5-Day Commentary Challenge - The Book Of PsalmsSample

   

PSALM 19

Psalm 19 is a favorite psalm of many people. It is very clear in its arrangement and simple in its message. The author speaks of God’s revelation in nature and in the Bible. Here is a three-point outline:

The World of God (vv. 1–6) 

The Word of God (vv. 7–10) 

The Way of God (vv. 11–14)

Men learn of God from the realm of nature, but more specifically from His written revelation. With the coming of Christ in the fullness of time the world received God’s living Word (John 1:1). The device of parallelism is apparent throughout this psalm.

The first verse is a clear example of it. Heaven and the firmament (expanse or vault) are the two subjects, declare and show are the verbs, and the glory of God and His handiwork are the objects. A Bible student could profitably examine this entire psalm in the light of parallelism.

That God is evident in nature is believed by all except the most hardened of those who resist Him. Numerous and eloquent are the poems of men to this effect. Sunsets, seashores, starry nights, trees, flowers, waterfalls—all are the subjects men write about.

Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree. These famous words of Joyce Kilmer do just what the opening part of this psalm does: present the Creator through nature.

Verse 2 declares that night and day alike provide evidence of God’s existence. The word rendered uttereth (kjv) has the sense of “gush” or “surge” behind it in the original language. Having spoken of a universal speech, the psalmist continues by saying that it is never heard. The word where does not appear in Hebrew, so what we have are three negative statements. “There is no speech.” “There is no language.” “Their voice is not heard.” The first two- thirds of verse 4 complete this thought. The unheard speech, the words or message, is everywhere—to the ends of the earth. Line, which might be slang in our language, is not such in Hebrew. (Paul quotes the Greek translation of the Old Testament in Romans 10:18, which reads, “their voice” in the nasb.) The hymn “The Spacious Firmament” by Joseph Addison is a beautiful commentary on these verses. Here is just one of the stanzas:

What though, in solemn silence, all 

     Move round this dark terrestrial ball?

What though no real voice nor sound 

     Amid the radiant orbs be found?

In reason’s ear they all rejoice,

     And utter forth a glorious voice, 

Forever singing as they shine,

     “The hand that made us is divine.”

To depict the worldwide communication of God’s existence and glory, the psalmist chooses the sun’s daily coverage of the earth. This picture continues through verse 6. But verse 5 is an illustration of an illustration. Evidence for God is like the sun. The sun, in turn, is like a bridegroom or a ready runner. These were the most glorious specimens the writer could use to characterize the beauty and strength of the sun. In its orbit it begins at one hori- zon, makes what appears from our perspective to be a high half circle, and goes to the other horizon. Everything derives warmth from it; all energy comes from it—a scientific truth recognized only in modern times.

Verses 7–10 speak of the Bible. Here are six synonyms for the Word: law, testimony, precepts, commandments, fear, and ordinances. Then there are the descriptive adjectives: perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and the additional ones in verse 9, true and righteous alto- gether. Following each of the first five adjectives is a statement of what the Word of God does. It restores or converts the soul. It makes the simple wise. It rejoices the heart. It enlightens the eyes. It endures forever. An interesting study would be to rearrange the three elements of each of these strophes. There are more than fifteen possible combinations.

Notice in verse 7a that the first thing which the Word of God does is to restore the soul. This word can also be translated con- verting (kjv). The priority given to this word is intentional. Before we can be wise, before the heart really rejoices, before our eyes can be clearly enlightened, and before we find the Bible more precious than gold and sweeter than honey, we must be saved. Conversion is the first step.

The gold and the honey of verse 10 easily prompt many analo- gies. Like gold, the Bible is priceless. The Bible is the most valuable of all books. The Bible is enduring. The Bible serves as a standard. Like honey the Bible is sweet. The Bible is nourishing. The Bible has healing qualities. The Bible admits of no impurities.

The last four verses of the psalm tell us what the Bible does— what the way of God is. The writer, who calls himself a servant, testifies that there are to be found in the Bible both warning and reward—a hell to shun and a heaven to win.

Study of the Bible moves us to a consciousness of sin and to a sensitivity for holiness. Such is the gist of the prayer which continues to the end of the psalm. David knows that pride (presumption) can be the most deceiving of all sin, so he prays for cleansing from it. The sister of pride is hypocrisy; hence the petition in the last verse of the psalm that his thoughts might correspond to his words. When Christ rules our minds, and our words speak His mind, we will not have to worry. Paul urges us in 2 Corinthians 10:5b to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.