Psalm.19 An Unlikely New Year’s Prayer

Psalm 19 was written and sung for the purpose of glorifying God in worship. There are three voices in the Psalm: Nature’s voice, God’s voice, and Man’s voice.

The first voice and first stanza glorifies God: The heavens, the skies proclaim the Works of His hands. Silent speech day and night, day after day, night after night, His Glory is proclaimed throughout the earth without sound. We cannot help being reminded of John 1:3 “Through Him (Jesus) all things are made: without Him nothing was made that has been made. The work of God’s hands in Jesus Christ glorifies God in nature all around us!

Only in the 4th verse is the sun brought into the picture that the Psalmist paints for us. Genesis 1 comes to mind: The first thing God says in creation. “Let there be light”, and it was so but the sun and moon come into the Creation story three days later, a little like this part of Psalm 19.

Revelation 21 tells us about the New Heaven and Earth and the Holy City; the New Jerusalem. In the city we will not need the sun or moon because God will light the city and the Lamb will be our lamp! What are we talking about? God’s Light, light for our eyes, yes but also and equally so justice, compassion, grace, forgiveness, salvation and the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We see God’s work and His glory in nature, including sun and moon as part of general revelation, it is all around us.

My neighbor Bill finally saw God in the natural beauty around him when I pointed out to him that all this beauty has a purpose and doesn’t just happen. By the power of the Holy Spirit Bill gave his life to Jesus some time later. Praise God!

We move to the second voice. The voice of God! That voice begins with God’s covenantal proclamation to Abraham: “I will be your God and to your descendents after you” Gen. 17 and “all nations of the earth will be blessed through Abraham” Gen.18 and “I will be your God and you will be my people “Ex. 6. That is now complete in Jesus Christ. The voice of God in Ps. 19 is given because we are the people of God. Obeying this voice does not establish us as his people but is given to keep us from damaging our relationship with God. We are his people before the law so to speak.

The law begins with the internal function of the covenant: “The law is perfect reviving the soul. The law is trustworthy making us wise. The precepts are right giving joy to the heart.” Here also, as in creation, and in nature’s voice physical light comes a little later. We move from the internal to the external: “The commands of the Lord are radiant giving light to the eyes, the law enduring forever, more precious than gold, sweeter than honey and in keeping them results is great reward.” Take note that God’s voice is described in five different ways: The law, the statutes, the precepts, the commands, and the ordinances.

Verse 11 “By them is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward.” God’s blessings come to mind here. Take a moment to reflect on 2013, in your mind review the many blessings God has given us. So what is to be our response?

We see God’s glory every day and every night! Besides that we also have something what many people do not have and don’t hear, that is God’s voice. We hear it every week, perhaps for some every day, reading God’s Word. We hear it now and as his people God’s voice demands a response.

Man’s voice responds: Look at verse 12: It begins with repentance; we all have sins even sins that are hidden. The first response is asking God for forgiveness. The second response is asking for help! O Holy Spirit “keep us from willful sins, may they not rule our lives”, may they not damage our convental relationship with you O Lord my God! The third response is at the end of verse 13: the desire to be blameless and innocent of great transgression. Because we are God’s people, that is accomplished for us by believing in and responding to Jesus Christ. Amen! Praise be to God!

How do we go forward as God’s people, as His church into 2014? With the Psalmist we pray this prayer, it is vs. 14 of Ps 19: “May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing in your sight, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer”. Father God, bless us in 2014! Amen.

A winter wonderland!