Salmo 19 - Adam Clarke Commentary 5f3y5m

Adam Clarke Commentary Psalms 19 Introduction The heavens and their host proclaim the majesty of God, Psalm 19:1-6; the excellence and perfection of the Divine law, Psalm 19:7-10; its usefulness, Psalm 19:11. The psalmist prays for pardon and preservation from sin, Psalm 19:12, Psalm 19:13; and thy his Words and thoughts may be holy, Psalm 19:14. The title of this Psalm has nothing particular in it; but it is not very clear that it was written by David, to whom it is attributed; though some think that he composed it in the wilderness, while persecuted by Saul. For this opinion, however, there is no solid ground. There is no note in the Psalm itself to lead us to know when, where, or by whom it was written. It is a highly finished and beautiful ode. Verse 1 The heavens declare the glory of God - Literally, The heavens number out the glory of the strong God. A first view of the starry heavens strikes every beholder with astonishment at the power by which they were made, and by which they are ed. To find out the wisdom and skill displayed in their contrivance requires a measure of science: but when the vast magnitude of the celestial bodies is considered, we feel increasing astonishment at these works of the strong God. The firmament - The whole visible expanse; not only containing the celestial bodies above referred to, but also the atr, light, rains, dews, etc., etc. And when the composition of these principles is examined, and their great utility to the earth and its inhabitants properly understood, they afford matter of astonishment to the wisest mind, and of adoration and gratitude even to the most unfeeling heart. Verse 2 Day unto day uttereth speech - Each day is represented as teaching another relative to some new excellence discovered in these manifold works of God. The nights also, by the same figure, are represented as giving information to each other of the increase of knowledge already gained. “The labors of these our instructers know no intermission; but they continue incessantly to lecture us in the science of Divine wisdom. There is one glory of the sun, which shines forth by day; and there are other glories of the moon and of the stars, which become visible by night. And because day and nightinterchangeably divide the world between them, they are therefore represented as transmitting, in succession, each to other, the task ened them, like the two parts of a choir, chanting forth alternately the praises ot God.” - Bisbop Horne. Verse 3 There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard - Leave out the expletives here, which pervert the sense; and what remains is a tolerable translation of the original: ‫אין אמר ואין דברים בלי נשמע קולם‬ (Ein omer veein debarimclass="translit"> beli nishma kolam). “No speech, and no words; their voice without hearing.” ‫בכל הארץ יצא קום ובקצה תבל מליהם‬ (Bechol haarets yatsa kavvamclass="translit"> Ubiktsey thebel milleyhem). “Into all the earth hath gone out their sound; and to the extremity of the habitable world, their eloquence.”

The word ‫( קו‬kau), which we translate line, is rendered sonus, by the Vulgate, and φθαγγος , sound, by the Septuagint; and St. Paul, Romans 10:18, uses the same term. Perhaps the idea here is taken from a stretched cord, that emits a sound on being struck; and hence both ideas may be included in the same word; and ‫( קום‬kavvam) may be either their line, or cord, or their sound. But I rather think that the Hebrew word originally meant sound or noise; for in Arabic the verb (kavaha) signifies he called out, cried, clamavit. The sense of the whole is this, as Bishop Horne has well expressed it: “Although the heavens are thus appointed to teach, yet it is not by articulate sounds that they do it. They are not endowed, like man, with the faculty of speech; but they address themselves to the mind of the intelligent beholder in another way, and that, when understood, a no less forcible way, the way of picture or representation. The instruction which the heavens spread abroad is as universal as their substance, which extends itself in lines, or rays. By this means their words, or rather their significant actions or operations, ‫מליהם‬, are everywhere present; and thereby they preach to all the nations the power and wisdom, the mercy and lovingkindness, of the Lord.” St. Paul applies this as a prophecy relative to the universal spread of the Gospel of Christ, Romans 10:18; for God designed that the light of the Gospel should be diffused wheresoever the light of the celestial luminaries shone; and be as useful and beneficent, in a moral point of view, as that is in a natural. All the inhabitants of the earth shall benefit by the Gospel of Christ, as they all benefit by the solar, lunar, and stellar light. And, indeed, all have thus benefited, even where the words are not yet come. “Jesus is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” His light, and the voice of his Spirit, have already gone through the earth; and his words, and the words of his apostles, are by means of the Bible and missionaries going out to all the extremities of the habitable globe. On these words I shall conclude with the translation of my old Psalter: Romans 10:1 Hevens telles the joy of God; and the werkes of his handes schwis the firmament. Romans 10:2 Day til day riftes word; and nyght til nyght schewes conying. Romans 10:3 Na speches er, ne na wordes, of the qwilk the voyces of thaim be noght herd. Romans 10:4 In al the land yede the soune of tham; and in endes of the wereld thair wordes. Romans 10:5 In the Soun he sett his tabernacle; and he as a spouse comand forth of his chaumber: he joyed als geaunt at ryn the way. Romans 10:6 Fra heest heven the gangyng of hym: and his gayne rase til the heest of hym: nane es that hym may hyde fra his hete. All the versions, except the Chaldee, render the last clause of the fourth verse thus: “In the sun he hath placed his tabernacle;” as the old Psalter likewise does. They supposed that if the Supreme Being had a local dwelling, this must be it; as it was to all human appearances the fittest place. But the Hebrew is, “Among them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun.” He is the center of the universe; all the other heavenly bodies appear to serve him. He is like a general in his pavilion, surrounded by his troops, to whom he gives his orders, and by whom he is obeyed. So, the solar influence gives motion, activity, light, and heat to all the planets. To none of the other heavenly bodies does the psalmist assign a tabernacle, none is said to have a fixed dwelling, but the sun.

Verse 5 Which is as a bridegroom, etc. - This is a reference to the rising of the sun, as the following verse is to the setting. He makes his appearance above the horizon with splendor and majesty; every creature seems to rejoice at his approach; and during the whole of his course, through his whole circuit, his apparent revolution from east to west, and from one tropic to the same again, no part of the earth is deprived of its proper proportion of light and heat. The sun is compared to a bridegroom in his ornaments, because of the glory and splendour of his rays; and to a giant or strong man running a race, because of the power of his light and heat. The apparent motion of the sun, in his diurnal and annual progress, are here both referred to. Yet both of these have been demonstrated to be mere appearances. The sun‘s diurnal motion arises from the earth‘s rotation on its axis from west to east in twenty-three hours, fifty-six minutes, and four seconds, the mean or equal time which elapses between the two consecutive meridiantransits of the same fixed star. But on of the sun‘s apparent ecliptic motion in the same direction, the earth must make about the three hundred and sixty-fifth part of a second revolution on its axis before any given point of the earth‘s surface can be again brought into the same direction with the sun as before: so that the length of a natural day is twenty-four hours at a mean rate. The apparent revolution of the sun through the twelve constellations of the zodiac in a sidereal year, is caused by the earth‘s making one complete revolution in its orbit in the same time. And as the earth‘s axis makes an angle with the axis of the ecliptic of about twenty-three degrees and twenty eight minutes, and always maintains its parallelism, i.e., is always directed to the same point of the starry firmament; from these circumstances are produced the regular change of the seasons, and continually differing lengths of the days and nights in all parts of the terraqueous globe, except at the poles and on the equator. When we say that the earth‘s axis is always directed to the same point of the heavens, we mean to be understood only in a general sense; for, owing to a very slow deviation of the terrestrial axis from its parallelism, named the precession of the equinoctial points, which becomes sensible in the lapse of some years, and which did not escape the observation of the ancient astronomers, who clearly perceived that it was occasioned by a slow revolution of the celestial poles around the poles of the ecliptic, the complete revolution of the earth in its orbit is longer than the natural year, or the earth‘s tropical revolution, by a little more than twenty minutes; so that in twenty-five thousand seven hundred and sixtythree entire terrestrial revolutions round the sun, the seasons will be renewed twenty-five thousand seven hundred and sixty-four times. And in half this period of twelve thousand eight hundred and eighty-two natural years, the points which are now the north and south poles of the heavens, around which the whole starry firmament appears to revolve, will describe circles about the then north and south poles of the heavens, the semi-diameters of which will be upwards of forty-seven degrees. Coming out of his chamber - ‫( מחפתו‬mechuppatho), from under his veil. It was a sort of canopy erected on four poles, which four Jews held over the bridegroom‘s head. Verse 7 The law of the Lord - And here are two books of Divine Revelation: 1.The visible Heavens, and the works of creation in general. 2.The Bible, or Divinely inspired writings contained in the Old and New Testaments. These may all be called the Law of the Lord; ‫( תורה‬torah), from ‫( ירה‬yarah), to instruct, direct, put straight, guide. It is God‘s system of instruction, by which men are taught the knowledge of God and themselves, directed how to walk so as to please God, redeemed from crooked paths, and guided in the way everlasting. Some think that ‫( תורה‬torah)

means the preceptive part of Revelation. Some of the primitive fathers have mentioned three Laws given by God to man: 1.The law of nature, which teaches the knowledge of God, as to his eternal power and Deity, by the visible creation. 2.The law given to Moses and the prophets, which teaches more perfectly the knowledge of God, his nature, his will and our duty. 3.The law of grace given by Christ Jesus, which shows the doctrine of the atonement, of purification, and of the resurrection of the body. The first is written in hieroglyphics in the heavens and the earth. The second was written on tables of stone, and in many rites and ceremonies. The third is to be written on the heart by the power of the Holy Ghost. Is perfect - ‫( תמימה‬temimah), it is perfection, it is perfect in itself as a law, and requires perfection in the hearts and lives of men. This is Its character. Converting the soul - Turning it back to God. Restoring it to right reason, or to a sound mind; teaching it its own interest in reference to both worlds. This is Its use. The testimony of the Lord - ‫( עדות‬eduth), from ‫( עד‬ad), beyond, forward. The various types and appointments of the law, which refer to something beyond themselves, and point forward to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Some understand, the doctrinal parts of the law. Is sure - ‫( נאמנה‬neemanah), are faithful; they point out the things beyond them fairly, truly, and fully, and make no vain or false report. They all bear testimony to the great atonement. This is Their character. Making wise the simple - The simple is he who has but one end in view: who is concerned about his soul, and earnestly inquires, “What shall I do to be saved?” These testimonies point to the atonement, and thus the simple-hearted is made wise unto salvation. This is Their use. Verse 8 The statutes of the Lord - ‫( פקודים‬pikkudim), from ‫( פקד‬pakad), he visited, cared, took notice of, appointed to a charge. The appointments, or charge delivered by God to man for his regard and observance. Are right - ‫( ישרים‬yesharim), from ‫( ישר‬yashar), to make straight, smooth, right, upright, opposed to crookedness in mind or conduct; showing what the man should be, both within and without. This is Their character. Rejoicing the heart - As they show a man what he is to observe and keep in charge, and how he is to please God, and the Divine help he is to receive from the visitations of God, they contribute greatly to the happiness of the upright - they rejoice the heart. This is Their use. The commandment - ‫( מצוה‬mitsvah), from ‫( צוה‬tsavah), to command, give orders, ordain. What God has ordered man to do, or not to do. What he has commanded, and what he has prohibited. Is pure - From ‫( ברה‬barah), to clear, cleanse, purify. All God‘s commandments lead to purity, en purity, and point out that sacrificial offering by which cleansing and purification are acquired. This is Its character. Enlightening the eyes - Showing men what they should do. and what they should avoid. It is by God‘s commandments that we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the necessity of redemption, so that we may love the Lord with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves. For this is the end of the commandment, and thus to enlighten the eyes is Its use. Verse 9

The fear of the Lord - ‫( יראה‬yirah), from ‫( ירא‬yara), to fear, to venerate; often put for the whole of Divine worship. The reverence we owe to the Supreme Being. Is clean - ‫( טהורה‬tehorah), from ‫( טהר‬tahar), to be pure, clean; not differing much from ‫( ברה‬barah), (see above), to be clean and bright as the heavens; as purified Silver. Its object is to purge away all defilement, to make a spotless character. Enduring for ever - ‫( עומדת לעד‬omedeth laad), standing up to Perpetuity. The fear that prevents us from offending God, that causes us to reverence him, and is the beginning as it is the safeguard of wisdom, must be carried all through life. No soul is safe for a moment without it. It prevents departure from God, and keeps that clean which God has purified. This is Its use. The judgments of the Lord - ‫( משפטים‬mishpatim), from ‫( שפת‬shaphat), he judged, regulated, disposed, All God‘s regulations, all his decisions; what he has pronounced to be right and proper. Are true - ‫( אמת‬emeth), truth, from ‫ אם‬am, to , confirm, make stable, and certain. This is the character of God‘s judgments. They shall all stand. All dispensations in providence and grace confirm them; they are certain, and have a fixed character. And righteous altogether - They are not only according to truth; but they are righteous, ‫(צדקו‬tsadeku), they give to all their due. They show what belongs to God, to man, and to ourselves. And hence the word altogether, ‫( יחדו‬yachdav), equally, is added; or truth and righteousness united. Verse 10 More to be desired are they than gold - 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! Sweeter also than honey - To those whose mental taste is rectified, who have a spiritual discernment. Honey-comb - Honey is sweet; but honey just out of the comb has a sweetness, richness and flavour, far beyond what it has after it becomes exposed to the air. Only those who have eaten of honey from the comb can feel the force of the psalmist‘s comparison: it is better than gold, yea, than fine gold in the greatest quantity; it is sweeter than honey, yea, than honey from the comb. Verse 11 By them is thy servant warned - ‫( נזהר‬nizhar), from ‫( זהר‬zahar), to be clear, pellucid. By these laws, testimonies, etc., thy servant is fully instructed; he sees all clearly; and he discerns that in keeping of them there is great reward: every man is wise, holy, and happy, who observes them. All Christian experience confirms this truth. Reader, what says thine? Verse 12 Who can understand his errors? - It is not possible, without much of the Divine light, to understand all our deviations from, not only the letter, but the spirituality, of the Divine law. Frequent self-examination, and walking in the light, are essentially necessary to the requisite degree of spiritual perfection. Cleanse thou me from 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. Verse 13

From presumptuous sins - Sins committed not through frailty or surprise, but those which are the offspring of thought, purpose, and deliberation. Sins against judgment, light, and conscience. The words might be translated, Preserve thy servant also from the proud; from tyrannical governors, i.e., from evil spirits - Bishop Horsley. So most of the versions understand the place. Let them not have dominion over me - Let me never be brought into a habit of sinning. He who sins presumptuously will soon be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Then shall I be upright - Let me be preserved from all the evil that the craft and malice of the devil or man work against me, then shall I continue to walk uprightly, and shall be innocent from the great transgression - from habitual sinning, from apostasy, from my easily-besetting sin. He who would be innocent from the great transgression, must take care that he indulge not himself in any. See Bishop Horne. Most men have committed some particular sin which they ought to deplore as long as they breathe, and on of the enormity of which they should for ever be humbled. Verse 14 Let the words of my mouth - He has prayed against practical sin, the sins of the body; now, against the sins of the mouth and of the heart. Let my mouth speak nothing but what is true, kind, and profitable; and my heart meditate nothing but what is holy, pure, and chaste. Acceptable in thy sight - Like a sacrifice without spot or blemish, offered up with a perfect heart to God. O Lord, my strength - ‫( צורי‬tsuri), “my fountain, my origin.” My redeemer - ‫( גאלי‬goali), my kinsman, he whose right it is to redeem the forfeited inheritance; for so was the word used under the old law. This prayer is properly concluded! he was weak, he felt the need of God‘s strength. He had sinned and lost all title to the heavenly inheritance, and therefore needed the interference of the Divine kinsman; of Him who, because the children were partakers of flesh and blood, also partook of the same. No prayer can be acceptable before God which is not offered up in his strength; through Him who took our nature upon him, that he might redeem us unto God, and restore the long-lost inheritance. Lord my helpar and my byer. - Old Psalter. He who is my only help, and he that bought me with his blood. This prayer is often, with great propriety, uttered by pious people when they enter a place of worship.

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Psalm 19 Natural Revelation God reveals himself through his world, through nature. Verse 1 and 2 mentions the heavens, the day, night, etc. He says that they are telling of God's glory, but then he adds in verse 3 that they do this without actual speech. Verse 4 shows us that natural revelation reaches every place on earth, therefore it reaches every person. I think the imagery in verse 5 is saying that natural revelation is dominating and powerful. It cannot be ignored. You have to respond to it. Romans 1:18 echoes that. We will discuss that age later. Verse 6 shows us that nobody escapes the sun. Even if you are blind and cannot see it, you still feel the heat. Although it has no voice (vs 3), people still experience it. And you've got to ask the question, "How did it get there?" The story is told of a Mayan king who worshipped the sun until he realized that the sun couldn’t be god because it was sometimes hidden by the clouds. It made him wonder who was god. Notice how Ps 19 says the heavens are telling his glory. This is present tense for us. Special revelation, Scripture, has ceased, but the natural revelation continues. We can receive natural revelation fresh, daily. There are two ways we receive natural revelation. 1. Appreciation The first way is appreciation for what God has made. Illustration: There is something about getting off a ski lift in the Rockies or the Swiss Alps, turning around and experiencing the breathtaking view from what seems to be the top of the world, or walking along the beach alone early in the morning as the sun is coming up over the ocean, or scuba diving in the Caribbean with thousands of multicolored fish swimming around you ... that causes us to say, “There’s got to be more than me -- a designer of all this variety, a designer of all this beauty, a designer of life. When we notice things like that and pause to think about them, we are experiencing natural revelation. Application: The question we need to ask ourselves is this: "Have I received any revelation today?" You can receive and experience natural revelation first hand. Notice it said, "there is no speech nor are there words." It is all non-verbal communication. It is visual. What we need to do is to stop and smell the roses. 2. Observation The second way we receive natural revelation is through studying what God has made. This is the human observation of natural events. Scientists do this. Psychologists do this. Rush Limbaugh does it. Average people do this. All of them are capable of making true statements to describe a phenomenon. They also make mistakes. Illustration: If an unbeliever is at a soccer game for six year olds and he sees the coach yelling at some child, and he says “that coach shouldn’t do that.” He has just made a value judgment. Is his value judgment true? Yes. Is it biblical? Yes. Did he get it from the Bible? No. Application: What we must do is integrate our observations and the observations of others with Scripture. When a scientist announces a discovery or hypothesis, we must check it against Scripture. Just this week I heard that an anthropologist uncovered the missing link which proves that we evolved from African apes. I don’t believe him because Scripture says God created man. When a psychologist makes a statement about human behavior, we don’t automatically accept it because he is a psychologist. In fact, many Christians would be likely to

discount it automatically because he is a psychologist. I’ve been reading a book lately that bashes several popular Christian psychologists. The authors of the book are of the opinion that if a psychologist added 2+2 he would be incapable of ever coming up with the answer “4.” But that is not fair. Psychologists can discover truth. Not because of their system of psychology, but because they spend years observing people and discussing their problems. They are bound to begin recognizing certain patterns of behavior, styles of relating, etc. What we must do is check what the psychologist says against Scripture. Spurgeon says, "We have a Bible which is large enough to be a perfect library, and which is also so compact that we can carry it about with us wherever we go." He is right. And I guarantee that you could find the same answer in Scripture that a Christian psychologist like James Dobson or Larry Crabb might give (assuming they are giving correct answers). But the Scriptures speak in condensed language. They do not speak exhaustively on everything. For example: When God says in Jeremiah 2:13, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” That is a condensed, word picture of what is really going on. It is true. But does it describes me? Have I forsaken God? Larry Crabb has written that broken cisterns can be a person’s style of relating that he has developed to try to make life work. It might be manipulating people, or anger, or illegitimate relationships, or any number of things. If a Christian psychologist writes a book that describes all the “broken cisterns” that he has observed over the course of several years of counseling, it can be very helpful to recognizing sinful patterns in my own life. He has discovered truth. And I can benefit from his research. “All truth is God’s truth” is a statement we have to understand. If something is true, it is true. We must check it against the special revelation of God to see if it is. That brings us to the next part of the Psalm. Special Revelation (19:7-9) God reveals himself through his word. The psalmist gives six descriptions of the word of God. He mentions the law, the testimony of the Lord, the precepts, commandments, fear of the lord and the judgments of the lord. The Law of the Lord (7a) When he says “the law of the Lord” he may be referring just to the Mosaic law, which to the Jew was the central part of Scripture, or this could refer to all of Scripture. It is probably the latter. The Word of God is perfect because it is directed toward the wellbeing of man. It gives us comfort and encouragement. The law was not given to keep us from having fun. It was given for our own good. Sometimes, we don’t act like we believe that. But God loves people and what He has told us in His word is what is best for us. Satan on the other hand hates people. He wants to destroy them. The Testimony of the Lord (7b) Making wise the simple means it gives man a solid foundation and stability so that he is not easily led astray. The Precepts of the Lord (8a) The Commandment of the Lord (8b) The precepts and the commandments refer to the precision and authority with which God addresses us. (Kidner) They revive and refresh us, encourage us, etc. And just like nothing is hidden from the sun in God’s natural revelation, God’s Word enlightens us and reveals evil.

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The Fear of the Lord (9a) Ryrie says this is reverential trust in his footnotes. Kidner says it is the human response to God’s word. But Ross says it is a synonym for the law. (BKCOT) Keil and Delitsch say it is “the revealed way in which God is to be feared” - i.e. it is the religion of Yahweh. That is similar to what Ross says. I tend to agree with Ross because all the other items mentioned are about the law of the Lord. David is listing the attributes of the word of God. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.” I don’t know if we can say that about subjective and fickle human emotions. And I think the response to the law starts in verse 10.1 The Judgments of the Lord (9b) God is fair. We often think that life is not fair. There is much injustice in the world, but it is a comfort to know that God is fair and will work it all out in the end. Application (19: 10-14) The Response (10) In verse 10 we see that the Scriptures are very valuable to David. Why is it, if David spent six verses talking about natural revelation and two verses talking about special revelation, that his response focuses on the special revelation? I think that is because natural revelation is designed to bring you to the recognition of the need for special revelation. Special revelation is more important. It is where our focus should be. We should look at the rest of the world through the lens of Scripture. If I can piggy-back on my previous illustration: It is ok to read someone like Larry Crabb sometimes, but don’t major on him. Major on the Scriptures. David recognizes that God’s word is good for him. It is more desirable than gold because gold does not satisfy. You always think you need a little more. But through Scripture we can know God and have relationship with Him and that does satisfy. The Reason (11) BECAUSE THE WORD WARNS HIM OF EVIL (11A) In verse 11 David says, "by them (the precepts and commandments) is Thy servant warned." Scripture warns us of our inherent evil - our sinfulness. Scripture warns us of our condemnation and destination without God. It tells us what is coming in the future - judgment. Scripture warns us of specific temptations and sins. It tells us what not to do. Scripture warns us of our obligations. It tells us what we should do. BECAUSE OBEYING THE WORD BRINGS GREAT REWARD (11B) THERE IS PEACE AND PLEASURE IN OBEDIENCE. No guilty conscience. When your conscience is bothering you, there is no place to hide and you are miserable. But if you have done right, then you can be at peace no matter what the circumstances. Illustration: I read in one of Spurgeon's sermons of a martyr who was about to be burned at the stake. The sheriff who was to execute him expressed 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 instead of pitying me, pity yourself." I am also reminded of Stephen when he was being stoned. He knew he was right. He knew he was obeying God, and he was able to face death quietly.

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THERE IS BENEFIT TO YOUR SOUL. Spurgeon says, "it is the most healthful exercise to your spirit." Obeying the law means you love God and love people. The law is not designed just to be a list of rules. That is what many make it out to be. That is what the Pharisees turned it into, and that is why Jesus told parables about Good Samaritans, unforgiving servants, etc. When you love God and love people you have healthy relationships. THERE IS INCREASE IN DIVINE KNOWLEDGE. John 7:17 says that we can't know the teaching of God if we aren't committed to doing his will. Christ challenged the Pharisees for not obeying the law and then condemning His teaching. Learning the Word is not an academic exercise. It is a matter of the heart. THERE IS REWARD IN HEAVEN. Jesus mentions rewards nine times in the sermon on the mount. The parables of the talents and minas show that there will be rewards in heaven for faithful service. Paul talks about eternal rewards in 1Co 3 and Col 3. Summary: The Word keeps us and we keep the Word. The Request (12-13) ACQUIT ME OF MY HIDDEN FAULTS (12) I think David is asking God to reveal those things about him that he does not recognize as sinful. I think that because his next request is for cleansing from presumptuous sins. Spurgeon thought secret sins referred to those sins David committed in private that no one else saw. Spurgeon’s category seems fairly presumptuous to me. Spurgeon preached a sermon against secret sins in which he gave four characteristics which I will summarize: The folly of secret sins is that God sees them. The solemn guilt of secret sin is that you are a practical atheist. You are acting like God doesn’t exist. The misery of secret sins is you live the miserable life of a hypocrite. A man who says, I am evil and doesn’t care has more peace than one who carries on secret affairs. The danger of secret sin is that it is either discovered or it snowballs out of control. You can’t keep them secret. The illustration he gave was of a person who said, “I’m just going to get drunk on Friday night at home where nobody can see me...” The problem is: God will see. You will feel guilty. and you may start drinking too much on other nights of the week. KEEP ME FROM PRESUMPTIOUS SINS (13) This is the attitude that I am above the laws of God. They don’t apply to me. I don’t care what the Bible says. Nothing bad will happen to me. We may not say it out loud, but our actions say it loudly. I think Spurgeon’s secret sins fit better into this category. In the law there was provision for sins committed in ignorance, but not for willful sins. There was no sacrifice available. One could repent - like David did in Ps. 51 and plead for God’s mercy, but you couldn’t commit a sin on purpose, then go down and offer a sacrifice and have a clean slate. Therefore, David wanted God to restrain him from committing such sins. It is interesting that this is exactly what the Catholic church was doing in Martin Luther’s day. They were selling indulgences (forgiveness papers) so that a person could go sin (on purpose) and then cash in his coupon and be forgiven. That was what started the Protestant reformation. The Result (14) David’s response should be my response. When he takes in the beauty of creation and understands the message of the special revelation, he is humbled and wants to:

Let the words of my mouth they echo vss 7-9 special revelation and the meditation of my heart - that focuses on the natural revelation be acceptable in Thy sight My rock (something relating to natural revelation) and my redeemer (something we can only have through special revelation) See the consistency of thought throughout this poem. What a summary statement. Message statement: Moved by the observation that the heavens, under the domination influence of the sun, declare the splendor of God's handiwork, the psalmist (by comparison) describes the dominating influence of the efficacious law of Yahweh which enlightens him, and then prays for complete cleansing so that his life will be acceptable before Yahweh.2 Psalm 19 describes The communication process between God and man.3

God speaks to us on the left side of the diagram through his world and his word. We have called this natural revelation and special revelation. We speak to God on the right side of the diagram. Our prayer is a response to His word, His special revelation. Our praise is a response to his world, His natural revelation. Of course we can also praise him for things we learned about Him from Hs word, but most of the praise in the Psalms is about God's work in creation. Christ is central to this whole process. He is the Final revelation. He is our intercessor. We go to God through Him. We pray in Jesus' name. John 1: says that the light came into the world and was the light of men.... Jesus was the creator and has enlightened every man through creation (natural revelation) and he came in person (special revelation). When Satan wants to attack this process and keep us from worshipping God, where does he start? Does he come into the church and have demons disrupt the service? Not

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usually. That would more than likely motivate Christians to stand strong against him. He is more subtle than that. Instead, he works on destroying the left side of the circle. How has Satan attacked natural revelation? special revelation? Christ? God? Evolution which attacks the general revelation. It says, God didn't make the world. Rationalism, which says, God didn't write the Word. The Bible is not the truth. There is no truth. Relativism is closely related. Liberalism, which says, Christ is not God. Existentialism which goes so far as to say God is dead. Satan knows that if he can cut off the left side of the diagram, he makes the right side ineffective because we have nothing to respond to. Proverbs 28:9 says, “When one will not listen to the law, even one's prayers are an abomination.” If I'm not listening to the left side, my prayer is an abomination to Him. If we aren’t taking in the Word, we won’t even pray except when we want something. Our prayer is to be a dialogue, not a monologue of requests. So, if we aren't taking it in, there is static on the line. That is the connection between the Word and prayer. What is the connection between the world and praise? Romans1:18-21 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. (NRSV) Romans 1:18f shows us the connection and what happened. They weren't thankful. Why? They took God out of his position and they had no one to left to honor or praise. That is why Satan has been so subtle by working on the left side of the diagram. He has given men a theory to hold to that is very popular and gives them a way to deny God's existence and their ultimate responsibility to Him. If we take away the left side of the diagram but continue with the right side, if we continue with the prayer and praise, we end up with religion. All we have is ritual and manufactured worship. If there is no revelation, then all you have is religion. Man trying to reach God by his own method. Illustration of religion: Catholics using the rosary and repeating ‘Hail, Marys.’ Denominations where people don’t typically take their bibles to church, they just promote a social gospel. What is important to them is doing good things for people. They have homosexuals come to talk to the youth group about aids and deny belief in Jesus. If you take away the left side of the diagram, you end up inventing your own praise and praying however you think best. How do you know that God listens? If you're not following God's plan and praying in response to the word of God, then that is like saying you don't care what God says, but you still want Him to listen to what you say. God is not just a tape recorder in which you record your prayers. Summary Appreciation for God’s creation should lead to praise, worship, etc. We can learn truth outside of Scripture through the observation of God’ creation. But we must check it against Scripture.

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Scripture reveals our weaknesses and God’s glory. Our response should be that God make us clean and acceptable to Him so that we can worship and praise Him. 1 I like Kidner’s comments though, Law and testimony are the comprehensive for God’s revelation. Precepts and commandments indicate the precision and authority with which He addresses us, while fear, or reverence, emphasizes the human response fostered by His word. Ordinances, or judgments are the judicial decision he has recorded about various human situations. Psalms, p. 99.

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable

Psalms 19 Verse 1 This verse is a summary statement. The "heavens" refers to what appears in the sky above us. The "firmament" or "sky" is the canopy that seems to cover the earth from our vantage point as we look up. It is a synonym for "heavens" (synonymous parallelism). The glory of God in this context points to the splendor of the Creator. As we look up, we see the amazing handiwork of God. Verses 1-6 1. Revelation from nature 19:1-6 Verses 1-14 Psalms 19 David observed in this wisdom hymn that under the influence of the sun, the heavens make God's handiwork in creation known to humanity. Likewise, people learn of God's plan to bless humankind under the influence of God's Law. In view of this dual revelation, in nature and in Scripture, David prayed that God would cleanse his life so he would be acceptable to God. In the polytheistic ancient Near East, this psalm was a strong polemic against the pagan sun gods whom their worshippers credited with executing justice. The psalmist claimed that Israel's God was the Creator of the heavens, including the sun, and He established justice on the earth. Verses 2-4 Every day and every night, this revelation of the power and greatness of the Creator communicates, since human beings observe it daily. The presence of the heavenly host is a non-verbal testimony to God's existence that reaches every part of the planet. Everyone, regardless of his or her language, can understand it (cf. Romans 1:18-20). [Note: See Harry Torcszyner, "The Riddle in the Bible," Hebrew Union College Annual 1 (1924):141-49.] This is "the paradox of wordless speech." [Note: Kidner, p. 98. ] It is also an oxymoron. Verses 4-6 God has placed the sun in the heavens. He, not it, is supreme. The figures of the bridegroom and the runner picture the glory and power of this centerpiece of God's creation. Since it is so glorious, its Creator must be even more glorious. The pagans used the same figures of speech to describe the sun, which they worshipped as sovereign. [Note: Ross, pp. 807-8.] The name of God used in Psalms 19:1-6 is El, a title that describes the power of God. El is "the strong one." In Psalms 19:7-9; Psalms 19:14the psalmist wrote that El is Yahweh, the name of God that stresses His covenant relationship to Israel. Thus he claimed that the Creator is Israel's God, not some pagan nature deity. Verse 7 The revealed Word of God has the same dominant influence over humankind as the sun does over nature. Whereas the sun restores natural life, God's law restores the life of the human soul. The sun dispels physical darkness, but the Word of God removes the darkness of ignorance from our understanding. It is flawless and reliable. Verses 7-11

2. Revelation from Scripture 19:7-11 Verse 8 Furthermore, it brings joy and wisdom to people because it is correct and enlightening. The "testimony" (Psalms 19:7; "statutes, NIV), "precepts," "commandment" ("commands," NIV), and "judgments" (Psalms 19:9; "ordinances," NIV) all refer to various parts of the God's law. [Note: See VanGemeren, pp. 184-87, for explanations of the various words that describe God's Word that appear primarily in Psalms 19, 119, but also elsewhere in other psalms.] Verse 9 The special revelation of God in Scripture is also free from any mixture of truth and error; it is consistent with reality. Consequently it is enduring and completely righteous. The word "fear" refers to the whole of divine law. Knowledge of God's law puts the fear (reverential trust) of God in people's hearts (cf. Deuteronomy 4:10 AV). Verse 10-11 David regarded the words of God as more valuable than gold, the most expensive substance in his day, and more pleasing and satisfying than honey, the sweetest substance. God's words warned him of error and danger, and they brought him rewards of many kinds as he followed them. ". . . the mark of a true Bible student is a burning heart, not a big head ( Luke 24:32; 1 Corinthians 8:1)." [Note: Wiersbe, The . . . Wisdom . . ., p. 128.] Verse 12-13 David's rhetorical question expresses the impossibility of knowing if or when we violate God's will without the light that His Word provides. It can bring to light faults hidden otherwise and can warn us of what displeases God so we can confess and avoid these offenses. David asked God to use His Word to bring these sins to his attention so they would not dominate him. This would result in his being blameless in God's sight and free from the huge mass of sin that would be his without the revelation of Scripture. Verses 12-14 3. Prayer for cleansing 19:12-14 Verse 14 In closing this psalm, David prayed that his words and thoughts would please God. In view of the context, this takes place as we allow the Word of God to affect our lives. David viewed his words and thoughts as sacrifices to God (cf. Hebrews 13:15). This is the implication of "acceptable" or "pleasing." As he closed this psalm he evidently regarded God not as his judge but as the foundation of his life and the One who had purchased him for a special purpose. "The Word in the hand is fine; the Word in the head is better; but the Word in the heart is what transforms us and matures us in Christ (Psalms 119:11; Co. 3:1617)." [Note: Ibid.] God has revealed Himself in nature and in Scripture. This revelation should move us to bow in humble adoration and willing obedience before our Creator. [Note: See Swindoll, pp. 56-66; and Allen, And I ..., pp. 129-49.] Psalms 1, 19, , 119 all deal significantly with the Word of God.

"I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world." [Note: Lewis, p. 63.] Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Text Courtesy of Bible.com. Used by Permission. Bibliography Information Constable, Thomas. DD. "Commentary on psalms 19". "Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable". "http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dcc/print.cgi? bk=18&ch=19&vs=1". 2012. © 2001-2014, StudyLight.org Powered by Lightspeed Technology

Expositor's Bible Commentary Psalms 19 Verses 1-14 Psalms 19:1-14 Is this originally one psalm or bits of two, pieced together to suggest a comparison between the two sources of knowledge of God, which the authors did not dream of? The affirmative is strongly maintained, but, we may venture to say, not so strongly sustained. The two parts are said to differ in style, rhythm, and subject. Certainly they do, but the difference in style s for the difference in structure. It is not an unheard of phenomenon that cadence should change with theme; and if the very purpose of the song is to set forth the difference of the two witnesses to God, nothing can be more likely than such a change in measure. The two halves are said to be put together abruptly without anything to smooth the transition. So they are, and so is Psalms 19:4 put by the side of Psalms 19:3; and so does the last turn of thought (Psalms 19:1214) follow the second. Cyclopean architecture without mortar has a certain impressiveness. The abruptness is rather an argument for than against the original unity, for a compiler would have been likely to try to make some sort of glue to hold his two fragments together, while a poet, in the rush of his afflatus, would welcome the very abruptness which the manufacturer would avoid. Surely the thought that binds the whole into a unity-that Jehovah is El, and that nature and law witness to the same Divine Person, though with varying clearness-is not so strange as that we should have to find its author in some late editor unknown. Psalms 19:1-6 hymn the silent declaration by the heavens. The details of exposition must first be dealt with. "Declare" and "makes known" are participles, and thus express the continuity of the acts. The substance of the witness is set forth with distinct reference to its limitations, for "glory" has here no moral element, but simply means what Paul calls "eternal power and Godhead," while the Divine name of God ("El") is used in intended contrast to "Jehovah" in the second half, a nuance which must be obliterated if this is a conglomerate psalm. "His handiwork," in like manner, limits the revelation. The heavens by day are so marvellously unlike the heavens by night that the psalmist’s imagination conjures up two long processions, each member of which es on the word entrusted to him to his successor-the blazing days with heaven naked but for one great light, and the still nights with all their stars. Psalms 19:3 has given commentators much trouble in attempting to smooth its paradox. Tastes are curiously different, for some critics think that the familiar interpretation gives a flat, prosaic meaning, while Cheyne takes the verse to be a gloss for dull readers, and exclaims, "How much the brilliant psalm fragment gains by its omission!" De gustibus, etc. Some of us may still feel that the psalmist’s contrast of the awful silence in the depths of the sky and of the voice that speaks to opened ears thrills us with something very like the electric touch of poetry. In Psalms 19:4 the thought of the great voices returns. Their hue is usually explained as meaning their sphere of influence, marked out, as it were, by a measuring cord. If that rendering is adoptedPsalms 19:4 b would in effect say, "Their words go as far as their realm." Or the rendering "sound" may be deduced, though somewhat precariously, from that of line, since a line stretched is musical. But the word is not used as meaning the string of an instrument, and the very slight conjectural emendation which gives "voice" instead of "line" has much to recommend it. In any case the teaching of the verse is plain from the last clause, namely the universality of the revelation. It is singular that the mention of the sun should come in the close of the verse; and there may be some error in the text, though the introduction of the sun here may be explained as completing the picture of the heavens, of which it is

the crowning glory. Then follows the fuller delineation of his joyous energy, of his swift strength in his course, of his penetrating beams, illuminating and warming all. Why should the glowing metaphors, so natural and vigorous, of the sun coming forth from his bridal chamber and, hero-like, running his race, be taken to be traces of ancient myths now innocently reclaimed from the service of superstition? To find in these two images a proof that the first part of the psalm belongs to the post-exilic "literary revival of Hebrew mythology" is surely to lay more on them than they can bear. The scientific contemplation of nature is wholly absent from Scripture, and the picturesque is very rare. This psalmist knew nothing about solar spectra or stellar distances, but he heard a voice from out of the else waste heavens which sounded to him as if it named God. Comte ventured to say that the heavens declare the glory of the astronomer, not of God; but, if there be an order in them, which it is a man’s glory to discover, must there not be a mind behind the order, and must not the Maker have more glory than the investigator? The psalmist is protesting against stellar worship, which some of his neighbours practised. The sun was a creature, not a god; his "race" was marked out by the same hand which in depths beyond the visible heavens had pitched a "tent" for his nightly rest. We smile at the simple astronomy; the religious depth is as deep as ever. Dull ears do not hear these voices; but whether they are stopped with the clay of earthly tastes and occupations, or stuffed with scientific wadding of the most modern kind, the ears that do not hear God’s name sounded from the abysses above, have failed to hear the only word which can make man feel at home in nature. Carlyle said that the sky was "a sad sight." The sadness and awfulness are taken away when we hear the heavens telling the glory of God. The unscientific psalmist who did hear them was nearer the very heart of the mystery than the scientist who knows everything else about them but that. With an abrupt transition which is full of poetical force, the singer turns to the praises of the better revelation of Jehovah. Nature speaks in eloquent silence of the strong God, but has no witness to His righteous will for men or His love to them which can compare with the clear utterances of His law. The rhythm changes, and in its cadence expresses the psalmist’s exuberant delight in that law. In Psalms 19:7-11 the clauses are constructed on a uniform plan, each containing a name for the law, an attribute of it, and one of its effects. The abundance of synonyms indicates familiarity and clear views of the many sides of the subject. The psalmist had often brooded on the thought of what that law was, because, loving its Giver, he must needs love the gift. So he calls it "law," or teaching, since there he found the best lessons for character and life. It was "testimony," for in it God witnessed what lie is and what we should be, and so witnessed against sin; it was a body of "precepts" (statutes, A.V.) giving rich variety of directions: it was "commandment," blessedly imperative; it was "fear of the Lord," the effect being put for the cause; it was "judgments," the decisions of infinite truth concerning duty. These synonyms have each an attribute attached, which, together, give a grand aggregate of qualities discerned by a devout heart to inhere in that law which is to so many but a restraint and a foe. It is "perfect," as containing: without flaw or defect the ideal of conduct; "sure" or reliable, as worthy of being absolutely followed and certain to be completely fulfilled; "right," as prescribing the straight road to man’s true goal; "pure" or bright, as being light like the sun, but of a higher quality than that material brilliance: "clean," as contrasted with the foulness bedaubing false faiths and making idol worship unutterably loathsome: "true" and "wholly righteous" as corresponding accurately to the mind of Jehovah and the facts of humanity and as being in full accordance with the justice which has its seat in the bosom of God.

The effects are summed up in the latter clauses of these verses, which stand, as it were, a little apart, and by the slight pause are made more emphatic. The rhythm rises and falls like the up-springing and sinking of a fountain. The law "restores the soul," or rather refreshes the life, as food does; it "makes the simple wise" by its sure testimony, giving practical guidance to narrow understandings and wills open to easy beguiling by sin; it "rejoices the heart," since there is no gladness equal to that of knowing and doing the will of God; it "enlightens the eyes" with brightness beyond that of the created light which rules the day. Then the relation of clauses changes slightly in Psalms 19:9 and a second attribute takes the place of the effect. It "endures forever," and, as we have seen is "wholly righteous." The Old Testament law was relatively imperfect and destined to be done away, but the moral core of it abides. Being more valuable than all other treasures, there is wealth in the very desire after it more than in possessing these. Loved, it yields sweetness in comparison with which the delights of sense are bitter; done, it automatically rewards the doer. If obedience had no results except its inward consequences, it would be abundantly repaid. Every true servant of Jehovah will be willing to be warned by that voice, even though it rebuke and threaten. All this rapture of delight in the law contrasts with the impatience and dislike which some men entertain for it. To the disobedient that law spoils their coarse gratifications. It is as a prison in which life is wearisomely barred from delights; but they who dwell behind its fences know that these keep evils off, and that within are calm joys and pure pleasures. The contemplation of the law cannot but lead to self-examination, and that to petition. So the psalmist es into prayer. His shortcomings appal, for "by the law is the knowledge of sin," and he feels that beyond the sin which he knows, there is a dark region in him where foul things nestle and breed fast. "Secret faults" are those hidden, not from men, but from himself. He discovers that he has hitherto undiscovered sins. Lurking evils are most dangerous because, like aphides on the underside of a rose leaf, they multiply so quickly unobserved; small deeds make up life, and small, unnoticed sins darken the soul. Mud in water, at the rate of a grain to a glassful, will make a lake opaque. "Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth." Conscience needs educating; and we have to compare ourselves with the ideal of perfect life in Jesus, if we would know our faults, as young artists go over their copies in front of the masterpiece. But the psalmist knows that, servant of God though he is, he is in danger from another class of sins, and so prays to be held back from "presumptuous sins," i.e. wilful conscious transgressions. Such deliberate contraventions of law tend to become habitual and despotic; so the prayer follows that they may not "have dominion." But even that is not the lowest depth. Deliberate sin, which has gained the upper hand. is but too apt to end in apostacy: "Great transgression" is probably a designation for casting off the very pretence of worshipping Jehovah. That is the story of many a fall. First, some unsuspected evil habit gnaws away the substance of the life, as white ants do wood, leaving the shell apparently intact; then come sins open and palpable, and these enslave the will, becoming habits, and then follows entire abandonment of the profession of religion. It is a slippery, dark stairway, and the only safety is in not setting foot on the top step. God, and God only, can "keep us back." He will, if we cling to Him, knowing our weakness. Thus clinging, we may unblamed cherish the daring hope that we shall be "upright and innocent," since nothing less than entire deliverance from sin in all its forms and issues can correspond to the will of God concerning us and the power of God in us, nor satisfy our deepest desires. The closing aspiration is that Jehovah would accept the song and prayer. There is an allusion to the acceptance of a sacrifice, for the phrase "be acceptable" is frequent in

connection with the sacrificial ritual. When the words of the mouth coincide with the meditation of the heart, we may hope that prayers for cleansing from, and defence against, sin, offered to Him whom our faith recognises as our "strength" and our "Redeemer," will be as a sacrifice of a sweet smell, well-pleasing to God. He best loves the law of Jehovah who lets it teach him his sin, and send him to his knees; he best appreciates the glories of the silent heavens who knows that their witness to God is but the prelude of the deeper music of the Scriptures’ declaration of the heart and will of Jehovah and who grasps Him as his "strength and his Redeemer" from all evil, whether evil of sin or evil of sorrow. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Text Courtesy of Bible.com. Used by Permission. Bibliography Information Nicoll, William R. "Commentary on psalms 19". "Expositor's Bible Commentary". http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/teb/print.cgi?bk=18&ch=19&vs=1. © 2001-2014, StudyLight.org Powered by Lightspeed Technology