The Source of Renewal and Wisdom: Psalm 19: 7-14
Most of us believe the Bible is the most important book in
our homes. I have read from it frequently for the last 43 years, since Shara
and I met the Lord. It still challenges, comforts, motivates, and inspires me.
Our scripture was written by more than 40 authors over a
period of 1,600 years. Most of those authors didn’t know each other. Some were
educated, and others were not, but all of their messages are inspired by the
Holy Spirit…and their messages still have the power to change people’s lives.
In my case, committing to our Savior and Lord in my 30s brought
about a radical change…As I began to study and pray…He changed me from a
greedy, godless corporate manager and weekend partier…to a Christian who
developed a heart for preaching, teaching, and personal evangelism.
This morning, I want to focus on God’s revelation to us.
God speaks the decisive word
that puts us on the way, the road. The path of life.
The Hebrew
word for Bible or scripture is derived from the Hebrew verb meaning “to proclaim”
or “to call.” (Note: The Hebrew word for “Bible” is מקרא (miqra),
which derives from the root קרא (qara) meaning literally to “proclaim” or “to
call.”) Indeed, God’s word is a call on each of our lives…a voice to heed…not merely something to be read and looked casually. It is a word
to be listened to and obeyed. Fundamentally, God’s word is a call…It is God
calling us, His children.
John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s
Progress, testified, “Read the Bible, and read it again, and do not despair
of help to understand something of the will and mind of God, though you think
they are fast locked up from you. Neither trouble yourself, though you may not
have commentaries and expositions; pray and read, and read and pray; for a
little from God is better than a great deal from man.”
We find in Psalm 19 the two ways God reveals Himself to us.
One is called “general revelation.” David, the author of Psalm 19, refers to
the details of creation as evidence of God’s power and design in the first six
verses of Psalm 19. To know something about God from observing His creation is
The second half of the psalm, which we will briefly examine
this morning, celebrates God’s revelation in His word… hailed for its
perfection and benefit to us. That portion of the psalm, vv. 7-14, deal with
what is called “special revelation”: how God reveals Himself to us through the
pages of His word.
Vv. 7-14 are where I want to focus this morning. I
encourage you to follow along in Psalm 19 if you have your Bible with you today…or
you will find Psalm 19 on page 439 in the pew Bibles.
The Exposition
Our Lord, through the words written by David in vv. 7-14,
shows us five ways we benefit from knowing God’s word.
First, David tells us in v. 7 that the word of God is a
source of:
1. SPIRITUAL RENEWAL (v. 7)
He writes in v. 7: “7 The law of the Lord is
perfect, refreshing the soul…”
“The law of the Lord…” is a broad term that David
and other writers used to refer to the written revelation God has given us. He writes
“The law of the Lord is perfect…,” meaning it is complete, with
nothing left out. There is no part of our lives, no problem that we will ever
face, no question with which we will ever be troubled…that the Word of God does
not speak to and give us guidance…it is perfect, as David says, “…refreshing
the soul.”
David uses here
the uniquely intimate and personal Hebrew name, “Yahweh,” translated “Lord”
in English, which means or “the one bringing into being, self-revealed,
life-giver,” or merely “creator.”
It is derived from the Hebrew verb meaning “to come to pass, become,” or
“to be,” which is the term God used to refer to Himself translated “…I
am…” when He spoke to Moses at the burning bush…when:
14 God said to
Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am
has sent me to you…This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from
generation to generation’” (Exodus 3:14-15).
Yahweh came to be used
by the Israelites as the sacred personal name of God. It is a long and
interesting story, but eventually Yahweh appeared as Jehovah in
English due to its rendering in the Latin Vulgate.
David uses the
name Yahweh in our passage this morning in order to emphasize the origin
and authority of the revelation.
He uses another familiar word in v. 7
also: “Torah”—translated into English as “law,” which refers to
God’s written Word. He calls the Torah “…perfect…,” which means
“complete” or “sufficient” in the Hebrew mind.
David, under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, tells us here that God’s written word is “…perfect, refreshing the soul…” and “…trustworthy, making wise the simple.” That is, the word of God is sufficient
to meet all our needs…and able to transform us.
But while the word
of God is perfect, we are not. We cannot measure up to it.
The law, as David
and his ancient Israel compatriots knew it, taught them about their sin nature.
The word of God, as it exists for us today, shows us a lot more. It shows us
God’s will and His grace and offer of forgiveness for believers.
There’s a story in the Old Testament where we see an
example of God’s word bringing about a great change in God’s people.
It is found in Nehemiah chapter 8, where Nehemiah describes
the wall surrounding the city of Jerusalem having fallen into disrepair. That
made the city vulnerable to enemy attack. Having returned from Babylonian
captivity, Nehemiah organized the people of the city into work parties, and
together they rebuilt the wall in record time.
As they completed their work, the people gathered together
to hear the priest Ezra read from the law, the Torah. We find the
account in Nehemiah chapter 8:
“Ezra
the priest brought the Law before the assembly…He read it aloud from
daybreak till noon…And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the
Law…Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and
all the people lifted their hands and responded, ‘Amen! Amen!’ Then they bowed
down and worshiped the Lord with their faces
to the ground” (Nehemiah 8:3-6).
The Israelites heard the word of God and turned their
hearts toward Him.
This is what can happen when the Bible is read…it is the
source of spiritual renewal and immensely beneficial in our lives.
David also gives us, in the latter part of v. 7, a second
way we benefit from knowing God’s word. Not only is the word a source of
spiritual renewal for us, it also is a source of:
2. PRACTICAL
WISDOM (v. 7)
“The
statutes of the Lord are
trustworthy,” David writes in v. 7, “making wise the simple.”
The Hebrew
rendering here in is that the “statutes” or “testimonies” of the
Lord are “trustworthy, sure,” and “reliable.”
That reminds me of
Isaiah’s description of God as “…the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful,
whose wisdom is magnificent” (Isaiah 28:29). And Solomon reminds us in
Proverbs: “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding…”
(3:13) and “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather
than silver!” (16:16).
God’s Word is
filled with examples of people who did right and people who did wrong. Those
examples are there for us to learn what God is like and what He desires from us
(1 Corinthians 10:11).
Micah 6:8 is a
familiar reference where the Lord summarizes His desire for every person:
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is
good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love
mercy
and to walk humbly with your
God.”
Malachi 3:18 makes
it even clearer:
“…you will…see
the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve
God and those who do not.”
The righteous, in
other words, simply serve God.
If we make it our goal
to seek God and honor Him in everything we do—as Paul reminds us in 1
Corinthians 10: “…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God…”—if
we do that, we will understand right and wrong and make life choices are
pleasing to Him.
All of us know sometimes
in life the choice between right and wrong may not be clear…and there are times
when the choice between good, better, and best is not clear, either. It is in
those times when we need wisdom from being knowledgeable about God’s will…and
we find the expression of His will in His word.
So far, David has told us the word is a source of spiritual
renewal and practical wisdom. In v. 8, he adds that the word of God is a source
of:
3. CONFIDENT LIVING (v. 8)
David writes in v. 8: “The precepts of the LORD are
right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving
light to the eyes.”
The good news for us is that we don’t have to wonder where
we stand with God. We can be sure. The word of God is “…right…” in the
sense of straightforward and just. It encourages us to be upright and to
experience the joy of knowing our Savior and the future He has for us.
John puts it this way in 1 John chapter 5: “13
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that
you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence
we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he
hears us” (5:13-14).
Paul tells us of the Lord’s promise of eternal life to all
who will trust Him in the opening verses of his letter to Titus: “…Paul, a
servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s
elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—2 in
the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the
beginning of time…” (1:1-2).
John also reminds us of the Bible’s promise of forgiveness,
another aspect of our living confidently as God’s children: “If we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us
from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
I suppose I could go on and on about it, because the Bible
goes on and on about it. The bottom line is that we can be confident about our
relationship with God and confident about the future. We can face tomorrow with
confidence.
Our Bible is our Lord’s complete message for human beings…inspired,
inerrant, and infallible. It is our guide…not for just for a few favorite
verses, but the whole thing, teaching us about God the Father, God the Holy
Spirit, and God the Son…and in doing so, it transforms us…what we believe, why
we believe, and how we live.
David adds in v. 9 of the Psalm: “The fear of the Lord
is pure, enduring forever.”
In the Old Testament, “…the fear of the Lord…”
rarely refers to actual fright or terror, but refers to holding God in proper
reverence and awe. “The fear of the Lord…” is the beginning of wisdom
and knowledge, according to Proverbs 1:7 and a “a fountain
of life, turning
a person from the snares of death” according to
Proverbs 14:27.
David here is talking about an absolute, reverential respect
for God, which is something that adds immeasurably to our confidence in living
in our Lord’s very presence, every hour of every day.
Then in v. 10, David tells us that the Lord’s decrees are “more
precious than gold…” and “…sweeter than honey…,” showing that we can
be completely fulfilled by thinking, saying, and doing what God wants of us. The two metaphors of gold and honey express the value and delight
Christians experience in God’s Word and the fact that it guides in this life
and beyond.
But David adds another aspect of the word to his lessons of
spiritual renewal, practical wisdom, and confident living. In v. 11, he tells
us that knowing God’s word is a source of:
4. DAILY GUIDANCE (v. 11)
He writes about God’s statutes: “By them your servant is
warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (v. 11).
Those who heed the Word become like the
Word—complete and mature in the faith. David wants us to know
that it can keep us on the straight and narrow path in life…and it forewarns us
of dangers that may arise from our disobedience and guides us to godliness.
The word “…servant…” here in v. 11 is perhaps better
rendered “…bondservant…” The bondservant in ancient Israel was willingly
bound to doing the will of the one to whom he or she owed service. David’s use
of the term bears out his own willingness to do God’s will and not his own
will, no matter what, and he tells us that keeping God’s commands and
ordinances is in itself a reward.
David closes Psalm 19 in vv. 12-14 with a:
5. HEARTFELT PRAYER
Admitting he has some hidden faults that can interfere with
doing God’s will, he writes in vv. 12:
12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
We are all like David. We have some of those hidden faults
from which we need to be delivered. “Hidden faults…” are sins that we
may have committed in ignorance or without knowledge.
David realized that we all have these blind spots. We may
not recognize some sins in our own lives, but they are not hidden from God.
Asking God to cleanse us of hidden faults implies more than
just asking Him to forgive them. We need God first to reveal them to us so we
can commit to change and seek His help to overcome these sins. Because David so
valued a close relationship with God, he asks the Lord in v. 12 to declare him
innocent of hidden faults.
In his second epistle, the apostle Peter gives us great
advice applicable to any sin or fault, known or hidden:
“…rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit,
hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn
babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in
your salvation, 3…you…are
being built into a spiritual house to be a holy
priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ” (2 Peter 1:2-3, 5).
In v. 13 of the psalm, David continues his prayer, asking
for cleansing from what he calls “…willful sins…”:
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may
they not rule over me. Then I will
be blameless, innocent
of great transgression.
Willful sins are deliberate. A better translation of
David’s term, “…willful sins…,” would be “arrogant sins, presumptuous
sins” or “insolent sins…” sins we commit knowing we are in the wrong
and which hinder our desire for a close relationship with our Savior and Lord.
David’s prayer to be cleansed of sin, both hidden and
willful, is a prayer for all of us.
Then he concludes his prayer with these often-quoted words
which are so wonderfully, marvelously penetrating from v. 14, the closing verse
of the psalm:
14 May these words of my
mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your
sight, Lord, my
Rock and my Redeemer.
David desperately wanted the Lord to accept his words and
the thoughts of his heart. In this Psalm, David addresses the Lord as his rock
and his redeemer. He recognized that the Lord was the provider of his security
and his salvation.
By shedding His blood on the cross, Jesus is our Redeemer
(1 Peter 1:18–19), and as our living Lord He keeps us safe (1 Peter 1:3–5).
Conclusion
In conclusion, we
find in Psalm 19 that David shows us God in His creation and then shows us His
righteousness and the expectations He has for us. He shows us our need for
forgiveness and our Lord’s readiness to grant it.
We know that
forgiveness comes to us today through the gospel…the good news message of Jesus
Christ…His sacrifice and His offer of a new life to all who believe.
God speaks to us in Psalm 19 of His creation and His law.
We must be still…open our hearts…breathe in deep…listen…and then we will hear
His wisdom…know He is love…sense Him reaching out to draw us close and embrace
us, all the while transforming us into his own image.
And above all, as Christians we are called on to share the
love of God and the offer of forgiveness and eternal life with every person we
can.
Let us pray:
Prayer
Lord, forgive us
for our hidden faults and willful sins. You have promised that our sins will be
removed as far as the east is from the west. Having failed You many times, we
come to You in repentance and faith, trusting that all our sins have been
washed away by Jesus’ blood. Help us to guard our hearts, and in your strength
and grace, keep us vigilant to avoid sin. Help us to have a clear conscience,
washed clean in the blood of Jesus; and above all, help each of us to share
your love with the people that cross our paths. Amen.
Blessing
“Now to him who is
able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the
presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through
Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all
time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24–25).
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