Embrace the Word for Monday, February 2, 2026
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Psalm 19 celebrates the ways that God has revealed Himself. Psalm 19 stands at the center of a subunit of Book 1 that began with Psalm 15 and ends with Psalm 24. The positioning of Psalm 19 immediately after Psalm 18 is significant. Preceded by a Psalm that highlights the deliverance of the king, Psalm 19 immediately features the Word of God. This pattern, which will be seen again in Book 5 when Psalm 118, a Psalm about the deliverance of the king, is followed by Psalm 119, another Psalm about the Word of God. This pattern is grounded in the introductory Psalms as Psalm 2 orients us to the king whom God would establish, being the righteous man of Psalm 1, who delights in God’s Word. The Messiah of Psalms 2, 18, and 118, is the Word-loving man of Psalms 1, 19, and 119. Psalm 19 has some strong links to Psalm 18. Both Psalms speak of David as “the servant of the Lord” (See 19:11, 18-superscription); Psalms 18 and 19 each uses terms like “blameless” or “perfect” (18:30,32; 19:7,13), the word “rock” (18:2,31,46; 19:14), and convey common notions of God’s power over creation (18:7-15; 19:1-6). As David reflects on the Lord, he considers the way in which God communicates His glory to all of creation, but also focuses in on the way in which God’s Word functions in his life. David’s reflection concludes with a description of the affect God’s Word has on him.
Psalm 19 opens with a meditation on what creation shows, that is, what it displays: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (19:1). David says that the “heavens” and the “sky above” keep on reciting “the glory of God” and keep on announcing God’s “handiwork.” The term glory conveys the idea of weightiness, that is, something important and impressive. The term handiwork indicates power as well as precision. Reminiscent of Genesis 1, when God spoke all that exists into existence, the things that God made keep on recounting how magnificently grand He is, even as they keep on reciting how skillful of a craftsman that He is. You can get a sense of how great and wonderful a builder or artist is, through the accomplishment of what they built or what they painted. So it is with God; we have been given the opportunity to consider what He has made and know something of His goodness, wisdom, and power.
Every day and every night—all the time—God’s creation is quite talkative and ever instructive: “Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge” (19:2). Creation cannot contain itself, it will not be quiet; but it constantly bursts forth, it continually emphasizes, what it knows about God. This knowledge goes out to all peoples, every where, for all times: “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 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” (See Romans 1:19-20). But what is most interesting about this “speech” and “knowledge” is its wordlessness: “There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard” (19:3). This type of revelation from God is often called natural or general revelation, and it is an inaudible revelation. That does not mean that it doesn’t reveal something; it does indeed; but the nature of this revelation is what it shows, not what it says. It does speak in some sense of the word, but not in a way that is heard by the ears; it is received through other sensory perceptions: “Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world” (19:4a). This inaudible revelation is unheard, but it is truly seen.
An example of what we might call this nonverbal communication is what the sun shows: “In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat” (19:4b-6). David describes the sun as a glad bridegroom energetically leaving his chamber. The sun is like this bridegroom, whose departure from his chambers is actually an everyday experience, as it runs across the sky. Like a bridegroom who rejoices over his bride, the sun enjoys his daily activities and operations (See Isaiah 62:5). The sun, which is, in our perception, the brightest and most majestic of the heavenly bodies, in its daily circuit is silently shouting of how glorious God actually is. There is no place on earth where this message of the sun is not showing itself.
Psalm 19 continues with a meditation on what God’s Word says, that is, what it is and does. David abruptly changes the style of Psalm 19. The changes are significant. For instance, the term that David uses for God in verses 1-6 is the just God, that is Elohim, the God who Genesis 1 tells us made all things. However, in verses 7-11, David uses “Lord," that is YAHWEH, the personal name of God that is given to his covenant people to use. General or natural revelation shows us that there is a God. But the Scriptures are God’s Special or supernatural revelation. The Scriptures say who the One True God is, provides much more particulars about what He is like, and provides us His personal name.
Psalm 19:7-9 extols the character and function of the Scriptures: “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether” (19:7-9). In just three verses, David supplies five different descriptions of God’s Word, five characteristics of God’s Word, one attitude or disposition that God’s Word creates, four things that God’s Word changes, and six things that God’s Word does. There is a fixed formula in verses 7-9 as they orient us to what Scripture is and does.
The “law of the Lord” describes not merely what God commands, it refers to all of God’s instructions and teachings. God’s Word is perfect, which denotes things like it is complete, whole, flawless, and blameless. This perfect Law revives the soul. God’s Word accomplishes life and the renewal of life to our souls, that is, the inner most core of our being, where all of our thoughts, feelings, and choices flow. The “testimony of the Lord” describes the testifying aspect of God’s Word. The Scriptures are truthful testimonies about God and from God. These testimonies are sure, which means that they are reliable; we can count on them. These reliable testimonies impart wisdom to the uninformed and uninstructed. The “precepts of the Lord” as well as the “commandment of the Lord” share overlapping meanings as they indicate the moral injunctions and regulations for righteousness that God provides. These precepts are right, that is, they are upright and straight, while the commandment is pure, that is free from any pollution or corruption. God’s Word brings joy to our hearts and it also enables us to see and rightly perceive the world around us. David momentarily interrupts his pattern as he slightly shifts from providing another description for God’s Word to a disposition that God’s Word creates—proper fear of the Lord. A proper fear of the Lord brings about a clean or an undefilement so that we can be in the presence of the Lord. Fearing the Lord provides a lasting acceptance in the sight of the Lord. David returns to his pattern as he speaks of the “rules of the Lord.” The term “rules” indicates God’s judicial decisions are true, that is always correct, as well as righteous altogether, that is without any unrighteousness, always just.
Psalm 19 concludes with a meditation on what affect God’s Word is to have, that is how we are to savor it. David’s reaction to all that the Word is and does, begins with a statement of its superior value: "More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold” (19:10a). The Scriptures are more valuable than the finest gold. Gold does not renew the soul, impart wisdom, create joy, provide the proper way to perceive the world; but the Bible does. Gold cannot enable us to live in relationship with God, and it cannot orient us how to live rightly in light of God’s justice and righteousness; but God’s Word can. David does not stop at describing the value of God’s Word, he also describes its satisfying sweetness: “sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (19:10b). Honey satisfies our taste buds, but it cannot satisfy our souls; honey is a delightful physical experience, but it cannot offer a delightful spiritual experience. Only God’s Word transforms the deepest desires of our souls.
David’s response toward God’s Word includes the practical guidance and direction that it supplies: “Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (19:11). The Scriptures warn us about what to avoid, and they encourage us as to what we should pursue. God’s Word informs us of the destructive dangers inherent when we live contrary to its truths, and it also informs us of the wonderful benefits inherent when we live in harmony with its truths. The realities of the warnings and promises of Scripture, prompt David to pray: “Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression” (19:12-13). David feels the impact of his need for the moral and spiritual clarity that the Scriptures provide. David sees the need for God’s Word to expose his hidden sins, curb his deliberate sins, and keep him from realizing the destructive outcome of his sins. Therefore David presses his plea a bit more: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer” (19:14). David sees his need for God’s Word to change his heart. David recognizes that such a deep and durative change can only come through the Rock rescued him. Only the saving work of God and that delivered David from his enemies, as described in Psalm 18, can sustain him in the way of godly devotion described in Psalm 19. We may not be kings, but we need the same prayer in response to God’s Word.
As we reflect on Psalm 19, we can acknowledge that the wonders and beauties of creation display the majesty and greatness of our Creator. However, sin distorts not only what we truly grasp creation reveals about God, it also disrupts how we rightly respond to our gloriously wise, powerful, and good God. What we need in order to truly grasp and rightly respond to the One True God, is the life-giving, heart-transforming, destruction-warning, promise-wooing, conscience-convicting, sin-restraining, spiritual growth-provoking, identity-altering, destiny-redirecting, soul-saving work of God’s Word as it reveals to us Jesus, the Son of God, who in the power of the Holy Spirit, brings us to experience God as our loving Father.
That’s all for Embrace the Word for Monday, February 2, 2026. I look forward to being back with you for the Wednesday, February 4, 2026 episode of Embrace the Word as we take a look at Psalm 20.