VERSE OF THE DAY
Psalm 19:1-2 (New Living Translation)
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For the choir director: A psalm of David.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
The heavens speak the glory of God. The skies display his handyman’s work. Day after day they continue to speak loud while night after night they make him known and acknowledged.
What Does Psalm 19:1 Mean? ►
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Psalm 19:1(NASB)
Verse Thoughts
The magnificence of the immense universe declares the wonderful handiwork of our Creator God. It tells of the amazing work of His creative hand. It speaks to every person who has ever lived on this terrestrial globe.. of a caring God, Who created the heavens; formed the earth and fashioned all that was made in those six astonishing days of creation.
Not one person could be indifferent to the heavenly glories of the day-time sky and the countless wonders of the stunning night-time sphere.. as we gaze on the sun and moon and twinkling stars, which God in His grace placed into the heavens on the third day of creation. And God placed them there for signs and seasons.. for days and for years. They were created to shed their radiant glow and life-giving warmth onto the earth. They were fashioned to rule the day and establish the night, as a perpetual reminder of God’s eternal goodness and His immeasurable greatness.
It was David, the shepherd king who was moved by the splendour and majesty of God’s handiwork to pen this hymn of praise to his Creator God. No doubt David had watched in wonder as the planets danced across the night sky, or as the fruitful season of harvest rolled round to the lush springtime of new birth. No doubt David also recognised the unmistakable signature of his faithful God, Who was the good Shepherd, Who provided all he needed, led him in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake, and promised a table of plentiful supply in the face of his bitter enemies.
The wonder of the heavens tell forth the glory of God and the wider expanse of God’s amazing creation continues to declare day by day of the amazing work of God’s creative hands. Creation is one of two “books’ (creation and conscience), that God has given to every man born of woman and every woman begotten of man. These ‘scrolls’ tell forth the wonders of His name. The shocking truth is that man in his pride and foolishness has refused to read, recognise and honour the signature of His Creator-God.. in His astonishing book of Creation and the inner witness of his own God-given conscience.
Man in the ignorance of his own folly has ignored the vast quantities of evidence that.. “in the beginning God…. Instead they have changed the glory of the incorruptible God into images made in the likeness of corruptible man – bowing down to false gods made like the sun, worshiping the moon and creating images in the likeness of birds, creatures and creeping reptiles!!
All men have been given irrefutable proof of God and His creative power through both creation and their own God-given consciences.. but most have failed to read, recognise and respond to the exterior evidence in the creation.. and the inner witness of their their own.. God-given consciences. Man through his foolish pride and wilful rebellion has ignored the outer witness of creation and has allowed the inner witness of conscience to become seared and irresponsive to God’s declaration of His own mighty works.
We have also been blessed to receive a third “book’ from our Creator God – The Holy Scripture, which details God’s amazing plan of Salvation – that fallen man can be saved by grace through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of God’s only begotten Son.. Who laid aside His heavenly glory to be born into this sinful, rebellious race of man.. so that all who believe in His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection – would not perish but have everlasting life..
Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/psalm-19-1
Psalm 19:1-2 Creation Reveals God In Heaven
July 10, 2017
Psalm 19:1-2 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork. 2-Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night declares knowledge.
This text gives us a picture of what God spoke in Genesis 1-In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The Psalmist proclaims that heavens declares the glory of God, and the skies shows forth the hands of God’s work day in and day out.
God the Father who is maker of heaven and earth, can be seen throughout creation, even to those who choose not to believe that God is and that He exist.
Man’s belief in God as creator or their belief in the big bang theory is of no matter of importance where God is concerned. Human belief or reasoning does not negate God’s truth and His factual evidence given to mankind concerning Him being God over all of humanity and all creation.
Everything in creation declares and proves God’s glory, His presence, His Sovereign power, His majesty, His dominion and His rule over all of creation, including humanity. Nothing in this world is beyond God’s control. He is in full control of all the affairs of the world for He alone is God.
Romans 1:20-For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
Where is your faith on today? Do you believe that God is based on what you see in scripture that manifests itself in the world around you?
The bible is the only book that gives us the details of life that has revealed itself throughout history and is still doing the same today and will do forever.
If we scan through the bible pages, we will see history revealing to us what has taken place in the past , what is happening in our now, and what will happen in our future and in eternity.
2 Timothy 3:16-17- All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Revelations 1:8-“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Creation reveals God in heaven.
There is no other God! Isaiah 43:10-11 You are My witnesses, says the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord,
and besides Me there is no savior.
It is time to put your faith and trust in the One True God for He alone is God.
If you ever find yourself in doubt about who God is, take a look around in creation and I guarantee you that you will see Him there.
God bless.
Debra
Psalm 19
Psalm 19 – The Heavens, the Word, and the Glory of God
The title tells us both the author and the audience of the psalm: To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Some believe that the Chief Musician is the Lord GOD Himself, and others suppose him to be a leader of choirs or musicians in David’s time, such as Heman the singer or Asaph (1 Chronicles 6:33, 16:5-7, and 25:6).
“This Psalm reflects, more than any other, the beauty and splendor of the Hebrew poetry found in the Psalter. C.S. Lewis wrote, ‘I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.’” (Willem VanGemeren)
A. The message from the heavens.
1. (1-4a) The message from the heavens is broad.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
a. The heavens declare the glory of God: David looked to the heavens – not the spiritual heaven where God is enthroned, but the heavens of the blue sky and the night sky – and he clearly saw the glory of God declared.
i. He could see it in the blue sky, with the glory of the sun and clouds and the beauty of sunrises and sunsets.
ii. He could see it in the night sky, with the brightness of the moon, the awe of the starry sky and the cloudy spread of the distant galaxies.
iii. These together – with their size, their awe, their grandeur – shouted to David and all who would see, “The God who created all this is glorious, and this is evidence of His glory.”
· He is glorious in His size, having created something so big.
· He is glorious in His engineering, having created something that works together so well.
· He is glorious in His artistry, having created something so beautiful.
· He is glorious in His goodness and kindness, having created something for all humanity to see.
b. And the firmament shows His handiwork: David repeated the idea in the previous line. “Firmament” is a poetic way of referring to the heavens or the sky, and they show the handiwork of God.
c. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge: The day sky and the night sky speak to us, and reveal knowledge about the glory, wisdom, and creative greatness of God.
i. Utters speech: “This is stronger in the Hebrew text than it appears to be in English, for the image is literally of a gushing spring that copiously pours forth sweet, refreshing waters of revelation.” (Boice)
ii. Reveals knowledge: “Knowledge is well matched with night, since without the night skies man would have known, until recently, nothing but an empty universe.” (Kidner) If God had not placed the stars in the night sky, the blackness of night would have communicated powerfully to all humanity, ancient and modern, “There is nothing and no one out there.”
iii. “Though all preachers on earth should grow silent, and every human mouth cease from publishing the glory of God, the heavens above will never cease to declare and proclaim his majesty and glory. They are for ever preaching; for, like an unbroken chain, their message is delivered from day to day and from night to night.” (Tholuck, cited in Spurgeon)
iv. “Day bids us labour, night reminds us to prepare for our last home; day bids us work for God, and night invites us to rest in him; day bids us look for endless day, and night warns us to escape from everlasting night.” (Spurgeon)
d. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard: The glory of God in the visible heavens is for all to see; it is communicated to all mankind, no matter what their language. It is a message that has gone out through all the earth.
i. The Apostle Paul expanded this idea in Romans 1. He explained that God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20). Paul told us that because this testimony had gone out through all creation, all men are without excuse for rejecting the God who gave us such clear (and beautiful) evidence of His power and wisdom.
ii. “Should a man live underground, and there converse with the works of art and mechanism, and should afterwards be brought up into the open day, and see the several glories of the heaven and earth, he would immediately pronounce them the works of such a Being as we define God to be.” (Aristotle, cited in Spurgeon)
iii. “For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.” (Astronomer and physicist Robert Jastrow, cited in Boice)
2. (4b-6) The message from the heavens is strong and glorious.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
a. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun: David poetically described the nighttime sky as a dwelling place – a tent, a tabernacle – for the sun. The sun comes out of its “tent” every day to cross the heavens, and returns to its tabernacle at night.
i. “God has assigned it its place to occupy and its course to run; the whole sky its mere tent and track.” (Kidner)
b. Like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race: The sun makes its course through the sky with strength and joy, like a man in his prime or an athlete running a race.
i. “All would agree that the psalm, if it glances at mythology, repudiates it. The sun may be ‘like’ a bridegroom or a runner; it is in fact no more than a glorious part of God’s ‘handiwork.’” (Kidner)
c. Its rising is from one end of heaven…there is nothing hidden from its heat: The sun covers the whole sky, and its strength extends everywhere. It is a wonderful example of the glory of God declared in the heavens.
B. The message from the word of God.
1. (7-9) The glorious character of God’s word, described seven ways.
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
a. The law of the LORD: Here David abruptly shifted from praising the God who reveals Himself in creation to praising the same God for revealing Himself in His word. It is as if David said, “Creation tells us much about God, but His word tells us much more.”
i. “‘Two things’, according to Kant, ‘fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe…the starry heavens above and the moral law within.’ The psalm transcends the second of these themes by looking to the divine law revealed.” (Kidner)
ii. One reason the word is a greater revelation than creation is that it tells us much more about God. It reveals Him as the covenant God of love, as reflected in the structure of this psalm. In Psalm 19:1-6, God is referred to as El – the most generic word for God in the Hebrew language (even more generic than the commonly used Elohim). Yet here at Psalm 19:7-9, God is referred to as Yahweh (the LORD), the God of covenant love and faithfulness to His people.
iii. “He is wisest who reads both the world-book and the Word-book as two volumes of the same work, and feels concerning them, ‘My Father wrote them both.’” (Spurgeon)
iv. David then explains seven glorious statements about the word of God: how wonderful and effective it is. As is common in other places – especially the great Psalm 119 – David used a variety of expressions to refer to the word of God (law, testimony, statutes, commandment, fear, judgments). It is best to see these as poetic terms describing God’s written revelation in general, rather than one specific type of revelation (such as only the laws given in the Mosaic law).
b. The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: The word of God is perfect. It gives us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). While it does not give us all knowledge, all the knowledge it gives is true and perfect. Understood in its literary context, God’s word is never wrong in science or history or the understanding of either divine or human nature.
i. Part of the perfection of God’s word is that it is effective; it does the work of converting the soul. There is power in the reading and hearing and studying of the word of God that goes beyond intellectual benefit; it actually changes for the better – converts – the soul.
ii. The Hebrew word translated here as converting is perhaps better understood as reviving – that is, bringing new life to the soul. “First, God’s word ‘revives.’ Its restorative quality gives healing to the whole person by assuring forgiveness and cleansing and by giving life to the godly.” (VanGemeren)
c. The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple: The word of God is sure, being reliable and certain. As the psalmist would write in Psalm 119:89, Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
i. “Sure, by its passive form, can mean not only what is firm but what is confirmed: cf. ‘verified’ in Genesis 42:20.” (Kidner)
ii. Because it is so sure and certain, it does the work of making wise the simple. Many people of simple education or upbringing have tremendous wisdom unto life and godliness because they study and trust the sure word of the LORD.
d. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: God’s word and the commands contained within are right. They are morally right, they are practically right, and they are universally right. They are right because it is the revelation of a God who is holy, true, and always right.
i. Are right: “To make straight, smooth, right, upright, opposed to crookedness in mind or conduct; showing what the man should be, both within and without.” (Clarke)
ii. The one who knows the word of God and the God of the word rejoices in this. He finds joy, actual pleasure in the truth of God and relationship with God revealed in His word.
e. The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes: Because God’s word comes from a God who is Himself pure and holy, the word itself is pure. A pure God can communicate no other way. We never have to worry about the word of God leading people into sin or impurity; if it seems to have happened, it is evidence that the Scriptures have been twisted (2 Peter 3:16).
i. This pure word will enlighten the eyes. It will bring the cheer and comfort and knowledge and confidence that a light in the midst of darkness brings.
f. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever: The word of God is clean, and therefore is enduring forever. It will never fade or corrode, diminishing because of impurity. It is clean and it makes clean.
i. Here David called the word of God the “fear of the LORD.” It is deeply connected to the awe and majesty of God Himself. One who reads and hears and studies the word of God, meeting Him in His word, will have an appropriate appreciation of God’s awe and majesty – the fear of the LORD.
g. The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether: David summarized this beautiful chain of seven pearls, each describing some aspect of the word of God. Here he declared that the words of God are true and righteous altogether; there is nothing false or unrighteous in His word.
i. There is no applied aspect to this statement as in the previous five. For David, it was enough to simply say it: “true and righteous altogether.” Perhaps David assumed we would be wise and logical enough to apply it ourselves: “Therefore read it, study it, meditate on it, love it, live it.”
ii. Remember that King David wrote this with only a fraction of what we have today as the word of God; his portion was not as glorious as the complete revelation of God. David would have had the first five books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy); Joshua, Judges, a few psalms; and perhaps Job and Ruth. We can only imagine what King David would have written about Isaiah or Hosea or the entire Psalter, much less any of the books of the New Testament. We can say with confidence that God’s word is far more glorious than King David knew!
2. (10-11) The great value of God’s word.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
a. More to be desired are they than gold: King David insisted that the value of God’s word – His written revelation to man – was more valuable and desirable than gold itself. David wanted no amount of money or wealth to command his attention and affection more than the word of God.
i. King David was a massively wealthy man, yet he is rarely known for his riches. He is much more known for his great heart toward God. His son Solomon was even more wealthy than David, and was known for his riches – yet not nearly as much for his heart toward God and his love of God’s word.
ii. If it weren’t enough to say that God’s word should be more desirable than gold, King David amplified the point by saying, “Yea, than much fine gold.”
iii. “This is strictly true; but who believes it? By most men gold is preferred both to God and his judgments; and they will barter every heavenly portion for gold and silver!” (Clarke)
b. Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb: For King David, God’s word was not only to be held in greater esteem than material wealth, but also greater than experiences of the senses. Honey is sweet and pleasant to eat, but God’s word is sweeter still.
c. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward: David here gave two reasons why the word of God was greater than material wealth or sensual pleasures.
i. God’s word gives instruction – warning – that wealth or pleasures do not give (is warned).
· Warning is needed for sins we are susceptible to.
· Warning is needed for dangers we cannot see.
· Warning is needed for dangers we cannot appreciate.
· Warning is needed for dangers far off in the future.
· Warnings are often rejected.
ii. God’s word gives benefit – reward – greater than wealth or pleasures (great reward).
d. In keeping them there is great reward: It is also true that there is great reward for keeping the word of God; but that is not what the psalmist said here. Here David noted the reward in keeping them. There is a sense in which obedience becomes its own reward, because we live the way God wants us and designed us to live.
i. One of the great rewards of keeping the word of God is peace of mind. “A quiet conscience is a little heaven. A martyr was fastened to the stake, and the sheriff who was to execute him expressed his sorrow that he should persevere in his opinions, and compel him to set fire to the pile. The martyr answered, ‘Do not trouble yourself, for I am not troubling myself. Come and lay your hand upon my heart, and see if it does not beat quietly.’ His request was complied with, and he was found to be quite calm. ‘Now,’ said he, ‘lay your hand on your own heart, and see if you are not more troubled than I am; and then go your way, and, instead of pitying me, pity yourself.’” (Spurgeon)
3. (12-13) The desire for inward cleansing.
Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
a. Who can understand his errors? In the previous verse David reflected on the warnings found in the word of God, and in the great reward found in obeying God’s word. This made him reflect on the times and ways he had ignored the warnings and not kept the word.
i. In asking “Who can understand his errors?” David understood that he had ignored and disobeyed God’s word even more than he was aware of. What he knew was enough to make him concerned; his actual errors before God were still worse.
ii. Notably, the fact that we cannot understand our errors does not excuse us from them. We are still accountable for such errors and faults before God and must trust in His atonement to cleanse us from these errors and secret faults.
b. Cleanse me from secret faults: David wisely prayed this prayer, knowing that he could not know just how many his errors were before God. He needed cleansing even from the sins and faults that were secret to him.
i. “We desire the inner purity of heart. But this is peculiarly God’s prerogative. It is his work to cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of his Holy Spirit. ‘Cleanse THOU me.’” (Meyer)
ii. Secret faults: “From those which I have committed, and have forgotten; from those for which I have not repented; from those which have been committed in my heart, but have not been brought to act in my life; from those which I have committed without knowing that they were sins, sins of ignorance; and from those which I have committed in private, for which I should blush and be confounded were they to be made public.” (Clarke)
c. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins: David added this because he knew that his problem was greater than secret faults and unknown errors. Without God’s help (which he here prayed for), he was also perfectly capable of committing presumptuous sins, sins done in a proud and knowing way.
i. Things that make sin presumptuous:
· When we know better.
· When friends have warned us.
· When God Himself has warned us.
· When we have warned others against the same sins.
· When we plan and relish our sin.
ii. The description of errors and secret faults and presumptuous sins reminds us that sin has a progression.
· It goes from passing temptation to chosen thought (errors).
· It goes from chosen thought to object of meditation.
· It goes from object of meditation to wished-for fulfillment.
· It goes from wished-for fulfillment to planned action (secret faults).
· It goes from planned action to opportunity sought.
· It goes from opportunity sought to performed act.
· It goes from performed act to repeated action.
· It goes from repeated action to delight (presumptuous sins).
· It goes from delight to new and various ways.
· It goes from new and various ways to habit.
· It goes from habit to idolatry, demanding to be served.
· It goes from idolatry to sacrifice.
· It goes from sacrifice to slavery.
iii. All along this continuum the Holy Spirit – and hopefully our conscience – say, “No – stop!” All along this continuum, we are given the way of escape by God (1 Corinthians 10:13), if we will only take it. Yet if we do not, and we end up in slavery to sin, it legitimately questions the state of our soul (1 John 3:6-9).
iv. Because of this great danger, David prayed keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins. “Will you just note, that this prayer was the prayer of a saint, the prayer of a holy man of God? Did David need to pray thus? Did the ‘man after God’s own heart’ need to cry, ‘Keep back thy servant?’ Yes, he did.” (Spurgeon)
d. Let them not have dominion over me: Indeed, King David not only knew that he was capable of such sins, but that they could potentially have dominion over him. His prayer was rightly placed; his love of God’s word and his dependence upon God in prayer would help him stay free from the dominion of enslaving sin.
i. This prayer is even more fitting for one who relates to God on the basis of the New Covenant. As Paul wrote, For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:14).
e. Then I shall be blameless: David knew that when sin was addressed in his life – dealing both with inward, secret sin and outward, presumptuous, enslaving sin – then he could be blameless and innocent of great transgression.
i. This was not a claim of sinless perfection, either achieved or to attain to before resurrection. David knew well that he needed to be cleansed, and trusted in God’s perfect sacrifice – prefigured by the animal sacrifices he practiced in the Mosaic system. David understood blamelessness and innocence on a human, relative level and not in an absolute sense according to the Divine measure.
4. (14) A prayer of surrender and purity.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
a. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight: David closed this glorious psalm with a humble surrender of his mouth and heart to God. He knew that real godliness was not only a matter of what a man did, but also of what he said and thought in his heart.
i. This was not a proud proclamation that David knew he was innocent and blameless; it was a plea to be made so by the transforming power of God.
ii. Acceptable in Your sight: “The psalm ends, not on the note of avoiding sin, but on that of offering back to God the mind’s fitting response to His own words, as a pure sacrifice (cf. Hosea 14:2). This is the probable implication of acceptable, a term often found in sacrificial contexts.” (Kidner)
b. O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer: King David looked to the Lord GOD to be his strength and redemption. He knew that he needed a Redeemer, and that the faithful God would rescue him.
i. Strength can also be translated as Rock. God’s strength is like a mighty rock that rescues us and gives us a firm standing place.
ii. Redeemer is that great Hebrew word goel, the kinsman-redeemer. It was the goel who bought his relative out of slavery, who rescued him in bankruptcy and total loss. King David looked to God Himself as his kinsman-redeemer.
iii. “If our Rock were not our Redeemer, we should be without hope. If our Redeemer were not our Rock, still might we be afraid. It is good that we never forget the mutual interpretation of these two revelations of God.” (Morgan)
iv. This psalm has run a glorious course. It begins with recognizing the glory of God in creation, and then the glory of His written revelation. Next to this great God and His great works, David knew himself to be small and sinful. Yet this great God would also be David’s strength and Redeemer as David put his trust in Him.
v. The glorious God of creation and revelation was also the glorious God of personal relationship and redemption for His people. King David knew this; so should we.
(c) 2020 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com
Categories: Old Testament Psalms
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What does Psalm 19:1 mean?
David, the shepherd-king, was accustomed to spending time outdoors. Both day and night he scanned the sky, and what he saw—the immense array of stars, the sun, and the moon—taught him to worship the Creator. The existence and structure of what we see in the heavens and sky keep on declaring God’s glory. God’s glory is His perfections revealed. All the stars, the sun, moon, and clouds are His “handiwork.” Just as an artist’s painting is his handiwork, even so the heavens and the sky are God’s handiwork.
That’s as true today as it was thousands of years ago: science continues to deepen our appreciation for God’s design. The more we learn about how the universe is structured, and how it works, the more fully we grasp the power of God. The message of this verse is also important for establishing “universal” evidence. Nature itself declares that there is a God, and tells us much about Him—this is something all people have some ability to understand.
The natural world reveals that God is wise, powerful, and eternal. Paul wrote that God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world” (Romans 1:20). He also wrote in verse 20 that God’s revelation of Himself in nature leaves those who reject Him inexcusable.
Pointing out that God made what we see in the night sky was also a statement of theology, in the ancient world. God instructed His people not to worship the heavenly objects. In Deuteronomy 4:19 He said, “And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them.” Those stars and planets are not deities, or spirits—they are the creations of God.
Context Summary
Psalm 19:1–6 focuses on creation as a means by which God reveals Himself to mankind. The heavens and the sky offer testimony about God both night and day. This revelation reaches everyone, just as the sun in its strength appears daily and reaches everywhere. This establishes, in part, the idea that all people have ample evidence telling them that God exists.
Chapter Summary
David refers to the details of creation as evidence for God’s power and design. The appearance and function of nature are evidence of God’s majesty. The second half of this psalm also celebrates God’s revelation, but in the form of His Word. The law, precepts, and commandments of God are hailed for their perfection and benefit.
What does Psalm 19:2 mean?
The revelation of God in nature continues every moment of every day. Every day and every night, like an ever-flowing stream, nature pours out its message about God. The poetic language of this verse suggests that every day delivers a message about the Creator, and every night conveys knowledge about God’s glory.
This passage echoes portions of Psalm 8. There, David says he saw God’s glory in nature (Psalm 8:1), and described what he saw in nature as God’s creative work. He described the heavens, the moon, and the stars as having been set in place as the work of God’s fingers (Psalm 8:3). The sight of God’s creation made him wonder why God took notice of man and cared for him (Psalm 8:4).
Whether we gaze at the sky by day or by night, we can see the Creator’s glory and our finite existence. When the apostle Paul preached at Athens, he proclaimed God as having “made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth” (Acts 17:24). He urged his audience, therefore, to turn from the worship of idols and repent (Acts 17:30).
Context Summary
Psalm 19:1–6 focuses on creation as a means by which God reveals Himself to mankind. The heavens and the sky offer testimony about God both night and day. This revelation reaches everyone, just as the sun in its strength appears daily and reaches everywhere. This establishes, in part, the idea that all people have ample evidence telling them that God exists.
Chapter Summary
David refers to the details of creation as evidence for God’s power and design. The appearance and function of nature are evidence of God’s majesty. The second half of this psalm also celebrates God’s revelation, but in the form of His Word. The law, precepts, and commandments of God are hailed for their perfection and benefit.
How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God (Psalm 19:1-6)
by Jacob D. Gerber | Aug 4, 2014 | Bible | 0 Comments

Post Series on Psalm 19:
1. How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God (Psalm 19:1-6)
2. The Law’s Lesson: Desire God in his Holiness (Psalm 19:7-11)
3. Make Me Acceptable in Your Sight, O LORD (Psalm 19:12-14)
Psalm 19 is one of the more well-known, beloved psalms—it’s been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember. After studying it a bit more closely, I came away with not only a better appreciation of the psalm itself, but for the glory of God, which is the David’s whole reason for writing the psalm.
In this psalm, David listens to what creation says about the glory of God, what the Scriptures teach us about the righteousness of God, and how we ought to respond in our prayers.
The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
David opens his psalm by observing the ceaseless speech of creation to glorify God:
1The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
The ESV has a great English version of Psalm 19, but there is always a lot lost in translation, no matter how faithful you can be to the text. Look at the tremendously vivid verbs David selects to describe how creation announces the glory of God:
• “The heavens declare the glory of God…” would be more literally translated recount, because it’s the word used for actual counting and numbering. When you say that someone recounts a story, however, there’s a sense that they are including every part of the story, bit by bit. The heavens have not merely declared the glory of God; they are enumerating every wondrous detail of God’s glory.
• “Day to day pours out speech…” is a very good word equivalent, because this word is used in Proverbs 18:4 to describe a flowing river.
• “Night to night reveals knowledge…” property means “breathes out.” The exhaled breath of the night’s speech forms a gentler parallel image to the rushing water of the day’s speech.
Overall, the point of the first two verses is to declare the ceaseless nature of creation’s speech. There is never a silent moment during day or night when creation ceases to pour forth and breathe out its unified witness to God’s glory.
So, we might ask a brief question at this point: Why don’t we hear it? Is this speech bottled up in some kind of soundproof area so that we can’t hear it?
Not at all. Over the next few verses, David insists that the reach of creation’s voice is universal, so that there is no one who fails to hear it.
Creation’s Voice Praises God Through All the Earth
David continues his psalm:
3There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
Notice the insistence on the reach of creation’s voice:
• “There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard” (v. 3)
• “Their voice goes out through all the earth” (v. 4)
• “Their words [go out] to the end of the world” (v. 4)
• The course of the sun “is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat” (v. 6)
If creation’s single message is to announce the glory of God, and if creation’s voice reaches to the ends of the earth—so that there is nothing hidden from its reach—then how is it that we go through our lives oblivious to what creation is shouting at us at all times?
Certainly, there are points in life where a sunrise or a sunset catches our breath, or where we experience the overwhelming joy of looking out across a region of mountains after hiking to the top of one of the peaks, or perhaps where we are humbled to feel small in comparison to the vastness of the ocean, but David has something more in mind here.
All of creation is always declaring to us God’s glory. Every microscopic organism and every furious tornado recounts the detail, creativity, and power of our Creator. For those who have ears to hear, let them hear this sermon of praise to our God in heaven.
Why Christians Should Love God’s Creation
If this is true, then here are a few things we should consider in response. First, this probably means that most of us need to get outside more often—and I’m thinking primarily about myself. I’d much prefer to be in the artificially created comforts of my heated and air conditioned home, sheltered from the rawness of nature, but I should probably consider how that short-circuits my ability to understand God. As every Narnian knows, Aslan isn’t a tame lion, so creating a carefully tamed environment to live out my days probably isn’t the best teacher for understanding God as he is.
Second, this is a great motivation for Christians to pursue science, especially younger Christians who are trying to decide what to do with their lives. In the current intellectual climate, many Christians are inherently suspicious of science, but Psalm 19 gives us a firm theological foundation for doing science, because science is the systematic exploration of God’s glory in creation. In fact, the scientific revolution would never have happened without Christianity, because it was Christian theology that drove many of the first scientists to desire to explore God’s world more closely.
The confusion today is that many scientists actually promulgate a kind of philosophy (or even a religion) that takes as its first principle the belief that Psalm 19 isn’t true—that creation has nothing to do with proclaiming the glory of God. But as Christians, we know differently. Our science enlarges our view of God rather than shrinking it.
Finally, we need to make a mental note to allow ourselves to listen to creation’s praise of God. We are so busy in our lives that we fail to notice some spectacular beauty and wonder and terror within creation most of the time. Creation is preaching to us a sermon every day of the week, if we would but listen to it.
As Christians, we should love creation, because creation is God’s handiwork.
But here’s a question to consider: What are the limits to what we can learn from creation? For example, are we really justified to skip church in order to “worship” out in creation, as Christians sometimes do? Or, do we know everything about God that we need to know from creation, as the philosophers from a few centuries ago suggested?
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