One of the things I used to forget is that the apostles and the teachers of the 1st century weren’t making things up when they taught and when they wrote to the various church communities scattered around the Mediterranean. Their source of information for their sermons and their writings was the Torah –  what we now call the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. What Jesus called the “Law and the Prophets” is comprised of the Torah and the rest of what we call the Old Testament.

So when we read the Epistles we are reading an amplification of what “loving God” or “loving our neighbor” looks like. The New Testament is a commentary on the Old Testament.

Today’s Psalm is a perfect example of this. The very first thing I noticed was the incredible similarity between the first half of this Psalm and what Paul writes in his letter to the Romans. Paul was perhaps one of the greatest minds of the Church, past and present, and his application of this Psalm to the first century church makes this 2,000 year-old Psalm VERY contemporary. 

Here is the Video Link:

Psalm 19… God Revealed

The Audio links are to the right (Spotify and iTunes).

Here is the transcript from which today’s podcast was taken:

Psalm 19 

Nature

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.

3 They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.

4 Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

Natural revelation transcends human communication without the use of speech, words, and sounds. To those who are inclined to hear, revelation comes with no regard for linguistic or geographical barriers. Nature itself trumpets God’s message…. but no one is listening.

5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6 It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

The Word 

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.

11 By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.

God’s Words add to and amplify the message from His creation… but again, no one listens.

Forgive me

12 But who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.

The Psalmist is not only concerned with the sin he knows about, he is also concerned by that part of his nature that would lead him astray. These faults might be hidden from other men – and maybe eve hidden to the Psalmist himself – but they are not hidden from God.

13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
    may they not rule over me. 

“Willful sins” are those often attributed to the “arrogant,” who have no regard for God. In other words, the Psalmist is asking God to keep him from mirroring the rebellion and wickedness of the world’s culture that surrounds him. It should be a believers worst nightmare to be a Christian, and yet to be mistaken for a non-Christian because of his/her behaviour.

Then I will be blameless,
    innocent of great transgression.

14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Summary

God is revealed in Nature.

God is revealed in His Word(s).

Forgive the sins I know and the sins I don’t know or am not even aware of.

Keep me from mirroring the world around me. I want more than anything to please You.

Blessings!

Paige