Transcript: Reading the Book that Reads You
As you know, we're looking at Psalm 19 this morning. And the title is "Reading the Book that Reads You." "Reading the Book that Reads You."
But I do have a question. Do you believe that God's judgment is true? That His commands for life and how you should live are righteous? Maybe you are nestled and confined within society's comforts. It is a sinful comfort of tolerating views that are generally acceptable in our society, but contradictory to what God declares.
What if I were to say that eternity hinges on the foundational truth, that God, who is life, is the fountain of life, and because He is truth, He is the only source of absolute, eternal and final truth? That to disbelieve anything that God says, and to replace it with contemporary societies philosophy is your introduction of making a God according to your own imagination.
Now, there are three distinct proclamations that I wanted to clear to you from scripture this morning. That on those three truths, the faith of the Old Testament believers, and also, I would say, the New Test — new covenant believers’ rests. And the threefold distinctions are in Psalm 19. It is God as Creator, God as revealer of truth, the consequences of trusting in God who was the Creator and Revealer of truth is adoration, confession, and petition. It is to adore that God is the Supreme Author, and Founder of all creation, that God is the source of all truth. And that according to God's truth at the end of evaluating the Word of God, that those who understand who God is and know themselves rightly, will turn in confession and admitting their weakness, their sin, and their inadequacies before a holy and a just God, and depend on him alone, for their security, and for their hope.
In fact, the end of the psalm and this prayer to God comes from the lips of someone who understands that the pattern to recognizing God's glorious nature is to recognize the insufficiency of our own nature because of sin.
Let me restate those premises another way. Creation's goal of the purpose for creation is not for humanity. It is not for us. We benefit from it. But it is not for us. Creation's goal was for the crowning of a king, the Lord Jesus Christ, and for the glory of the Father.
Therefore, our bold declaration to the world is not that we promise to make things right. It's not that we promise to pursue certain social agendas. By standing with them to fight hate with hate. No, beloved, our orders, our directions, our mandate, our mission, our goal, it comes supremely and only from God when the Christian rightly recognizes God's full authority over creation and His created people. Therefore, creation declares his glory and it is for His glory alone that the saints live. It is for God's glory exclusively, and only that we live.
So we'll see that in Psalm 19 this morning. But I do want you to observe just prior to Psalm 19 there was a great battle in that psalm. Within that psalm of 50 verses, there were several doctrinal anchors from that psalter, and one of them is that the believer finds and discovers with the hardships of life, into the trials of life, and this this battle against sin, and the sin in the world around them, the sin within them, that only God is their rock. Therefore, He alone receives praise and exaltation. He is the true champion of our faith. And God, through His Son Jesus Christ, is not only the comfort for our adversity in life, but also the distinct advantage that we have to the revealed Word of God, both the written word and the living word Jesus Christ.
But then, as we encounter the adversities in life, the trials in life, also the sanctification that God is working in our hearts, we are commanded to conclude, as the psalmist does in verse 30, of Psalm 18, that this God — listen, saints — His way is perfect! The word of the Lord proves true. And he's a shield for all those who take refuge in Him. So Psalm 19 — Psalm 19, continues to exalt the name and the nature of God, by giving glory to a God who is already glorious.
Well, now, what is God's glory? What does that mean? Well, first, God's glory begins with his nature. Who God is in His infinite greatness. When we say that, when we proclaim that we're only affirming what is true, that God is glorious. That glory, that begins with his nature, is what we call His "intrinsic glory," because it is the substance of who He is. So to be intrinsic to God is to say that his glory is the essence of His person. That belongs to His nature.
Now who God is, and His essential being is something that you and I cannot add to. He is glorious in His person. So there's a difference between us giving glory to God — that is when we acknowledge who He is, in our worship and obedience, for example — there's a difference between that and who God is in His being. So to give God glory is to ascribe what is rightfully true of Him, and what is rightfully due to Him. But it is true because it is intrinsic, it is a part of his divine, infinitely glorious and marvelous nature.
In the ancient world, to be glorious was a way to describe someone's value. Someone who's who's weighty during the time of Old Testament writings, that person was extremely rich, or wealthy. So the Old Testament equivalent of our "Forbes Top 5 Wealthiest People," for example, is to recognize the weightiest, or the most glorious person, or the richest person. And so when they spoke of the glorious nature of God, Has intrinsic glory, they were saying that God was infinitely glorious, infinitely greater, and infinitely worthy of all recognition, because He is glorious.
So to recognize God's glory, in our part, is to ascribe Glory or declare that He is glorious. And when we recognize this truth, we will recognize that God's glory is displayed in creation. And He is fully and completely the author of creation. God received no assistance, no handouts, no prototypes. He did not go to the local hardware store to borrow wood to build a building. It all came exclusively and solely from God. When we believe that, that is the essence of the Christian faith. Because the same God who created this world out of nothing is the same God who spoke life into those who are dead in their trespasses and sins.
You cannot, in Psalm 19, get to the Word of God and the confession of your sin if you do not believe that God is a sole creator of everything that we see and know. It is essentially bound to salvation, it is bound to the Christian faith because of what God has declared.
Now let us begin to scale the heights of Psalm 19. Psalm 19, is really a book of three chapters. It is, Spurgeon said, it's actually "the world-book and [then] the Word-book." But then there's another chapter in this book at the end of this psalm, verses 12 through 14, it is that of a confession. Of a contrite soul after coming to acknowledging the Creator but also His revealed word. That at the end of every discovery, at the end of the Scriptures truly reading you after you've truly read it, is to admit the greatness of God, the insufficiency of your humanity, and the necessity of trusting in Him for salvation and to sustain you in this life.
We know that the first chapter, verses 1-6, is God's general revelation and creation. The second chapter and verses seven, through 12, or through 11, is the special revelation of Scripture and also the response of the believer. And then the third chapter is the revelation of your sin and also the petition that you make to God because of your trust in Him, and in Him alone.
So now what is the lesson this morning, as we have just done the overview? Well the lesson is reading God's revelation expresses His glory, and reveals your deepest need. It expresses His glory and reveals your deepest need. Beloved me call you by way of exhortation. And I think, if you do look at the sermon outline in the notes, it might be more helpful for you because it is more detailed. But I want you to see God's glory in creation in verses 1 through 6, see God's glory in creation.
But also, there's some sub-points or some truths connected to that, at least three of them. And the first one, in seeing God's glory in creation is this: God's glory is always declared. God's glory is always declared. That is what the text is saying. The Heavens declare (or they are telling the NASB says), or they keep on telling, and they keep on declaring the work of His hands. And this is, is almost a refrain from Genesis, the first chapter, the fifth day of creation. And this is a repetition of creation, of God creating everything out of nothing. And so when you read Genesis 1, verses 22, verses 20, through 23, on the fifth day of creation, it is God who said. And when God spoke, it came into existence. He said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of creatures and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens. So God created the great sea creatures, and every living creature that moves with which the water swarm according to their kinds, and every wing bird, according to its kind, and God saw that it was good. And God bless them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply and fill the waters in the seas and let the birds multiply on the earth. And there was evening, and there was morning, the fifth day."
In fact, when you look at this psalm, it also makes reference in verse 2, about the day and night pouring out speech, and the night revealing the knowledge of God. So, beloved, creation displays that God is glorious. And creation's design is primarily for that extent, to declare that God is glorious.
Now, how does God's glory display in creation? How is it displayed in creation? Well, first of all, to speak of God's glory and creation — this is so critical, saints, this is the word of God — is to believe that God spoke everything into existence. It is to believe that God spoke everything into existence. That is a very important premise. Secondly, to believe this, is to believe that creation displays the active providence of God. There's no such thing for the Christian as as fate, or luck, or it just happened, or karma. None of those are true. The act of providence of God is God's active involvement in His creation order to sustain, to uphold, and to preserve, as He has promised to do.
So when you believe that creation declares and continue to declare the glory of God, you believe that God's active providence is at work, and it is not your faith, not your confidence, not your self-assertion, not you making things happen, not you making the day, not you seizing the day. But God has seized the creation as His own handiwork and it is Him alone, He alone who controls the outcome of his creation.
Well, third, when you believe that the heavens are declaring — telling of God's glory, and the earth displays or shows His handiwork, you believe that God created everything out of nothing. That God created everything out of nothing. The term that we may use is "ex nihilo." That nothing existed before God spoke it into existence. Just, it's a very important assertion here. To believe this, you must be granted faith, not of your own, but from God.
Someone says, "Well, you know I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but I don't believe in creation." Well, you don't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you don't believe in creation ex nihilo, that God spoke what never existed into existence, you don't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's just that simple. Because to believe that this is true, it takes the gift from above to believe it. That is why my plea to anyone who says "I don't believe this" is to repent and believe the gospel. Because there's always this parallel truth in Scripture, the New Covenant message of salvation, of the same God who spoke life where there was darkness also set upon our hearts the light of the gospel,
Paul says to the church in Corinth that where you see this natural order of creation, which is a supernatural, miraculous work, you see another miraculous work in speaking life where there was once death. Oh you must be born again to believe this.
You say, "Well, in our society, because of science, we have to exercise the sense of apologetics." The greatest apologetic is to unleash the truth. God needs no defense, He calls for declaration. Because creation is declaring. No need for us to defend creation. Creation's fine! It's busy declaring the glory of God. That's the very thing we're called to do. We're called to declare the glory of God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. When they see the Savior for who He is, they will see God's creation for exactly what it is: God's own handiwork of creating everything we see out of nothing.
Be reminded that this psalm points back to Genesis chapter 1. So God is a designer, the sustainer, the creator of everything in creation. Now you look at the text of Scripture. It says it tells of God's glory.
This idea of declaring, and you couple it with proclaiming, it's the idea of recounting or disclosing the glory of God. The sense here that it's giving is that creation is giving to the world a detailed account of the glory of God. That when they see creation, if they're rightly aligned with God, will give Him thanks, but they cannot do so because they're spiritually dead. But for those who have been enlightened, they can see this to be true.
A parallel to this is the first verse in the 9th Psalm. The Psalmist says, I will tell, I will declare of your wonders, I will give a detailed report of your wonders. Creation is doing the same thing. Day to day, pours out speech and verse 2 night to night reveals knowledge.
Of course, this verse is most likely a mirrorism, where it's just telling you the day and the night and everything in between witnesses to the great glory of God. You have every day, 7 days, 24 hour cycle, as we see it and frame it, it is all given a detailed account and the revealing the knowledge of the glory of God.
In fact, the idea here of pouring out in verse 2, and the revealing of knowledge, they're communicating something about the greatness of God. Communicating something about the greatness of God.
I mean, think about this, we are outdoors. And yes, beloved, in the providence of God, we can say that man has erected laws, mandate, stipulations. We're kicked out of buildings. We're like wanderers and travelers. Let me just make this clear: the absolute, sovereign God is absolutely sovereign over everything. And so if you thought you had a shade this morning, and you didn't find the shade, give God thanks. Because verse 4 speaks something marvelous about the sun.
If we are looking at creation correctly, which you have a chance to do that now. Listen, you will, saints, you will never complain about a drop of rain, a drop of dew, high temperatures, low temperatures, the so called false pretense of global warming, because God is over all of His creation. As often as we try to remove the trees in Southern California to erect buildings, isn't it kind of God that a few trees are still left hanging around?
In the wisdom of God, look at the vast creation around you. Every tree that you're looking at those of you who are not tree huggers, but nature hunters which is — there's a difference between the two. If you look at God's creation and, and you enjoy that, that's that's a pleasurable experience. Now, just tell me what you found, because I'm not coming with you. Tell me your discoveries, but I will not make the trip. I love creation, but I prefer to look at it from, like, a controlled environment. But you see the beauty of God's creation, and you rejoice over it.
So every rock, every tree, every bird, every stone, every movement in creation, attests to the greatness of God. So our hearts must be tuned by the Spirit of God to see creation differently, because we tend to see creation as, "Well, it's, it's too hot for me." "It's too cold for me." "It's too wet for me." "It's too dry for me." But no, creation speaks of the greatness of God, and every saint should rejoice no matter what the conditions are. Because God's creation is declaring continuously something about the greatness of God. So God's glory, beloved, is always declared.
Isn't it a sort of an indictment on the world in general, but also believers specifically? That, in seeing God's glory in creation, we don't always declare His glory — we don't always give Him thanks? That there's usually just this hint of discomfort or complaining, or frustration, or anger? That the weather is not suited toward you, but the weather was actually for God? That it is for God's glory to be displayed? Beloved, we should always declare God's glory in creation, because that's exactly what creation is doing.
Then in verses 3 through 4, as you see God's glory in creation, know that God's message through creation is evident. God's message through His creation is evident. There is no speech nor are there words whose voice is not heard. Now, of course, there's nothing audible from creation in the sense of being able to understand the language or the communication. But it is communicating something, it is revealing something, and the revealing of knowledge speaks of God. And what it does, it reveals not saving knowledge, but knowledge of the power of God and His deity. His power and His deity.
Romans 1, Romans 1:19-20, you can just jot that down, it says, "what can be known about God is plain to [those who suppress this truth], because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world, in all things that have been made. So they are without excuse." There's another vital assertion from verse 3. That the insight here the speech, although it is not something that you can comprehend by way of communication, it is not random, nor is it disorderly, but solid, concrete knowledge of the revelation of the glorious God. So as the day informs you, it is specific because the day points you to the eternal God.
Now, think about this, beloved, every day you wake up and see the dawning of each morning should be a day what you said to look at the glory of God in the day. And even in the afternoons, as you're working, or if you're at home, you should look at the glory of God. But is it not easier to look at the horrific smog and pollution and the embers from the flame? Isn't it easier to complain about the traffic instead of seeing the beauty of God, even on the highway, to give men a sense [to] actually pave the road? Because there's a lot of things that humanity should be doing that they don't do. So a paved road is a providence of God. Because basic, basic principles that we should apply in society we don't, which shows that if God does not providentially, the guide us to these things, we will not do them. So when we see God's glory and creation, we should notice that God's message to creation is evident.
So where you have speech, voice, in verse 3, and then in verse 4, you also have “voice goes out through all the earth.” Creation testifies to God's power, His existence, His presence, yes, and His absolute sovereignty.
Quite interesting to me that it was made mention that someone had an issue with just my constancy of asserting the sovereignty of God. And I'll be more than happy to not say it as much if it wasn't recorded as much. If it wasn't, if it didn't permeate all of Scripture, I wouldn't say it. But it does. It permeates every aspect of Scripture on every aspect of your life. God is absolutely sovereign over everything. But if you need some ebonics, "errthang", which means everything. There is absolutely nothing in creation that He does not preside as King and ruler over. That's why we have to say He's sovereign at almost every message.
One of the reasons why we must do so is because sometimes we think that we have some control. We do have a responsibility, but we don't have any control of creation. You don't believe me? Have you not bit into or may have said it before, "Before I leave this world, I want to make it a better place." Oh, you've never said that? That's you asserting that you have some sense of sovereignty and power. So when I didn't mean that, it's just it sounds good. No, it's trying to usurp the ultimate authority of God. Because Scripture says and God says that this world, it ain't getting better. It's going to get worse.
Therefore, our trust must be in the sovereign God. Because the message through creation is evident, that God is sovereign, He's the only true power, the only one who exists eternally and infinitely to control every aspect of His creation. Of course, we know that creation is a general revelation. It cannot save, but it points to the glorious nature of God.
But then, under seeing God's glory creation, I want to present the third one to you, beloved, and it is in the verses 4, the end of verse 4 to verse 6. And it is that God sets the sun to display His glory. God sets the sun to display His glory. It says this, "In them He has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom" in verse five, "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."
Of course, I do want you to know that during the ancient times, there was a god and his name was Shamash. And the Babylon god was called a bridegroom. So why would David use it here? Well, first of all, I do believe it is used here to undo century of lies, centuries of lies. That the sun is not the object of worship, but it is the object of God's service. And it gives glory to God. Because God is the one who commands the sun. He is the one who set the sun in its place. Once again, beloved script exposes the light of truth that the sun serves, listen, the sun serves the purpose of God and can do nothing more. And it too reveals the glory and the deity of God. Because, as with creation, it is an object of His handiwork.
Of course, you find in verse 5, the wedding imagery applied here. And you may ask, "What is the exact idea of this bridegroom and leaving his chamber?" And I think the overall idea from the statement is that the joy from the sun's radiance, it's almost a picturing in a metaphoric way that the sun expresses itself with great joy.
So, when it's like 125 degrees, that's not global warming. That's the glory of God and the sun. But saints, I'm just trying to help reorient your thoughts concerning creation. It's not miserably hot when it's 125. It's the glory of God in the sun. It's doing His bidding in a fallen world, yes. But it's doing exactly what He's called it to do. But it's almost picturing the sun doing so with great joy, with great excitement. Well, the meaning is that the sun, because God's sovereignty rules over creation, moves without haste to accomplish His work, accomplish the work that God has designed. And it is glorifying God through its obedience as God intended for it to do in creation.
Then verse 6, "it's rising is from the end of the heavens, and it's circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat." So of course, the rising is, once again, a picture for when the sun — you see the sun's first appearance in your eyes. But then it talks about the path of the sun, that it covers the globe. But the ultimate objective here, beloved, is not a scientific discovery. This is an illustration of the sun's movement, and the sun's activity that it too gives praise to God. It declares His glory.
Now how you and I see this truth is essential to true worship. "As God is infinite," writes Charles Hodges, "and all creation are as nothing in comparison to Him, it is plain that the revelation of His nature and the perfections must be the highest conceivable end of all things, and the most conducive to secure all other good subordinate ends." Again, Hodges adds that "If we make the good of the creature the ultimate object of God's works, then we subordinate God to the creature, and endless confusion and unavoidable error are the consequence.
It is a characteristic of the Bible that places God first, and the good creation second." That is what we find in this text. So as you're here, if you're uncomfortable, because it's warm, if you wish there were another way to worship, Psalm 19 is a very good antidote for that, because it should all bring glory to God from your lips. That means we should never have another complaint about the weather again, in an ideal world. But you will. Just because of your sinfulness, you will. And because you're so acclimated in doing it, it will not matter to you. But it matters to God. To believe that God created this creation, for His glory, is to believe everything about creation, including the elements involved in it.
You say, "Well, we're in a fallen world in a sinful world." Yes, but this text was written in light of the fall. And it still says creation, marvelously declares the glory of God. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, remember this, according to Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 3, "By faith we understand that the universe was created [was created] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." That's it. It's in the context of salvation. It's the context of the believer’s life.
It is a dangerous thing to ascribe creations makings and its formation to anything but the exclusive power of God who created everything out of nothing. It is also part of our glory to God for what He's done. See God's glory creation, His glory is always declared, His message through creation is evident, He sets the sun to display His glory.
Then our second is this, let God's word transform your life. Let God's word transform your life. Well, why is that important? Well, the exhortation I gave is just based on the principle concerning the Christians response to the truth concerning God's word.
But we do know this, that the response and the transforming work in our heart is a work of the Holy Spirit. Mechanized Christianity only gets you so far. But true spirituality, where the Spirit of God works to cultivate holy affections post-salvation, is a good work and is an evident work. When you look at this text, I want to highlight this is very important.
And because I'm concerned that you may melt before I'm done, if I don't finish this, that's your fault, because you look like you're sweating out there. So I'll be kind and I'll stop at a good time, just for you.
But, beloved, please consider this ever so carefully. That a proper response to the reading of Scripture necessitates a confession of your sin. And your complete trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. it necessitates — it demands — an acknowledgement of your weakness, and that your strength comes only in Christ. Far too often you read a glowing text and you say, "Well, that's the eloquence of Psalm 19, what a wisdom book, what a wisdom Psalm, what a...." It's prolific! But it's also humbling at the end of it. Who can discern this but you alone working in my heart, God?
All right. Why does God's word transform your life? Well, it is because God's word is perfect. Because the word of God is perfect. The psalmist uses the word of law here for the Torah, the Hebrew word is Torah. "The law of the Lord," in verse 7, "is perfect." It reveals who God is, and His expectations for His people.
This isn't — this is not the ceremonial aspect of it. But this is revealing God's law, who He is, and His expectations of His people and those, in the Old Testament context, who were truly saved, because not everyone in Israel was saved. But there was always an elect people who were saved in the nation of Israel. They respond to God's character and His commands differently from those who are pretending to be saved. They believe this to be true.
So therefore, this principle, this doctrine carries over into the New Covenant, when Paul says, in 2 Timothy, chapter 3, that "All scripture is God-breathed and it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the servant of God [the messenger of God] may be adequately equipped," what to preach the Word of God to the saints, and call them to conform to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I want you to notice in verse 7, though, that the perfection of the law of God, that's the overarching proposition here in verses 7 through 9, to which the others, the second part of verse 7, and up to verse 9 follow in — in subordination to the perfection, to believe that God's word is perfect.
Now, when you think of the law of God, here, it is the most comprehensive word for God's law to His people. It is synonymous with God's teachings or His instruction to his people. And so for Israel, it would include laws for living, relationships, for worship, for their worship to God and the service to each other. And in this text, it says that the law turns men to God, the Word of God turns the heart of sinful depraved to men to Himself. This is so critical.
I know these, these adages make the sermon longer. But we've got to get this right. The only sufficient truth and need for men is the all sufficient Word of God. And we have many men who are standing up and speaking, but they're not proclaiming the thus-says-the-Lord sermons. Therefore, they're not preaching for God, nor they're preaching the word of God. I
t is the word of God, not our programs, not our events, not our Kumbaya sessions at the park, those are all good. Those are all nice, but nothing produces lasting, eternal God glorifying, sanctifying, Christ exalting, Spirit enabling change but the word of the living God. So you're ever wondering, and you're looking for a place of worship, I would not say this is the place for you. I can't say that, I'm not God. I don't have that authority. I don't have that wisdom.
But this is what I can tell you. You must find a place where the word of God is not only sufficient for the church, but supreme. That it is the supreme and the only instruction, the only rule, the only order of life for the saint. That's it. Not a man's stories, not his jokes. There are many congregations, you'll have a service that's two and a half hours long, with two hours and 15 minutes of singing. And maybe 10 minutes of a light talk. But that's not the height of worship is to hear what God has to say in His word.
And it says that "His word is perfect, reviving the soul." Another translation will say restoring the soul. Well, the restoration, the restoration here, or the reviving, begins with repentance. The soul may be weary due to this life, or weary due to sin, distracted because of sin. Many people are distracted today. You have many believers who are just living in perpetual fear. Fear over a condition that is real, but the consequences are man-made.
Our leaders, I respect them highly, our doctors I respect them, but I disagree with their fear mongering message that is instilling fear in the hearts of people. And if you're listening, whether here or online, and you're not attending because of the fear of the virus, or the fear of anything, the word of God exposes that your fear is not rooted in the God who has the power to take your life and cast both your body and your soul, the entire person, in hell. Listen, COVID can't do that. You may die with COVID, you may die over COVID. But I said the bigger fear.
The bigger fear is not when you die, because you will unless Christ returns. When you die, it's the judge that you will have to stand before and give an account for the deeds that you've done, or the Christ that you have trusted or not trusted in. That's the fear that we ought to bring to the people. The fear of this ultimate judgment of either eternal life, or eternal damnation based on how you have responded to the Son of the living God. That's the fear.
Well it says that it is the word of God or the law of God that can bring about repentance, if you are in that place of fear. If your fear is not in God, but in the condition that you may never catch, you may actually die over fear than die over the actual condition. Paralyzed by it. The word of God is sufficient to bring that sense of repentance and obedience to the Word of God.
And this is a very familiar path for the redeemed, is — you have a change of mind. So critical. It's not just a change of action. It's a change of mind concerning that sin. A change of mind that that transgression is not some light mistake. That transgression is a high offense against a holy and a righteous God. And with that change of mind comes a change of direction. You walk away from that sin and toward what is right as a Christian. Because your life in Christ began with repentance and faith, that will never end until you have been given a glorified body in the future.
Until then, the Word of God is perfect. It is perfect in bringing your sin to the forefront and bringing you to a place of agreeing with God about that sin and renewing your obedience to God. It is God's word that restores or revives your failing mind and will. It is God's word that persuades the guilty sinner to turn to him, that guilty condemned sinner to turn to him, turn away from your sin, and trust in the work of Christ for your salvation.
But now because God's word is perfect, the end of verse 7, God's testimony mature. His testimonies matures. It says that "the testimony of the Lord is sure," it is sure, "making wise the simple." God's testimony here may be His statutes or stipulations. I like to use the word "warnings" from God, or warnings for the simple here in this case, because of the aspect of the simple included here. This is probably emphasizing a warning to those who are immature or simple. It means that God's testimony is trustworthy.
It is a trustworthy instrument of correction for, not just adults, but even for our children. Psychology, making our children happy, is not the solution. Listen, being a friend to your children is not the need. You must love them, yes. Lovingly in a Christ-like way, but also as a parent who loves his or her child. But the warning your children need are the warnings from Scripture.
One of the first warnings that they would receive is take heed to the word and the law of God. Because there are consequences to your disobedience, not just on the temporal level, but also on an eternal level. It says that because it is perfect. It is a excellent, a supreme instrument of warning to the simple ones. It says what it will actually do, it promises to make them wise. And the simple is someone who's naive and most likely someone who doesn't know at that point in time because of their youthfulness or lack of experience in life.
And today, it is so true that our children do need to grow in their knowledge of God. They know how to access a phone, how to lock your phone, how to retrieve information from the internet, how to download, upload, in-load, through-load. They got that all the terminology and the lingo. They can rehearse the parts of a show, of a movie verbatim. And then you say, "Well, can you quote to me Psalm 19?" "Ah, yeah, well, you know, I know we did it last year. I don't remember." Then he says, "Well, you know, I don't want to press spiritual things on my children."
Can I just tell you, a sanctify suggestion, someone is impressing something on your children anyway. So you're better off just doing what the scripture says. Impress and press upon them the law of God.
When we correct them, we give them the law in the Gospel. When we are correcting them, yes, using a rod of correction, not just our tongue, but an implement. A spanking implement. You say, "I don't believe in spanking." Well, the Bible doesn't believe in it, the Bible actually proclaims it. The Bible teaches it. It's not a matter of belief. It's a matter of us obeying the Scripture. So sometimes you have to use a little extra-curricular activity called a spanking. But with that spanking comes the word of God, the message of the Gospel, the Good News.
If our children are left to themselves, they will continue to loot, continue to riot, continue to burn, and in the end, they will burn and perish in hell in their sin, because we never told them that the consequences of their action will meet a just judge who will punish them eternally for their sin. "Well, you know, that's just hard." There's a Heaven. He said, back in the day, they said this, "there's a Heaven to gain, and the Hell to shun." Our world today says, "there's a Hell to gain, and a Heaven to shun." Because we leave them in their corruption.
The Scripture says it's the word of God that is sufficient alone, to make the simple, the naive, wise. But because God's word is perfect, in verse 8, God's commandment is life-giving. It is life-giving. You notice that in your text, beloved? It is life-giving. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. But that is, it's actually God's precepts produces joy. That's the second one. I'm sorry, God's precepts produces joy. Because that is in verse 8. "The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart." Of course, the precepts is another general way of describing God's law, but it's with a focus on your direction. Your direction.
Listen my dear saints, the path for the righteous is based on the path of the Righteous One, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the correction and the teaching from God's word is going to constantly change, not just your mind, but the course and the priorities in your life. The more you grow to know the Lord Jesus Christ is so more the path of your life will change. The affections will change, your zeal will change, your goals will be more mature, and focus on the glory of God just as creation is.
The text says that God's precepts are right, or another way to say that God's precepts, they are upright. There's a sense of precision here. And the reason why it's precisely right, precisely effective, precisely sufficient is because His precepts are in keeping with His character. Therefore, His instructions for life are always right and they're always trustworthy.
But it says that there's joy in it, it rejoices their heart. And that is the reason why there's joy in the heart or rejoicing in the heart because God's word is upright, it is trustworthy.
Now there are some believers who may struggle having that sense of joy. Let me just say that there could be several reasons, but part of this, maybe a major part of [it], is that inconsistency in obedience does produce the sense of loathing and not joy. There is something fruitful about obedience. But be reminded, please, be reminded of this. That obedience also involves the active life of repentance. Why am I bringing this up? It's because, for some reason, the more I speak to saints, the more afraid they are of repenting. The more afraid they are of just saying "I sinned," not my bad.
Look, if we're on the basketball court, you miss a shot, and you said "my bad," I'll take that. But God is not taking "my bad" for sin. Sin is not just bad, it is a gross evil against God and and there are exact theological terms to express our disdain for the sin that we have committed against God and against others, and it's "God I've sinned against you and others, I repent of my sin," which means I agreed that this sin is wrong. Listen, there's great joy when you are forgiven of your sin. When your iniquities have been pardoned.
The psalmist says in Psalm 32. "Blessed." Do you not know how happy you are to not live in constant condemnation of your sin as the unbeliever does? This peril of eternal damnation is no longer your lot because of Christ. Do you not know that you have been forgiven past, present, and future all sins? But, you must acknowledge it. He says "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, who sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit." Or when the psalmist says in verse 3, "For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long."
The more you keep silent, the more you cover, the more you hide, the more you mask your sin, you will not experience the joy of sins forgiven, and the joy of having a healthy relationship that's been brought to you as a gift of God's grace to the Lord Jesus Christ. Because God's precepts as it confronts your sin and presents the majesty of Christ, and the glory of Christ, and the blessedness of sins forgiven, it produces joy. It produces joy.
And then in verse 8, it says, "The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes." Tt refers to all God's commands. It is pure, it is, it is divine, it is special. It has a place of superiority, but of infinite superiority. That is the choice piece of God's Word. It is pure in every way. The psalmist says in verse 12, of Psalm — in verse 6, that is in verse 6 of Psalm 12, "the words of the Lord are pure words like silver, refined in a furnace, on the ground, purified seven times." It is pure in every way. And that is why it can enlighten the eyes. And the sense of enlightening here is spiritual perception. Spiritual perception.
Well, what is that? Beloved, it is the ability to discern God's instruction. It is the ability that God gives you to discern His instruction. And, in discerning God's instruction — this is so critical — you can choose what is right beyond what you may see with a natural eye. Why is that the case? Because there's a way that seems right to a man, but the end is a way of death. The only way to truly have a sense of what is right and what is clear, even when you don't quite understand what the natural eye, is through the perfect and pure word of the living God.
How is this possible? Through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 2:12, "We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit, who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given to us by God." Verse 14, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he's not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." Please listen carefully, beloved, when God enlightens the eyes, His enlightening is for moral purity and spiritual insight. It's to give you spiritual insight to live a righteous and a holy word. As He is pure, and Hs word is pure, it is producing holy affections and holy living.
Now, if you were to look at this, the application of this verse, the end of verse 8, to apply it is to know and to believe that God's word is the only source for life's decisions and direction. It is the only source for life's decisions and direction. God's word is the source for the saints.
We're going to turn your attention now to a very important point here in this text. Because there's a promise here in this scripture in verse 9. And it is that the fear — the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.
If you're looking at the outline, I do have that promise after. But I do want to look at it now, because the promise in the fear of the Lord is that it is a life of fellowship with God. It promises a life of fellowship with God. And it promises a life that is in harmony with God.
It says the fear of the Lord — so we know that God does not fear — so it seems to point to a shift in the psalmist's focus, not toward explaining who God is and the results. but explain the results itself based on who God is. In fact, the structure in the Hebrew text indicate that that slip this shift is true. It's moving from an objective truth to an — to a subjective experience based on that objective truth. So the truth of God's word being perfect, the truth of God's precepts being right, leads to the fact that the fear of the Lord is clean. So what you have here is a transition from the power of God's word, to what that power accomplishes in your life.
What it will achieve in the heart and life of those who, by God's grace, respond to it. It will teach you, beloved, how to fear Yahweh in honor, adoration, worship in your life, and dependence upon him. That is what the fear of the Lord being clean means, in the sense that it instructs the worship or how to live for God, and to worship in the presence of God. That is the only way that we can know how to worship God, is through His Word.
This is critical because you may have some people gathering together and says, "Well, let's close our Bibles, let's just worship God however you want, just express it from your heart." No, your heart is corrupt, it must be cleansed, and it must be informed, in order that it may be transformed.
So, beloved, it's the Word of God that teaches us how to fear Him. How to fear him in worship. and adoration. Because, apart from that, you will worship God in your uncleanliness, in your sinfulness, in your filth. Israel, the people of God, would have been well acquainted with the concept of clean and unclean, because whatever or whoever was unclean would not be accepted. They could not stand before God. Or if that implement was unclean, it could not be used for worship.
But when you look at God's word, being without flaw or contamination, it's an enduring word. It is the instrument that God uses to purify us, to instruct us, and to sanctify us in how we can be true worshipers and truly fear Him in reverence and obedience.
But now, this is a critical one in verse 9. God's judgment for life. God's judgment for life. This is critical saints. God's judgment for life — it is final. God's judgment for life, It is final. Which means that God's rule, His ordinances — all final. I know the text says "the rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether" in the ESV, which is fine. But the word to use, I think, that really draws out the implications would be the word "judgment." So the subject in question, God, the text says, always does what is right. So God's judgment are true, his rules are true and righteous in every way.
So when you think about God's judgment, God's judgments are His judicial rulings. And then what God — what makes God's judgment genuine is that His decrees — His decrees are always in harmony with reality. Not your untested, unproven reality, but true reality. Because His reality corresponds — always corresponds — to what is right and perfect. God is always right, always good, always perfect, always just. always holy. We're not. We're none of those.
So when you're making a decision in life, you refer to God's judgment. What is God's judgment and assessment on these areas of relationships, friendship, education, vocation, worship? What is God's judgment on these things? Because His judgment or His decrees are always according to truth.
Why is that so, because God is the standard of truth. He's the only God of truth, His word the Scripture, is revealed to us, is without mixture or error. Now, just thinking quickly about the time of the psalm when it was written, ancient Near Eastern pagan gods and what they believe and what they did wasn't clear. Those gods were as inconsistent and ungodly as their worshippers. Imagine that, a false god being ungodly. But that's exactly the case. They were immoral. They were violent. They were deceivers. They were liars. They were unpredictable.
No, that's not your resume, I know it sounds like it. I was talking about them, but yes, you know, that is true of us apart from the grace of God, We're not genuine. We're not truthful. We're not sincere, until the Spirit of God begins and continues His work in our lives. So the false gods in that era, they were consistent with the attitude and the depravity of the people in their times. Because the best thing you can do is to build a God that looks a lot like you.
The only way to know a God who is unlike you, who is separate from you, is if He reveals Himself as such. And that's what the texts of Scripture says. And in doing so, God's character indicates that He's, He's morally perfectly upright, He's truthful, He's a God who reveals Himself so He can be known. He's immutable, which means he's unchanging in His character. So what He reveals comes from His infinitely wise, holy and perfect being. A perfect being who knows intimately only what is wise and good. He knows of sending the fact that His knowledge is true, but being intimately acquainted with sin, He's not. But He's intimately acquainted with this absolute, perfect, unmitigated, holy character. That means His word is reliable and trustworthy.
So God's word is the only standard to live by, in fact, the only standard to judge your life by. Judge — please do not judge the way you're living according to the World standard. That you're better than the worst criminal. That you haven't murdered anyone. That you haven't been in jail. That you haven't stolen anything and gotten caught. Measure your life according to God's judgment on what is right and what is wrong. Because it is the only model that God uses to evaluate your life.
In fact, the action in this text underscores that point. Because in this cluster truth, the psalmist, under the Spirit's guidance, uses a measure to describe God's standard of righteousness as final, it is final and it is certain Oh saints, do we not need to be more acquainted with the word of God? Because that's the standard with by which you'll be judged by, now and in the future?
Isn't this so critical for us to be more acquainted with the scripture? Is that not an indication that we ought to rely on God's word because that's His standard for living? In how many hours do we spend watching the news? Watching self-help programs, self-enabling programs, being-a-better-version-of-yourself programs? The Scripture says none of those standards will hold up in the light of eternity. But [what] will hold up in the light of eternity is the absolute righteous standard of the judgment of God. It is true and righteous in every way.
Let me just say this quickly. To those who are yet in their sin, this is a gracious warning from God. That His unchanging standard of judgment will not be usurped, will not be overridden, by anything that you do. His standard is the same. And the only way that you can flee from this wrath of God that is just and that you deserve, and that you and I deserve, is to place your confidence in the living word, Jesus Christ. Because the living word, Jesus Christ, testifies to the revealed and written word. Because God and His word are one. As there's no contradiction with God, there's no contradictory with the Scripture, There is an end to every men. And that end, in death, is to stand before God and given account for what you have done, for the Savior that you've embraced or rejected. And that is according to God's standard, because that standard is His word.
Now quickly to the saints, just as you look at the expression of God's glory in creation, do you worship God for His creation? Do you give God thanks that that all that you see in the sun, the clouds when (we have the clouds), the trees around us, even the warmth of the day, that it all comes from God? Do you realize that as as much as we, we want men and women to believe that, if you do not believe that God created what is seen and unseen, if you do not believe that, then then your belief in this salvation message is in question? Meditate on that quickly. Once again because God's judgment has ruled that He is the creator of all things, and that's the standard that He's set. To deviate from that is to put yourself at a great disadvantage in the future glory.
Let me encourage you, do not trifle with anything that God has revealed, rejoice in it as His creation does. Marvel in It as you marvel in God's grace in salvation. If you have any doubts, have any issues with doubting, I'd love to speak to you about those things. But your confidence in God must be rooted in His objective truth, not your subjective experience or your thoughts. You must submit your thoughts and your imagination to the absolute authority of God's word. Then you will declare the glory of God in His creation.
Pray with me. Lord of heaven, I do pray that your word, that we have just read, read us clearly and exposed the depths of our heart, the depths of our need, and that we will admit that we have not worshipped yes we should, so we have sinned. And that we have not adored your creation as we should, we have sinned. We've been distracted by the events around us and not not attracted to Christ, we have sinned. Let our confession be true. May our praise and glory to you be true and sincere. By the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, in Christ's name I pray, amen.
But I do have a question. Do you believe that God's judgment is true? That His commands for life and how you should live are righteous? Maybe you are nestled and confined within society's comforts. It is a sinful comfort of tolerating views that are generally acceptable in our society, but contradictory to what God declares.
What if I were to say that eternity hinges on the foundational truth, that God, who is life, is the fountain of life, and because He is truth, He is the only source of absolute, eternal and final truth? That to disbelieve anything that God says, and to replace it with contemporary societies philosophy is your introduction of making a God according to your own imagination.
Now, there are three distinct proclamations that I wanted to clear to you from scripture this morning. That on those three truths, the faith of the Old Testament believers, and also, I would say, the New Test — new covenant believers’ rests. And the threefold distinctions are in Psalm 19. It is God as Creator, God as revealer of truth, the consequences of trusting in God who was the Creator and Revealer of truth is adoration, confession, and petition. It is to adore that God is the Supreme Author, and Founder of all creation, that God is the source of all truth. And that according to God's truth at the end of evaluating the Word of God, that those who understand who God is and know themselves rightly, will turn in confession and admitting their weakness, their sin, and their inadequacies before a holy and a just God, and depend on him alone, for their security, and for their hope.
In fact, the end of the psalm and this prayer to God comes from the lips of someone who understands that the pattern to recognizing God's glorious nature is to recognize the insufficiency of our own nature because of sin.
Let me restate those premises another way. Creation's goal of the purpose for creation is not for humanity. It is not for us. We benefit from it. But it is not for us. Creation's goal was for the crowning of a king, the Lord Jesus Christ, and for the glory of the Father.
Therefore, our bold declaration to the world is not that we promise to make things right. It's not that we promise to pursue certain social agendas. By standing with them to fight hate with hate. No, beloved, our orders, our directions, our mandate, our mission, our goal, it comes supremely and only from God when the Christian rightly recognizes God's full authority over creation and His created people. Therefore, creation declares his glory and it is for His glory alone that the saints live. It is for God's glory exclusively, and only that we live.
So we'll see that in Psalm 19 this morning. But I do want you to observe just prior to Psalm 19 there was a great battle in that psalm. Within that psalm of 50 verses, there were several doctrinal anchors from that psalter, and one of them is that the believer finds and discovers with the hardships of life, into the trials of life, and this this battle against sin, and the sin in the world around them, the sin within them, that only God is their rock. Therefore, He alone receives praise and exaltation. He is the true champion of our faith. And God, through His Son Jesus Christ, is not only the comfort for our adversity in life, but also the distinct advantage that we have to the revealed Word of God, both the written word and the living word Jesus Christ.
But then, as we encounter the adversities in life, the trials in life, also the sanctification that God is working in our hearts, we are commanded to conclude, as the psalmist does in verse 30, of Psalm 18, that this God — listen, saints — His way is perfect! The word of the Lord proves true. And he's a shield for all those who take refuge in Him. So Psalm 19 — Psalm 19, continues to exalt the name and the nature of God, by giving glory to a God who is already glorious.
Well, now, what is God's glory? What does that mean? Well, first, God's glory begins with his nature. Who God is in His infinite greatness. When we say that, when we proclaim that we're only affirming what is true, that God is glorious. That glory, that begins with his nature, is what we call His "intrinsic glory," because it is the substance of who He is. So to be intrinsic to God is to say that his glory is the essence of His person. That belongs to His nature.
Now who God is, and His essential being is something that you and I cannot add to. He is glorious in His person. So there's a difference between us giving glory to God — that is when we acknowledge who He is, in our worship and obedience, for example — there's a difference between that and who God is in His being. So to give God glory is to ascribe what is rightfully true of Him, and what is rightfully due to Him. But it is true because it is intrinsic, it is a part of his divine, infinitely glorious and marvelous nature.
In the ancient world, to be glorious was a way to describe someone's value. Someone who's who's weighty during the time of Old Testament writings, that person was extremely rich, or wealthy. So the Old Testament equivalent of our "Forbes Top 5 Wealthiest People," for example, is to recognize the weightiest, or the most glorious person, or the richest person. And so when they spoke of the glorious nature of God, Has intrinsic glory, they were saying that God was infinitely glorious, infinitely greater, and infinitely worthy of all recognition, because He is glorious.
So to recognize God's glory, in our part, is to ascribe Glory or declare that He is glorious. And when we recognize this truth, we will recognize that God's glory is displayed in creation. And He is fully and completely the author of creation. God received no assistance, no handouts, no prototypes. He did not go to the local hardware store to borrow wood to build a building. It all came exclusively and solely from God. When we believe that, that is the essence of the Christian faith. Because the same God who created this world out of nothing is the same God who spoke life into those who are dead in their trespasses and sins.
You cannot, in Psalm 19, get to the Word of God and the confession of your sin if you do not believe that God is a sole creator of everything that we see and know. It is essentially bound to salvation, it is bound to the Christian faith because of what God has declared.
Now let us begin to scale the heights of Psalm 19. Psalm 19, is really a book of three chapters. It is, Spurgeon said, it's actually "the world-book and [then] the Word-book." But then there's another chapter in this book at the end of this psalm, verses 12 through 14, it is that of a confession. Of a contrite soul after coming to acknowledging the Creator but also His revealed word. That at the end of every discovery, at the end of the Scriptures truly reading you after you've truly read it, is to admit the greatness of God, the insufficiency of your humanity, and the necessity of trusting in Him for salvation and to sustain you in this life.
We know that the first chapter, verses 1-6, is God's general revelation and creation. The second chapter and verses seven, through 12, or through 11, is the special revelation of Scripture and also the response of the believer. And then the third chapter is the revelation of your sin and also the petition that you make to God because of your trust in Him, and in Him alone.
So now what is the lesson this morning, as we have just done the overview? Well the lesson is reading God's revelation expresses His glory, and reveals your deepest need. It expresses His glory and reveals your deepest need. Beloved me call you by way of exhortation. And I think, if you do look at the sermon outline in the notes, it might be more helpful for you because it is more detailed. But I want you to see God's glory in creation in verses 1 through 6, see God's glory in creation.
But also, there's some sub-points or some truths connected to that, at least three of them. And the first one, in seeing God's glory in creation is this: God's glory is always declared. God's glory is always declared. That is what the text is saying. The Heavens declare (or they are telling the NASB says), or they keep on telling, and they keep on declaring the work of His hands. And this is, is almost a refrain from Genesis, the first chapter, the fifth day of creation. And this is a repetition of creation, of God creating everything out of nothing. And so when you read Genesis 1, verses 22, verses 20, through 23, on the fifth day of creation, it is God who said. And when God spoke, it came into existence. He said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of creatures and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens. So God created the great sea creatures, and every living creature that moves with which the water swarm according to their kinds, and every wing bird, according to its kind, and God saw that it was good. And God bless them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply and fill the waters in the seas and let the birds multiply on the earth. And there was evening, and there was morning, the fifth day."
In fact, when you look at this psalm, it also makes reference in verse 2, about the day and night pouring out speech, and the night revealing the knowledge of God. So, beloved, creation displays that God is glorious. And creation's design is primarily for that extent, to declare that God is glorious.
Now, how does God's glory display in creation? How is it displayed in creation? Well, first of all, to speak of God's glory and creation — this is so critical, saints, this is the word of God — is to believe that God spoke everything into existence. It is to believe that God spoke everything into existence. That is a very important premise. Secondly, to believe this, is to believe that creation displays the active providence of God. There's no such thing for the Christian as as fate, or luck, or it just happened, or karma. None of those are true. The act of providence of God is God's active involvement in His creation order to sustain, to uphold, and to preserve, as He has promised to do.
So when you believe that creation declares and continue to declare the glory of God, you believe that God's active providence is at work, and it is not your faith, not your confidence, not your self-assertion, not you making things happen, not you making the day, not you seizing the day. But God has seized the creation as His own handiwork and it is Him alone, He alone who controls the outcome of his creation.
Well, third, when you believe that the heavens are declaring — telling of God's glory, and the earth displays or shows His handiwork, you believe that God created everything out of nothing. That God created everything out of nothing. The term that we may use is "ex nihilo." That nothing existed before God spoke it into existence. Just, it's a very important assertion here. To believe this, you must be granted faith, not of your own, but from God.
Someone says, "Well, you know I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but I don't believe in creation." Well, you don't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you don't believe in creation ex nihilo, that God spoke what never existed into existence, you don't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's just that simple. Because to believe that this is true, it takes the gift from above to believe it. That is why my plea to anyone who says "I don't believe this" is to repent and believe the gospel. Because there's always this parallel truth in Scripture, the New Covenant message of salvation, of the same God who spoke life where there was darkness also set upon our hearts the light of the gospel,
Paul says to the church in Corinth that where you see this natural order of creation, which is a supernatural, miraculous work, you see another miraculous work in speaking life where there was once death. Oh you must be born again to believe this.
You say, "Well, in our society, because of science, we have to exercise the sense of apologetics." The greatest apologetic is to unleash the truth. God needs no defense, He calls for declaration. Because creation is declaring. No need for us to defend creation. Creation's fine! It's busy declaring the glory of God. That's the very thing we're called to do. We're called to declare the glory of God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. When they see the Savior for who He is, they will see God's creation for exactly what it is: God's own handiwork of creating everything we see out of nothing.
Be reminded that this psalm points back to Genesis chapter 1. So God is a designer, the sustainer, the creator of everything in creation. Now you look at the text of Scripture. It says it tells of God's glory.
This idea of declaring, and you couple it with proclaiming, it's the idea of recounting or disclosing the glory of God. The sense here that it's giving is that creation is giving to the world a detailed account of the glory of God. That when they see creation, if they're rightly aligned with God, will give Him thanks, but they cannot do so because they're spiritually dead. But for those who have been enlightened, they can see this to be true.
A parallel to this is the first verse in the 9th Psalm. The Psalmist says, I will tell, I will declare of your wonders, I will give a detailed report of your wonders. Creation is doing the same thing. Day to day, pours out speech and verse 2 night to night reveals knowledge.
Of course, this verse is most likely a mirrorism, where it's just telling you the day and the night and everything in between witnesses to the great glory of God. You have every day, 7 days, 24 hour cycle, as we see it and frame it, it is all given a detailed account and the revealing the knowledge of the glory of God.
In fact, the idea here of pouring out in verse 2, and the revealing of knowledge, they're communicating something about the greatness of God. Communicating something about the greatness of God.
I mean, think about this, we are outdoors. And yes, beloved, in the providence of God, we can say that man has erected laws, mandate, stipulations. We're kicked out of buildings. We're like wanderers and travelers. Let me just make this clear: the absolute, sovereign God is absolutely sovereign over everything. And so if you thought you had a shade this morning, and you didn't find the shade, give God thanks. Because verse 4 speaks something marvelous about the sun.
If we are looking at creation correctly, which you have a chance to do that now. Listen, you will, saints, you will never complain about a drop of rain, a drop of dew, high temperatures, low temperatures, the so called false pretense of global warming, because God is over all of His creation. As often as we try to remove the trees in Southern California to erect buildings, isn't it kind of God that a few trees are still left hanging around?
In the wisdom of God, look at the vast creation around you. Every tree that you're looking at those of you who are not tree huggers, but nature hunters which is — there's a difference between the two. If you look at God's creation and, and you enjoy that, that's that's a pleasurable experience. Now, just tell me what you found, because I'm not coming with you. Tell me your discoveries, but I will not make the trip. I love creation, but I prefer to look at it from, like, a controlled environment. But you see the beauty of God's creation, and you rejoice over it.
So every rock, every tree, every bird, every stone, every movement in creation, attests to the greatness of God. So our hearts must be tuned by the Spirit of God to see creation differently, because we tend to see creation as, "Well, it's, it's too hot for me." "It's too cold for me." "It's too wet for me." "It's too dry for me." But no, creation speaks of the greatness of God, and every saint should rejoice no matter what the conditions are. Because God's creation is declaring continuously something about the greatness of God. So God's glory, beloved, is always declared.
Isn't it a sort of an indictment on the world in general, but also believers specifically? That, in seeing God's glory in creation, we don't always declare His glory — we don't always give Him thanks? That there's usually just this hint of discomfort or complaining, or frustration, or anger? That the weather is not suited toward you, but the weather was actually for God? That it is for God's glory to be displayed? Beloved, we should always declare God's glory in creation, because that's exactly what creation is doing.
Then in verses 3 through 4, as you see God's glory in creation, know that God's message through creation is evident. God's message through His creation is evident. There is no speech nor are there words whose voice is not heard. Now, of course, there's nothing audible from creation in the sense of being able to understand the language or the communication. But it is communicating something, it is revealing something, and the revealing of knowledge speaks of God. And what it does, it reveals not saving knowledge, but knowledge of the power of God and His deity. His power and His deity.
Romans 1, Romans 1:19-20, you can just jot that down, it says, "what can be known about God is plain to [those who suppress this truth], because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world, in all things that have been made. So they are without excuse." There's another vital assertion from verse 3. That the insight here the speech, although it is not something that you can comprehend by way of communication, it is not random, nor is it disorderly, but solid, concrete knowledge of the revelation of the glorious God. So as the day informs you, it is specific because the day points you to the eternal God.
Now, think about this, beloved, every day you wake up and see the dawning of each morning should be a day what you said to look at the glory of God in the day. And even in the afternoons, as you're working, or if you're at home, you should look at the glory of God. But is it not easier to look at the horrific smog and pollution and the embers from the flame? Isn't it easier to complain about the traffic instead of seeing the beauty of God, even on the highway, to give men a sense [to] actually pave the road? Because there's a lot of things that humanity should be doing that they don't do. So a paved road is a providence of God. Because basic, basic principles that we should apply in society we don't, which shows that if God does not providentially, the guide us to these things, we will not do them. So when we see God's glory and creation, we should notice that God's message to creation is evident.
So where you have speech, voice, in verse 3, and then in verse 4, you also have “voice goes out through all the earth.” Creation testifies to God's power, His existence, His presence, yes, and His absolute sovereignty.
Quite interesting to me that it was made mention that someone had an issue with just my constancy of asserting the sovereignty of God. And I'll be more than happy to not say it as much if it wasn't recorded as much. If it wasn't, if it didn't permeate all of Scripture, I wouldn't say it. But it does. It permeates every aspect of Scripture on every aspect of your life. God is absolutely sovereign over everything. But if you need some ebonics, "errthang", which means everything. There is absolutely nothing in creation that He does not preside as King and ruler over. That's why we have to say He's sovereign at almost every message.
One of the reasons why we must do so is because sometimes we think that we have some control. We do have a responsibility, but we don't have any control of creation. You don't believe me? Have you not bit into or may have said it before, "Before I leave this world, I want to make it a better place." Oh, you've never said that? That's you asserting that you have some sense of sovereignty and power. So when I didn't mean that, it's just it sounds good. No, it's trying to usurp the ultimate authority of God. Because Scripture says and God says that this world, it ain't getting better. It's going to get worse.
Therefore, our trust must be in the sovereign God. Because the message through creation is evident, that God is sovereign, He's the only true power, the only one who exists eternally and infinitely to control every aspect of His creation. Of course, we know that creation is a general revelation. It cannot save, but it points to the glorious nature of God.
But then, under seeing God's glory creation, I want to present the third one to you, beloved, and it is in the verses 4, the end of verse 4 to verse 6. And it is that God sets the sun to display His glory. God sets the sun to display His glory. It says this, "In them He has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom" in verse five, "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."
Of course, I do want you to know that during the ancient times, there was a god and his name was Shamash. And the Babylon god was called a bridegroom. So why would David use it here? Well, first of all, I do believe it is used here to undo century of lies, centuries of lies. That the sun is not the object of worship, but it is the object of God's service. And it gives glory to God. Because God is the one who commands the sun. He is the one who set the sun in its place. Once again, beloved script exposes the light of truth that the sun serves, listen, the sun serves the purpose of God and can do nothing more. And it too reveals the glory and the deity of God. Because, as with creation, it is an object of His handiwork.
Of course, you find in verse 5, the wedding imagery applied here. And you may ask, "What is the exact idea of this bridegroom and leaving his chamber?" And I think the overall idea from the statement is that the joy from the sun's radiance, it's almost a picturing in a metaphoric way that the sun expresses itself with great joy.
So, when it's like 125 degrees, that's not global warming. That's the glory of God and the sun. But saints, I'm just trying to help reorient your thoughts concerning creation. It's not miserably hot when it's 125. It's the glory of God in the sun. It's doing His bidding in a fallen world, yes. But it's doing exactly what He's called it to do. But it's almost picturing the sun doing so with great joy, with great excitement. Well, the meaning is that the sun, because God's sovereignty rules over creation, moves without haste to accomplish His work, accomplish the work that God has designed. And it is glorifying God through its obedience as God intended for it to do in creation.
Then verse 6, "it's rising is from the end of the heavens, and it's circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat." So of course, the rising is, once again, a picture for when the sun — you see the sun's first appearance in your eyes. But then it talks about the path of the sun, that it covers the globe. But the ultimate objective here, beloved, is not a scientific discovery. This is an illustration of the sun's movement, and the sun's activity that it too gives praise to God. It declares His glory.
Now how you and I see this truth is essential to true worship. "As God is infinite," writes Charles Hodges, "and all creation are as nothing in comparison to Him, it is plain that the revelation of His nature and the perfections must be the highest conceivable end of all things, and the most conducive to secure all other good subordinate ends." Again, Hodges adds that "If we make the good of the creature the ultimate object of God's works, then we subordinate God to the creature, and endless confusion and unavoidable error are the consequence.
It is a characteristic of the Bible that places God first, and the good creation second." That is what we find in this text. So as you're here, if you're uncomfortable, because it's warm, if you wish there were another way to worship, Psalm 19 is a very good antidote for that, because it should all bring glory to God from your lips. That means we should never have another complaint about the weather again, in an ideal world. But you will. Just because of your sinfulness, you will. And because you're so acclimated in doing it, it will not matter to you. But it matters to God. To believe that God created this creation, for His glory, is to believe everything about creation, including the elements involved in it.
You say, "Well, we're in a fallen world in a sinful world." Yes, but this text was written in light of the fall. And it still says creation, marvelously declares the glory of God. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, remember this, according to Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 3, "By faith we understand that the universe was created [was created] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." That's it. It's in the context of salvation. It's the context of the believer’s life.
It is a dangerous thing to ascribe creations makings and its formation to anything but the exclusive power of God who created everything out of nothing. It is also part of our glory to God for what He's done. See God's glory creation, His glory is always declared, His message through creation is evident, He sets the sun to display His glory.
Then our second is this, let God's word transform your life. Let God's word transform your life. Well, why is that important? Well, the exhortation I gave is just based on the principle concerning the Christians response to the truth concerning God's word.
But we do know this, that the response and the transforming work in our heart is a work of the Holy Spirit. Mechanized Christianity only gets you so far. But true spirituality, where the Spirit of God works to cultivate holy affections post-salvation, is a good work and is an evident work. When you look at this text, I want to highlight this is very important.
And because I'm concerned that you may melt before I'm done, if I don't finish this, that's your fault, because you look like you're sweating out there. So I'll be kind and I'll stop at a good time, just for you.
But, beloved, please consider this ever so carefully. That a proper response to the reading of Scripture necessitates a confession of your sin. And your complete trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. it necessitates — it demands — an acknowledgement of your weakness, and that your strength comes only in Christ. Far too often you read a glowing text and you say, "Well, that's the eloquence of Psalm 19, what a wisdom book, what a wisdom Psalm, what a...." It's prolific! But it's also humbling at the end of it. Who can discern this but you alone working in my heart, God?
All right. Why does God's word transform your life? Well, it is because God's word is perfect. Because the word of God is perfect. The psalmist uses the word of law here for the Torah, the Hebrew word is Torah. "The law of the Lord," in verse 7, "is perfect." It reveals who God is, and His expectations for His people.
This isn't — this is not the ceremonial aspect of it. But this is revealing God's law, who He is, and His expectations of His people and those, in the Old Testament context, who were truly saved, because not everyone in Israel was saved. But there was always an elect people who were saved in the nation of Israel. They respond to God's character and His commands differently from those who are pretending to be saved. They believe this to be true.
So therefore, this principle, this doctrine carries over into the New Covenant, when Paul says, in 2 Timothy, chapter 3, that "All scripture is God-breathed and it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the servant of God [the messenger of God] may be adequately equipped," what to preach the Word of God to the saints, and call them to conform to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I want you to notice in verse 7, though, that the perfection of the law of God, that's the overarching proposition here in verses 7 through 9, to which the others, the second part of verse 7, and up to verse 9 follow in — in subordination to the perfection, to believe that God's word is perfect.
Now, when you think of the law of God, here, it is the most comprehensive word for God's law to His people. It is synonymous with God's teachings or His instruction to his people. And so for Israel, it would include laws for living, relationships, for worship, for their worship to God and the service to each other. And in this text, it says that the law turns men to God, the Word of God turns the heart of sinful depraved to men to Himself. This is so critical.
I know these, these adages make the sermon longer. But we've got to get this right. The only sufficient truth and need for men is the all sufficient Word of God. And we have many men who are standing up and speaking, but they're not proclaiming the thus-says-the-Lord sermons. Therefore, they're not preaching for God, nor they're preaching the word of God. I
t is the word of God, not our programs, not our events, not our Kumbaya sessions at the park, those are all good. Those are all nice, but nothing produces lasting, eternal God glorifying, sanctifying, Christ exalting, Spirit enabling change but the word of the living God. So you're ever wondering, and you're looking for a place of worship, I would not say this is the place for you. I can't say that, I'm not God. I don't have that authority. I don't have that wisdom.
But this is what I can tell you. You must find a place where the word of God is not only sufficient for the church, but supreme. That it is the supreme and the only instruction, the only rule, the only order of life for the saint. That's it. Not a man's stories, not his jokes. There are many congregations, you'll have a service that's two and a half hours long, with two hours and 15 minutes of singing. And maybe 10 minutes of a light talk. But that's not the height of worship is to hear what God has to say in His word.
And it says that "His word is perfect, reviving the soul." Another translation will say restoring the soul. Well, the restoration, the restoration here, or the reviving, begins with repentance. The soul may be weary due to this life, or weary due to sin, distracted because of sin. Many people are distracted today. You have many believers who are just living in perpetual fear. Fear over a condition that is real, but the consequences are man-made.
Our leaders, I respect them highly, our doctors I respect them, but I disagree with their fear mongering message that is instilling fear in the hearts of people. And if you're listening, whether here or online, and you're not attending because of the fear of the virus, or the fear of anything, the word of God exposes that your fear is not rooted in the God who has the power to take your life and cast both your body and your soul, the entire person, in hell. Listen, COVID can't do that. You may die with COVID, you may die over COVID. But I said the bigger fear.
The bigger fear is not when you die, because you will unless Christ returns. When you die, it's the judge that you will have to stand before and give an account for the deeds that you've done, or the Christ that you have trusted or not trusted in. That's the fear that we ought to bring to the people. The fear of this ultimate judgment of either eternal life, or eternal damnation based on how you have responded to the Son of the living God. That's the fear.
Well it says that it is the word of God or the law of God that can bring about repentance, if you are in that place of fear. If your fear is not in God, but in the condition that you may never catch, you may actually die over fear than die over the actual condition. Paralyzed by it. The word of God is sufficient to bring that sense of repentance and obedience to the Word of God.
And this is a very familiar path for the redeemed, is — you have a change of mind. So critical. It's not just a change of action. It's a change of mind concerning that sin. A change of mind that that transgression is not some light mistake. That transgression is a high offense against a holy and a righteous God. And with that change of mind comes a change of direction. You walk away from that sin and toward what is right as a Christian. Because your life in Christ began with repentance and faith, that will never end until you have been given a glorified body in the future.
Until then, the Word of God is perfect. It is perfect in bringing your sin to the forefront and bringing you to a place of agreeing with God about that sin and renewing your obedience to God. It is God's word that restores or revives your failing mind and will. It is God's word that persuades the guilty sinner to turn to him, that guilty condemned sinner to turn to him, turn away from your sin, and trust in the work of Christ for your salvation.
But now because God's word is perfect, the end of verse 7, God's testimony mature. His testimonies matures. It says that "the testimony of the Lord is sure," it is sure, "making wise the simple." God's testimony here may be His statutes or stipulations. I like to use the word "warnings" from God, or warnings for the simple here in this case, because of the aspect of the simple included here. This is probably emphasizing a warning to those who are immature or simple. It means that God's testimony is trustworthy.
It is a trustworthy instrument of correction for, not just adults, but even for our children. Psychology, making our children happy, is not the solution. Listen, being a friend to your children is not the need. You must love them, yes. Lovingly in a Christ-like way, but also as a parent who loves his or her child. But the warning your children need are the warnings from Scripture.
One of the first warnings that they would receive is take heed to the word and the law of God. Because there are consequences to your disobedience, not just on the temporal level, but also on an eternal level. It says that because it is perfect. It is a excellent, a supreme instrument of warning to the simple ones. It says what it will actually do, it promises to make them wise. And the simple is someone who's naive and most likely someone who doesn't know at that point in time because of their youthfulness or lack of experience in life.
And today, it is so true that our children do need to grow in their knowledge of God. They know how to access a phone, how to lock your phone, how to retrieve information from the internet, how to download, upload, in-load, through-load. They got that all the terminology and the lingo. They can rehearse the parts of a show, of a movie verbatim. And then you say, "Well, can you quote to me Psalm 19?" "Ah, yeah, well, you know, I know we did it last year. I don't remember." Then he says, "Well, you know, I don't want to press spiritual things on my children."
Can I just tell you, a sanctify suggestion, someone is impressing something on your children anyway. So you're better off just doing what the scripture says. Impress and press upon them the law of God.
When we correct them, we give them the law in the Gospel. When we are correcting them, yes, using a rod of correction, not just our tongue, but an implement. A spanking implement. You say, "I don't believe in spanking." Well, the Bible doesn't believe in it, the Bible actually proclaims it. The Bible teaches it. It's not a matter of belief. It's a matter of us obeying the Scripture. So sometimes you have to use a little extra-curricular activity called a spanking. But with that spanking comes the word of God, the message of the Gospel, the Good News.
If our children are left to themselves, they will continue to loot, continue to riot, continue to burn, and in the end, they will burn and perish in hell in their sin, because we never told them that the consequences of their action will meet a just judge who will punish them eternally for their sin. "Well, you know, that's just hard." There's a Heaven. He said, back in the day, they said this, "there's a Heaven to gain, and the Hell to shun." Our world today says, "there's a Hell to gain, and a Heaven to shun." Because we leave them in their corruption.
The Scripture says it's the word of God that is sufficient alone, to make the simple, the naive, wise. But because God's word is perfect, in verse 8, God's commandment is life-giving. It is life-giving. You notice that in your text, beloved? It is life-giving. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. But that is, it's actually God's precepts produces joy. That's the second one. I'm sorry, God's precepts produces joy. Because that is in verse 8. "The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart." Of course, the precepts is another general way of describing God's law, but it's with a focus on your direction. Your direction.
Listen my dear saints, the path for the righteous is based on the path of the Righteous One, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the correction and the teaching from God's word is going to constantly change, not just your mind, but the course and the priorities in your life. The more you grow to know the Lord Jesus Christ is so more the path of your life will change. The affections will change, your zeal will change, your goals will be more mature, and focus on the glory of God just as creation is.
The text says that God's precepts are right, or another way to say that God's precepts, they are upright. There's a sense of precision here. And the reason why it's precisely right, precisely effective, precisely sufficient is because His precepts are in keeping with His character. Therefore, His instructions for life are always right and they're always trustworthy.
But it says that there's joy in it, it rejoices their heart. And that is the reason why there's joy in the heart or rejoicing in the heart because God's word is upright, it is trustworthy.
Now there are some believers who may struggle having that sense of joy. Let me just say that there could be several reasons, but part of this, maybe a major part of [it], is that inconsistency in obedience does produce the sense of loathing and not joy. There is something fruitful about obedience. But be reminded, please, be reminded of this. That obedience also involves the active life of repentance. Why am I bringing this up? It's because, for some reason, the more I speak to saints, the more afraid they are of repenting. The more afraid they are of just saying "I sinned," not my bad.
Look, if we're on the basketball court, you miss a shot, and you said "my bad," I'll take that. But God is not taking "my bad" for sin. Sin is not just bad, it is a gross evil against God and and there are exact theological terms to express our disdain for the sin that we have committed against God and against others, and it's "God I've sinned against you and others, I repent of my sin," which means I agreed that this sin is wrong. Listen, there's great joy when you are forgiven of your sin. When your iniquities have been pardoned.
The psalmist says in Psalm 32. "Blessed." Do you not know how happy you are to not live in constant condemnation of your sin as the unbeliever does? This peril of eternal damnation is no longer your lot because of Christ. Do you not know that you have been forgiven past, present, and future all sins? But, you must acknowledge it. He says "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, who sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit." Or when the psalmist says in verse 3, "For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long."
The more you keep silent, the more you cover, the more you hide, the more you mask your sin, you will not experience the joy of sins forgiven, and the joy of having a healthy relationship that's been brought to you as a gift of God's grace to the Lord Jesus Christ. Because God's precepts as it confronts your sin and presents the majesty of Christ, and the glory of Christ, and the blessedness of sins forgiven, it produces joy. It produces joy.
And then in verse 8, it says, "The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes." Tt refers to all God's commands. It is pure, it is, it is divine, it is special. It has a place of superiority, but of infinite superiority. That is the choice piece of God's Word. It is pure in every way. The psalmist says in verse 12, of Psalm — in verse 6, that is in verse 6 of Psalm 12, "the words of the Lord are pure words like silver, refined in a furnace, on the ground, purified seven times." It is pure in every way. And that is why it can enlighten the eyes. And the sense of enlightening here is spiritual perception. Spiritual perception.
Well, what is that? Beloved, it is the ability to discern God's instruction. It is the ability that God gives you to discern His instruction. And, in discerning God's instruction — this is so critical — you can choose what is right beyond what you may see with a natural eye. Why is that the case? Because there's a way that seems right to a man, but the end is a way of death. The only way to truly have a sense of what is right and what is clear, even when you don't quite understand what the natural eye, is through the perfect and pure word of the living God.
How is this possible? Through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 2:12, "We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit, who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given to us by God." Verse 14, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he's not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." Please listen carefully, beloved, when God enlightens the eyes, His enlightening is for moral purity and spiritual insight. It's to give you spiritual insight to live a righteous and a holy word. As He is pure, and Hs word is pure, it is producing holy affections and holy living.
Now, if you were to look at this, the application of this verse, the end of verse 8, to apply it is to know and to believe that God's word is the only source for life's decisions and direction. It is the only source for life's decisions and direction. God's word is the source for the saints.
We're going to turn your attention now to a very important point here in this text. Because there's a promise here in this scripture in verse 9. And it is that the fear — the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.
If you're looking at the outline, I do have that promise after. But I do want to look at it now, because the promise in the fear of the Lord is that it is a life of fellowship with God. It promises a life of fellowship with God. And it promises a life that is in harmony with God.
It says the fear of the Lord — so we know that God does not fear — so it seems to point to a shift in the psalmist's focus, not toward explaining who God is and the results. but explain the results itself based on who God is. In fact, the structure in the Hebrew text indicate that that slip this shift is true. It's moving from an objective truth to an — to a subjective experience based on that objective truth. So the truth of God's word being perfect, the truth of God's precepts being right, leads to the fact that the fear of the Lord is clean. So what you have here is a transition from the power of God's word, to what that power accomplishes in your life.
What it will achieve in the heart and life of those who, by God's grace, respond to it. It will teach you, beloved, how to fear Yahweh in honor, adoration, worship in your life, and dependence upon him. That is what the fear of the Lord being clean means, in the sense that it instructs the worship or how to live for God, and to worship in the presence of God. That is the only way that we can know how to worship God, is through His Word.
This is critical because you may have some people gathering together and says, "Well, let's close our Bibles, let's just worship God however you want, just express it from your heart." No, your heart is corrupt, it must be cleansed, and it must be informed, in order that it may be transformed.
So, beloved, it's the Word of God that teaches us how to fear Him. How to fear him in worship. and adoration. Because, apart from that, you will worship God in your uncleanliness, in your sinfulness, in your filth. Israel, the people of God, would have been well acquainted with the concept of clean and unclean, because whatever or whoever was unclean would not be accepted. They could not stand before God. Or if that implement was unclean, it could not be used for worship.
But when you look at God's word, being without flaw or contamination, it's an enduring word. It is the instrument that God uses to purify us, to instruct us, and to sanctify us in how we can be true worshipers and truly fear Him in reverence and obedience.
But now, this is a critical one in verse 9. God's judgment for life. God's judgment for life. This is critical saints. God's judgment for life — it is final. God's judgment for life, It is final. Which means that God's rule, His ordinances — all final. I know the text says "the rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether" in the ESV, which is fine. But the word to use, I think, that really draws out the implications would be the word "judgment." So the subject in question, God, the text says, always does what is right. So God's judgment are true, his rules are true and righteous in every way.
So when you think about God's judgment, God's judgments are His judicial rulings. And then what God — what makes God's judgment genuine is that His decrees — His decrees are always in harmony with reality. Not your untested, unproven reality, but true reality. Because His reality corresponds — always corresponds — to what is right and perfect. God is always right, always good, always perfect, always just. always holy. We're not. We're none of those.
So when you're making a decision in life, you refer to God's judgment. What is God's judgment and assessment on these areas of relationships, friendship, education, vocation, worship? What is God's judgment on these things? Because His judgment or His decrees are always according to truth.
Why is that so, because God is the standard of truth. He's the only God of truth, His word the Scripture, is revealed to us, is without mixture or error. Now, just thinking quickly about the time of the psalm when it was written, ancient Near Eastern pagan gods and what they believe and what they did wasn't clear. Those gods were as inconsistent and ungodly as their worshippers. Imagine that, a false god being ungodly. But that's exactly the case. They were immoral. They were violent. They were deceivers. They were liars. They were unpredictable.
No, that's not your resume, I know it sounds like it. I was talking about them, but yes, you know, that is true of us apart from the grace of God, We're not genuine. We're not truthful. We're not sincere, until the Spirit of God begins and continues His work in our lives. So the false gods in that era, they were consistent with the attitude and the depravity of the people in their times. Because the best thing you can do is to build a God that looks a lot like you.
The only way to know a God who is unlike you, who is separate from you, is if He reveals Himself as such. And that's what the texts of Scripture says. And in doing so, God's character indicates that He's, He's morally perfectly upright, He's truthful, He's a God who reveals Himself so He can be known. He's immutable, which means he's unchanging in His character. So what He reveals comes from His infinitely wise, holy and perfect being. A perfect being who knows intimately only what is wise and good. He knows of sending the fact that His knowledge is true, but being intimately acquainted with sin, He's not. But He's intimately acquainted with this absolute, perfect, unmitigated, holy character. That means His word is reliable and trustworthy.
So God's word is the only standard to live by, in fact, the only standard to judge your life by. Judge — please do not judge the way you're living according to the World standard. That you're better than the worst criminal. That you haven't murdered anyone. That you haven't been in jail. That you haven't stolen anything and gotten caught. Measure your life according to God's judgment on what is right and what is wrong. Because it is the only model that God uses to evaluate your life.
In fact, the action in this text underscores that point. Because in this cluster truth, the psalmist, under the Spirit's guidance, uses a measure to describe God's standard of righteousness as final, it is final and it is certain Oh saints, do we not need to be more acquainted with the word of God? Because that's the standard with by which you'll be judged by, now and in the future?
Isn't this so critical for us to be more acquainted with the scripture? Is that not an indication that we ought to rely on God's word because that's His standard for living? In how many hours do we spend watching the news? Watching self-help programs, self-enabling programs, being-a-better-version-of-yourself programs? The Scripture says none of those standards will hold up in the light of eternity. But [what] will hold up in the light of eternity is the absolute righteous standard of the judgment of God. It is true and righteous in every way.
Let me just say this quickly. To those who are yet in their sin, this is a gracious warning from God. That His unchanging standard of judgment will not be usurped, will not be overridden, by anything that you do. His standard is the same. And the only way that you can flee from this wrath of God that is just and that you deserve, and that you and I deserve, is to place your confidence in the living word, Jesus Christ. Because the living word, Jesus Christ, testifies to the revealed and written word. Because God and His word are one. As there's no contradiction with God, there's no contradictory with the Scripture, There is an end to every men. And that end, in death, is to stand before God and given account for what you have done, for the Savior that you've embraced or rejected. And that is according to God's standard, because that standard is His word.
Now quickly to the saints, just as you look at the expression of God's glory in creation, do you worship God for His creation? Do you give God thanks that that all that you see in the sun, the clouds when (we have the clouds), the trees around us, even the warmth of the day, that it all comes from God? Do you realize that as as much as we, we want men and women to believe that, if you do not believe that God created what is seen and unseen, if you do not believe that, then then your belief in this salvation message is in question? Meditate on that quickly. Once again because God's judgment has ruled that He is the creator of all things, and that's the standard that He's set. To deviate from that is to put yourself at a great disadvantage in the future glory.
Let me encourage you, do not trifle with anything that God has revealed, rejoice in it as His creation does. Marvel in It as you marvel in God's grace in salvation. If you have any doubts, have any issues with doubting, I'd love to speak to you about those things. But your confidence in God must be rooted in His objective truth, not your subjective experience or your thoughts. You must submit your thoughts and your imagination to the absolute authority of God's word. Then you will declare the glory of God in His creation.
Pray with me. Lord of heaven, I do pray that your word, that we have just read, read us clearly and exposed the depths of our heart, the depths of our need, and that we will admit that we have not worshipped yes we should, so we have sinned. And that we have not adored your creation as we should, we have sinned. We've been distracted by the events around us and not not attracted to Christ, we have sinned. Let our confession be true. May our praise and glory to you be true and sincere. By the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, in Christ's name I pray, amen.
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