The following commentary (based upon this writer’s understanding) will have inserted reddish brown worded comments in the actual text of Psalm 19 and the blue in the text is a definition of a word or a Scripture reference. It should be noted that those of the “Reformed” faith – are notably among the most conservative of all Christians, and they sing psalms. Therefore, the Psalms must have some relevance to today’s Christianity!

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament^[a] shows ^[b]His handiwork.
² Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
³ There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
⁴ Their ^[c]line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.

“Heavens” would include the sun, moon, and stars. Although they do not literally (audibly) speak, they do so figuratively, and as such guide man’s movements upon the sea and land both. Their awesome nature and infathomabilty also speak to the heart of man and overwhelms him with their awe as regards their incomprehensible qualities and massiveness and cause him to meditate upon GOD.

In them He has set a ^[d]tabernacle for the sun,
⁵ Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
⁶ Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

The sun is twice referred to in terms of righteousness. The sun, by virtue of its powerful light exposes the truth about evil which operates in the darkness. In comparing the sun to a bridegroom, one must expect that a bridgroom will be filled with awe and anticipation when coming out of his chanber which is dark by comparison to the light of day. The attribution of human characteristics to the sun rejoicing is purely figurative speech, but also reflects a sense of anticipation. Speaking of its “circuit” is a confirmation that in ancient Biblical times, people knew the earth was round, and the flat earth people are just plain stupid and unbelievers inferring that a flat earth was what ancient believers thought is incorrect. Also there is a confirmation that “nothing is hidden from its heat”. There’s an old saying that politicians don’t see the light until they feel the heat. This aspect of the Psalm would apply to all human beings, although the wicked do their best to avoid the heat and the light. Heat (boiling water for instance) purifies that which is corrupted with infection and disease and is a tool for cleanliness (sanitize)!

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, ^[e]converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
⁸ The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the ^[f]honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.

Now, we get into some meaty stuff. St. Paul said; “I would not have known sin were it not for the law.” If the law “converts the soul”, and converting the soul is being born again, and preaching the Gospel is required for people to become born again, then one must conclude that salvation cannot fully take place without an abhorrence for and a turning away from “sin” which is revealed by the law. Jesus, Peter and Paul all said you must repent (turn from sin – change your ways) and believe on Jesus as the Son of GOD!. In other words, knowing, and preaching the law is a critical factor in bringing people to repentance along with preaching salvation by GOD’s grace through the completed work on the cross by Christ and His shed blood for the remission or our sins which are a violation of the law. You just cannot get away from the law. Salvationn is a work of GOD, and man has nothing, I SAY NOTHING, to do with it. On the other hand, once saved, man, by GOD’s grace can apply that salvation to doing good works – knowing and obeying the law and GOD’s precepts. The “testimony” gives the “simple” wisdom. GOD’s word it the ultimate “testimony“! GOD’s statutes (laws) cause rejoicing because we not only see our sin, but we see how to avoid the sin in the future once we know His laws (St. Paul reiterated). The commandment is “pure” and “enlightens the eyes” (to see clearly, and to understand!) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge, and is clean because there is no sin in that. Enduring forever means eternal life for those who fear. GOD’s judgments are true and righteous is just a further confirmation. All of that is compared to gold and the honeycomb, and gold and honey are then found wanting. Lastly, “keeping GOD’s laws, precepts, commands etc. knowing they are a WARNING assures us a “great reward”. What is that reward? Obviously, it’s not gold or a honeycomb. It’s Heaven – it’s a spiritual and eternal reward. It’s something we won’t get apart from GOD’s grace and a heart changed to love Him and “Keep His Commandments”! Note here that this writer is not saying, in any way shape or form, that keeping GOD’s commandments will be an entre to Heaven – it won’t. Only GOD’s grace is – nonetheless, that does not eradicate the law or the need to keep it AND PREACH IT! Jesus said He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it in all ways!

¹² Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
¹³ Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of ^[g]great transgression.

We are told that we cannot understand GOD’s errors? Elsewhere we are told GOD is perfect. In other words, He has no errors. David pleads to be cleansed from secret faults. Nothing is kept secret from GOD, so David is either talking about faults he doesn’t see in himself, or through deception of self or others, he tries to keep his sins secret as he tried with Bathsheba and Uriah. He goes further in asking GOD to keep him from “presumptuous” sins. In other words, doing that which he knows is wrong. That’s something St. Paul struggled with in Romans 7. If GOD answers those prayers, David says he will be “blameless”. Of course, he is asking GOD to make him perfect (as GOD is perfect), but he also knows that he is and always will be a sinner until the day of his death at which point he will be fully sanctified (made perfect). His desire is righteousness, and GOD said that; “David is a man after HIS own heart.”

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my ^[h]strength and my Redeemer.

A plea to be pleasing to GOD and an acknowledgment that David is weak and condemned without GOD.

Proverbs 4: 14 & 15 do something extraordinary.

Here, Solomon is counseling (hsi son presumably) and he uses a cautionary instruction 6 times in rapid succession. “Do not enter, walk, avoid, not travel, turn away from, pass on”. His admonition is in reference to the way of evil and wicked people. What do evil and wicked people do? They wilfully (presumptuously) violate GOD’s laws! Ergo, in conclusion, this writer believes that the church, by preaching salvation without spending much, if any, time expositing the laws of GOD and how they are applied. Is failing its congregation, and failing the GOD Whom they proclaim to be serving. Salvation preaching without preaching application is insufficient preaching. James 1:22 tells us to be doers and not just hearers of the word. Therefore, we need to know what to do SPECIFICALLY – not through vagueness and omission often guessing or not even knowing what questions to ask! As Francis Schaeffer once queried, “How Should We Then Live?“

The above painting, Justice Lifts The Nations, is hanging in the old courthouse of Lausanne Switzerland and is pirctured in Schaeffer’s book How Should We Then Live. Lady justice is pointing to an open Bible while the judges of the supreme court stand by looking on for guidance, and the people below are wrangling with each other and pleading for justice. The bottom line is the Bible is the solution!

Pensiamento Peligroso