Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
    It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
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 forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
    may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
    innocent of great transgression.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

• Psalm 19:1-14

Type of Psalm

Psalms of praise: Exactly as stated.  God is being praised.

Matthew Henry’s Summary

“There are two excellent books which the great God has published for the instruction and edification of the children of men; this psalm treats of them both, and recommends them both to our diligent study. I. The book of the creatures, in which we may easily read the power and godhead of the Creator, ver. 1-6. II. The book of the scriptures, which makes known to us the will of God concerning our duty. He shows the excellency and usefulness of that book, ver. 7-11, and then teaches us how to improve it, ver. 12-14.”

• Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Psalm 19:1 “How vital that we pray, armed with the knowledge that God is in heaven. Pray with any lesser conviction and your prayers are timid, shallow, and hollow.  But spend some time walking in the workshop of the heavens, seeing what God has done, and watch how your prayers are energized …
“Behold the sun! Every square yard of the sun is constantly emitting 130,000 horse power, or the equivalent of 450 eight-cylinder automobile engines. And yet our sun, as powerful as it is, is but one minor star in the 100 billion orbs which make up our Milky Way Galaxy. Hold a dime in your fingers and extend it arm’s length toward the sky, allowing it to eclipse your vision, and you will block out fifteen million stars from your view … By showing us the heavens, Jesus is showing us his Father’s workshop … he taps us on the shoulder and says, ‘Your Father can handle that for you.’ ”

• Max Lucado, The Great House of God

My Thoughts

David begins by stating that the glory of God is evident in the heavens.  Indeed, the heavens show the mighty power of God, but also the intelligence of design.  But we cannot lose sight of how David only saw the heavens with the naked eye.  Of course, he saw the heavens without the tremendous light pollution that we have today.  I have seen the night sky far up a mountain, away from manmade lights below, but even then David had a better view.

David then praises God’s law in verses 7-9, really the rest of the psalm.  But at first, David speaks of God’s Law being perfect.

Then in verses 10-13 he compares God’s Law to gold, more precious than the purest gold.  David compares God’s Law to honey, more sweet than the sweetest honey.  Depending on where the bees get their pollen and what time of year the honey is made, honey can be less sweet.  But David is referring to Spring honey and probably a predominant blossom of his day that produced the sweetest of honey, yet God’s Law is sweeter still.

David goes on to plead with God to keep him from sin.

And this psalm ends with a familiar benediction that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in God’s sight.

Psalm 20

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
    may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and grant you support from Zion.
May he remember all your sacrifices
    and accept your burnt offerings.
May he give you the desire of your heart
    and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy over your victory
    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall,
    but we rise up and stand firm.
Lord, give victory to the king!
    Answer us when we call!

• Psalm 20:1-9

Type of Psalm

Intercessional psalms:  These are psalms where the psalmist intercedes with God for others.

Matthew Henry’s Summary

“This psalm is a prayer, and the next a thanksgiving, for the king. In this psalm we may observe, I. What it is they beg of God for the king, ver. 1-4. II. With what assurance they beg it. The people triumph, ver. 5, the prince, ver. 6, both together, ver. 7, 8, and so he concludes with a prayer to God for audience, ver. 9.”

• Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Psalm 20:2 from the sanctuary … out of Zion “These are designations about the place of God’s symbolic presence in the ark which David had recaptured and installed in a tabernacle on Mt. Zion. The people’s wish was that the Lord Himself would uphold, support, and sustain the king-general with His extending, powerful presence throughout the military campaign.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

My Thoughts

This psalm starts with a prayer of supplication to receive the blessings from God.  Since the pronoun is “you”, it is an intercessory prayer.

The intercessor is asking for someone’s protection, sanctuary, and support from God.  May your heart’s desire be granted, and God approves your plans.  This is intercessory.  It does not guarantee these things or make stipulations that we should be within God’s will when considering our desires and plans.  Thus, this instructs us in intercessory prayer.  We ask God for complete healing, full removal of trials and troubles, but with the caveat that God’s will is going to be done.

And then in the second half of the psalm, the psalmist speaks of God answering the prayer with power.  Some people trust their chariots and warriors, but you trust God.  Before God, we fall to our knees, but in victory, God’s victory, we rise up and give God the praise.

Psalm 21

The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.
    How great is his joy in the victories you give!
You have granted him his heart’s desire
    and have not withheld the request of his lips.
You came to greet him with rich blessings
    and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
    length of days, for ever and ever.
Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
    you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
Surely you have granted him unending blessings
    and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
For the king trusts in the Lord;
    through the unfailing love of the Most High
    he will not be shaken.
Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;
    your right hand will seize your foes.
When you appear for battle,
    you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and his fire will consume them.
You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    their posterity from mankind.
Though they plot evil against you
    and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.
You will make them turn their backs
    when you aim at them with drawn bow.
Be exalted in your strength, Lord;
    we will sing and praise your might.

• Psalm 21:1-13

Type of Psalm

Psalms of thanksgiving for God’s goodness to Israel:  Giving God thanks as noted.

Matthew Henry’s Summary

“As the foregoing psalm was a prayer for the king that God would protect and prosper him, so this is a thanksgiving for the success God had blessed him with. They are here taught, I. To congratulate him on his victories, and the honour he had achieved, ver. 1-6. II. To confide in the power of God for the completing of the ruin of the enemies of his kingdom, ver. 7-13.”

• Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Psalm 21:13 ” ‘Be thou exalted’ is the language of victorious spiritual experience. It is a little key to unlock the door to great treasures of grace. It is central in the lite of God in the soul. Let the seeking man reach a place where life and lips join to say continually, ‘Be thou exalted,’ and a thousand minor problems will be solved at once. His Christian life ceases to be the complicated thing it had been before and becomes the very essence of simplicity. By the exercise of his will he has set his course, and on that course he will stay as if guided by an automatic pilot. If blown off course for a moment by some adverse wind, he will surely return again as by a secret bent of the soul. The hidden motions of the Spirit are working in his favor, and ‘the stars in their courses’ (Judges 5:20) fight for him. He has met his life problem at its center, and everything else must follow along.”

• A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

My Thoughts

This is a psalm that is a battle cry.  When the king trusts God, there will be victories and blessings

When God shows up in battle, the enemy will be consumed; they cannot win.

But away from the battles of life, we must trust in God for the smallest of things.  We are probably not kings of nations, but in leading a family through hard times, trusting in God is the answer.  If He can conquer great nations, He can help us emerge from a serious illness or conquer poverty and oppression.

And the psalmist talk about those who wish to oppress, and their efforts cannot ultimately succeed.  For God is not only stronger, but God is sovereign.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

Psalm 19

“1. What in creation fills you most with a sense of God’s glory? Can you see God ‘creating’ in so-called ‘natural disasters’?
“2. Which of David’s ‘one-liners’ about God’s law best matches your experience with Scripture? Or should you write your own? How does your sense of its value translate into the time you spend reading it?
“3. Which would nurture your faith most: (a) Meditation on creation? (b) Meditation on the Word? (c) A combination? (d) Other? Why?
“4. What ‘hidden faults’ or ‘willful sins’ come to mind today? is it hard to share these with the group? Why or why not?”

Psalm 20

“1. What does it mean to trust the Lord instead of weapons in our modern world? How does this apply to our prayers? To our political commitments?
“2. What challenge are you facing today for which you need group prayer? State your requests specifically.”

Psalm 21

“1. The last time you overcame a major obstacle, what were you inclined to do: Give yourself a pat on the back? Give thanks to God? Rally the troops who prayed for you? Why?
“2. When have you prayed and not received the victory? How did it affect the way you prayed and faced your big test the next time?
“3. What difference does if make, knowing ultimate victory belongs to God?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

There is one set of questions for each psalm.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.