Psalm XIX
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his
handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end
of the world.
In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber. And rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the
ends of it:
And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, 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 for ever:
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 honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there
is great reward.
12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; — let them not have
dominion over me: Then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart.
Be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
Standing on the platform of earth, but looking away from what in it is merely man’s work, the eye of him that speaks in this Psalm has rested first on the glorious heavens, and then on the law that reveals Him who dwelleth in the heavens. Law is here equivalent to Revelation; it is nyln; that is, what he teaches.
There will be a time when, under the seven-fold light of the New Heavens that will stretch their canopy over a New Earth, it may be said yet more emphatically than now, that “without voice, or articulate sound,”
G6 PSALM XIX. — THE TWOFOLD WITNESS
“The heavens are teUinrf thefflory of God.”
“Daij unto day pours out a gushing stream of speech,’’ dc-And then, too, shall we be better able to read that glorious law, that tells of Jehovah, — for we shall see better then than we do now how” perfect’^ it is, how “sure,’” never failing in threatening or promise, how “right” how really “eternal;” better than “gold;” and what a future as well as present “reward” there is in keeping it! But why should we not even now reach far into the understanding of all this? His ‘“Law,” i. e. his revelation of his will (n“lin, teaching), is “perfect,” or entire, wanting nothing; and so it can furnish the soul that needs to be “restored” with what suits its case. His “testimony,” i.e. his witness, (with a tacit reference to the Tabernacle of Witness), or declaration of what is really good and evil, sweet and bitter, is “sure,” worthy to be trusted as true, not being like the speculations and systems of philosophy; and so it is the very thing for the man who is easily misled, and who hitherto has had no decided principles, “the simple.” His “statutes” (DmpS) are always according to rectitude. These His special charges in special circumstances (such as that at Sinai, not to touch the mountain), are “right,” being wisely accordant with circumstances; and so, instead of being grievous, they become the occasion of gladness. His commandment (HIliD), every single precept of the whole Moral Law (Rom. vii. 12), is “pure,” clear, fair, (n“12 Song vi. 9, 10), and so is a heart-cheering object, and would impart to the man who kept it (who dipt his rod in this honey, 1 Sam. xiv. 27), cheerfulness and vigour of mind, arising from clearness of conscience and freedom from gnawing corruption. {“Enlighten the eyes,” means invigorate; see Ezra ix. 8, &c.) His “fear” is the solemn impression made by God’s perfections on the soul, as on Jacob at Bethel. Instruction in regard to this is in its nature “clean” (niiniO Levit. xiii. 1 7), there is in it no defilement condemned by the law to be cast out, no pollution, and therefore nothing that requires removal, “standing fast for ever.” In a word, His “judgments,” i. e. His decisions as to our duty, and his modes of dealing or providential actings, following out his decisions, are all according
TO THE JEHOVAH’S GLORY.” 67
to “truth,” not capricious: firm principle guides them, “they are thoroughly righteous.”
There was once one in our world who used this Psalm, and was guided by it to gaze on the glory of God, in the heavens and in the law. Our Lord and Saviour loved his Father’s works and word. Often did He sit on the high mountains of the land of Israel, or look abroad over its broad plains, and then turn upward to the blue canopy over all, to adore his Father. Often did He unrol “the volume of the Book,’^ or sit listening to its words read in the synagogue. He saw evil on every side; his own holy soul was the only ark which this deluge had not overtaken; and, with this in full view. He might often pray,” keep rae clear from secret faults” (v. 12), as well as ‘’from presumptuous sin,” in a world where none are free from sin, and few care to know that they do sin; and thus shall I be found,
“Upright and innocent from transgression that abounds*
We can easily imagine our Master thus using these two witnesses to his Father’s glory. Let us trace His steps; let us turn our eye from vanity to the contemplation of the glory of God.
The two tuitnesses resemble and help each other. Hengstenberg remarks that the law is from the same source as the sun and firmament, and has, accordingly, many features of resemblance. In all probability, the special description of the sun going forth as a bridegroom and warrior (ver. 5), with all the images of cheerfulness and joy it is fitted to suggest, was designed to hint to us a counterpart in the firmament of the spiritual heavens, which are reflected in the law. Christ is the Sun, the Bridegroom, the Warrior, whose words (” line”t ver. 4), and going forth shall yet be from one end of the world to
* The words y ^^3 may be taken in the same sense of we find 2r ilpD) Deut. iii. 19, or Proverbs xxviii. 20, /lil 2.1. “abounding in blessings.” Is not this the sense of Psa. xxv. 11, ^?)n 21?
f “Line;” compass of their territory; (Isaiah xxiv. 17), (Hengstenberg). Paul seems to do no more than refer by way of aUnsion to this verse in Komans x. 18.
The content?.
the other, and nothing be hid from His heat. Then shall Romans x. 18 be more thoroughly accomplished. But even if the two witnesses did not resemble each other, they do at least help each other, and point to the same object; and happy is the man who is led thereby to the glory of God. For verily there is a “great reward” (ver. ] 1 ), both in the act of keeping His Revelation, and as the Lord’s mark of approval /or owr having kept it; a present and a future “recompence ofreiuard,” such as Heb. x. 35 holds up before our view. Happy they who are found “upright and innocent” (ver. 13), because “found in Christ/” found “without spot and blameless” (2 Pet. iii. 14), even in those last days when iniquity abounds. O, Jehovah, accept this meditation, fulfil these prayers! Thou art —
“My rock,” never shifting from Thy promise;
“3i?/ Deliverer” from every evil work (ver. 14).
Thus sings this worshipper, perhaps at early dawn. But now the sun is up — gone forth on his fiery race; the altar’s smoke is ascending — busy men are abroad, each pursuing his own calling, and he must join them. We seem to see him rise up from his place of calm contemplation, and return to his active duties for a season, quickened by what these two witnesses for God have presented to his soul, leaving us to ponder and apply,
The Righteous One’s meditations on the twofold witness to Jehovah’s glory.