“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork.”
It is to be remarked that it is not here said that creation generally declares the glory of God, because this would have included the earth as a part of it; and it would not have been true, for since the fall of Adam, the curse of God rests upon the earth, and it brings forth “thorns and thistles,” which bear witness to man's degradation and ruin rather than to God's glory.
When God laid the foundations of the earth (Job 38:4), “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” There was joy in heaven in sympathy with God concerning this earth. Man was not yet formed, neither had his sin come in to spoil the scene. But soon it came, and the song of joy was hushed, and mourning became more suitable to all in sympathy with God. And so it is to this day, as the Lord has said, (Matt. 5:4.) “Blessed are they that mourn.” What godly soul can fail to mourn over such a scene if in fellowship with Christ? But such “shall be comforted.” In the meantime, we read no more of joy in the hosts of heaven connected with the earth, until the Lord Jesus Christ entered the scene (Luke 2:13, 14). Then there was joy again in fellowship with God, for now He had found on earth an object in a man—the second Man, the last Adam, who knew no sin, and in whom His good pleasure could rest. But alas I such was, the depth of moral ruin in which sin had plunged mankind, that though a multitude of the heavenly hosts came down to praise, and to welcome His advent, man—the race for whose salvation He came—had no eyes to see, nor heart to appreciate, such unspeakable grace. Think of this, and what He suffered at the ungrateful and rebellions hand of His own creatures. Yet it was not only at the unrighteous hands of man that He suffered a cruel and ignominious death, but He bore on the cross the infinite and righteous judgment of God against our sins. “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” (Psa. 22:1). “All thy billows and thy waves passed over me.” (Jonah 2:3, etc.) Could anything more solemnly prove the utter ruin of our race, than the fact, that when the Son of God came in grace to deliver men from that rain, they despised and rejected Him? It would have been bad enough surely, if the Jews had stoned Him, but they handed Him over to the Gentiles, thus giving that which was emphatically holy to the dogs. This was an enormous aggravation of their national guilt, as John 19:11 teaches. And what, on the other hand, could more blessedly shew the love of God, and the infinite value in His sight of the atoning death of the Lord, than the fact, that when the “new song” is sung in heaven, so many that sing shall be of that race that hated Him, spat upon Him, and crucified Him? But through unutterable grace, they will be washed from all guilt in His most precious blood, and “the last shall thus be first.”
Although we have no song of joy over this earth, and no witness to God's glory from it as a part of His creation, the heavens still declare His glory, and their testimony is constant and uninterrupted. “Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.” It is, moreover, universal, for “there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.” “Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” In them (the heavens) He hath set a tabernacle for the sun, “which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven and his circuit to the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.”
What right-minded person can fail to admire the works of God as displayed in the heavens, or in the earth? They are surely for man's admiration and enjoyment; but it is a fatal mistake to be satisfied with them, beautiful as they are. They are tokens of God's creative power and goodness; but they leave the soul too surely unconverted. God cannot be savingly known except through the living and abiding word (1 Peter 1:23), which reveals Christ, in Whom the Father Himself is revealed and glorified, and our need met; and not only this, but in Whom we have a worthy object to fill and gratify our hearts forever. We learn from Rom. 1 that the utmost that can be learned by the contemplation of creation alone is God's eternal power and Godhead—His creative power; but this does not meet the sinner's need, nor does it display God's grace. To know His eternal power and Godhead—His Almightiness, if that be all, could only fill the soul with terror, and rightly so. Faith cometh (not by seeing the mighty works of creation but) by hearing and hearing by the word. of God (Rom. 10:17), as it is written (Isa. 4:3), “Incline your ear and come unto me: hear and your soul shall live.” And hence what next follows in our Psalm is most important and most precious, directing us to the life-giving word. “The law of Jehovah is perfect, converting the soul.” It is not the decalogue that is here spoken of, but rather the then word of God as a whole the scriptures in contrast with the witness of created heavens already referred to. “This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 John 5:11). The law of Moses admirably wrought for a given purpose, we may say, to convict of sin; it did not reveal God's righteousness for sinners to believe, but claimed righteousness from sinners for God, which they were incapable of rendering. The law of Jehovah, i.e. as already stated, His O.T. word, is perfect. Being the direct testimony of God Himself, it “is sure,” and may be fully relied upon, and it maketh “wise the simple.” To the caviler, i.e. to one who prefers his own reasoning to believing, it is foolishness, because it makes nothing of his pretensions. Instead of calling on men to fulfill righteousness and so flattering him as if he were able, it holds out a present, and perfect, and eternal salvation, as a free gift without money and without price (Isa. 55:1), and not even for the asking, and still less for the deserving, but for the taking. Man does not know his need of such grace, and therefore despises and rejects, it, being ignorant alike of God and of himself.
“The statutes (i.e. the precepts, e.v.) of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart.” What could be more grateful to the heart than to be lovingly directed in the way we wish to go? “The commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes.” How much we learn of His mind by what He enjoins or prohibits! “The fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of Jehovah are true, and righteous altogether.” Disciplinary judgments are not for the present joyous, but grievous (Heb. 12:11); but in the midst of trial faith owns them to be just and righteous; it never cavils with the ways of God, but as the Lord has said, “wisdom is justified by her children” (Matt. 11:19), knowing the object and end of them to be blessed—that we should be partakers of His holiness, and yielding the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby. “More to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey, and the dropping of honeycombs. (marg.) Moreover, by them is thy servant warned, and in keeping of them (i.e. observing them and subjecting oneself to them, as to His commandments), there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults,” i.e. from the sins I do without knowing it myself. “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins.” To sin, knowing it, is indeed presumption.
The last verse is exquisitely beautiful: no mere outward rectitude can satisfy a truly spiritual soul. Its desire and prayer is always that the inner man should be kept right. “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my strength, and my Redeemer.”
G.O.