The Revelation of God

Psalm 19 - Riley Boggs

Whenever you get something new, say a new pair of shoes, a new water bottle, a new phone, or even something like a newer car. Whatever it is, whenever you first get it, don’t you find yourself treating it with so much care? You try not to walk in mud or scuff your shoes, and you gently set your water bottle down. You’re gentle, careful, and watchful because you want whatever it is to stay like it is, to feel or seem new. But over time, what happens? The newness begins to wear off. After you’ve had it a while and it shows some wear, you begin to let your guard down. Those shoes that you wouldn’t have walked through the dirt with, now you mow the yard in. The water bottle you used to ever-so-gently sit down, you now drop to the ground, no matter where you are, and you often leave it behind.

I think this same can happen in all of our life. Some things simply do grow old, start to wear, like the pair of shoes, and eventually, once over half of your toes poke through the end, they can be retired. But other things, such as a relationship between a husband and wife, aren’t like this. The goal in marriage is that as time passes, as they walk together towards eternity, though the age begins to show, the love and relationship only grows stronger. The hope and expectation are that a couple loves one another far more at the end of their life than when they said “I do” at the altar. Though the newness wears off, the care and attentiveness only grow.

Now I want you to keep this idea in your mind and consider how it might affect our view of God’s Revelation to us. This text puts before the 2 different revelations of God to man. The word revelation means to reveal or uncover, and so when we speak of God’s revelation, we are talking about how God has revealed Himself to us. And like this text, or rather because of this text and others, theologians make a distinction between 2 different forms of God’s Revelation. On one hand we have General Revelation, which is simply what God has revealed through nature to everyone, generally. Through all things created, God has revealed Himself. Romans 1:20 tell us, “For His invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

But he has not revealed Himself entirely through this. Through creation alone, you cannot know Christ. However, because of the kindness of God, we have the second kind of revelation known as Special Revelation. This is God Revealed through His Word. It is more than general revelation in that we can read of who Christ is and discern far more about the character of God in the words that He has spoken.

Now, think back to the point I made about the newness wearing off. My question to you is, which category does God’s Revelation fall in for you? Like an old pair of shoes, has the newness wore off and you find yourself not really caring like you once did? Or, like a beautiful marriage, has your care grown over time?

We can so easily strip the created world we live in of all it’s splendor. We grow numb to it all. We lose our wonder, our awe, and our amazement. We see something and think, “Oh yeah, that’s just the way things are.” A guy by the name of Philip Comer commented on this very reality. He said, “Have you ever sat down for a moment and considered how thoroughly zany our world is? We live alongside striped, flying needle creatures that vomit up delicious golden syrup when they’re not busy spreading flowers for us” (http://philipcomer.blogspot.com/2019/07/orthodoxy-chapter-4-ethics-of-elf-land.html). By the way, that is a bee. That’s a silly example, but hopefully it helps you see what I mean. We don’t speak like that. Have we grown too numb to God’s general revelation? 

Or what about God’s Special Revelation? Have we forgotten that in your hands, right now, are the very words of the Eternal Creator God? Do we consider it too small of a thing that we get to behold His Words in order than we might know Him more? Has the newness worn off and right alongside our care and attentiveness? That I what I want us to consider this morning as we work through this Psalm. 

As I mentioned, this Psalm tells of God’s Revelation in Creation and in His Word. And so, the way I’ve structured the sermon this morning is we are going to look at what exactly God’s Revelation in each of these tell us about who God is. After all, that is the purpose of revelation, to reveal to us who God is. And I think that is the right way to approach this Psalm. Someone could certainly preach this text simply say God has revealed Himself in Creation and it is good, He has revealed Himself in His Word and it is good, and then this is the right response. I think that is a fine and good way to preach this text, and I almost did. 

But, I think we should do what the very thing we should do the very thing we are talking about. As we work through this text, I think it would be better to state that this Revelation is good and then look to see what it is telling us about God. And hope and prayer is that as we see these truths revealed, any wonder or joy that might have begun to fade might be restored. My hope is that we would be moved to worship and obedience, which I believe is the very purpose of this Psalm for us. And so, with all of that said, let’s ask the first question.

1.) When we look at the world, what can we know about God? (vv.1-6)

In the first 6 verses the Psalmist, David, speaks of God revealed in nature. He says, in verse 1, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” However, this is not a verbal declaration with words. No, he tells us this is a different kind of declaration in verse 3. He says it is a declaration where, “there is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.” It isn’t that the heavens the sky are speaking verbally, but that does not mean they are not speaking. They are certainly speaking.

I was tempted to title the sermon “Living with open eyes and open ears”, but decided not to. The reason I considered it though is because of I think it helps us see how creation is declaring this. Creation is declaring, you simply need to open your eyes and look around. In verse 2 he explains this reality in that during the day we can see one the things around us, and at night we can see above us. Both, day and night, revealing to us something of who God is.

And then in verse 4, we see the scope of all of this. This declaration goes throughout the whole earth, to the end of the world. Every person, everywhere, stand amidst a world that is declaring, speaking, of God. In verses 4-6 David describes the rising and setting of the Sun like a bridegroom leaving his chamber and running across the sky, declaring of who God is. The idea is that every nook and cranny on this Earth can hear, and fall under, the declaration. And so from this, what can we know of God? There are many things, but I simply want to bring out 2 of them. The first is this.

He is the powerful Creator

There is no doubt that from creation itself we can discern that God is the powerful Creator. It is obvious. In fact, David tries to make this point obvious as well by using the same word used in Genesis for “the expanse” in verse 1. Some of your translations might say “the expanse”, others will have a foot note to indicate it, but regardless the goal is to cause you to think back to the creation story in Genesis. He intentionally uses words and phrases to remind you that it is obvious from creation itself that there is an all-powerful Creator. A Creator who simply spoke all things into existence from nothing. 

I remember one time Shelby and I were camping, and we were sleeping in the bed of my truck that had a camper shell on it. We woke up earlier in the morning to a bird singing outside. We opened the window to the camper shell and could see the bird that was singing perched on a tree branch. This bird in particular was a Mockingbird, which if you didn’t know can learn and mimic up to 200 songs and calls. We laid there and listened to it sing song after song after song. It seemed like it never repeated a single one and it kept on singing and singing. I remember thinking, as we laid there, how there is no doubt in that God created this bird. It simply could be happenstance. Creation sings, declares, that God is the powerful Creator. The second thing we can know about God from creation is this.

He is the good Sustainer

Not only is God the powerful Creator, but He is the one who sustains it. God did not create the world, spin the Earth, and then step back. Rather, like the song we sang as kids, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.” He providentially and carefully sustains every single thing in the world, and He does it with goodness. From creation, we can know that this is the case.

I read a funny tweet recently about this. A pastor named Brain Sauve wrote, “There are trees in yards in my neighborhood that turn sunlight, dirt, and water into peaches. And there are ladies in homes in that same neighborhood that turn peaches into pie. Atheism is dumb.” Isn’t that true? There is a goodness in creation that only be attributed to the fact that a good God is sustaining it. He causes the sun to rise and fall, the clouds to rain, the plants to grow, our bodies to harvest, and so and so forth. His sustaining hand is as present as the heat of the sun shining above us.

God’s Revelation in Creation clearly and loudly declares these truths about God. And as wonderful as General Revelation is because of that, it pales in comparison to what His Special Revelation. Why? Because His Special Revelation tells us so much more about who He is, and we learn that He is far better than we could ever know from Creation alone. The Psalmist brings this out in verses 7-11. So let’s look at the second question this morning and ask this…

2.) When we read God’s Word, what can we know about God? (vv.7-11)

In verses 7-11 David uses several different words to describe God’s Special Revelation. Look at them with me. He mentions the law, the testimony, the precepts, the commandment, the fear, and the rules of the Lord. Each of these a different way of referring to the one truth that God has revealed Himself by speaking in words. 

And then David gives all these amazing descriptors of this Word. He says it is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, and righteous. Then, he tells us what it accomplishes. He says, it revives the soul, makes the simple wise, causing rejoicing in the heart, enlightens the eyes, and endures forever. 

Then as we begin to think, “Wow David. This Word of the Lord must really be great”, he takes it even further. He says, in verses 10-11, “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” In other words, the Word of the Lord is more valuable than any other thing, and they are the words we must live by. And in living by them, in heeding the warnings, in continued obedience of them, there is great reward.

Now, that could be the point altogether. That the Word of the Lord is infallible, perfect, pure, and all we need for our life. It is sufficient, authoritative, and it is good. It is reason for rejoicing and gladness. In one sense, that is the point. But in another sense, I want us to see what this tells us about who God is. After all, again, the point of God’s revelation is that God Himself is being revealed. And so, what is true of His Word is true of Him, because it is His Word. 

So, what does the Word of God tell us about God? What can we know about Him? David sat in a different place and time than us, and He did not have as much of the Special Revelation we have. He only had parts of what we call the Old Testament. But now, we have the fullness of God’s spoken Word in our hands. And so, what does it say? Again, there are countless things, but I only want to draw out 1.

He is the sovereign Redeemer

When you pick of the Bible and you begin reading, this truth becomes glaringly obvious. God created the world, and He created man. And as we know, man fell into sin, disobeyed God, and plunged humanity into sin. This sin meant that every single human every born would not be born into sin, guilty before a Holy God, and unable to do anything about it. And yet, immediately after this fall of man takes place, what does God say? He makes a promise in Genesis 3:15. He says to the serpent, that is the devil, who tempted Adam and Eve to sin, hat He will, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” This is a promise of redemption. A promise that He will once and for all crush the enemy and redeem His people. 

And then we see it played out throughout the Bible. We read story after story, and what is the thread? The thread is that God is sovereign over all things, and He is bringing about redemption. This redemption finds it culmination in the person and work of Jesus Christ, God in flesh, who bore the sins of sinful men so that we might be once and for all redeemed. The most glorious redemption of all.

That is what God has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. That is who He is. The pages of Scripture scream to us that God is the Sovereign Redeemer. No one cannot deny it. He is bringing about redemption and there is no one that can stop it. It is as sure and anything can be sure, because His Word is perfect. 

Do you know what that means for your life? If God’s Word is true, and it is. And from His Word we can know that God is the sovereign redeemer, and we can. Do you know what that means for you? It means when God spoke through the apostle Paul in Romans 8:28 and said, “28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” It means that is true of you. It means that nothing is purposeless, nothing is wasted, and nothing will be left unredeemed. Every pain, every hurt, every frustration, every grief, every sorrow, all of it. None of it wasted. And we know this because we know this because His Word is true, and we know who God is from it. He sovereign over your life and He has, is, and will bring about restoration. That is who He is. The last question I want to us to ask this morning can be seen in these final 3 verses.

3.) How should we respond to God’s Revelation? (vv.12-14)

We have done what I believe this Psalm is calling us to do. We have recognized Creation as declaring the glory of God and we looked at 2 examples of what that tells us about Him specifically, that He is the powerful creator and good sustainer. Then, we recognized His Word as the perfect law of the Lord, more valuable than anything else, and we looked at what it tells us, that God is the sovereign redeemer. And so, with all of that before us, how should we respond? Well, let’s first look at David’s response

David’s response

Look with me starting in verse 12. He says, “Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not 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 in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

When David considers all that God has revealed of Himself, he is met face to face with the reality that he is sinful. Sinful in ways that he does not even know, and so he asks the Lord to reveal to him the sins that he does not even know he has committed. And he also knows that only God can cause him to be innocent and blameless, and so asks God to make this true of him. He asks his rock and his redeemer, the Lord, to make the words of his mouth and meditation of his heart acceptable. David response in humility, submission, a desire for holiness, and dependence on the grace and mercy of God.

This is the right response for David and in many ways our response ought to mirror this. We should ask God to reveal our sins to us, even the sins we don’t know we commit, so that we might flee from them. We do ask that God guard our ways and keep our steps, so that we might grow in holiness. And we also certainly ask God to make our words and thoughts acceptable. All of this is the same. But there is one thing that should mark our response that could not mark David’s response in the same way. What is that? The answer is Jesus Christ.

Our Response

Our response to God’s Revelation is to exalt Christ above all things, to worship Him, to walk with Him. Our response must be to repent of our sins and place our faith Him. Our response is to trust Him as our intercessor and mediator to God. Our response is to submit to Him as the King who came from the line of David Himself.

Church, all of God’s Revelation points us to Him. For from Christ and through Christ and to Christ are all things. Let our response to be like David’s in that we ask that the Lord reveal our sin to us, but further in that we trust Christ has truly atoned for it once we have repented. And when we pray for God to cause us to be blameless, we pray with confidence that we have already been made righteous because of the work of Christ, and that one day the work that was begun in us, will surely be finished. Christ is the rock, and He is the redeemer, and He is the one who makes our words and our thoughts acceptable to the Father.

When we look at Creation, we ought to both be amazed at God’s handiwork and reminded that because of Christ came to Earth, we will dwell on an Earth far greater than this one. When you read His Word, we ought to see the great redemption story finding it’s culmination in the person and work of Christ, and be moved to praise of our glorious Savior. Isn’t that the reason we have gathered this morning? To praise the Lord. We have done this by praying, singing, and preaching, and now we will do it by coming to the table.