Psalm 19: The heavens declare the glory of God (ftg. Cath Binns McGregor)
The heavens declare the glory of God;
The skies the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
Night on night display knowledge.
There’s no speech or language,
Where their voice isn’t heard.
Their voice goes out in all the earth,
Their words to the ends of the world.
And In the heavens he has pitched
A tent for the sun,
Which is just like a bridegroom,
Coming from his pavilion;
Like a champion, rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
Makes its way to the other;
Nothing is hidden from its heat.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
Reviving the soul. yes reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD they are all true,
Making simple men wise.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
Giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
Giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
Enduring through time, for ever through time.
The ordinances of the LORD
Are right in all that they say.
And they are far more precious
Than gold, much fine gold;
And they are sweeter than honey,
Than honey from the comb.
By them your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is a great reward.
Who can his errors discern?
Forgive me LORD all of my hidden faults.
Please keep your servant, also from willful sin;
May they not rule over me,
Then I will be blameless,
And innocent of much great sin.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
The skies the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
Night on night display knowledge.
May the words of my mouth,
The meditation of my heart,
Be pleasing in your sight, O LORD,
My Rock, my Redeemer.
Jeff Lowe: backing vocals, piano, guitars, piano, synth - pad, celeste & bells,, bass, drums
Cath Binns McGregor: Lead vocals
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Psalm 19 Reflection
CS Lewis called Psalm 19 “the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world”. This breath-taking work is in three sections and each celebrates how the Lord speaks to us. The first verse rejoices in the fact that the heavens declare the glory of the Lord. Sadly we have a tendency to gaze at a beautiful sunrise or became enthralled by a Planets TV documentary yet do not recognise “the work of God’s hands”. The psalmist’s view of the skies may even be regarded as primitive, the product of an ancient people with a flawed cosmology. But not for the psalmist the primitive belief of pagans who thought the sun WAS God, or the sophisticated theories of modern men who view sun and stars, quarks and black holes, through the lens of scientific rationalism. The psalmist sees God himself reflected, in heaven’s splendour and the powerful rays of the sun from which nothing is hidden.
In verse 7 and section 2 of the poem, the focus switches to the law of God, which is equally penetrating in its effect. The law of the Lord is perfect, giving light to the eyes. It is more precious than gold. Any hint of self-righteousness is absent as the writer moves to the third section and pleads with God to forgive him, especially for his secret faults. CS Lewis again, ”As he has felt the sun … searching him in every nook or shade where he attempted to hide from it, so he feels the Law searching out all the hiding-places of his soul.” Our prayer must be that the Lord will keep us from wilfulness, then the meditations of our heart will be pleasing to our Rock and our Redeemer.