The Sufficiency of Scripture – Psalm 19:7-8
Preached by Pastor Phil Layton on 12/3/2006 at Gold Country Baptist Church
READ PSALM 19:1-8
Psalm 19 has been called by C.S. Lewis “the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world”—C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1958), 63.
It has inspired other poems, such as Joseph Addison’s “The Spacious Firmament on high.” You have a copy of this in your bulletin, on the back of your notes insert.
Addison prefaced his work with the words: “The Supreme Being has made the best arguments for His own existence in the formation of the heavens and earth.” Addison’s poem first appeared in The Spectator newspaper in 1712.
The Spacious Firmament on high, With all the blue Ethereal Sky,
And spangled Heav'ns, a Shining Frame,Their great Original proclaim:
Th' unwearied Sun, from day to day, Does his Creator's Pow'r display,
And publishes to every Land The Work of an Almighty Hand.
Soon as the Evening Shades prevail, The Moon takes up the wondrous Tale,
And nightly to the list'ning Earth Repeats the Story of her Birth:
Whilst all the Stars that round her burn, And all the Planets, in their turn,
Confirm the Tidings as they rowl, And spread the Truth from Pole to Pole.
… In Reason's Ear they all rejoice, And utter forth a glorious Voice,
For ever singing, as they shine, The Hand that made us is Divine.
Overall Division:
Verses 1-6Verses 7-11
The SkiesThe Scripture
Supremacy of God’s glorySufficiency of God’s Word
Natural revelationSupernatural revelation
General revelation in creationSpecial revelation for re-creation
God’s Glory in the worldGod’s Glory in His Word
Uses generic name for “God” (El)Uses covenant name for “LORD” 6x (Yahweh) – eternal, personal LORD
Helps us know there is a GodHelps us know God relationally
This brings up some questions, which I introduced last week:
-Is this natural or general revelation enough?
-What about those who have never received special revelation in a Bible?
REVIEW ROMANS 1:18-25
Boice says in this connection with Rom 1, “this is the meaning of glory in Psalm 19 – a revelation of God’s existence and power so great that it should lead every human being on the face of the earth to seek God out, to thank him for bringing him or her into existence and to worship him. But that is not what we do. What Paul says in Romans is that, apart from God’s special intervention in our lives to save us, all human beings actually suppress the truth of God’s general revelation, either denying his existence altogether or else erecting a lesser god, an idol, in the true God’s place. As a result of this, the wrath of God has been revealed against us and our truth-suppressing cultures.” (p. 162)
Natural revelation conveys actual propositions:
- God exists.
- God is eternal.
- God is all-powerful
- God will judge those who reject Him.
READ ROMANS 10:13-18
General revelation in nature does not make anyone saved, it makes us responsible, responsible to respond to what has been revealed to us
Sometimes people ask, “well what about some of the remote tribes in the world, who have never heard of Jesus, can they still be saved without him?”
The answer of Romans 10 is a clear no, that’s the whole point of missions, how will they hear without a preacher, and how will a preacher go unless he is sent?
To put it another way, they may not be consciously rejecting the Son of God by name because they’ve never heard of Him, but they are rejecting God the Father, and rather than truly seeking Him, they make up their own gods in their own image who they come to on their own terms that they’ve come up with.
R.C. Sproul has talked about when his students used to ask “what about the innocent person in deep Africa who dies without ever hearing about Jesus or a Bible, can he go to heaven?”
And R.C. Sproul would say “yes”
His students would be shocked and surprised, and he would then explain “you said ‘innocent’ person – any person who’s innocent and perfect can go to heaven, but the problem is the Bible says there is no one who is truly innocent.”
TURN TO ROMANS 2:14-16 – both creation and conscience convict all
The scriptures do say God rewards those who earnestly seek Him, and if there are hearts God wants to elect and call and save in the remotest part of the world, He can certainly enable those who are truly seeking God to be rewarded by sending them a missionary.
And this is not just hypothetical, but God has done this with the Taliabo people in Indonesia, or the Waodani, formerly called the Auca Indians in Ecuador.
Missionaries like Don Richardson (Eternity in Their Hearts) have documented many tribal groups who have awaited the arrival of evangelists bringing a book telling of a Savior. By general revelation they have already known of the Creator and the Fall. Thus God has prepared the way through His continual speech, and the door is wide open for evangelism. (Preacher’s Commentary, Vol. 13, p. 159)
You will hear me share from time to time about different missionaries, because I think it’s important as we study theology that we also be reminded of the world out there who needs the Lord. God’s glory and the splendor of heaven should motivate us to share it with others. One of the healthiest things for us as a church is to have prayers and passion for unreached people in the world.
QUESTION: Is a display of glory or supernatural power better than written Scripture?
"We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." (2 Peter 1:16-19, NIV)
In Psalm 19:7-8, we are going to see that the Bible and Bible alone in its entirety, is the more certain word, greater than any visual display, greater than any experience and more beneficial than even miracles. Miracles and emotions don’t save, God’s Word does.
It is the Bible and the Bible alone in its entirety, that is:
-inspired by God (verbal-plenary, every single word, every jot and tittle)
-infallible (never fails, never needs to be updated)
-inerrant in all matters, including history and science
-infinitely sufficient for all of life and godliness
John MacArthur puts it well: “Is the Bible so insufficient that it can't show us these things that we have to depend on worldly wisdom? Do we have to go to men to ask them to explain what's happening? Do we need further revelation? Do we need psychoanalysis for spiritual problems from sources that long have rejected Scripture as even a source of truth? Is the Bible so incomplete that we have to turn to science to explain origin, philosophy to explain life and sociology to explain sin? No, all the light of life is in the Word of God.” (GTY, 80-19)
Psalm 19 says in every possible way, using every possible word in their vocabulary, that God’s Word is absolutely sufficient.
In Hebrew poetry, it doesn’t get any more perfect or parallel or powerful than the way verses 7-8 are structured. C.S. Lewis isn’t the only one who has been amazed at I put a little grid in your bulletin that shows this, also on the back sheet of your notes page.
Parallelism Structure of verses 7-8
Verse / Title / Source / Quality / Action / Object7a / Law / Of the LORD / Perfect / Restoring / The soul
7b / Testimony /
Of the LORD
/ Sure / Making wise / The simple8a / Precepts / Of the LORD / Right / Rejoicing / The heart
8b / Commandment / Of the LORD / Pure / Enlightening / The eyes
AUTHORSHIP OF PSALM 19
David (below is adapted from GTY 80-19)
-understood the extremities and struggles and trials and troubles and tribulations of life to the degree that few people have endured them.
-He knew what it was to have his life threatened continually.
-He knew what it was to be overlooked or underestimated and even belittled as a young man among his bigger brothers
-He knew what it was to have fallen into deep sin, even adultery and murder
-He knew what it was to lose a baby as well as a grown son in tragic death
-He knew what it was to have his own children rebel against him.
-He knew what it was to have fouled up marriages and a family that was falling apart
-This is a man who speaks out of the depth of human emotion.
-And yet he also knows that the ONLY answers and solutions to these things come from God’s Sufficient Word.
-Whether shepherding sheep as a teenager, or shepherding a nation as their King, He could be called a man after God’s own heart, because God’s Word was sufficient for Him.
Notice first of all the repeated phrase “of the LORD” which is repeated 6x in 3 verses
To repeat something once or twice would be emphatic, this is the maximum emphasis to say that this book is “of the LORD”
-Anything that does not have this source, anything else from the world, cannot have these qualities or these results.
-Nothing I say is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, but everything in this book is.
-Nothing man can come up with is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped, thoroughly furnished for every good work.
-No clever new way of ministry has the power of the Sword of the Spirit, and it is only the Word that God promises not to return void.
-Only the Word can light our feet and be a lamp to our path.
-Only the Bible can cause people to be born again and totally transformed.
-Only this book is truly and fully sufficient for all of life
Sadly, not all Christians and churches think the Bible is enough. Rather than just focus on the Word, they want to be more “relevant” by making sermons about other stuff, the world, or politics, or the news, or popular culture.
The result is, as W. A. Criswell has said:
When a man goes to church he often hears a preacher in the pulpit rehash everything that he has read in the editorials, the newspapers, and the magazines. On the TV commentaries he hears that same stuff over again, yawns, and goes out and plays golf on Sunday. When a man comes to church [where the Bible is really taught], actually what he is saying to you is this, 'Preacher, I know what the TV commentator has to say; I hear him every day. I know what the editorial writer has to say; I read it every day. I know what the magazines have to say; I read them every week. Preacher, what I want to know is, does God have anything to say? If God has anything to say, tell us what it is.'
That is my commitment as pastor here, to tell you what God says in His Word. Some may not think we’re flashy or fun, but I just want to be faithful to the Sufficient Scripture.
Outline:
FOUR TITLES OF BIBLE (all synonyms – Law, testimony, precepts, commandment)
FOUR QUALITIES OF BIBLE (perfect, sure, right, pure)
FOUR RESULTS (restoring the soul, making wise the simple, rejoicing the heart, enlightening the eyes)
Notice that the whole person is affected, the soul, the simple-mind, the heart, eyes
God’s Word is sufficient enough for the entire person
First, the Four Titles for Scripture:
- Law is the word Torah – not limited to first 5 books, it has the idea of instruction, teaching, even doctrine. This is a word that stands for Scripture, one of the most common words they used for it, like we use the word “Bible” today. The emphasis of this word may be that this book is an instruction manual for living. Many of your Christmas presents will have instructions with them – God has been so kind that in His gift of eternal life, He also gives us a manual for living. As a kid I learned the acronym B-I-B-L-E (Basic Instructions ‘Bout Life on Earth)
- Testimony – this emphasizes God’s testimony or revelation of Himself. It was used often of the Mosaic Law or even the 10 Commandments on stone, which were put in the ark and called “the ark of the testimony”
- Precepts (NASB) or Statutes (NKJV, NIV)
“The noun piqqud … has the meaning of ‘orders’ or ‘directions’ that guide one, like a road map or verbal directions that allow you to find a place you have never visited before.” (Wilson, 367)
- Commandment – this word stresses the Bible’s non-optional nature. It is not a book of suggestions. Its divine mandates are authoritative and binding.
Secondly, in our outline, let’s look at the FOUR QUALITIES OF SCRIPTURE:
- Perfect (v. 7 “The law of the LORD is perfect”)
"But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:25, NASB95)
This word has a “fundamental idea of completeness” (TWOT, 973) or “sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity” (BDB, 1071.1).
NASB & ESV marginal note includes “blameless”
Vine’s says the word also means “sincerity; entire; whole; complete; full … Tamim may mean incontestable or free from objection … no blemish (Lev. 22:18-21) as “blemish” is defined by God” (1:176).
“being perfect means being so complete as to cover every aspect of life. It means that the Bible is not deficient in any way. It is an all-sufficient revelation.” (Boice, 172)
“Perfect” is the translation of a common Hebrew word meaning “whole,” “complete,” or “sufficient.” It conveys the idea of something that is comprehensive, so as to cover all aspects of an issue. Commentator Albert Barnes wrote,
The meaning [of “perfect”] is that [Scripture] lacks nothing [for] its completeness; nothing in order that it might be what it should be. It is complete as a revelation of Divine truth; it is complete as a rule of conduct.… It is absolutely true; it is adapted with consummate wisdom to the [needs] of man; it is an unerring guide of conduct. There is nothing there which would lead men into error or sin; there is nothing essential for man to know which may not be found there.
Scripture is comprehensive, embodying all that is necessary to one’s spiritual life.
One Old Testament scholar says that the fullness of the meaning is to say that it means "all sided so as to cover completely all aspects of a thing." It is a word of comprehensiveness. It is to say then that the Scripture covers everything. It lacks nothing. It lacks nothing. It is a comprehensive source of teaching from God which therefore embodies all that is necessary to the spiritual life of God's people. (GTY, 80-19)
- Sure
“trustworthy” in NIV & HCSB, others have “sure”
“faithful, proved to be reliable” (Wilson, 367)
The Bible can be trusted in all matters, including history
The story is told of a woman reading the Bible on a public bus. She was confronted by a belligerent man who asked her if she really believed every word of the Bible. She said she did. He said, “well then explain to me how Jonah lived for three days in the belly of a whale.”
She answered, “I don’t know, but I believe he did.”
Then the man became more agitated. He said, “Lady, you should be able to explain what you believe.”
She quietly repeated her inability to know exactly how Jonah survived but she noted that she would ask him once she got to heaven.
Sarcastically, the rude guy said, “And what if Jonah didn’t make it to heaven.”
She replied, “Well, then you ask him.”
- Right
All English translations the same
Rather than simply indicating what is right as opposed to wrong, that word has the sense of showing someone the true path. The truths of Scripture lay out the proper path through the difficult maze of life. That’s a wonderful confidence. So many people today are distressed or despondent because they lack direction and purpose. Most seek answers from the wrong sources. God’s Word not only provides the light to our path (Ps. 119:105), but also sets the route before us. (MacArthur, Our Sufficiency in Christ, 82)
- Pure
NIV & HCSB have “radiant”
"Your word is very pure, Therefore Your servant loves it." (Psalm 119:140, NASB95)
"The words of the Lord are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times." (Psalm 12:6, NASB95)