Creation Declares His Glory
Psalm 19:1-6,
This psalm has always intrigued me, I've always enjoyed reading it. It begins by speaking of God through His creation. And I believe that the psalmist here, who is David, is attempting to get us to recognize God through His creation, and then after which he begins to list the things that God would want us to know and to study and to understand, as we live our lives before Him.
In this Psalm, David begins by bringing our attention to creation. He wants us to recognize and remember that God's creation is reflective of who He is. The heavens and sky above are filled with wonders and majesty which point us to a wise and powerful God who in His wisdom and knowledge has set in motion a creation that is unexplainable and incomprehensible to man. In God's great wisdom this majestic creation continues day after day, and night after night without hindrance. These words, day and night, in verse 2, suggest a regular, ongoing process which constantly testifies to God's glory, His power, His wisdom and His knowledge.
Verse 3 gives emphasis to a quiet declaration. No speech or language, no sound is heard and yet all are able to understand what is being said. As Paul mentions in Romans 1:2 when he speaks of the Lord, he says, “For his invisible attributes, namely His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made.”
And in verse 4, we are told, “Their voice goes out through all the earth.” It does not matter what language you speak, where you live, how young or how old you are, this glimpse of God cannot be hidden. It is like the sun that cannot be denied; it rises in the east, making its circuit across the sky and sets in the west and then begins once again the next day. The sun is likened to a bridegroom on his wedding day, symbolizing a time of joy and celebration. And like a strong man who with strength and determination and purpose accomplishes goals. Each of these, identifying with God who has established His creation by the word of His power which none can alter.
We read in verse 6, “Its rising is from the end of the heavens and its circuit to the end of them and there is nothing hidden from its heat.” This provides us an imagery of God's sovereignty over all his creation. It reflects the idea of God's omnipresence and omnipotence, as nothing is hidden from his sight; even as the sun's light and heat touches all the earth as it seemingly moves across the sky. It reminds us of God's provision and care for all his creation.
This is the God that we pray to. This is our Father to whom we bring our praise and our petitions and our thanksgiving. We are reminded in Jeremiah 32:27, the Lord speaking here, he says, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, is anything too hard for me?” So as we come in our time of worship and our time of prayer, we need to keep focused in our mind that this is the God that we come to. There is nothing too difficult for him and we can trust in Him, even as David trusted in Him in all his ways.
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their 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, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”
This psalm has always intrigued me, I've always enjoyed reading it. It begins by speaking of God through His creation. And I believe that the psalmist here, who is David, is attempting to get us to recognize God through His creation, and then after which he begins to list the things that God would want us to know and to study and to understand, as we live our lives before Him.
In this Psalm, David begins by bringing our attention to creation. He wants us to recognize and remember that God's creation is reflective of who He is. The heavens and sky above are filled with wonders and majesty which point us to a wise and powerful God who in His wisdom and knowledge has set in motion a creation that is unexplainable and incomprehensible to man. In God's great wisdom this majestic creation continues day after day, and night after night without hindrance. These words, day and night, in verse 2, suggest a regular, ongoing process which constantly testifies to God's glory, His power, His wisdom and His knowledge.
Verse 3 gives emphasis to a quiet declaration. No speech or language, no sound is heard and yet all are able to understand what is being said. As Paul mentions in Romans 1:2 when he speaks of the Lord, he says, “For his invisible attributes, namely His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made.”
And in verse 4, we are told, “Their voice goes out through all the earth.” It does not matter what language you speak, where you live, how young or how old you are, this glimpse of God cannot be hidden. It is like the sun that cannot be denied; it rises in the east, making its circuit across the sky and sets in the west and then begins once again the next day. The sun is likened to a bridegroom on his wedding day, symbolizing a time of joy and celebration. And like a strong man who with strength and determination and purpose accomplishes goals. Each of these, identifying with God who has established His creation by the word of His power which none can alter.
We read in verse 6, “Its rising is from the end of the heavens and its circuit to the end of them and there is nothing hidden from its heat.” This provides us an imagery of God's sovereignty over all his creation. It reflects the idea of God's omnipresence and omnipotence, as nothing is hidden from his sight; even as the sun's light and heat touches all the earth as it seemingly moves across the sky. It reminds us of God's provision and care for all his creation.
This is the God that we pray to. This is our Father to whom we bring our praise and our petitions and our thanksgiving. We are reminded in Jeremiah 32:27, the Lord speaking here, he says, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, is anything too hard for me?” So as we come in our time of worship and our time of prayer, we need to keep focused in our mind that this is the God that we come to. There is nothing too difficult for him and we can trust in Him, even as David trusted in Him in all his ways.
Posted in Pastor Devotional