The glory of God is our greatest good! More precisely, the glory of God shining forth through us is our greatest good. In this Psalm, David prays “let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (v 14).
In Psalm 18, I asked the question, what does our soul need more than God? Here David answers the same but expands his answer. What does our soul need more than the glory of God? And much more what should the soul crave more than the glory of God? The message of this Psalm is that when the soul is affected by the glory of God and thus redeemed, it becomes both the repository and reflector of the glory of God. The redeemed soul then particularly pours forth speech from a heart filled with the glory of God unto the glory of God.
In typical Hebrew Poetic fashion, David provides us with an analogy from nature to illustrate his point. “The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims His handiwork” (v 1). That is a bold statement but is well attested to in other passages of scripture (most notably Psalm 119, Romans 1). The heavens declare the glory of God. But how? “Day to day…night to night” both “pour forth speech…[and] reveal knowledge” (v 2). He acknowledges that they do not use actual words or voice but that what they communicate is spread “through all the earth…to the ends of the world” (v 3-4a). But again, how? How does the heavens do this kind of communicating? How is it essentially gushing forth the declaration of the glory of God?
“In them He has set a tent for the sun…” (v 4b). Here we come to the crux of the analogy. The thing in the heavens that most perfectly declares the effect (I’ll explain) of the glory of God is the Sun. Immediately we should all understand where he is going. But again, how? Think about it, David says, the Sun “comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber…and like a strongman running its course with joy“…”its rising is from the ends of the heavens and its circuit to the end of them” (vs 5-6). How does it reach the whole earth with its communication? The point should be clear, as he says in v 6 “there is nothing hidden from its heat” (v 6).
How then do the heavens “declare the glory of God…and proclaim His handiwork?” There is a song that I have been listening to frequently by the Getty’s, “Consider the Stars“. It is a beautiful song that I believe is referencing Isaiah 40:26 though I cannot help but to think of it now. Consider how the Sun has such a tremendous influence on all of life on planet earth. In reality there would be no life on earth, earth would not be suitable for life without the effects of the Sun. Moreover life on earth would not continue without the ever present embrace of the Sun.
Do you consider how important the Sun is for life on earth? This is not a lesson in astronomy, nor is it intended to stoke that wicked human tendency to worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator. But rather it is intended to point your thoughts in the direction that David intended. The heavens that were created by the hand of God were made in such a way to tell us something about His glory. He built into His creation, His handiwork, a signature or watermark that tells both that He is God and that He is good. And that as the good Creator God that He is, He provides life and sustains life as no other. We absolutely need and should crave His creating/sustaining power daily for life. Creation pours forth the message of His glory in a way that nothing else can!
If the created order, the stars in the heavens and particularly out of those stars, our Sun can give glory to God, shouldn’t we? Shouldn’t we earnestly desire to bear and reflect His glory? Consider the stars beloved. May we, like them, seek to live our lives for His glory! Unlike the stars, we out of all of God’s creation have lips to praise God for His creative wisdom! We have lips to praise God for His creative provision! And as we shall see in the second part of this Psalm, we have lips to also praise God that He didn’t leave us with just a general message of His glorious-ness. But much more, through His Word, He makes it possible for us to partake in His glory through the beauty of redemption.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his 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. So they are without excuse. (Rom. 1:18-20 ESV)
25 To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isa. 40:25-31 ESV)
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? (Ps. 8:3-4 ESV)
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