Psalm 19: A Psalm of Creation and the Word

"To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1 The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them;
and nothing is hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can detect their errors?
Clear me from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent;
do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."

Many scholars think that verses 1-6 and 7-10 circulated separately before being combined here. Even if they did, the task of the preacher is to explain the text as s/he has it. As we have it, the text begins with the idea of an ebullient (or excited) heaven, builds to the notion of the enlightening word, and culminates with the Psalmist's earnest petition. Each point calls for brief comment.

I. The Ebullient Heavens (1-6)

I can't read these words without hearing GWF Handel's Messiah in the background. Can't you hear it? "Their sound has gone out unto all worlds, and their words until the end of the world...." Or, alternatively, I can't read v. 1 without hearing Haydn's Creation, "The heavens are telling the glory of God,"..and, permit me to lapse into the German, in which version I first committed it to memory: "Die Himmel erzaehlen die Ehre Gottes; und seiner Hande Werk zeigt an das Firmament." Both these musical geniuses were entranced by the eruptive, optimistic and brilliant words penned by the Psalmist. The parallelism of the first four verses is neatly balanced; the notion of the sun as a bridegroom emerging from under the tent is so clear; the idea of the sun as a strong man running its daily ultramarathon across the sky is gripping; and the closing words of v. 6 (and nothing is hid from its heat) is a sort of proverbial reminder that the sun is the source of all earthly life. The verb that gets it all started (pours forth--v.2) appears only a few other places in the Hebrew Bible but it suggests a gushing forth, a release of immense proportions. We have it also in Ps. 119:171: "My lips will pour forth (nagah) praise, because you teach me your statutes." I also like what one might call the "declare, silence, declare" structure of 1-4. First of all, the heavens proclaim (v. 1-2) Then, in fact, they don't proclaim, because there is neither voice, nor words, nor sound (v. 3). But, in the final analysis, "their voice goes out through all the earth" (v. 4). It reminds me of the powerful rhetorical structure of the Epistle to the Hebrews. We have a heavenly calling (3:1); but we tend to rebel (3:14-16); yet there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God (4:9). Yes, no, yes..I think this is an amazingly powerful rhetorical strategy not only for writing but for speaking. The Psalmist has done so here--in telling us of the glorious beauty, power and regularity of the heavens.

II. The Enlightening Word (7-10)

Classical theologians loved this Psalm because they felt it taught us two kinds of knowledge of God--that in creation and that in the Word. Although creation can tell us about the existence and power of God, only the Word can direct us to our duties and discpleship. And here we have several synonyms for "Torah" or "law" of God. This part of the Psalm is reminiscent of Ps. 1 and, especially, of Ps. 119, that 176-verse acrostic poem which symbolizes that the law of God is everything in life from A-Z. Here the words used to describe the Torah are powerful. It is 'perfect,' a word used most frequently in the Hebrew Bible for the animal sacrifices to be offered God, but it also describes human religious duty ("walk before me and be blameless [tam]"--Gen. 17:1) or can describe a person ("That man [Job] was blameless [tam-perfect] and upright"--Job. 1:1) or God's ways ("This God--his way is perfect"--Ps. 18:30). Then there is the idea of the Lord's precepts "reviving the soul." When God opens the divine hand, we are filled with good things (Ps. 104:28). When God withholds breath, we die. But when God sends forth the divine breath again, we are created; our souls restored (Ps. 104:30). The Torah, the Scriptures, revive us in this way. So valuable are they that the Psalmist exults:

"More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb" (v.10).

I can guarantee nothing on this page, but I am of the strong opinion that if you treat the Torah of God, God's Word, as more precious to you than any gold you may attain, that your ministry will be extraordinarily blessed. We listen to all the cultural voices around us promising us technological nirvana. Sink yourself deeply into this gold, and you and your people will be rich indeed.

III. The Earnest Petition (11-14)

These two poetic ejaculations have so captured the Psalmist's heart that he is directed back to himself. He wants, alternatively, to keep the commandments and to be delivered from the secret faults that probably cling so closely to him. When we deeply appreciate the creative beauty of God and the Word-giving power of the divine, we are forced to look at ourselves. We long for the kind of blameless life that befits our calling, but we know we need guidance to identify and, it is hoped, root out some of the long-standing debilities in our life. But concern for our secret faults or inadequacies does not shut our mouths. Indeed, it drives us back to God with a prayer that our words may be acceptable to this God. The words of v. 14, spoken by many preachers before bringing the Word of God to people, are a confident reminder that God uses us, in our shortcomings, to speak that acceptable word. The final words, "my rock and my redeemer," are fraught with deep covenantal significance. God, in fact, is our next of kin, to bring us to the salvation which is adumbrated in creation and celebrated in Word.

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