A friend of mine has a pretty good telescope and on occasion while we are visiting he will set it up. Earlier this week he invited us over to look at the NEOWISE Comet through the telescope. We also got to view Saturn and Jupiter through the telescope. It was awesome to see the rings around Saturn and to view Jupiter and three of its moons. What is even more awesome is that all of these and the rest of the astronomical wonders declare the glory of God. Here is my commentary on Psalm 19 which speaks of God's Glory.

The General Revelation of God (Psalm 19:1-6)

19:1 Starting here in verse one and continuing to verse six we have the general revelation of God. The heavens were created by God and therefore His handwork is evident in them for all to see. This passage does not take much significance if we look up in the sky here on the Gulf coast with all the pollution and lights from surrounding cities. I remember however when hurricane Rita came through and the lights were out all over the Houston area, the sky seemed so clear and we could see thousands of stars. It was awesome and clearly a testimony of the glory of God.

Although this passage speaks specifically of the heavens, the same is true for all of creation. I remember my wife and me standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon one summer vacation and being in awe at the beauty of what God had created. We talked about how evident it was that there is a God and wondered how anyone could not believe in the creator.

19:2-3 The testimony of nature to the glory of God goes out to all peoples around the world. There is no place that there speech is not heard. Throughout history even when there was no missionary or man of God to preach of the creator, the heavens were there proclaiming His glory. The “speech” of the heavens reveals knowledge of God. Many scientists and mathematicians throughout history such as Sir Isaac Newton, Galileo, Johannes Kepler and others believed that because the heavens revealed knowledge it was God’s will to search it out in nature.

19:4-6 Even the course of the sun is a testimony of the Glory of God. In Job we are told that God “He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; (Job 9:7).” God has set the laws in motion that control even the daily rotations of the earth and the path of the sun through the heavens. Surely since God has done all of this He is to be praised.

One can not think of the magnitude of the heavens and contemplate the greatness of God who created it without seeing how insignificant man is in comparison to the mighty God, yet He sent His only son to die for insignificant man. Blaise Pascal put it this way.

Let man then contemplate the whole of nature in her full and grand majesty, and turn his vision from the low objects which surround him. Let him gaze on that brilliant light, set like an eternal lamp to illumine the universe; let the earth appear to him a point in comparison with the vast circle described by the sun; and let him wonder at the fact that this vast circle is itself but a very fine point in comparison with that described by the stars in their revolution round the firmament. But if our view be arrested there, let our imagination pass beyond; it will sooner exhaust the power of conception than nature that of supplying material for conception. The whole visible world is only an imperceptible atom in the ample bosom of nature. No idea approaches it. We may enlarge our conceptions beyond an imaginable space; we only produce atoms in comparison with the reality of things. It is an infinite sphere, the centre of which is everywhere, the circumference nowhere. In short, it is the greatest sensible mark of the almighty power of God that imagination loses itself in that thought.

Returning to himself, let man consider what he is in comparison with all existence; let him regard himself as lost in this remote corner of nature; and from the little cell in which he finds himself lodged, I mean the universe, let him estimate at their true value the earth, kingdoms, cities, and himself. What is a man in the Infinite? ^[1]

The Specific Revelation of God (Psalm 19:7-11)

19:7-9 In these verses we find a description of the Word of God, which is His specific revelation to man. We are given five synonyms for the Word of the Lord. They are the “law”, “testimony“, “statutes“, “commandment“, and “judgments” of the LORD. The psalmist uses five adjectives to describe the quality and character of the Word of God. He calls it “perfect“, “sure“, “right“, “pure“, and “true and righteous altogether“. Clearly within these verses we have a statement of the inerrancy of God’s Word. It is impossible for the Word of God to be “perfect“, “sure“, “right“, “pure“, “true and righteous altogether” and still contain errors or to be incorrect in its historical record and in the statements it makes on science and nature.

We also see in these verses the spiritual effect of God’s Word on men. It “converts the soul”, “makes wise the simple”, “rejoices the heart,” and “enlightens the eyes”. In the New Testament we are told, “the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (HEB 4:12). The Bible clearly affects the lives of people. Many people can testify of how their life has been changed by reading the Bible. This influence that the Bible has on people is one of the evidences that the Bible is truly the Word of God.

The changing effect of the Word of God is one of the main reasons to read and study the Bible. Really we must go one step beyond reading and studying the Bible. We must obey and apply its teachings. When we do this the Bible will produce change in us and give us guidance to live our life.

One last comment on this section is that the “fear of the LORD” is a clear outcome of the study and application of the Bible. The fear of the LORD here is a reverence and respect for God. This reverence and respect includes fear in the normal since, but fear that comes from knowledge of God’s might and majesty and is balanced by knowledge of God’s love and mercy.

19:10 Here the value and preciousness of God’s Word is compared to Gold and honey. Both of these at the time of David would have been highly esteemed. Gold has always, in almost every culture been considered a possession of great wealth. Honey was highly valued and precious because it was one of the few sweeteners available to Israel at the time of David.

19:11 We have already seen how the changing effect of the Bible is a reason to study it and apply it as a guide to life. As a guide in life the Bible will protect us from many problems and pitfalls. For example in the case of choosing our companions the Bible says: “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly” (PSA 1:1) , and “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits” (1CO 15:33). The Bible can even help us to live a healthy life if we follow its guidance. Some examples are not eating fat (Lev 3:17), avoiding stress problems caused by wrath and anger (Rom 12:17-19; Col 3:8), the diseases caused by alcohol abuse (Rom 13:13), and the effects of sexually transmitted diseases (1Co 6:18). By heeding and keeping these and many other verses of God’s Word we will be rewarded with an abundant life.

The Personal Revelation of God (Psalm 19:12-14)

19:12-13 Who can understand his errors? This is a rhetorical question. The psalmist did not expect an answer. No one can understand his own errors or he would not be in error. It is only through the conviction of the Holy Spirit that our sinful natures can see the “error of our way”. We have many faults and sins that are secret from those around us, but we also have faults and sins that are secret to even us. Through the study of God’s word we find that we can be cleansed from even these sins. In 1JO 1:7 we are told “if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

David then calls on God to keep him from presumptuous sins. Presumptuous sins are willful sins, those sins that we know to be sin but yet continue to commit. Every one of us commits presumptuous sins and we need to call on God to keep us from them. To willfully sin against God and still expect His mercy without our repentance is a great transgression. When we sin presumptuously we should immediately repent and confess our sins because “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jo 1:9).

19:14 David ends his prayer to God by asking Him to accept “the words of his mouth” and the “meditation of his heart”. We must confess our sins and meditate on them. Meditation here has the meaning of to “speak with oneself” or “a conversation with oneself”. Last he acknowledges God as his strength and redeemer. We do not have power over sin in our life so we must depend on God as our strength and power over sin.