Two Fundamental Questions

Two Fundamental Questions
Psalm 16-20
Ps. 19 “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”

Today, many question the inerrancy of scripture. They attribute the Bible to be the product of man’s thoughts about God. However, as we approach the Bible, there are two fundamental questions we are confronted with. First, is God powerful enough to guide the writers of scripture to record his message without error or distortion? Second, if God does not mean what he says, then why didn’t he say what he means? Both of these questions are answered in Psalm 19 as David explores the wonder of God's character and his word.

The first part of the Psalm draws us into the majestic glory of God, which we see in his creation. To gaze up into heaven and see the expanse and vastness of the Milky Way arching across the sky shouts the existence and glory of God. However, as we have explored the expanse of the heavens with the James Webb Space Telescope, we are left speechless by the infinite expanse of space. The estimated expanse of just the observable universe is 93 billion light-years across. In this observable expanse, it is estimated that there are over two trillion galaxies with an estimated 200 sextillion (2x1023) stars. In other words, to put it bluntly, we have no idea of the expanse of heaven. But space is not just a place of wonder; it is a voice that continually shouts the glory and power of God. In Isaiah 40:12, we read that God measured the universe with the span of his hand. The Psalmist in Psalm 8:3 says it was the work of His fingers …his finger play! For God, creating the universe was as effortless as a child playing with playdough. If God is that powerful and that might that all creation is under his control, then the answer to the first question is obvious. Indeed, the God whose work in creating the universe was nothing more than fingerplay is powerful enough to guide the writers of scripture to record his message without error. The heavens continually shout for the glory of God and his power and control over the universe.

However, there is even a greater testimony of God and a voice that proclaims his character and truth, and that is the law of God. God not only displayed his nature in creation, but he also communicated it to us perfectly in his law. Because the answer to the first question is yes, the answer to the second question is also clear. Because God is a God of righteousness and truth, when he communicated his word to us through the writers, he meant what he said, and what he said is perfect and true. In response, the psalms describe the wonder, perfection, and impact of God’s word with an overflowing declaration of adjectives. The Psalmist uses every adjective to describe both the vastness of the content of God’s word, the unpolluted purity of God’s word, and the life-changing impact of his word. Because his words are true, they are the basis for discovering the meaning, purpose, and enjoyment of life. His word not only keeps us from sin, but they becomes the basis for obtaining all the blessings of God (vs 11). His word brings clarity to a confused world and the promise of reward for those who obey it.

In light of the majestic glory of God revealed in creation, and the absolute purity of his word that brings clarity to life, there is only one response we can have. That response is to humbly pray for God’s transforming work in our lives, that he would enable us to live by them. The Psalmist recognizes that we need God to communicate his truth to us, but we also need God’s empowerment to live by his word. The same power that created the universe, the same power that guided the writers of scripture to record his law perfectly, is the same power that is available to us to enable us to live in obedience to his word. The only question that remains is: Are we willing to surrender to his empowerment? Are we going to obey God or pursue life our life apart from his word?