God Is Revealed - Psalm 19:1-14

We will start the fall semester on September 6, in the book of Psalms, chapter 19: 1 through 14 and the title of the lesson will be GOD IS REVEALED. The format will change from what it has been. We have been starting with the first chapter and verse and continuing sequentially through the book. Now we will select topics for discussion and use different passages as reference material. For example the first lesson is GOD IS REVEALED, 19:1-14; lesson 2 will be GOD IS JUST, 9: 1-20; lesson 3 will be GOD IS FAITHFUL, 105: 1-21.

I have been actively engaged in learning about God and teaching others to know about God and his plan to make it possible for all men everywhere to be saved. Baptist believe that a person must know God in a personal way and believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that He is the Way the Truth and the Light and the only means by which anyone can be saved. Down through the years of my study and teaching, one question has always presented a problem of difficulty for many unsaved people to accept. All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God: and all must repent of our sins and accept Christ as our Savior.

The life long question of many is—what about those who have never met Christ personally? What about those who live in a heathen nation and have never read the bible or have never been taught by a minister? How can this person be saved? Now the answer to this question forms the central truth and aim of our study today. In the Psalms we are taught that GOD IS REVEALED; and the WORD of God and bible ministers are not the only ways that GOD IS REVEALED. The first verse in chapter 19 tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God; and the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Just pause for a moment and remember that history teaches us that many people, such as the different tribes of early American Indians who were unable to read and write still were able to read the language of the universe. They knew that there was a higher power even though they did not know who he was or what his name was. God revealed himself to them through the universe. The heavens, referring to the sun, stars, and planets, declared the glory of God.

This divine glory is the sum total of all God’s holy character and attributes which are made known to man. God made him self holy by the work of his own hands…that is by his creation. In simple explanation, the Psalms tells us that it is impossible for the dummies of the universe to see all of God’s creation all bout him every day that he lives and still not realize that there is a higher power both on earth and in heaven. No man will ever live and die in his sinful state without realizing that there is a God. The dumbest man in the deepest jungle of South Africa will never be able to stand in the great judgment and give God the excuse that he was never told about The Almighty God who would judge him in that day.

People of all nations, rich or poor, wise or unwise, educated or ignorant are surrounded by fantastic displays of God’s craftsmanship. The heavens and earth give forth evidence of His existence, his power, and his love for man. For any man to argue that this universe just happened by chance is absurd. And for any man to live in and enjoy God’s creation and deny the existence of Holly God will lead him to his deserved destruction.

There are two types of revelation, and God has used both to make him self known. First, He has made him self known through natural revelation that is the universe that we have been studying. Then he has made himself known through his supernatural revelation—that is through his revelation through the scriptures. He is the glory of God, unveiled…made known. We should be of the same accord in revealing ourselves as children of God. God is so great that we should strive to be like him. Our aim is not to reveal ourselves but God through us. Think about this…you do not visit the Grand Canyon or Pikes Peak to increase you self-esteem—but we go there to help us realize how minor we are in the presence of God’s creative glory. John Piper says that there is greater healing for the soul in beholding the splendor of Grand Canyon than in beholding ones self in a mirror.

We are fortunate as Americans that God has revealed himself, first through his creation of the universe. But even more we are fortunate that he has revealed himself through his word which we think of as his special revelation that comes though our ability to read, study and know his scriptural revelation. Through special revelation we know how to become a member of God’s family. The sun and skies [his works] reveal his power. The Holy Scripture teaches us how to become a member of His family.

We have come to the conclusion that God has made himself known to man though natural revelation in the physical creation and through supernatural revelation of scriptures.

David wrote some of the most beautiful prayers ever offered up to Almighty God. He prayed that God would hide his hidden faults. He prayed that God would keep him from willful sins that they might not rule over him. And then he prayed the prayer that crosses my mind almost every time I address the throne of God. “May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer?”

Psalms 19 could well be one of the most important studies in Holy Word. It tells us that no man is without hope and that even the heathen can look up into God’s creation and see and know all he needs to know to become a child of God. The horror is with the unbeliever; the person with no faith—for by grace through faith you are saved, it is not of yourself—not because of or in exchange for any good works that you may do. Thank you for the saving grace that you made the object of our faith. Thank you for revealing yourself to us as our one and only everlasting Savior.