Hotlinks to HeavenComing face-to-face with God
God instructs and guides us in the Bible
God convicts us of sin and then forgives us
Introduction
John MacArthur says this:
“I had a pastor who is a pastor of a pretty far-out kind of charismatic church. We were having lunch one day and he said, ‘I want to tell you something, I don't know how you'll deal with this,’ he said, ‘but sometimes when I'm shaving in the morning Jesus comes in the bathroom, puts His arm around me and talks to me.’ I said, ‘You mean Jesus, the real Jesus appears in a way you can see Him actual...’ ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Do you believe that?’ I said, ‘No, I don't believe that. But what distresses me is I believe you believe that. I just have one question, do you keep shaving because if you keep shaving, my friend, it wasn't Jesus.’"
What happens when a person comes face-to-face with God? Does he casually “keep shaving” and say something like, “So, what’s going, on Big Guy? Hey, high five!”
Is that what happens when we come face-to-face with God? Or is what happens in Luke 5:8 more accurate? When Peter recognizes who Jesus is he says, “"Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"
So which is it? Which is the appropriate response? Which is the biblical response?
We’ll find out in this article by examining Psalm 19.
This is a Psalm written by King David, one which I’ve always found as interesting. It’s well known for what it says about two important topics: God as creator and the Bible. In the first six verses, the Psalm talks about the majesty and wonder of all that the Lord has created. In verses 7-11 the Psalm praises God for how valuable Scripture is, and why. Then, in verses 12-14, we see what happens when someone truly comes face-to-face with God.
Another fascinating way to look at this Psalm is like this: How does one come to a saving knowledge of God? First comes general revelation, that’s creation. Next comes special revelation, that’s God’s Word. Last of all comes a personal knowledge of how much each of us needs a savior from our sins.
God reveals Himself in nature
You’ll see what I mean as we get into the text. Let’s begin by reading verses 1-4a.
Ps 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Ps 19:2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
Ps 19:3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Ps 19:4a Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
I’ve personally used these verses many times when trying to convince people that God exists. And how do we know God exists? One great way is to just look around at nature, at what God’s created!
Verse one’s especially clear. What do we see when we look up at the sky? “The glory of God.” In fact, the Psalmist says that “the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Just as the Sistine Chapel displays the handiwork of Michelangelo, the skies display the handiwork of an all-powerful supernatural being.
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
So not only do the skies—and all creation, for that matter—prove that there’s a God, verses 2-4a tell us that nature communicates that message to all people.
Ps 19:2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
Ps 19:3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Ps 19:4a Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
In other words, every single human being who’s ever lived, is living or will live knows that there’s a God! And how? By looking up at the sky. By simply looking around at all of the things that He made.
Warren Wiersbe says this: “Nature preaches a thousand sermons a day to the human heart.”
Whenever I’d go to a baseball Cardinals game back in St. Louis you couldn’t get away from the crowd noise, PA system and even the radio play-by-play. Even in the men’s room you could tell what was going on on the field. You couldn’t get away from the game if you tried!
In the same way, every single human being knows that there’s a God. Just look at the sky, for heaven’s sake! Just look around at nature!
The ramifications of this fact are huge. Why? Because no one can plead ignorance on Judgment Day. Let’s look at Romans 1:18-20.
Rom 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
Rom 1:19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
Rom 1:20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
“What may be known about God is plain to them. Because God has made it plain to them.” “Being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
So “the skies proclaim the glory of God.” In verses 4b-6, the Psalmist provides more details about the “skies” and uses the sun as the prime example of God’s glory and the fact that everyone sees it.
Ps 19:4b In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
Ps 19:5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
Ps 19:6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
In verses four and five David compares the sun to a bridegroom emerging from his pavilion on the day of his wedding. In our culture, we tend to emphasize the bride more, but in the Hebrew culture the bridegroom—the man—was often the center of attention.
In verse six the sun’s compared to a runner getting ready to run his race. During the Summer Olympics the 100-yard dash is often one of the most exciting and most-watched events. Typically, there’s a favorite and all eyes are on him or her as they line up in their blocks.
The best analogy I can think of is when Larry Bird was still playing, and the game was winding down and his team desperately needed to score. Who do you think’s going to get the ball? Everybody in the building knew that Bird’s going to get it. You’d be nuts not to focus on Bird. Everybody’s looking at Bird, knowing that he’s going to get the ball and shoot the prettiest 3-pointer you ever saw.
All eyes are on him, and that’s the idea here as well. Verse six says that the sun, “rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.”
Not only does everyone see the sun as it appears to make its way across the sky each day, from east to west, but the whole earth benefits “from its heat.” Without the sun, of course, the earth would be a planet of ice and death.
These verses contribute to this idea that everyone who’s ever lived knows that there’s a God. How? Just look at the sky! Just look at the sun and what it does for us! Only those who are consciously hard-hearted choose to ignore the obvious.
God instructs and guides us in the Bible
In verses 7-11, however, we move from what theologians call general revelation—that is, nature—to what is called special revelation: the Bible. Verses 7-11.
Ps 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
Ps 19:8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
Ps 19:9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
Ps 19:10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
Ps 19:11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
In Hebrews 1:1 it says this.
Heb 1:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
Heb 1:2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
This is what’s called special revelation. That is, according to the writer of Hebrews, God spoke to the Jewish people during Old Testament times “through the prophets at many times and in various ways.” Prophets not only communicated verbally, they ALSO wrote things down. For instance in Deuteronomy 34:10 Moses is called a prophet. And did Moses write anything? Yes! How about the first five books of the Old Testament?!
So there’s what’s called general revelation, nature, all that God’s made, then there’s special revelation, that’s Scripture, God’s Word. In the case of the Jews during New Testament times, God spoke to them in both ways. That’s true for anyone who’s read parts of the Bible or heard it read.
Notice, by the way, the flow of this Psalm. First one acknowledges that there’s a creator, that there’s a God. Then a person acknowledges that God’s revealed Himself in the Bible.
So is the Bible valuable? You bet it is!
In all, we see six different names for Scripture or the Bible.
Verse 7: “law of the Lord” and the “statues of the Lord”
Verse 8: “precepts of the Lord” and “commands of the Lord”
Verse 9: “fear of the Lord” and “ordinances of the Lord”
More importantly, what does the Bible do for us?
According to verse seven, “the law of the Lord” revives “the soul.” And how’s it able to do that? Because it’s “perfect.”
For some people, the word “law” makes them cringe because it sounds as if God’s some kind of cosmic killjoy. But don’t we tell our kids not to touch the burner because it’ll burn them? Don’t we tell our kids not to play in the street because they might get hit by a car? Don’t we tell our kids not to drink anything with the poison symbol, the skull and cross bones, because it can kill them? Why do we do that? Because we know that doing those things will hurt our kids—we’d be foolish not to warn them of those things. “The law of the Lord” is a good thing, not a bad thing. If you’re anything like me, I want practical wisdom for how to navigate through life.
Also according to verse seven, “the statutes of the Lord” make “the simple” “wise.” And how are they able to do that? Because they’re “trustworthy.”
When I was in college I used to record questions and answers on a cassette tape to help me study for exams. One time I mistakenly recorded over one of those cassettes with a romantic message to Paula back home. She called me as soon as she heard it and laughed so hard I thought she was going to burst.
It seems that as soon as my romantic message on the tape ended she listened to my study notes for an exam. I apparently mispronounced the word sarcophagus. I pronounced it sarco fay gus. Since Paula was a former newspaper editor she felt it was her duty to point out what the correct pronunciation was. In some ways, she was like the Word of God: she “made wise the simple.”
According to verse eight, “the precepts of the Lord” give “joy to the heart.” And how are they able to do that? Because they’re “right.”
Also according to verse eight, “the commands of the Lord” give “light to the eyes.” And how are they able to do that? Because they’re “radiant.”
In verse nine we see that “the fear of the Lord” endures “forever.” In this context, I believe “the fear of the Lord” is another name for Scripture. And Scripture endures “forever.” And how’s it able to do that? Because it’s “pure.”
Verse nine also says that “the ordinances of the Lord” are “altogether righteous.” And how can that be? Because they’re “sure.”
So what do we find out about Scripture here? It “revives the soul,” makes “the simple” “wise,” gives “joy to the heart,” gives “light to the eyes,” lasts “forever,” and are “altogether righteous.”
If you’ve ever wondered whether reading the Bible on a regular basis has any benefits, remember these verses and be encouraged. The time that you take to read the Bible each day is worth every second of your time. There’s nothing else in this world that’s as valuable as God’s Word.
Just how valuable is it? Verse 10 says it’s “more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.”
When I was a kid, my favorite meal was peanut butter and honey sandwiches. If I got to school and found anything other than a peanut butter and honey sandwich—and some corn curls, of course—in my lunch, I was really bummed. I love honey. For that matter, I love anything with sugar in it.
In ancient times they didn’t have Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Three Musketeer bars (poor guys), but they did have honey from the honeycomb, and what a treat it was.
The Bible isn’t like a piece of cheap jewelry that’s just gold-plated—the Word of Gold is solid gold! Did you ever get a hollow chocolate bunny for Easter instead of a solid one? I did, and I always felt cheated. If it’s not chocolate through and through, forget about it.
Forgive me for saying this, but the Bible isn’t like a hollow chocolate Easter bunny, but like a solid chocolate Easter bunny. It’s good stuff!
In fact, according to verse 11, it warns us—if we follow the guidelines provided in the Bible, we’ll be rewarded.
1 Tim 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
James 1:25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.
God convicts us of sin and then forgives us
But we don’t always follow what the Bible says, do we? We sin, we blow it, and the Psalmist knows it, so he writes verses 12-14.
Ps 19:12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
Ps 19:13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
Ps 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Again, notice the flow of this Psalm. First we acknowledge God by observing the sky, by observing what God has made. Then we acknowledge that God has revealed Himself in the Bible. And what happens when we read the Bible? Inevitably, we’re convicted of our sinfulness, aren’t we?
John Walvoord says this: “The Psalm … surveys both God’s natural revelation and His specific revelation, which prompts a response of self-examination.”
If you don’t mind writing in your Bible, draw an upside arrow to the left of this Psalm and then label it the, “process of salvation.” General revelation, special revelation and then conviction for our need of a savior.
When a person comes face-to-face with almighty God, he doesn’t keep shaving. When a person comes face-to-face with the holy God of the universe, he doesn’t talk to Him like a fraternity brother.
This is what happens when a person comes face-to-face with God. We become very much aware of how holy God is, and how sinful we really are.
Notice the two kinds of sins that the Psalmist points out: “hidden faults” in verse 12. These are sins that we commit and aren’t even aware of—for instance, rolling mindlessly through a stop sign, even though it’s against the law to do so, and as Christians we’re commanded in Scripture to obey the laws of our government.
On the other hand, there are also “willful sins.” These are “sins” that we consciously and deliberately commit despite knowing that they’re wrong in the eyes of God. One of my personal pet peeves is how some Christians here in Indianapolis purchase fireworks and sign an agreement promising not to use them at home, but then turn around and do just that. In my mind, that’s an example of a “willful” sin. You know it’s wrong and you still do it.
According to verse 13, if those “willful sins”—those sins that you commit consciously and deliberately, knowing that what you’re doing is wrong—become more and more common, everyday occurrences, you may be in danger of allowing them to “rule over” you. And if that happens, you are guilty of “great transgression.”
And what happens if we’re guilty of “great transgression?” Commentators differ on what it means. Some say you’re guilty of rejecting God and His Word. Others say you’re guilty of revolting against His authority over your life. No matter which way you see it, it’s not a pretty picture. Needless to say, it’s much better for us to not allow “willful sins” to “rule over” us.
Because all of us undoubtedly sin without knowing it, and because some of us sin and do know it, David ends this great Psalm with a verse that makes a wonderful prayer. Verse 14: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight , O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
God forgives those who are truly repentant: 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Conclusion
What can we learn from this Psalm? First of all, we know that God exists by simply recognizing all the wonder and beauty of nature. If you want to prove to someone who’s not familiar with the Bible that God exists, get them to take a good long and objective look at nature. “The heavens declare the glory of God” and “proclaim the work of his hands.”
Second, we see that the Bible’s infinitely valuable. It’s “more precious than gold, than much pure gold.” The Bible’s “sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.”
Finally, we see that when a person comes face-to-face with almighty God, he doesn’t keep shaving. When a person comes face-to-face with the holy God of the universe, he doesn’t talk to Him like a fraternity brother.
This is what happens when a person comes face-to-face with God. We become very much aware of how holy God is, and how sinful we really are.
“May the words of” our mouths “and the meditation of” our hearts “be pleasing in your sight, O LORD,” our “Rock and” our “Redeemer.”
Resources
Barnes’ Notes On The Old Testament
Believer’s Bible Commentary, William MacDonald
Bible Knowledge Commentary, John Walvoord & Roy Zuck
Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Frank E. Gaebelein
Grace To You, John MacArthur, online at http://gty.org/index.php, accessed on 3/7/06
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary
Life Application Bible
Living Bible, The
MacArthur Bible Commentary, The, John MacArthur
MacArthur Study Bible, John MacArthur
Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary
New American Standard Bible
New International Bible Commentary
New International Version Bible
Spirit Filled Life Study Bible, Jack Hayford
Treasury Of Scripture Knowledge
Wiersbe’s Expository Notes On The Old Testament
Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary
