A Meditation on Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. ~ Psalm 19:1

Starry Night on the Rhone –  Vincent Van Gogh, 1888.
Musée d’Orsay. Public domain.

The Psalm for this Sunday speaks of God’s revelation. It begins by celebrating the glory of God as revealed in his creation. Though God’s voice is “silent” in his creation (verse 3), his character is still evident just as one can discern much about an artist by looking at his work. The psalm focuses a great deal on the sun. From the sun we see God’s orderliness in the way it rises and sets every day. The warm sun rising every morning gives us hope and points to God’s ability to bring light and life. It is a revelation of resurrection and a celebration of Christ’s victory over sin, death, and darkness.

But the psalm also moves on to God’s gracious revelation in his Word. The Word is not directly mentioned but instead one finds many synonyms: law, testimony, statutes, commandments, and judgments.  All of these words reveal the will of God for how we are to live and are found in the gracious specific revelation of his Word, the Bible. I like Eugene Peterson’s translation of Psalm 19 in The Message. “The revelation of God is whole and pulls our life together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree. God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between two emeralds. You’ll like it better than strawberries in the spring, better than red, ripe strawberries.” — Psalm 19:7-10 The Message

The whole point of the Psalm is that it is wise to build one’s house and life upon the sure foundation of God’s revelation in creation and especially in his Word. Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount with these words, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” —Matthew 7:24-25 Notice the Jewish concept that “hearing” only takes place if it is accompanied by “doing.” Let’s be honest. Jesus is asking us to build our lives on the principles of the Kingdom of God that he has revealed and that are found in the Scriptures.

This is not easy. He tells us, “Do not be anxious about your life. First, take the log out of your own eye, then you can take the speck out of your brother’s. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. You must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. And everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.”  The bar is set pretty high. The good news is that Jesus sailed over that bar and graciously bestows upon those who believe the benefit of his holiness.

But the question still remains, where am I going to build my house? Will I build it upon the truth of Scripture? Will I build it upon God’s revelation? Do I myself see the revelation of God as sweeter than strawberries in the spring and more valuable than gold?

There is a movement in our culture that does not see the Scriptures as something sweet. Rather, they see the will of God in the Scriptures as oppressive. It is a rotten tomato, not a fresh strawberry. It is “old stories written by men” and therefore irrelevant to today’s culture. The authority and truth of God’s revealed will, inspired by the Holy Spirit, has been replaced by the authority of the individual, especially individuals who can claim victim status. We are swiftly moving to the system that Israel lived under during the period of the Judges, “There was no king in Israel and every man did what was right in his own eyes.” —Judges 17:6 This is not a firm foundation upon which to build a house. First of all, it ultimately leads to anarchy. Secondly, all truth becomes relative and can change upon anyone’s individual whim. Truth becomes a mental construct and is no longer objective. Reality exists only in the mind of the individual and therefore is totally ethereal and changeable. When truth becomes a figment of the individual imagination, it is only a short time before the law of the land becomes survival of the fittest or might makes right. The problem with placing authority in the individual is that it takes no account of sin. Because of sin, each individual will not, “love their neighbor as themselves” but will rather seek their own benefit at the expense of others. Sin does not live in groups or systems and exempt other groups from its effects. Yes, some groups and systems can act sinfully, but that is because of the sinful individuals in them. A philosophy that believes sin only resides in some groups and exempts others is built upon sand. Scripture is clear, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us…” —1 John 1:8

I know my heart, and I know it is sinful. I know I have my work cut out for me removing the log from my own eye. I know I do not love my neighbor as myself, but I do know I need to try to because I find it in the Scriptures and I find those words sweet as strawberries. I also know the rest of 1 John 1:8-9, “… but if I confess my sins, Jesus is faithful and just and will forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.” I want to build my house on that truth. I want to stand on the truth of the Sermon on the Mount. I want to build my house on the rock.

†Bishop Mark