By Dr. Jim Barnette
Professor, Samford University, Senior Pastor, Brookwood Baptist Church
Is There a God?
Psalm 19:1–6; 111:7–10
Nature points to God. (19:1–6)
Without question Jesus Christ is the definitive self-disclosure of God to our world. But even before the advent of our Savior on Earth, God was revealing Himself in powerful ways. Psalm 19 offers an engaging reflection on God’s self-disclosure to humanity through the majesty of nature.
The sun was an object of worship in the ancient Near East. However, the psalmist makes it clear that the sun, along with the heavens, the firmament and day and night, were created by the sovereign Creator of all things. No corner of the cosmos is unreached by the omnipotent and omnipresent Lord.
In Romans 1:20 the Apostle Paul addressed God making Himself known through creation: “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 …”
The psalmist calls attention to the sun, the most dominant of the heavenly bodies in relation to the Earth. The heat of the sun, from which nothing is hidden, speaks to the sun’s pervasive, empowering and life-giving power.
Scripture reveals God. (111:7–9)
Verses 7–8 speak of God’s laws that were given to the Israelites on Mount Sinai after the exodus from Egypt and before the conquest of the promised land. As Psalm 119 states in similar terms, God’s laws are just, faithful and trustworthy. They serve to seal the covenant that God established through Moses.
On a wider scale Psalm 111 celebrates God’s sovereign reign over the entire world and the human agents chosen to reveal it. God chose Israel and King David to bring peace and justice to the world.
We can pray this psalm to express our gratitude for the kingdom of God and for Christ the Son of David who reigns as King of kings.
The words “faithful” and “trustworthy” in verse 7 are from the same Hebrew root. God relates faithfully to His people and God expects faithfulness in return. God’s work of redemption calls for the people’s work of obedience.
The name of God is “holy and awesome,” as He is able to do works that no other god can perform. The Hebrew word for “awesome” in verse 9 is of the same derivation as the word “fear” in verse 10. The awe-inspiring splendor of God leads us to worship Him with the highest and deepest of reverence.
When we reverently acknowledge God we are on the path to wisdom and insight. (111:10)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom for wisdom is given only to those who revere the Almighty God. Wisdom demonstrates itself through following God’s precepts because it imparts understanding about the world and how to live in it.
The word “precepts” refers to God’s laws that enable God’s people to worship reverently and act justly. Verse 10 is one of the hallmark sayings of wisdom instruction, substantiated by its presence also in Proverbs 1:7 and Job 28:28.
Understanding the word “fear” is vital for embracing and practicing the words of this verse. Fearing the Lord is a way of describing faith. It is a faith that carries a sense of awe at the greatness of God and a sense of wonder at His redeeming grace.
You are in such awe of God for His greatness and for His grace towards you that it controls every aspect of your life, not merely part of your life. Your faith in God’s greatness, God’s sovereignty and God’s boundless love is what governs your life. Faithful fear of the Lord informs how you make decisions and leads you along your life’s journey until you reach His throne.
“Forever” is the fifth time that the limitless time of God’s reign is mentioned in the psalm (see verses 3, 5, 8, 9 and 10). Thanks be to God who invites us to His eternal dwelling.
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