Morning Pages: Psalm 19
Psalm 19 is a passionate, powerful call to worship our awesome God, who has made himself known and knowable. It's a masterful symphony of praise to the God of all creation.
God has revealed himself throughout history in two ways—through general revelation (his creation) and special revelation (his word). In this first section, David marvels at God's general revelation through his creation,
Vs. 1-6 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”
What could better illustrate the power and majesty of our Creator than the sun, whose uncontainable power and glory are visible from the northernmost tip at the North Pole to the southernmost at the South Pole and from the easternmost point in Caroline Island, Kiribati, to the westernmost point in Attu Island, Alaska?! Every creature is exposed to its power and warmed by its rays. And yet, God is the one who created it and established its power!
Day to day, the heavens pour out speech—gushing and bubbling up—as if overflowing with the goodness of God. The apostle Paul said God's invisible attributes, divine nature, and eternal power have been clearly perceived since the world's creation (Romans 1:20). God's craftsmanship, glory, majesty, and power are clearly seen through his heavenly handiwork. It’s evident in the rising and setting of the sun. It’s in the moon and the stars. It’s in the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. It’s in the mountains and the valleys. Night and day, his glory rings out. It is inescapable. All of which reminds me that even if I fail to praise him, the rocks will cry out his praise (Luke 19:28-40)!
Vs. 7-11 “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”
This section is about the special revelation of God. Where general revelation utters no words but is evidenced in what is seen, special revelation is all about how God has spoken through his word, prophets, and Jesus.
We often come to God's word looking for an application—what it means for us and our lives. And that's not bad. But when we look first and foremost to God's word for what it reveals to us about who God is, we find something far more powerful, life-giving, and valuable—we find the living God himself!
As David immersed himself in God's word, he found it more valuable and desirable than the most costly treasure and sweeter to the taste than honey straight from the honeycomb.
Throughout the psalms, David and other psalmists illustrate the wickedness of humanity through the sins of speech. And here, in contrast to those who utter lies and whose tongues are full of deceit and duplicity, God's word is utterly perfect—blameless, complete, without fault, and lacking nothing. It is sure—certain, reliable, faithful. It is right—making our way straight. It is pure—ethically clean, and morally incorruptible. It is both true—firm and trustworthy—and it is righteous—just, fair, and right.
All of this is true of God's word because this is true of God himself! He is perfect, sure, right, pure, true, and righteous, which means we can trust him, and we can trust his word. David understood that God's word wasn't just good; it was good for him! God's word, he says, revives the soul!
When Ken and I were newly married, we went on an adventure hike through the Grand Canyon—40 miles over four days. The first three days were relatively flat and easy, but day four was arduous and lengthy—slowly winding up and out of the canyon below. I was tired, hot, and ready to be done. And my spirit flagged each time we rounded the corner of a switchback only to see no end in sight. But now and then, we would round a corner, and it looked like we were almost at the top, and my spirit would rally—regaining motivation to keep putting one foot in front of another. It helped me endure what felt impossible. God's word helps revive our flagging spirits when life seems insurmountable.
David knew God's word was good for him because he had experienced its benefits. But to experience the benefits of God's word, we have to risk entrusting ourselves to it. So day by day, sometimes minute by minute, we choose to take God at his word—following him and his word instead of the wisdom of man or the desires of our flesh. And the results of doing so are abundant. David says God's word brings necessary instruction, and following it brings wisdom, joy, and great reward.
But following God's word doesn't always feel rewarding, especially in the moment. On the contrary, it feels like death as we surrender dreams, desires, hopes, and plans for our life. And it's natural to wrestle and grieve when this kind of death occurs. But trusting God and following him in these moments is about the long view—making a long-term investment in our lives, looking forward to an eternal reward rather than living for the short-term gain of now. It requires us to take God at his word, trusting that his promises are, as David said, sure, perfect, true, and right and recognizing our own finiteness.
David understands the limitations of his own wisdom and understanding, which is what leads him to declare,
Vs. 12-13 “Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.”
It is a mark of self-awareness to recognize the depth of your own brokenness, the ways in which you are blind, proud, and even self-deceived. This self-awareness is so valuable when we respond to it with humility and, like David, turn to the Lord to cleanse us from the things we don’t even know we need cleansing from.
David is keenly aware of his humanity. He understands that we are creatures with limited knowledge, easily self-deceived, and blind to our sins. So he rightly asks God to cleanse him of his hidden faults—those sins within him that he is unaware of—and for the Lord to keep him from pride and arrogance, which leads to willful sin.
In light of all of this, David closes out his psalm of praise with verse14,
Vs. 14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”
What a beautiful prayer to Yahweh, who has revealed himself to us through all of creation, his word (Scripture), and the Word (Jesus). This psalm is a beautiful reminder that our God is knowable. He has revealed himself to us through his creation and his word. And he has most clearly revealed himself to us through Jesus—the word made flesh. And the truth and hope of Jesus truly revive the soul!
Until next week.
Love,
CC
And here is Psalm 19, by Poor Bishop Hooper.