Sermons from the Psalter | The Testimony of God | Psalm 19

The Testimony of God (Psalm 19)

Several years ago, Tammy and I went to a lady’s house for a Bible study. I quickly realized that a Bible study was going to be fruitless, for this lady was a complete agnostic. She said that she didn’t know if God existed, and she didn’t know if Jesus ever really walked this earth.

Being a smart man, I decided to make the point that there are many things we accept without ever seeing. I asked this lady if George Washington were the first President of the United States. She didn’t know; she wasn’t there. I then asked her if she had a brain; she didn’t know because she had never seen it. I asked her if China were a real county; she didn’t know because she had never been there. And I gave up.

You may never have met someone as agnostic as this lady was, but maybe you did work with someone who wouldn’t believe anything unless he saw it. In this urban environment, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn that many of you worked with infidels, either atheists or Muslims or Buddhists or adherents to some other pagan faith. Some of you may have known someone who thought the Bible was purely symbolism and nothing in it could be taken literally. And, you all know people who don’t live by God’s word—how many people do you know who are either still in bed or assembling with a denomination this morning?

The absolute truth is that neither agnosticism nor atheism makes sense; no, you cannot see God, but he has left testimony to himself in the cosmos. The absolute truth is that following error or generally living in sin makes no sense; no, you were not there when God spoke, but the Lord has left testimony to himself in the code.

In Psalm 19, David wrote of testimonies God has given to himself. In the Old Testament, no crime could be accepted based on the testimony of one witness, and David showcased the two witnesses to God’s greatness. In speaking of “The Testimony of God,” David taught: “The Cosmos and the Code testify to God.”

Scripture (Psalm 19)

Because psalms are poetry, we’ll address this text differently than we normally do; since David used so much poetic license here, I don’t find it helpful to try to exegete each verse. I’ll give an overview of the psalm and then we’ll move into applying this psalm to life.

verses 1-6:

In the first six verses of this psalm, David outlined the way the Cosmos testifies to God. The heavens declare God’s glory, for God created the heavens and the earth: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). Furthermore, “[b]y faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible” (Heb 11:3). And, the Cosmos stands as a testimony to God:

  • God “did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17).
  • God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Rom 1:20).

The Cosmos stands as a witness to the Creator God.

verses 7-11:

In these verses, David outlined the way the Code, the law, testifies to God. The law testifies to God, for the law comes from God:

  • “We impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit” (1 Cor 2:13).
  • “We . . . thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God” (1 Thess 2:13).
  • “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16).
  • “No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:21).

Because the Code came from God, not man, the Code creates faith in God:

  • John 20:30-31.
  • “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17).

verses 12-13:

David asked for God’s help in keeping him from “hidden faults”—he referred either to faults he kept secret from others or faults he didn’t realize he had.

verse 14:

David prayed that, because of God’s testimony in the Cosmos and the Code, his heart will be right before God.

Application

Because “The Cosmos and the Code testify to God,” you have work to do—you must see God’s testimony in both the Cosmos and the Code.

Cosmos

As you respond to “The Testimony of God” in the Cosmos, stand in awe of God’s power.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Ps 19:1). The heavens, in other words, point to God’s great power. The creation of the celestial bodies took great power. Notice this prayer from the Israelites who were living in Babylonian captivity: “You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you” (Neh 9:6).

Stop and consider the Cosmos. Notice the sun as it marches across the sky. Notice the moon as it gives light at night. Notice all the twinkling starry hosts. And think to yourself, “My God is so powerful that he made everything that is.”

Code

As you respond to “The Testimony of God” in the Code follow God’s word. I don’t read this section of Psalm 19 as a call to study Scripture; David knew the greatness of God’s Code, and he wanted to live by that Code. Therefore, he said, “Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me!”

How well are living according to God’s Code? Do you have sins hidden from others? Is it possible that you’re sinning without realizing it because you don’t know the Bible all that well? Are there presumptuous sins —are you sinning because you like it?

Examine your heart and see what sin lurks there and repent. You see, if you don’t do that, Jesus will do it for you: “I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works” (Rev 2:23). You’re struggling with some sin; I know that because you’re human, and I’m in the same boat. Deal with that sin head-on:

  • Examine what the Code says about that sin.
    • That will draw you away from sin: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Ps 119:11).
    • As you’re drawn away from sin, you will be able, like Jesus before you, to say when tempted: “It is written. . . .”
  • Pray for God’s strength to follow the Code. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he prayed to the Father, “Lead us not into temptation” (Lk 11:4). Make that your prayer.
  • Get help to follow the Code: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2). Your brothers and sisters not only stand ready to help you, but they are more than willing to help you.

Do you need our help this morning? If we can help you, please let us know as we stand and sing.

This sermon was originally preached by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at Church of Christ Deer Park in Deer Park, Texas.

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