Slices
Prepare
‘Jesus shall reign where’er the sun does its successive journeys run, his kingdom stretch from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more’ (Isaac Watts, 1674–1748). Praise God that nowhere lies beyond his rule!
Bible passage
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
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.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from wilful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Explore
I remember the first time I saw a really dark sky, with no light pollution. I was a teenager at my first Christian camp. It was a revelation: where had all these stars come from? I had never seen so many! Spiritually that was a significant week for me. My consciousness of God was reinforced by that experience. More than fifty years later I still remember it clearly.
No doubt David had many similar experiences, with dark skies being the norm (no street lights!). For him, the wonder of the heavens spoke directly of God (v 1). And it wasn’t just the wonder of the stars, it was the rhythm and reliability of the daily rising of the sun travelling across the sky (vs 4b–6). How much do you hear their voice (v 4)?
God’s words fill in the detail of his revelation (vs 7–10), complementing the visual impact of the heavens. Look at the adjectives: ‘perfect’, ‘trustworthy’, ‘right’ and so on. Notice the impact of God’s words: ‘refreshing’, ‘making wise’, ‘giving joy…’ All of this leads us to awareness of our faults and sins (vs 12,13) for sure, but beyond there to our Rock and Redeemer (v 14).
Respond
Read the psalm again. Praise God for the way that creation reveals his glory. How do his words reveal it?
Deeper Bible study
‘When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers … what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?’1
Yesterday’s reading highlighted the hidden work of God; today’s psalm reflects on the ways that God is revealed. Nature, especially the vast expanse of the sky, star-studded at night and filled with the sun’s light during the day, points to God’s glory (vs 1–6). Yet nature’s ‘speech’ is not heard; it is without sound or words (v 3). Like God’s work in human history, there is a hiddenness about nature’s revelation of God, which for many is incomprehensible. Worse still, sceptics point to the ‘cruelties’ of nature to discredit the belief that creation is God’s handiwork.
It takes the second part of the psalm (vs 7–11) to complete the revelation about God. The list of terms for God’s instructions mean more than just the legal portions of Scripture. Rather, they sum up God’s will, as revealed in his Word. This takes nature’s revelation further, making us wise (v 7). It is only as we understand right and wrong as set out by God that we can avoid sin and know how to obey him. As we align ourselves with God’s good purpose, we experience the blessings that flow from it (v 11).
As the psalmist is exposed to the beauty and flawlessness of God’s will, he also recognises how far removed he is from such perfection and cries out to God for help in prayer (vs 12–14). There is an intimacy of relationship here indicated further by the use of God’s proper name (from v 7 onwards) translated as ‘Lord’ (Hebrew Yahweh), rather than the generic ‘God’ (Elohim). It is only through God’s revelation in his Word that we come to know him in a personal way and learn to call him our Rock and Redeemer.
Thank God for his amazing gift of revelation in nature and in his Word; that we can know him and call him Redeemer; that he does not leave us without guidance but he teaches us the right way to live.
1 Ps 8:3,4
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ezekiel 1; John 21
Pray for Scripture Union
During lockdown SU India missionary Aesa Rooban took the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with the children with good results. Pray for the camps in India which enable children to grow in their faith.
