Download Psalm 19 God`s two books Prayer: please join me in prayer

Psalm 19
God’s two books
Prayer: please join me in prayer…
Introduction:
Many years ago I worked for an insurance company. They guy who sat in the cubicle next to me was
named Levi. Levi was not a Christian. We only worked together for a year but over the course of that year we
had several deep conversations about the claims of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately Levi was not persuaded to
repent of his sins and trust Jesus. At one point during one of our conversations Levi threw his hands up in the
air and said, “I would believe in God if he spoke to me. But he clearly has not spoken to me so I will not
believe”
Maybe you can relate to Levi. Many of us go through seasons of doubt.
How would you respond to my friend Levi? How would the author of Psalm 19 respond? The author of
Psalm 19 would say that God is speaking to us, all of us, all the time. In fact, God speech is so constant that we
have learned to tune it out. But if we stop to listen we will be transformed.
This morning we will look at three aspects of God’s speech from Psalm 19God speaks through the skies (most of our time here)
God speaks through the scriptures
God speaks to the soul
First, God speaks through the skies
How does God speak through the skies? Through the sun and stars!
Psalm 19:1 (ESV) — 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his
handiwork.
The heavens and the skies both refer to the stars of the night sky. His point is simple. The stars speak of
the glory and splendor of their creator.
It is not just the stars in distant Galaxies that speak of the glory of God. In verses 4-6 he focus on the
sun.
Psalm 19:4c–6 (ESV) — 4... In them (in the heavens) he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out
like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6 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.
In comparing the sun to a bridegroom David marvels at the splendor and radiance of the sun. In
comparing the sun to a strong man/champion/warrior David marvels at the power of the sun to provide warmth
and light.
Some people think the Bible contains errors because it talks about the sun rising and we all know the sun
does not rise. In David’s defense, when he writes about the sun rising he is not attempting to make a
scientifically precise statement. Instead he uses the language of poetry and every day speech to describe the
splendor of the sun. Plus from the perspective of the author the sun does rise. Even in our scientific age we still
talk about the sun rising in the morning and the sun setting in the evening.
Back to the point of these verses…
King David inspired by the Holy Spirit tells us that the stars and the sun proclaim the glory of God.
They tell us that God exists and that he is powerful.
We can see roughly 5,000 stars with the naked eye on a good night. Most astronomers estimate that
there is somewhere between 130 and 170 billion Galaxies in the known universe. This number keeps going up.
Many of these galaxies have billion’s of stars within them.
God speaks through the stars and the sun and his message is clear, he exists and he is powerful.
Objection- David lived 3,000 years ago before the advent of modern science. He was naive. This is
often called the “god of the gaps” theory. Not so fast?
The more we learn about the universe the more proof we have for God’s existence. Contrary to what
some of you may have been taught in the schools now is the best time ever to be a Christian who loves the
sciences. All the sciences point towards the existence of God not away from him.
Let me recommend two outstanding books- “The Case for the Creator” and “I don’t have enough faith to
be an Atheist”.
Both books talk about the cosmological and teleological arguments for God’s existence. Both
arguments prove the claims of Psalm 19. Let me give them to you in a nut shell.
1. Cosmological argument
a. Everything that had a beginning had a cause
b. The universe had a beginning
c. Therefore the universe had a cause
2. Proof for second premise
a. We could prove this mathematically arguing from the concept of infinity
b. We could prove this philosophically
c. We could prove this scientifically arguing from
i. The laws of thermodynamics.
ii. Cosmic background radiation.
iii. The expanding universe.
iv. Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
d. It is hard to find a scientist now days who denies that the universe had a beginning.
i.
Stephen Hawking writes, “almost everyone now believes that the universe, and time
itself, had a beginning...” (Stroebel, 107)
ii. Jared Jastrow (agnostic, leading scientist for NASA, and chairman of the Hubble
telescope) says “Astronomers now find they have painted themselves into a corner
because they have proven, by their own methods, that the world began abruptly in an act
of creation to which you can trace the seeds of every star, every planet, every living thing
in this cosmos and on the earth… that there are what I or anyone would call supernatural
forces at work is now, I think a scientifically proven fact.” (Geisler, 84-5)
iii. So then why don’t all scientists believe in God? (Hawking’s universe making machine,
or the idea that the universes made itself, or the multiverse theory).
e. If the universe had a beginning than the universe had a cause and that cause must dwell outside
of time and space and be uncaused. This sounds allot like Genesis 1:1.
f. The gist- nothing comes from nothing…
1.
The Teleological argument
a. Every design has a designer
b. The universe has a highly complex design
c. Therefore the universe has a designer
2. Proof for second premise is overwhelming.
a. We could argue this from the incredibly complex structure of DNA
i. One author writes- “Human DNA contains more organized information than the
encyclopedia Britannica. If the full text of the encyclopedia were to arrive in computer
code from outer space, most people would regard this as proof of the existence of
extraterrestrial intelligence. But when seen in nature, it is explained as the workings of
random forces.” (George Simon Johnson)
b. We could argue this from the fine tuning of the universe
i. Astrophysicist Hugh Ross loves to study probabilities. He argues that Planet earth needs
122 finely tuned conditions (gravitation, oxygen levels, Carbon dioxide levels, weak
force in the atom) in place for life to exist. Many of these conditions depend on the other
conditions for existence.
1. The chance of these conditions happening by chance is 10 to the 138th.
2. The estimated amount of atoms in the universe is 10 to the 70th.
3. In other words, it is statistically impossible for all these conditions to be in place
by chance.
c. Since the universe has a highly complex design it must have a designer.
3. The gist- the watchmaker argument (which I now refer to as the i-pad argument)
The Cosmological and Teleological arguments give us scientific proof for the claims of Psalm 19. The
stars truly do proclaim the glory of God, specifically his existence, and his power.
How does God speak through the skies? Through the stars and the sun.
Who is God speaking to through the skies? Everyone all the time!
Psalm 19:1–4 (ESV) — 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his
handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are
there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 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,
In verse 1 the verbs declare and proclaim are in the participle form meaning that creation constantly
proclaims the glory of its creator. Day after day and night after night they pour fourth speech. We can’t escape
this speech.
Furthermore, this sermon goes to everyone “Their voice goes out to all the earth…”
God is continually speaking to everyone all the time through what he has made that he exists and that he
is powerful.
Paul picks up on this theme in Romans 1:19-20.
Romans 1:19–20 (ESV) — 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them (everyone), because
God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have
been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are
without excuse.
Everyone has ample evidence all around them in the speech of creation that God exists.
Illustration:
There have been many great speeches in historyRonald Reagan’s “Tear down this wall” speech, delivered in 1987 near the Berlin Wall.
Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” speech delivered in Gettysburg Pa in 1863.
Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” speech delivered in 1775 in Richmond Va.
Martin Luther King’s Jr. “I have a dream” speech delivered in Washington DC in 1963
But at the top of this list must be God’s speech through creation. This speech is great because everyone
hears it all the time and it points us towards the creator.
Application:
The stars and the sun, and all of creation for that matter, speak to us that God exists. Which is why the
Bible says that if we deny this evidence we are fools.
Psalm 14:1 (ESV) — 1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”...
God exists and he is speaking to you and he wants you to respond to him by worshipping him alone.
We don’t have to have PhD in apologetics to defend the faith. All you have to do is point to the rock or
tree next to you and ask your skeptical friend where it came from. If he says, “the big bang” ask him what
caused the big bang?
Paul appealed to creation in his conversations with non-Christians (Acts 14:14-18, 17:22-31) and I think
we should too.
Warren Wiersbe- “The repeated question, ‘are people lost who have never heard about Jesus?’ Has
two answers: (1) Yes, they are lost, because God speaks to them all day long, and they refuse to listen; (2) What
are you doing about getting the message to these people?” (Wiersbe, 126)
As wonderful as general revelation is, is it not enough to bring the knowledge of salvation. This brings
us to our next point…
First, God speaks through the skies (verses 1-4)
Second, God speaks through the scriptures (verses 7-11)
Why should we listen to God speech through the Scriptures? It is incredibly beneficial!
Psalm 19:7–11 (ESV) — 7 The law of the LORD (LAW IS THE WORD TORAH WHICH REFERS TO ALL OF
GOD’S REVELATION IN THE SCRIPTURES) is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making
wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and
righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great
reward.
What are some of the benefits of God’s speech through the scriptures? This text gives us at least 11.
Verses 7-11 as a whole tell us that God’s word is beneficial since it is superior to God’s revelation
through nature.
In verses 1-4 the word for God is Elohim highlighting God’s power. But in verses 7-11 the word
YHWH is used 7 times for God. YHWH is the covenant name for God. In other words the God who spoke the
universes into existence (1-4) is the God who wants a relationship with you and me (7-11).
God’s word explains how this relationship is possible. God’s revelation through nature cannot do this.
The stars do not tell us that Jesus died for our sins. We can know about God the creator through nature but we
can’t know about God the redeemer through nature. God reveals his specific plan of salvation only in the
Scriptures.
Verse 7- God’s word is beneficial because it revives the soul- this means that God’s word brings
healing and life to the whole person by making us aware of God’s grace and forgiveness.
Verse 7 - God’s word is beneficial because it makes wise the simple- wisdom is the skill of godly
living. The Bible makes us wise in all areas of our lives; finances, relationships, work, family, leisure, etc…
God’s word also makes us wise in the ways of salvation (2 Tim 3:15).
Verse 8- God’s word is beneficial because it rejoices the heart- that is the word of God brings inner
tranquility and peace.
Verse 8- God’s word is beneficial because it enlightens the eyes- it gives light to our lives allowing us
to no longer stumble around in the darkness of sin and futility and life without God.
Verse 9- God’s word is beneficial because it causes us to fear him- this is a very good thingProverbs 14:27 (ESV) — 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the
snares of death.
Verse 9- God’s is beneficial because it is true therefore it can be trusted- it does not contain any errors
therefore it can be trusted in all that it says. This does not merely apply to faith and doctrine but applies to
everything the Bible says whether doctrine, history, or matters of science.
Verse 10- God’s word is beneficial because it is more valuable than Gold- would you rather have a
huge pile of money or God’s word? God’s word is like Gold in this sense we must dig for its treasures. Great
wealth is hidden in the word of God but we must apply ourselves to a lifetime of digging to access these
treasures.
Verse 10- God’s word is beneficial because it is sweeter than honey- Honey was the sweetest food
available in the ANE.
Verse 11- God’s word is beneficial because it warn us- it acts as a lighthouse warning ships of
dangerous rocks ahead.
Verse 12- God’s word is beneficial because obeying it leads to great reward- how many of you like the
sound of “a great reward.”
God’s speech to us through the Scriptures is incredibly beneficial.
We do things if we think they are beneficial.
Illustration: I met a man Art Azurdia III 3-4 years ago. He is the professor of preaching at Western
Seminary in Portland. He is also a pastor in Portland. Art was scheduled to speak at the Aspire conference in
Spokane this fall. Aspire is a conference for church leaders in our area.
I have not seen Art for roughly a year and a half. When a man got up to speak at the conference I
wondered if Art could not make it because the man speaking looked nothing like Art. The man speaking was
roughly 5 foot 6 and 150 pounds. Art was 5 foot 6 and 250 pounds. I quickly realized that it was Art. Only it
was half of Art. He had lost 100 pounds in the last year. I was amazed. So after wards, like everyone else, I
wanted to know how he lost 100 pounds.
He explained that he and his wife both agreed that it would be beneficial for both of them to lose weight.
So they went on a strict diet. Now they mostly eat fruits and vegetables. They eat very little dessert, very little
carbs, and very little of anything that tastes good. I can’t imagine how much discipline this would require.
They clearly believed in the benefits of losing weight so they acted decisively.
If we think something is beneficial, I mean really beneficial, to us we will act. The word of God is far
more beneficial than the latest movie, the latest novel, piles of money, perfect health, prestige, power or
anything else. If we believe that reading the Bible is as beneficial as the Bible says it is we will read it more.
We don’t really believe this. If we did we would act. We lack faith. We need to pray that God would
give us faith to believe what the Bible says about itself.
Although reading the Bible is beneficial we must never ever forget that reading the Bible does not save
us.
God speaks through the skies
God speaks through the scriptures
Third, God speaks to our souls
The last three verses in Psalm 19 describe what happens in our souls when we listen to the voice of God
in the scriptures.
What happens when we listen to the voice of God in the scriptures? We find the savior.
Psalm 19:12–14 (ESV) — 12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13
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. 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.
God’s speech through the sun brings reaches into nearly every crevice of His creation. In a similar sense
God speech through the scriptures reaches into every crevice of our lives bringing conviction.
Through God’s word…
(v. 12a ) We become aware of our errors
(v. 12b) We admit that we have hidden sins that we may not even be aware of
(v. 13) We are aware that we sometimes sin presumptuously or arrogantly becoming enslaved
(v. 14) We want the words and the thoughts of our hearts to be acceptable to God knowing that often
they are not.
God’s word cuts deep. God’s word makes us aware of our sins. But God’s word also makes us aware
of the savior. The very last word in psalm 19 is a word of hope. The last word in verse 14 is the word
redeemer.
A redeemer would come 1000 years after David wrote the words of psalm 19.
He would commit no errors (v. 12)
He would have no hidden sins (v. 12)
He would never sin presumptuously (v. 13)
He would always be blameless and innocent (v. 13)
The words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart would always be acceptable in God’s sight (v.
14)
This redeemer always listened to and obeyed God’s speech in the skies and the scriptures.
This redeemer is Jesus. He is called the redeemer because he suffered and died in our place on a
Roman cross redeeming us or freeing us from the penalty of sin and the wrath of God Almighty. We don’t
listen to God and we disobey his commands and ignore his voice in creation and scripture making us enemies of
God deserving to die. But God has acted through his son to save us from death, judgment, and a life of futility.
Everything about this psalm ultimately points to Jesus because everything in the Bible ultimately points
us to Jesus. Lets go back through the three points of this psalmGod speaks through creation (Jesus was the Father’ agent of creation- John 1, Heb 1, Col 1)
God speaks through scripture (Jesus is the word of God who became flesh- John 1)
God speaks to our souls (Jesus died to save us bringing peace to our souls)
Lets pray…