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Psalm Meditation 304

Second Sunday of Easter

April 23, 2006

Psalm 19

1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.

3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;

4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,

5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple;

8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes;

9 the fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.

13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

(NRSV)

We have become an image based culture due to the incredible number of images that are available to us on a daily basis. Prior to the image base we had a primarily written based culture which the computer may help us reclaim in a modified form. A purely spoken word culture is not quite as familiar to us as it was to the psalmist. While we are going to see the glory of God proclaimed in the heavens the psalmist hears the glory of God proclaimed in the heavens. The difference is fairly small, however it is different enough to throw off our understanding of the imagery. The glory of God is the same no matter how we experience it. Each day is full of the glory of God in words and pictures and in the full variety of ways that we experience God in our lives.

The heavens giving glory to God is a long introduction to the psalm’s focus on the whole law of God. We may call it by many names; law, decrees, precepts, etc, however it is the way we learn to live in the presence of God. We tend to see laws and rules as a negative when they keep us from doing what we want to do. We see them as good when they keep others from running roughshod over us and those we love. The psalmist assures us that the rules and laws teach us how to live in a relationship with God. That law-based relationship with God is to be desired over any and all other riches.

As we build a relationship with God and those in relationship with God we are kept from harmful and hurtful relationships based on something other than the ways of God. Keeping our focus on a relationship with God keeps us from great transgression though we do need to be cleansed from the hidden faults and errors that are a part of our nature.

While the final verse is used by many as a prayer prior to preaching it need not be confined to that time and place. Any time we are about to speak and any time we are thinking about something or someone we do well to pray this verse as a reminder that words can damage a relationship and that those words begin as thoughts and meditations.

LCM