Hello, you're listening to Let the Bible Speak. Let the Bible Speak is the radio ministry of the Free Presbyterian Church. Stephen Pollock is the pastor of Free Presbyterian Church of Malvern, Pennsylvania. The church is located at the junction of 401 and Mallon Road. Thank you for joining us today as Dr. Pollock opens the Word of God and lets the Bible speak. Let's turn to go tonight to the 19th Psalm. Psalm 19 to the chief musician, Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Beyond today uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is the bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices the strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heavens, and his circuit unto the ends of it, and there's nothing hid from the heat thereof. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testament of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes 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 judgments of the Lord are true and right altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is thy servant warned, and in keeping of them is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thy me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength. and my Redeemer. Amen. We praise God again for his word to our hearts tonight. We would know nothing of God were it not that he'd freely chosen to reveal himself Everything we know about the Lord is in light of his self-disclosure, his revelation. It's always important to remember that we are his creatures, he is God, and we only know those things according to his own gracious purposes. And the Psalm 19, of course, is the psalm that deals with the revelation of God. It opens there, verse number 1, the heavens declare the glory of God. It is a psalm that teaches and admonishes and instructs us in the subject of the self-revelation of our God. It opens up to us what's often understood as two means of God's self-disclosure, both means of which are, again, signs of God's grace. What a kind God he is, that he would show himself to us with such clarity in the means that he chooses to use. Verses 1 to 6 speaks of the book of creation. Again, a book that we don't pick up, but a book that we certainly can read. It reveals and shows us God's eternal power and Godhead, to use the language of Romans chapter 1. It shows us creation. It shows us that there is indeed a creator. The fact that there is anything presupposes someone. Again, careful there, not something, but someone. The presence of creation is clear evidence of a Creator. Now, we don't know the nature of that Creator from creation, we don't know all the details we have in the Scriptures, but we do see a Creator. Again, one of the fallacies of the modern views regarding evolution is that everything comes from nothing. Whilst we assert creation ex nihilo, we do not assert creation from nothing. We assert creation from someone, namely God. It is God who's able to make all things out of nothing, but there's never been a time where there was nothing. God is the eternal God. There is always God. And so in creation, we see his glory. The second means used here is in verse number 7, the following. It is a reference to the law of the Lord. We see in that language a special revelation. So 1 to 6, general revelation or natural revelation. And verse 7, the following, words that describe special revelation for us here. And now, we're talking about the Bible. Prior to that, of course, in the Old Testament, you might be taught about dreams and visions and prophecies. But for us now, we have the Bible, which is again God's book of self-disclosure in which he reveals himself. Now, the book of nature and the book of Scripture never contradict themselves. They're always perfectly in line. Again, too often, science and Scripture are seen as being at war. They are two competing ideas contesting for the minds of the masses. I trust that we don't see it that way. I trust we understand that nature and Scripture never argue, but in fact will always agree. Scripture, of course, is our final authority. And so at times we may say that science so-called is wrong. because it contradicts the Word. But that language needs to be more carefully used. It is not that science is wrong. Science is a study of nature. That in itself is not wrong. But what we're discussing as being wrong is the interpretation of those studies. And men, ungodly men, can clearly make mistakes in interpretations of the things that they study. I love the quotation of Spurgeon. He says this, Only the foolish have any fears, lest the honest study of the one should injure our faith in the other. And he's speaking in the times of Darwinism. He's speaking in the times of the advance of evolutionary thinking and the rationalism of ungodly men in England at that time. They were denying God's ability to do anything, in fact denying God's very existence. But we hold dear the truth that God reveals himself consistently in both nature and in the scriptures. And so again, it's just a passing comment. It's very important that we educate our young people about these things. We need to be careful the language you use. We can be so scathing against the interpretation of science that we put our young people off actually studying the handiwork of God. Only the foolish will be fearful, says Spurgeon, lest the honest study of one should injure the faith in the other. Science properly engaged in can be very, very beneficial. And again, those at the forefront of modern science, many of those individuals were Christians. They knew the Lord and wanted to glorify God. However, we certainly see in this psalm and elsewhere in the word of God that there is an implied limitation in the book of nature. It speaks. It speaks clearly, but it is not enough. But whilst it's infallible, it is also limited. It does what's intended to do, but it does not do all that God intends. So what does creation do? It reveals God's eternal power in Godhead, so that men are without excuse, Romans 1. But it is the scriptures that are able to make you wise unto salvation. And it is not God's purpose to use creation to reveal the way of salvation. Creation reveals his eternal power in Godhead, but it is the scriptures that show us the way of salvation. Creation shows us God and our need. The Word of God shows us how that need is met. And so as we look at this psalm together tonight, my burden really is twofold. I want to look at the qualities of Scripture tonight and really encourage you to pray for God's blessing on His Word. Praying over the use of God's Word with renewed confidence. Praying for God to save and to sanctify as his Word is used as the means of revealing himself to mankind. That's how you apply this portion in terms of prayer. God uses the Word. What's the qualities of the Word? We see them here. We pray those over before the throne of grace. And then also, I want to remind you of your own diligent study of the Scriptures and the benefit of that. that you'd, again, be revived and reaffirmed in your own mind about the benefit of being in the Scriptures day by day. So, first of all, let's note the terms that are used. There are six separate words in verses 7 through 11 for the Scriptures. Again, you have words law, testimony, statutes, commandment, fear, and judgment. And these terms are used, and they're descriptions of the same entity. They're describing special revelation, but in particular, inscriptured revelation. Again, the words that God gave are recorded. so they become the Pentateuch, the first five books of Moses, the law. They become, again, these matters that are judgments and statutes for the people of God. These are terms to describe the Scriptures. The prophet in Isaiah 8 says this, "...to the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, So you're getting law, testimony, word being used interchangeably and synonymously. And so these terms, they open up to us the identity of the scriptures. The word of God is God's word, but they also, the terms used, they show us certain things regarding the nature of our God as he speaks to us in the scriptures. Well, we certainly see language that implies God's authority here. Again, look at the terms that are used. Law and testimony, statutes and commandments. Again, these are terms not describing a novel or a book of fiction that you can read as you go to bed at night and then put it down and forget the next day. These are legal terms that denote the very authority of God. He is our creator and we're accountable to him. This book, Don't forget this. This book is a mark of God's authority over us. And we must take this book in that regard and tell others about the book in the same way. This is not suggestions. These are words of statute and principle coming from God's sovereign authority. And yet alongside that, we should encourage people, when they hold the scriptures, to recognize again God's goodness, God's generosity, God's graciousness. He's not left us in doubt as to what He expects from us. His will is revealed. You go and evangelize any country in the world, and you begin to discuss natures of heaven and hell, guilt and righteousness, and you'll immediately find people are uncertain. They hope they can meet God's standard, but they're not sure what that is. Well, they need not doubt. We have a Bible that tells us what God expects of mankind, what God expects in terms of the standards that indeed merit favor in His sight. And then we see, of course, our failure to keep those standards. But we're seeing, again, God's mercy. God has not left us in darkness to be uncertain. He's told us, this is what I require of you. And it's very, very clear in the Word of God, and so we should encourage people. The Bible is not a book, again, to push away. It's a gracious gift. It's a glorious gift. It's given to us in God's kindness. And again, we are of all men most foolish if we have the gift upon our shells and never use it. Never consult it, never see what it says to us in regards to what we should believe and how we should live. It's a kind gift from God. It's also a book that reveals God's wisdom. So we see God's authority, God's goodness, and also we see God's wisdom here. I'm thinking of the word judgments here. The judgments of the Lord are true and right, just all together. Verse number nine, God knows what is best. This language describes, again, a God who reveals proper, righteous judgments that ought not to be contested. The wisdom of God. He knows what is for our good. He knows what is for the good of creation. He knows what is for the good of the church, for the family, for the neighborhood. He knows these things and tells us them. and his wisdom. So these terms that are used, they say much regarding the nature of our God, and there's so much more that could be said. I'm just summarizing things tonight. So that's the terms used. And secondly, the note is the truth that is therefore implied. These verses are God's endorsement, inspired endorsement of his own word. Again, note the words, verse number seven, perfect. Sure, right, pure, clean, true, righteous altogether. There's just an overwhelming number of terms used regarding the truthfulness of God's Word. God's Word is a reliable standard. It shows us these righteous judgments out of the wisdom of God. And if the Bible says something is sin and something is righteous, then that is infallibly the case. We've certainly discussed in the church here over the years matters of ethics. And modern morality and ethics seem to be so changeable. But here we have the word of God that is righteous altogether, an unchangeable, reliable standard. Again, I think of how many things have changed in my own life. You know, since I was born, and I see the change in legislation in both sides of the Atlantic. Like even a most trivial example, when I was a child, we would never wear a seatbelt in the car. And then over the years, those seatbelts become compulsory, and now you'd almost go to jail for not having your child in a car seat and a seatbelt in the back of the car. Because there's an understanding, there's a recognition, that was a good change. The problem was not the change, the problem was the inferior knowledge in the past. and things develop and grow. But God's knowledge doesn't grow. It doesn't increase. So God's word is so reliable that it cannot change. If God's word and law will change, it's an indication of some change in God, or some deficiency in God. Either he didn't know something, or else he made a mistake. And both are blasphemous. And so this idea that a modern church can reevaluate the Word of God and then bring laws consistent with the Scriptures is foolish. This book is a reliable standard. It is eternal and unchangeable. And God's standards have not changed. It's reliable. It's trustworthy. It's true. God cannot lie. Again, Christ himself viewed the Scriptures as the Word of God. He says, the Word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken. He saw the equivalence of Scriptures, their writings, were the very words of God. And then he says, thy word is truth. Our Savior who died for our sins and rose again the third day, proving His identity, verifies the truthfulness of the Word of God. And so you have it here in Psalm 19, and Christ, if you like, comes along and puts the seal of His own authority, sealed with His own blood upon these words. This is a trustworthy standard. You'll find people, I hope, in your experience, you're searching for understanding and meaning. What does the world mean? What do I mean? Why am I here? Where do you find the answers to those questions? Well, only in God's truth. So you find people searching for truth you've got to bring to the Scriptures. Here's where you'll find meaning. Here's where you'll find explanation of your life. And again, as we come to pray, we pray for lost souls. An important prayer to pray is that lost souls would pick up a Bible again. They begin to read the scriptures, they begin to search the Bible. What does the Bible say regarding what is right and what is wrong? So as we see the terms used here, and then the truth implied, which again leads thirdly to the task. All of these things lead to really reinforcing what God is doing in the giving of his word. Why do we have a Bible? Again, we have creation that shows us God's eternal power and Godhead, but why a Bible? Well, it is to show us the way of salvation. Verse number seven, the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. There's three things in light of this. First of all, please note the predicament of the soul. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. We all have something called a soul. Lord Jesus believed that. Again, the modern secularist who examines the body sees physical matter and does not believe in the existence of the soul of mankind. But Christ, of course, he told the disciples not to fear the one that killed the body, but rather the one able to destroy both soul and body in hell. I think, again, as a As a church and as a bunch of believers in the present day, we need to remind ourselves of the existence of the soul. We can become personally very secular. We can become very material. We see, again, loved ones, we see neighbors who are making decisions, again, that seem to be foolish in this present world, but ultimately what's in danger is their very soul. As Luke 16 reminds us, there were two men who both died. they both died, and one awoke in Abraham's bosom and the other in the torments of a lost eternity, bodies buried, souls still very much alive. And again, it's important we come to pray. We need to remind ourselves again of the existence of the eternal soul, and the soul needs converting. The verb used here is used over a thousand times in the Old Testament. It's a very common verb. It's used here in the sense of turning back. And the emphasis again is on the back. It's turning around. Men in the wrong direction. They are without God and without hope in the world. Again, souls out of Christ are described in the Bible as being lost. not where they should be, going in the wrong direction, going to lost eternity. You think of the broad road, where does it lead? Well, Matthew 7 tells us, it leadeth to destruction. They're going on a pathway, and as we think of the Christian, like Pilgrim on the way to Celestial City, so the unconverted are walking in a different direction, and they're heading on the way to destruction. And the Savior is the one sent by the Father, the Father himself seeking such to worship him. They're lost souls, and God is giving the Bible to seek those lost souls, but the danger is there. The predicament of the soul is their lostness and their eternal destruction. Hence, the Bible comes as a means of conversion. The Bible means something to us. And it implies the peril of the soul. They need to be converted. We need to pray for them. We need to bring the Bible to their attention. The Bible is evidence of man's danger and lostness. The Bible is given because men are lost. God's willing to convert their souls. And in light of that, we have the power of the scriptures then. The predicament of the soul and the power of the scriptures. The law of the Lord is perfect. doesn't say attempting to convert the soul, but converting the soul. The Testament of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The Scriptures meet the need of the lost, wandering soul. They're able to make you wise unto salvation. How? Well, in contrast to general revelation, they show us God's standard, and they show us God's Savior. But we understand, and you read through the New Testament, and you know the Bible must be applied, it must be applied to the heart of man, and the God of heaven must send his spirit to open up their eyes and they could see the scriptures. But in the Bible, there is absolutely everything the fallen man needs. Nothing missing. There's nothing absent in the word of God that would cause someone to say, if only I knew this. Everything they need to know to be saved is in this book. All the information, all the details regarding God's standard and their own sinfulness is revealed for them to see. We need to trust the Lord in this. We need to understand that if we show people the book, show people the law of God, show people the Bible, God is able to convict their souls. God's able to use the word to convict the soul of man. What a blessing that would be. Shows us God's standard and God's savior. Again, Christ told the Pharisees to search the scriptures. They are they which testify of me. Christ, of course, is the subject of all the word of God. His deity, his humanity, his perfect life, his atoning death, his glorious resurrection, his ascension, his intercession for us. It's all here that we could know peace with God and reconciliation from our sins. The word of God shows all of these things. It's plain. It's clear. It's simple enough for a child to see Christ and to receive Christ. It's deep enough for those with profound questions to wrestle these things through and find answers given to them by God himself. So you see the peril, the predicament of the soul, the power of the scriptures. And thirdly, and finally, you see the preciousness of salvation. You see, the outcome of this task is also seen here. In verse 8 and following, you have the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. What a blessing that is! Rejoice in the heart—the first part of verse number 8. And then on down through, more to be desired are they than gold. Verse number 10, ye than much fine gold, sweeter also than the honey and the honeycomb. Again, the person who's saved by God's grace doesn't leave the Bible aside when they're converted. Rather, once they have the Bible, they treasure the Bible as above everything else. the sweetness of it, the beauty of it, the glory of it, and the delight in the Scriptures. And so verse 11 and following reveals the benefit of the Word of God. Moreover, by them is thy servant warned, and in keeping of them there is great reward. And he deals with the matter of sin, and the fact the Bible keeps him back from his sin. What a blessing that is, the Word of God that is continually beneficial to the heart of the child of God. So the psalmist closes his psalm as he reflects upon revelation, general and special revelation. Let the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be acceptable in my sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Is this psalm acceptable? It's in the Scriptures. It's here with the very seal of God's authority and God's approval. It's there. It's been read and studied and sang by believers for centuries now. It is still that word that speaks to us about how God reveals himself to mankind. And so I want to encourage you again tonight, as I said at the start. We look at the scriptures. We see their importance and their clarity. We see the quality of the word of God. Pray for God's blessing upon his word with renewed confidence. We're praying for a book that works. We're praying for a book that brings blessing. We're praying for a book that's effectual to change the hearts of men and women. Pray for God to use his word here and elsewhere for the glory and honor of his name. And personally, I trust you are restored in your mind, I need to read my Bible. I need to study my Bible. I need to see what God is gonna say to me day by day. I don't want to miss a day. I'm not hearing God's Word to my soul. This is God's precious gift, the Bible, given to us that we would know more of our God and follow Him faithfully in these days. Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode of Let the Bible Speak from Malvern Free Presbyterian Church. If you'd like more information about the gospel or the church, please call 610-993-3170 or email malvernfpc at yahoo.com. We extend an invitation to all to join us as we worship the Lord each week. You will be made very welcome. The church is situated at 80 Mallon Road, Malvern, Pennsylvania, at the junction of 401 and Mallon Road. We meet for worship on the Lord's Day at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. A Bible study and prayer meeting is also held on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. We preach Christ Crucified.