BECOMING PEOPLE OF THE WORD
Psalm 19:1-14
INTRODUCTION:
Good morning — and Happy New Year! It’s great to see you all here today…I hope you are well and looking forward to a great year together. This year has the potential of being our best year ever!
I love being with you and having the privilege of serving you! And I’m looking forward to seeing God increase His presence in you and me (and our church family) in the year to come!
TRANSITION:
Well, as we begin this new year, we want to get off on the right foot as a congregation…and once again prioritize our lives in a way that honors God. To do so, we’re going to launch into a new series of messages that will take us through a number of psalms in a study we’re calling: CULTIVATING A HEART FOR GOD!
As we begin, I want to introduce you to some of the value of studying the psalms.
I believe the Psalms to have a wonderful capacity to capture the reality of our human experience. Because quite literally, no matter where you are in life — no matter what you may be facing or going through, the Psalms speak directly to you.
These passages we will be looking at are ancient hymns and poems written over a span of several hundred years (penned by many different men)…yet, most of them were written by the great king David. There are divided into 5 sections and relate very closely to the first 5 books of the Bible.
There is one over-arching theme of the Psalms — and it is, “Christ!”
Jesus, speaking of them and Himself, said in Luke 24:44, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
In a prophetic way — the Psalms that we will be studying, while they will speak directly to the things we face in life and offer us direction about how we should live…they, at their core, also point us to the realization that Jesus is the Christ! He is the ultimate expression of God’s love and care for you and me. And such is the case with the Psalm that we will be looking at today.
This psalm proclaims the reality that God is great, and yet still has an interest in revealing himself to us. He does so through creation and through his Word…and ultimately, both point us to recognize God’s greatest revelation is of His Son — Jesus the Christ!
MESSAGE:
And so, my aim this morning is to motivate you to recognize the passion of God to speak directly to you and me through both his creation and His written Word. And as we understand His passion to speak to us — that we would be responsive an obedient to all that He desires of us in the way we live and honor Him.
By way of giving our church (and you personally) a challenge for the year to come, I hope to encourage you to spend far energy reading, studying, meditating upon, and then living out the Word of God in your lives more than ever before.
May we really become, PEOPLE OF THE WORD this year!
This morning we will look at Psalm 19. And beginning in verse 1, I’d like for you to follow along with me. And here David writes,
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.
God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. 5 It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
6 The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end.
Nothing can hide from its heat.
7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.
9 Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair.
10 They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.
11 They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.
12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
It was the late C.S.. Lewis who wrote his feelings regarding this verse and expressed in clear terms that he believe this Psalm (Psalm 19) to be the greatest poem ever written — and the most beautiful Psalm ever written. This Psalm is all about helping us focus on the glory of God as it’s being revealed before us throughout our world.
The first few verses actually describe with precision God’s wordless revelation in the universe: how creation reveals the glory of God. And for many, these things (the heavens, and sky, and sun, moon and stars), cause them to think in terms of scientific research. For others, they stir up ideas of astrology or divination. But for the believer in Christ, they cause us to become filled with praise and adoration for our God and His creativity and authority over all things.
As David points out, everything in the heavens, reveals the work of God’s hands—and the fact that there is a creator who has made ALL THINGS! And there is nothing — nor anyone as important as Him.
Well, with these first few verses, we are challenged not to simply focus on creation — but rather to focus on the creator. David tells us how the heavens continually point us back to the wonder and glory of God — day after day after day.
As Moses in Genesis 1:1, David leads us to recognize God’s existence. You’ll recall the words of Genesis 1:1. As the story of creation unfolds, we’re told:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
And then, in the verses that follow, Moses tells us how on:
Day 1: God created the heavens, the earth, light and darkness.
Day 2: He created the skies
Day 3: He created the land, and the seas, and things that grow.
Day 4: He created the sun, the moon and the stars.
Day 5: He created those things that swim in the sea, and the birds of the air.
Day 6: He created all land dwelling animals — including his greatest creation, humanity.
Day 7: He rested.
The thing is, too often, those who read and study the creation story — they focus on the word “DAY”, wondering how long a “DAY” is…what Moses meant when he wrote the word “DAY” — and could God do everything said in the time of “one day”. What does Genesis mean by the word DAY. But I would argue that the word DAY is not the most important word in this CREATION STORY. But rather, the more important word is the word “GOD”! For He alone is the main character of the creation story.
For all of creation is to help us focus upon our creator.
And that is precisely the point David is making in this Psalm.
God and His glory is the subject of all of creations story!
So, when you look up or look out a window — when you see the beauty of all the things that surround us, you are really being confronted with the REVELATION OF GOD and His glory.
And this revelation is relentless as we see in verse 2-4, which tells us:
2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.
While the natural revelation of God may not communicate with specific words, it’s message is clearly understood!
Charles Spurgeon put the power of creation’s revelation this way:
“For he who looks up and then writes himself down as an atheist either becomes an idiot or a liar, because the sun and the moon and the stars are God’s traveling preachers.”
God’s glory is revealed in creation. And we must never worship the CREATION — but the CREATOR. That’s the revelation that David is making here. But that’s not the only way God reveals Himself. With verse 7, David shifts gears and draws our attention to the greater revelation — the more specific revelation of God through His Word.
Look again at verse 7, where David says,
7 The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
In this verse, there is an abrupt change in language, style, and content. And the attention shifts from the splendor of God’s creation to the value of the Word of the Lord.
Natural revelation declares a lot —but it is limited, and so God speaks through his faith men and women and gives us His Word.
While David was writing specifically about the Law or the Torah — the first five books of our Bible…we who stand on this side of the cross are able to recognize that this also applies to the totality of God’s Word.
Paul confirm’s David’s teaching when he says in 2 Timothy 3:16,
“All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable . . . ”
And in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, we read:
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
So, as the Bible attests, when we study the Bible, we are studying God’s written Word. And so both the Old and the New Testament are the revelation of God to us.
Now, you should know that the Bible is undeniably the most important book in my library. I am a collector of books — and I have a pretty extensive library. But without question, the most important book I own (or have read) is the Bible…the cherished Word of God. I have read from it nearly every day for more than 25 years, and it still continues to challenge, motivate and inspire me.
It was written by more than 40 authors over a period of two thousand years, it is remarkably consistent from beginning to end, in spite of the fact that most of the writers didn’t know each other.
They came from almost every conceivable background: Some were educated, some were not; some were young, some were older; some were men, some were women; some were Jewish, some were Gentile; some were preachers, others were not.
Unlike other religious writings, the Bible reads as a factual account of real life events, places, people, and dialogue. And both historians as well as trusted archaeologists have repeatedly confirmed its authenticity.
In the bible we find one central message consistently carried by all 40 authors: That there is a God, and He created us and all things, and He desires a relationship with us. So he’s called us to know him and trust him.
- It is a book with the power to change people for better and forever.
- It is a book whose message is to be not just read, but lived out.
- It contains the wisdom of the ages. And when we apply the teachings of the Bible, we are never the same.
- And it benefits us in so many ways.
But like the first section of this Psalm — here in this second section, we are again reminded not to worship to WORD, but rather worship and honor the author of the WORD.
I want you to notice a word that appear multiple times throughout the next few verses…because they are so important. Beginning in verse 8, we read:
8 The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.
9 Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair.
10 They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.
11 They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.
Did you catch it? The word I want you to see is the word “LORD”.
What makes the Bible such a powerful and wonderful gift to our lives — is that it belongs to the Lord Himself!
For the commandments within are His. The laws within are His. This revelation we call our Bible is His.
And for that reason, we must always honor the Lord above all!
For those of you who have struggled to embrace God’s Word — because you’ve been taught (erroneously) that God’s Word is limiting, stifling, archaic and harsh…I want you to receive this promise from verse 8.
8 The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.
The Word of God is life-giving and brings rejoicing, hope, and passion to those who will read, study, meditate upon it and embrace it!
God’s Word actually brings us liberation and freedom — not bondage.
Consider his commands like boundaries around a playground for children. Where there is a fence that offers a child protection from dangers and a guard to keep them from wandering away from safety into the perils of the community around him.
Where there is a fence established, the child can play freely and without concern. He can wander from edge to edge — taking full advance of the entire field of play.
In much the same way, God’s Word (and His commands within) provide us with the guards of life. Those perimeters that protect and empower us to experience the fulness of life as God created us to enjoy.
For when we read and study the WORD OF GOD, our lives are transformed and enriched. The instructions and principles of the Word of the Lord shape us and give us strength to fulfill our purpose and destiny.
The benefits of becoming people of the Word are far reaching and life changing! And it’s for this reason that David tells us,
10 They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. 11 They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.
May we seek out that which is more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. May you and I become committed to being students of the Word. Those who live up to the challenge of the apostle Paul when he writes in 2 Timothy 2:15,
15 “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”
Or as the King James Version puts it, “Study to show yourself approved…”
Would you do that in this coming year? Would you take God’s Word seriously and study it, meditate upon it, memorize it, and live it out?
Again, I challenge you to devote yourself to the WORD! Become a person of the Word this year!
As I said in the opening of this message, there is one over-arching theme of the Psalms — and it is,“Christ!” And such is the case with this psalm. While the revelation of creation is great, and the revelation of the written word is invaluable, both prepared humanity for the ultimate revelation of God — which we celebrated just this past month: THE FIRST COMING OF CHRIST! For in Christ, God and His great live and majestic power are revealed!
On this side of the cross, we have far more than David ever had. For Christ is the very representation of God in the flesh.
It was the apostle Paul who wrote in Colossians 1:15-16:
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.
And with that, Paul completes this Psalm by declaring that Christ is supreme over all things — including creation! For it was John who declares of Christ (in John 1:1), that He is the Word made flesh!
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
So the Psalmist tells us that as the people of God — we have been given a GREAT REVELATION:
- First, the General revelation of creation…as it declares God’s Greatness and His Glory.
- But we were also given the Specific revelation of God’s Word…which can be trusted and embrace — for it also declares the greatness of God.
But as David ends this beautiful psalm — he personally responds with an acknowledgment of his own waywardness and prays…asking God to cleanse his life from past sin and preserve him from future sin — so that he might lead a life that is acceptable to God.
Listen to his prayer in the closing verses:
12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
CLOSING:
So what do we do with all of this? Well, just as David responded — so also should we! You and I should also invite God to purify our lives and guard us from sin. And then afterwards — we should pray a prayer that reflects this most powerful and awesome prayer found in verse 14:
14 May the words of OUR mouth(s) and the meditation(s) of OUR heart(s) be pleasing to you, O Lord, OUR rock and OUR redeemer.
Could we do that today as we open up this new year? Would you pause right where you are and make an altar to the Lord. Just bow you head and turn your attention towards God.
And join me today in asking Him to search your heart and mind — and see if there is any sin within you that needs to be repented of. And if so, repent — purifying your life before God.
And now, would you agree with me and invite God to guard our mouths, our hearts, and our minds as we pray the words of verse 14?
14 May the words of OUR mouth(s) and the meditation(s) of OUR heart(s) be pleasing to you, O Lord, OUR rock and OUR redeemer.
In Christ’s name we pray — AMEN!
So, how can you become a person of the Word in this coming year?
Before you begin your day, read it.
As you go through your day, think on it.
When you’re able to, listen to it.
Before you make decisions, search it.
When you face temptations, recall it.
When you have opportunity, share it.
And above all — live it!
God bless you! Have a great week!