Psalm 19

Psalm 19 is one of my favorite psalms. The first verse (The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.) is part of the lyrics of Haydn's Creation, that I love to sing. A free music sheet of the song can be obtained from, for example, http://www.free-scores.com/download-sheet-music.php?pdf=7601#.

This psalm consists of three parts. The first part is about natural revelation of God. The heavens and the skies declare and proclaim the majesty and glory of God's handiworks. God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made (Romans 1:20). Looking at the nature that God created, the natural response one has is to sing the beauty of creation and marvel at God who created it. It is not just the majesty of the universe. It is also the details that went into each little flower of the field. It is also the intricate relationships that exist among different components of creation. It is also how He has created me and inspired life into me. My daily living is a proof of God's greatness.

The second part of this psalm is about special revelation of God -- about the word of God. The psalmist has various descriptions of the word of God. He talks about the law of the Lord, the statutes of the Lord, the precepts of the Lord, the commands of the Lord, the fear of the Lord, and the ordinances of the Lord. The word of the Lord revives the soul, makes wise the simple, gives joy to the heart, gives light to the eyes, endures forever, and is sure and altogether righteous. Above all, it tells us who the Lord is and is the foundation of the relationship between the Lord and us. That is why it is so precious, more precious than gold, even pure gold and sweeter than honey.

The third part of this psalm is about how a man, to whom the Lord has revealed Himself through the general and special revelations, responds. David's response is the realization that he is a sinner with errors and faults. He begs for forgiveness and prays that his words and his meditation may be pleasing to the Lord. This is not just David's response. The same type of response was shown by Isaiah, when he saw a vision of the Lord's glory. Isaiah said, "Woe to me. I am ruined. For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." (Isaiah 6:5). So was the reaction of Peter. After letting down the nets as Jesus commanded and catching a large number of fish, Peter confessed, "Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man." (Luke 5:8) So was the reaction of the tax collector in one of Jesus' parables: "God, have mercy on me, a sinner" (Luke 18:13). Most importantly, after realizing that he is a sinner, David goes on to also realize that his redemption comes from the Lord, who is the Redeemer. David can sing that there is a solution to his sin.

With these three parts, Psalm 19 is singing of the Lord's majesty, His revelation, man's shortcomings and sin, and redemption by the Lord.

Lord, I am a sinner. But you have forgiven me and redeemed me. You paid the price of my sin with the blood of Your Holy One, Jesus Christ. Thank you, Lord. Having been redeemed, may my words and my heart be devoted to you and be pleasing to you. In Jesus' name. Amen.