Bible Study........................................................................Pages

Psalm 19:1-14

"The Beauty and Power of the Word of God"

1. "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. 2. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. 3. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. 4. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. 5. It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. 6. The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat. 7. The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. 9. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. 10. They are most desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. 11. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.

12. How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. 13. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. 14. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, Oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer." This psalm, written by David, reflects the beauty and splendor of Hebrew poetry. C.S. Lewis wrote, "I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world." In this psalm, David writes about looking to the blue sky and seeing the glory of the sun and clouds and the beauty

of sunrises and sunsets. In the night sky, with the brightness, grandeur and size of the moon, the awe of the starry sky and the cloudy spread of the distant galaxies, David shouted that this is evidence of God's glory, the God who created it all. He poetically describes the sky as a dwelling place for the sun, which comes out of its tent every day to cross the heavens, and then returns to its tabernacle at night. God's glory in the visible heavens is for all to see, no matter what language mankind speaks. It has gone out through all the earth. The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 1:20 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." If the earth grew silent, the heavens above will never cease to declare and proclaim His majesty and glory. Even an atheist would need to be deaf not to hear God's voice through the vast expanse of His creation. As we read through the first six verses of this Psalm, we learn that God exists through creation, but it is through the next five verses that we understand the fullness of God's character and nature and the benefits derived from the Scriptures, as well as the discernment it can bring to one’s personal life. The laws, or doctrine, as outlined

Psalm 19:1-14

in the first five books of the Old Testament, are perfect for the needs of our spiritual life, converting our soul. God gave us these testimonies to guide us to wisdom concerning righteous living. His precepts are right for us and bring joy and happiness in our lives when we abide by them. God's commands are pure and they morally and doctrinally direct our lives into His light. God's declarations of what's right and wrong are reliable and trustworthy. The value of His Word is immeasurable and as we feed on His truth, we discover that our souls are satisfied and delighted. The Bible enriches us and God's Word protects us from the destructive pathway of sin. When we strive to obey His Word, God promises us abundant and rewarding consequences, such as peace of mind in the restoration of our soul, wisdom in our walk and joy in our heart. David concludes Psalm 19 with an earnest prayer to be spiritually transparent before God, as man cannot hide secrets from his Maker. It is so easy for us to live one way before God, yet live another way before man, but God knows and judges everything about us. In Romans 7:24, Paul cries out, "Oh wretched man that I am." Knowing that our flesh is weak, even though our spirit is willing (Matthew 26:41), we must depend on God to protect us from all unrighteousness. And what about those sins that are secret to us, those which we have committed but have forgotten, or those which we have not repented of? What about those sins which we have committed but didn't realize they were sins? David also realized that he was very capable of committing presumptuous sins... those sins done in a proud and knowing way that could potentially have dominion over him. Like David, our prayer should be to be cleansed of our own sinfulness by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ and to love and depend upon God in prayer to help us stay free from the dominion of enslaving sin. When sin is addressed, we can be blameless and innocent of great transgression. As Paul wrote in Romans 6:14, "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace." David looked to God to be his strength, his Rock, to rescue him and to redeem him as

he put his trust in Him. From this glorious psalm, we know that the God of creation and revelation is also the God of personal relationship and redemption for His people. Let us find more joy in God's testimonies than in all the riches in the world! Let us get up every morning and meditate on the scriptures until we are filled with the joy and peace that only comes from knowing and believing in the great promises of God. Our challenge should be not merely to pursue righteousness, but to prefer righteousness. "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:1-2)

Holy, Holy, Holy

Is the Lord ALmighty