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Gain Fresh Perspective – Psalm 19: 1-14

To the Chief Musician - A Psalm of David.

General/Natural Revelation (1-6).

In The Cosmos/Universe (1-4).

In The Sun (5-6).

Special Revelation (7-14).

In The Torah/Tanach/Bible (7-10)

Our Obedience to it (11-13).

My Obedience to it (14).

I. THE DECLARATION OF THE SKIES (v.1-6): “GENERAL or NATURAL REVELATION.”

¹The heavens are recounting the glory of God,

All that is in the vastness of space either evolved OR was created with principles and laws of “super-natural” which are principles and laws above and beyond our present understanding of physics and nature but used by God.  

Because of the weight of empirical evidence, the latter is obvious.

and expanse causes one to know the work of his hands.

Amid apparent chaos all around us, there is too much design without there being a Designer, such as, with DNA — it is too much like an alphabet.

²Day to day pours forth speech [as information],

night to night announces knowledge.

In time, the more we will find and know of what God has.

³There is no speech, there are no words,

without [or apart from] their voice being heard.

This is to be found everywhere.

^4aInto all the earth goes forth a measuring line,

and an utterance to the end [or edge] of the inhabited world.

In Rom.10:14-18 this was quoted by Paul in how everyone has a chance to know about God.

According to Rom.1:18-20 God and His Character & Gospel can be seen in nature, so there is no excuse – verse 20, “For His unseen things from the creation of the world are well seen being understood by the things made, both His venerable power and deity with their being excuseless.”

According to Acts 14:14-17 God reveals His grace even in nature, as a witness – verses 16-17, God “who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.  Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

^4b-5For [the] sun he set a tent among them,

and he [is] as a bridegroom coming out from under his wedding canopy,

and he [is] as a champion [anxious] to run a race.

The sun in its radiance and strength (from which the earth gets its energy).

⁶From [one] end [or edge] of the heavens [is] its going forth,

and its turning [at solstice] on [or at] their [i.e., the heavens’] ends [or edges],

and there is nothing hidden from its heat [& view].

There is nothing new under the sun.

II. THE REVELATION OF THE SCRIPTURES (v. 7-11): “SPECIAL REVELATION.”

A. The Virtue of Scriptures (v. 7-9).

⁷[The] Torah of Yahweh [is] whole[some] [& complete, faultless, & immaculate], turning about [reviving, & restoring] [the] soul.

The Bible is inerrant and brings us back around to God in salvation and fellowship.

[The] Testimony of Yahweh [is] trustworthy [sure & reliable], making wise the simple [or wising -up the young & naive person].

According to 2 Pet.1:19-21 we have the Bible, as more reliable than even eyewitnesses, because it is divine in origin and human in delivery by men carried along by the Holy Spirit.

According to 2 Tim.3:16-17 the Bible is “God-breathed” and very useful for teaching, reproving, correcting, and training believers to be fit and outfitted for every good work.

⁸[The] Statutes of Yahweh [are] straight, making glad the heart.

Right - Straight so as to see for eternity, hence bringing gladness.

[The] Command of Yahweh [are] clear [& pure], radiant in the eyes.

Pure - No evil nor error, hence it brings understanding.

⁹[The] Fear of Yahweh is unmixed with impurities, continuing for the age[s].

Such fear, as an awareness of God’s continual presence, is clean with no seeds of corruption.

Obedience to God brings understand of life.  See Proverbs 1:7.

The Fear of the LORD [Yahweh] is a key to the book of Proverbs and to life.  This “Fear of the Lord” can be well described, as an awareness of the continual presence of a holy, righteous, and almighty God who must judge one’s every thought, word, and deed. 

“Fear [of the Lord] is love on its knees.” “A slave fears his master’s lash, but a son fears his father’s displeasure.”  Adrian Rogers.

“The fear of man paralyzes, but the fear of the Lord purifies us.”  Chuck Swindol

[The] Decisions of Yahweh are reliable and right [& innocent] in every way.

They are logically & morally trustworthy.

B. The Value of Scriptures (v. 10-11).

¹⁰[They are] The ones [or things] being desired [more] than gold,

even much pure gold [or chrysolite (olivine)],

and sweet[er] than honey and honey-drippings in the combs.

Gold & Honey means that the Bible is Precious.

¹¹Also, your servant takes warning [or is warned] by them,

Warned means that the Bible is Protective.

[and] in keeping [& obeying] them [is] much reward.

Reward means that for the believer the Bible is very Profitable.

III. THE ILLUMINATION OF THE SPIRIT (v.12-14): “PERSONAL REVELATION.”

¹²Lapses [or Goings astray or Errors from ignorance] who understands [or can]?

Cleanse [& clear] me [& declare me exempt from punishment] from such things being hidden [hidden faults.]

Infinite God & sinful man with hidden problems: undetected sin & unexpected temptation & an unprotected life.

The Holy Spirit has a Convicting Ministry and a Cleansing Ministry.

¹³Also, from arrogant [& deliberate] sins restrain [& hold back] your servant;

you shall not have them reign over me,

then I shall be complete [& blameless], and I shall be innocent [free & exempt from punishment

& guilt] from great [rebellious] transgression.

An appeal to God by sinful man with a genuine desire for holiness.

Don’t thumb your nose at God & his moral standards.

The Holy Spirit’s Control comes through His convicting, cleansing, and filling.

¹⁴May [or Have] the words of my mouth and the pondering of my heart be pleasing in your eyes,

O, Yahweh, my rock [for refuge] and my Kinsman-Redeemer.

An omnipresent, omniscient, & loving God sees all, knows all, and tells all, so watch, be careful and listen.  The conclusion and application of this psalm.

The Holy Spirit’s focus is on Communion [Fellowship] with us.

Questions to consider:

1. Has there been any geographical location or time in history that some people have not understanding of God from God Himself?
2. What is this “tent” that God has set for us to see the sun?
3. What are God’s Law, Testimony, Statutes, Commands, Fear, and Decisions?
4. What have you found of God’s lapses and errors?  None?
5. What are our arrogant, deliberate, and presumptuous sins?
6. How important to God are our words and thoughts?