah of the Lord (Ps 19:7-11; 1:2; 119:97).
  3. Search you heart and mind before God (Ps 19:12-14).

How does Psalm 19 point to Christ?

  1. Jesus is the Creator God (Ps 19:1ff; John 1:3).

“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Col 1:16).

  1. Jesus is the Word made Flesh (John 1:1-2, 14). “The law [tôrâ] of the Lord is perfect” (Ps 19:7ff).
  1. Jesus is our strength (rock) and redeemer (Phil 4:13). “…Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Ps 19:14).
  2. Jesus forgives our willful sins at the cost of his life. “Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins” (12-13).

“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God” (Heb 10:26-27).

The deceitfulness of sin:

  • John Owen (Puritan theologian): “Sin aims always at the utmost; every time it rises up to tempt or entice, might it have its own way, it would go out to the utmost sin in that kind. Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery if it could; every covetous desire would be oppression, every thought of unbelief would be atheism, might it grow to its head.”
  • Charles Spurgeon/unknown: “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”
  • A.W. Tozer: “Sin is not a toy with which to play but a terror to be shunned.”
  • Martin Luther: “Sin is essentially a departure from God.”
  • “Sin comes when we take a perfectly natural desire or longing or ambition and try desperately to fulfill it without God.” – Augustine of Hippo.
  • “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” – John Owen.
  • “Sin is not only a turning away from God, it is a turning to other things.” – Tim Keller.
  • “The most dangerous thing you can do is to take any one impulse of your own nature and set it up as the thing you ought to follow at all costs.” – C.S. Lewis.
  • “The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation.” – Charles Spurgeon.
  • “Sin will do three things: It will deceive you, defile you, and destroy you.” – Adrian Rogers.
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