God Speaks Today
Psalm 19
At my first ordained call as an Associate Pastor in Sacramento, CA, I was given two main roles to focus on in ministry. I served as the full-time youth director and helped develop our local and global mission trips.
One of the trips I put together for my congregation at the time came about through a connection I had with a Presbyterian missionary at the California border. He let me know about a Presbyterian church in Tijuana that needed help building homes in a neighborhood known as “El Cerro de las Abejas”, 22 miles from the border and considered Tijuana's poorest. In addition, they wanted help running a VBS to attract people to their congregation. The church was called “Dios Habla Hoy” (anyone know the translation?) Right- “God speaks Today”. We had a meaningful week, building a couple of homes and helping Dios Habla Hoy church attract new families through the VBS, which we did in Spanish! God spoke to a lot of people that week- to us as we saw the abject poverty so many people lived in, and to people around the church in Tijuana through our VBS program.
My favorite part of that trip was what came after. About a year later, the head pastor from Dios Habla Hoy called me because he had heard of devastating floods happening just above Sacramento. He told me he wanted to bring people from his church on a mission trip to Sacramento, to help us as we had helped them.
So, he brought about 10 people from his Iglesia, and I coordinated flood relief with several homes in Yuba City, about ½ an hour north of Sacramento. One place that was hit hard by the flooding was a rural farm. We pulled up to the farm and noticed it had an American flag flying upside down. This was around 1998, and in those days, an upside-down flag generally meant they were pro-militia folks, and very anti-immigrant. I gulped as I saw the flag, but walked up to the front of the farmhouse and knocked on the door. The man who opened it asked me my business, and I let him know a group of people from Tijuana, Mexico, were there to help him clean up debris and mud from his home. He looked shocked and asked me to say that once again, which I did. Then he saw the group of Hispanics behind me and reluctantly let them into his damaged home. By the end of the day, he was full of gratitude, and I think God spoke to him mightily through that group from Dios Habla Hoy Presbyterian Church.
How does God speak today? Psalm 19 gives us a couple of examples of how we can hear God speak. Let’s take a closer look at this original psalm of David to see how Dios Habla Hoy today.
Dr. Nancy de Claisse -Wolford, Professor Emeritus at Mercer University School of Theology, gives the following overview of the psalm: “One commentator imagines that Psalm 19 was composed in the bright light of day when the sun eclipses the starry night sky. Psalm 19 is unique among all the creation psalms in that, while creation is celebrated in the first six verses of the psalm, the remaining verses, 7–14, focus on the torah, the instruction of God.”
The psalm begins, “The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims God’s handiwork.” The Hebrew word for “Telling”, “saphar” סָפַר, means to “recount, declare, tell.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
I imagine David looking up at the heavens, either during the day, seeing the bright blue sky, clouds puffing by as the sun shone brightly; or up at the night sky, and in counting the stars and seeing the shimmering moon, finding that God’s glory is present in the beauty of creation, and that in some fashion God speaks through the created order.
This is, in fact, David's first focus in Psalm 19. But David adds one more important piece to our ability to hear God’s voice in verses 7-14- through scripture. So, our focus for today will be on how we can hear God speak to us through these two vehicles. First, how does God speak through creation?
I can remember when I was a child; we had the amazing privilege of going to our cabin at Dillon Beach every summer. My grandparents were often there with us, and I have many fond memories of the cabin known as “Happy House.” My grandfather Archie loved the beach. He had an evening ritual tied to the sunset. Unless it were raining or foggy, my grandfather would walk down to the beach each evening to see the sunset. It was for him a moment of experiencing God. He said to me once when I accompanied him, “God paints a wonderful masterpiece, every sunset.” I still think and occasionally say that same thing when I see the sunset – Indeed, God paints a marvelous painting each evening as the sun sets on the horizon. When my grandpa and I saw the sunset, no words were spoken by God, but there was a profound knowledge that the Creator of all things had fashioned something marvelous for our eyes to behold. You could say, in a sense, we heard God speak.
How did David hear God in creation? Verses1-6 tell us. He uses the language of Genesis 1 in describing how the created order speaks of the magnificence and incomparability of God. In verse 1, the firmament (sky) with which God separated the primordial waters on the second day of creation (Gen 1:6) announces God’s glory,כָּבוֹד (kabowd), which literally means “God’s weight, and also splendor or abundance” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance), tells us of God.
Firmament may seem like a strange thing to call the sky. Still, we must remember that in David’s time, the people of God believed that the sky was blue because it was a great blue sea of water, and that separating this sea from the dry land was a huge, firm, transparent tortoise shell. This firm shell kept the waters at bay until the rains came, when God would open gates in the shell to water the ground. Beneath this firmament was the sun and moon, which brought about day and night. This reference to day and night reminds us of God’s glorious, creative power.
Yet, according to David, creation also has a further purpose. It announces "knowledge," meaning wisdom or understanding (Prov 2:6). So, for David, creation is a source of instruction that God uses to give us some understanding of the omnipotent being who made us. This voice, though not audible or verbal, ”there is no speech, nor are there words…” (v.3) still speaks and reaches to the farthest corners of the earth (19:3-4a). Although God’s creation does not give specific instructions for daily living, it does reveal something about the characteristics of the God who made it. The creation hymn that opens this psalm concludes with a portrayal of the sun as a bridegroom (vv. 4b-6). The theme of these final verses is joyfulness and celebration. The rising sun is like the happy bridegroom emerging from the wedding canopy and, like a strong person, it "runs its course with joy" (v. 5). The sun is not seen as a deity as in much of the Ancient Near Eastern world at this time, but a magnificent and joyful part of God’s creation. In these first six verses, then, God speaks through creation's magnificence and glory, instructing us in the characteristics and nature of the Creator of all things.
So, in verses 1-6, God speaks without words. Then David tells us of the second way we can hear God speak- WITH words. The rest of the psalm extols the Torah, God's instructions.
As the psalmist puts it, this torah that God has given is "perfect," i.e., complete, whole and all-sufficient, and has the power to revive the soul (v. 7a). God’s word can "enlighten the eyes" (v. 8b; see Ps 13:13). Moreover, the decrees of this law are "sure," or trustworthy and reliable (v. 7), and as such are established forever (see also v. 9; cf. Ps 111:7), just as the earth is fixed and established, safe from the watery chaos above it. The precepts of the law cause the heart to rejoice, making one happy. The teachings of God are not a burden, then, but because of their life-giving power, their joyfulness, and their eternal reliability, they are to be sought after more than gold or honey (19:10).
In the final section of this chapter (vv. 11-14), David discerns the challenge of following God’s word and recognizes his dependence on God to live a life free of transgression and rebellion, thus praying that God will keep him free of sin. He begins by recognizing the great value of the ordinances in that by them he is "warned" to follow God’s words, and in keeping them he is rewarded, probably by the kind of life and vitality celebrated in verses 7-10. However, he understands that unintentional errors are possible and asks that he not be held culpable for hidden faults or presumptuous sins. (v. 12-13), praying that he does not come under their influence (v. 13). Rather, he prays that he will speak only words and think only thoughts that are acceptable to God (v. 14). I’m sure most of you recognize verse 14, which I pray each Sunday right before I begin my sermon. These words can focus us, help us listen solely for God’s wisdom during the sermon, and guide our hearts toward God’s ways of love, justice, mercy, and service.
How then do we hear God speak to us through scripture? The early church Father Origen of Alexandria(c.185-c.254.) wrote, “If we consider the prophetic writings with all the diligence and reverence they are worth, while one reads and examines with great care, it is certain that in the very act one will be struck in their mind and senses by some more divine breath, and will recognize that the books read have not been produced in a human way, but are words of God.”
We Presbyterians believe the Bible is the word of God as inspired by the Holy Spirit. In addition, original language, history, and context help us interpret and understand God’s wisdom. All that we do and say as a church is grounded in God’s word to us. God speaks to us as we read the word, and the Holy Spirit helps us interpret and understand it.
I actually have an example of God speaking the Word to Paula and me once, as we were surrounded by Creation. You could say we got a double dose of hearing God speak! Let me explain, and yes, this really did happen. Not too many years ago, we hiked up to the top of Mt. Grizzly one morning. Upon reaching the summit, we had lunch and took in the amazing view. Finally, it was time to go back down the mountain. About halfway down, we happened upon a beautiful clearing in the forest, the sun streaming through the branches. Then, there was a voice, which said, “In the beginning, as God was creating the heavens and earth, the earth was without form and void…” Paula and I stopped dead in our tracks! I looked at her and said, “You heard that, right?” She nodded, and the voice continued. Eventually, she realized it was a Bible app on her phone speaking the words from Genesis 1. It may have just been a coincidence that we heard the creation story right in the midst of God’s beautiful, created order, but I think the timing was too perfect! God literally spoke in so many ways in that moment!
In closing, let me encourage you to listen to God speak this week. Go outside and sit on your porch, or go for a walk. Better yet, take a hike up Mt. Grizzly! And when you go out, consider the words of Samuel, “Speak God, for your servant is listening.”(1 Samuel 3:10) Let God speak to you today wordlessly, through the gift of creation. Indeed, the heavens are telling the glory of God.
Secondly, let me encourage you to listen to God in another way. Install a Bible app on your phone and listen to the Word. Or, if you like, I guess that you most likely have a Bible or two at home. Go old school! Pick up your Bible and read! Read through the psalms. Spend time on Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 5-7. And if you come across a passage that is difficult to understand, email me. Text me. Call me. Come to my office and let’s go through it together. I love talking about the interpretation of scripture!
Another option: Come to our study on Christian Nationalism via Zoom on Wednesdays.
And as you look at your phone, open your Bible, or consider how scripture speaks against the worship of a nation and the sin of idolatry, again start with Samuel’s words: “Speak God, for your servant is listening.” May God speak clearly to us this day and all the days that lie ahead through the glorious creation that surrounds us, and through scripture, which is sweeter than honey from the comb. Alleluia! Amen.
