Psalm 19, and the key section here on the sufficiency of
Scripture is verse 7 through verse 11. That's where I want to
focus. That is the definitive text on the superiority and
sufficiency of Scripture. But we can't consider those verses
alone in isolation this morning. In order to understand fully
what the Psalmist is saying, I want to take a broad look at the
whole Psalm. (By the way, David is the author of this
psalm,) So we'll cover the whole psalm, and by setting verses
7-11 in their full context, I want to show you why that
passage is so foundational to what we believe about
Scripture.
This is an expansive psalm about how God reveals
Himself. It features two major ways God has made Himself
known. First, in verses 1-6, it says God has revealed His
glory in nature. Then in the second half of the psalm, David
speaks of God's self-revelation in His Word. Let me read the
whole psalm, and then we'll look closely at those two
stanzas. Note the shift between the two stanzas at verse 7:
1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens
declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his
handiwork.
Psalm 19 2
2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals
knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is
not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their
words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for
the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
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 there is nothing hidden from its
heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the
testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the
eyes;
9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules
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 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from
hidden faults.
The Superiority of Scripture 3
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not 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 in your sight, O LORD, my rock and
my redeemer.
So there are two parts to that psalm, and each focuses on a
different aspect of divine revelation. Theologians label these
general revelation and special revelation. They are like two
separate volumes of a single workCboth written by the same
author, both containing the same message, but each dealing
with the message in a different way. And the theme is the
glory of God.
Keep that illustration in mind: two books, same Author,
one consistent message. We'll come back to it, because I
want to correct a common misperception about the two-book
analogy. But first, lets talk about these two means of divine
revelation.
General revelation shows us God's glory in a vivid display
that can be seen in every dimension of creation, and special
revelation unveils for us the full panorama of redemptive
truth as it is given to us in God's Word. The psalmist is
making both a comparison and a contrast between the two.
Both nature and Scripture reveal God to us, but they do it in
different ways. One is natural; the other supernatural. One is
universal and obvious to every creature; the other (in the
Psalm 19 4
words of 1 Corinthians 2:9-10) contains "'What no eye has
seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God
has prepared for those who love him'Cthese things God has
revealed to us through the Spirit." That, of course, is speaking
of the truth that is revealed and recorded for us in the Bible.
The scope of natural revelation is as vast as the universe
itself. It extends to the farthest reaches of the stars and
beyond, but it is also seen in the smallest molecular
structures. It doesn't matter if you look into a telescope or
into a microscope, you are confronted with an infinite
number of evidences that all display the glory of GodCHis
wisdom, His power, His skill as Creator, His love of beauty
and diversity and complexity.
Nature is a breathtaking and astonishing demonstration of
divine glory, no matter what perspective you see it from and
no matter how narrow or how broad the range of your vision.
It is impressive beyond words in every dimension and in
every detail. The glory of God is on display in vivid, intense,
and graphic detailCno matter where you turn your eyes.
And yet, the glory of God is even more clear, more
impressive, more majestic, and more remarkable the way we
see it in Scripture. Here's the point David wants us to take
away from this psalm: Special revelationCthat which is
contained in propositional statements printed in ink on paper,
and bound up in a single volume you can hold in your
handCspecial revelation is in every way superior to the vast,
The Superiority of Scripture 5
sky-to-sky revelation of God in nature. And that is the theme
and the major lesson of this psalm.
Let's look at it in two points, which I'll give you here at
the start. Our outline, and the outline of this psalm, is simple,
just two points. So it ought to be very easy to organize your
notes this morning. In point 1, we will consider natural
revelation, the means by which God reveals His glory in the
skies. That will cover verses 1-6. And in point two, we will
consider supernatural revelation, the means by which God
reveals His grace in the Scriptures. That will cover verses
7-14.
So (first things first) let's consider verses 1-6:
1. NATURAL REVELATION: GOD REVEALS HIS GLORY IN
THE SKIES
Verse 1: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky
above proclaims his handiwork." This is one of the key
passages in Scripture on natural revelation, affirming that all
nature is a great object lesson, showing the glory and
faithfulness and wisdom of our creator in a vivid display.
I have been thinking a lot about this lately. It is a
wonderful truth. God built into His creation a brilliant
reflection of His glory, so that when we see breathtaking
scenes in nature, or when we think about the world of living
organisms that are in a drop of pond water, or whenever we
Psalm 19 6
ponder any of the glories of the universe, our minds ought to
turn naturally to the glory of the Creator.
In fact, the only way anyone can look at the wonders of
the universe and not be struck by the glory of the creator is
by deliberately suppressing the knowledge of God that is
inborn in every human heart. God is so clearly revealed in
his creation that people must be willfully blind to see all that
He has made and turn away in unbelief or skepticism. But
that is precisely what all people do. Even you and I do it to
some degree or another, and I'll show you that in a moment.
But first, look at what the psalm is sayingCand notice
how clear and comprehensive and pervasive the revelation of
God's glory in nature is. "The heavens declare the glory of
God." The sky is a preacherCand what a mighty preacher it
is! It is in every way more diligent, more persistent, and
more far-reaching than any other preacher, because it
preaches at all times (v. 2); in all tongues (v. 3); and in all
territories (v. 4). Pay special attention to verses 2-4, and let's
see what David is saying about the universal scope of natural
revelation:
The Superiority of Scripture 7
1. Nature speaks at all times (v. 2). "Day to day pours out
speech, and night to night reveals knowledge." Nature is
constantly speaking forth the glories of God. You can see it
at night in the starry expanse of the heavens. And you can
see it in the daytime in the beauties of nature, from the whole
world of microscopic marvels that swim in a droplet of pond
water, to the intricate beauties of a blooming flower, to the
awesome spectacles of the mountains, the oceans, Niagara
Falls, the Grand Canyon, the Sahara Desert, or literally any
place on earth. Everywhere you look, nature is filled with
wonders that declare God's glory, his wisdom, His majesty,
His immensity, and His power.
We have a couple of astronaut friends, Barry Wilmore and
Jeff Williams. Jeff's been in space three timesConce on the
Space Shuttle Atlantis, and he did two six-month stints in the
International Space station. He's preparing for a third
six-month stay up there next year. He told me once the
opening verse of this psalm is the thought that continually
runs through his head. And when you see the pictures he has
taken and hear him describe the immense majesty of space
and the beauty of this world, you can't help experiencing it
just a little bit vicariously.
You and I pay for NASA's photography with our tax
money, and it's one of the few government projects I am
thrilled to support. Because they keep a large archive of
high-def digital photos online that you can download for
Psalm 19 8
free. You ought to look at some of those photos and expand
your brain about the glory of God in nature. Two things
impress me. One is how close and how large the earth looks
in pictures taken from the Space Station. It doesn't seem like
that thing is far enough away to escape most of the earth's
gravitational pull. It's in orbit about 268 miles up. That's
shorter than the distance from here to San Jose. So in all the
photos that are pointed at earth, the earth looks almost like
you could reach out and touch it.
But when the camera is pointed away from earth, you get
the opposite impression. One of the really astonishing things
about outer space and the inconceivably enormous size of the
universe is how small and relatively insignificant earth is. As
David said in Psalm 8:4: "What is man that you are mindful of
him?"
And you know what? You can see equally awesome
wonders anywhere you look, if you pay attention. Ponder the
complexity of a single insect, the number and diversity of so
many stars and planets, or as Darlene does almost every day,
marvel at what a spectacular scene you have in almost every
sunrise or sunset. Day to day, night to night, every single
facet of nature is equally amazing.
Nature speaks at all times (verse 2). But not only thatC
The Superiority of Scripture 9
2. Nature speaks in all languages (v. 3). The heavens and the
firmament declare the glory of God in a way no one can
possibly miss. Verse 3: "There is no speech, nor are there
words, whose voice is not heard." The language of natural
revelation is non-verbal, and therefore universal. No matter
what language you speak, nature communicates its truths
clearly. The same divine Creator is revealed to the
Cambridge scholar studying quantum physics as to the
uncivilized tribesman living in the deepest rain-forest. The
message is clear, across every human language barrier and
without any kind of translation. You can ignore it or try to
suppress it, but you can't avoid it. And it doesn't need to be
explained. It clearly reveals a superior power and a superior
intellect. It clearly shows the limitless expanse of infinitude,
which is something we could otherwise never imagine or
illustrate.
So nature speaks at all times and in all languages. And
thirdC
3. Nature speaks to all people (vv. 4-6). Listen again to verses
4-6:
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their
words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for
the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
Psalm 19 10
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit
to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its
heat.
In other words, the truth available in nature is already being
declared to the uttermost parts of the earth. No missionaries
are needed to carry natural revelation to remote areas. It's
already there. No one can hide from or escape the truth God
reveals Himself in nature. The glory of God is like the sun,
David says, reaching to every place on earth. No one can
claim ignorance; no one can say this truth was hidden.
But here is the amazing thing: Despite the clarity,
universality, and simplicity of general revelation, by itself it
is completely inadequate for salvation. No one ever comes to
God because they see Him revealed in nature.
Did you ever wonder how so many scientists can devote
their lives to the study of the marvels of creation and end up
believing that the entire universe sprang into being by
accident, with no intelligent cause? Do you sit there amazed,
as I do, when you watch the National Geographic channel or
Discovery channel, and see all these programs that feature
the fantastic details of God's creation, and then hear the
announcer try to explain how all this came into being purely
by random, on its own?
Seriously, it is utterly irrational and absurd to convince
yourself that everything happened without a cause and
without a reason. All the beauty, order, intricacy, and
The Superiority of Scripture 11
diversity in the universeCnot to mention all the
interdependent species of life, the perfect balance of the solar
system, and even intelligence itselfChow can anyone
possibly believe it all happened spontaneously, without a
cause, without a designer, without a plan, without any
meaning? Who could possibly believe that, unless it is
someone who is desperately and sinfully trying to suppress
every possible thought about God?
Scripture says it is the sinful tendency of all humanity to
do just that. People deliberately stifle their own consciences
and silence reason itself and tell themselves that it is more
rational to eliminate God from their thoughts. And that
tendency is universal, Scripture says. It is the principal sin of
every fallen, sinful mind. It is the wicked tendency from
which every other evil of humanity is hatched. It is
indescribably wicked. And everyone in the world is guilty of
this sin at one time or another and in some degree or another.
Left to ourselves, that is the course we would all choose.
The apostle Paul was quite clear about that. He began his
gospel presentation by declaring the guilt of all humanity. No
exceptions. And Paul's case begins with an assertion in
Romans 1 that all people are guilty first and foremost
because they have willfully rejected the truth about God that
is evident on the very face of all creation. Listen to Romans
1:18-22:
Psalm 19 12
18 the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their
unrighteousness suppress the truth.
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them,
because God has shown it to them.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power
and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since
the creation of the world, in the things that have been
made. So they are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as
God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their
thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools.
In other words, nature reveals a God of power and glory; a
God of order and infinite intelligence. "His eternal power and
Godhead" are perpetually on display in every single facet of
nature. You can close your eyes to it, but it is still there in the
very air you breathe.
In nature we can discern that God is a God of law, beauty,
wisdom, goodness, greatness, power, might, and excellence.
And it is the rejection of those truths about God that makes
every person culpable for sin. Furthermore, the rejection of
natural revelation is the first step in the tragic spiritual
decline that Paul spells out so graphically in Romans 1.
Listen also to what Paul said about natural humanity in 1
Corinthians 2:14: "The natural person does not accept the
The Superiority of Scripture 13
things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not
able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."
In other words, fallen people by nature are so spiritually
obtuse, so insensitive to anything that is heavenly, so
undiscerning, so dull to the things of GodCso utterly dead in
our trespasses and sinsCthat we would miss the truth about
God entirely if He did not supernaturally intervene and
reveal Himself to us through some means other than nature.
Whenever I have preached on this subject, someone has
invariably asked, Are you sure there are no exceptions? Isn't
it possible that some people somewhere, cut off from the
truth of the gospel, will nevertheless turn to God and
embrace Him because they see the light of truth that's
revealed in nature?
I realize that idea is becoming increasingly popular these
days. More and more people want to believe that somehow,
people can be saved apart from hearing the gospel. But
Scripture is clear: no one is saved through general revelation
alone. The truth of nature saves no one. Only the message of
Christ can do that. Romans 10:14-15: "How then will they call
on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to
believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are
they to hear without someone preaching?
Rom 10:15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent?"
Two verses later, Romans 10:17: "Faith comes from hearing,
and hearing through the word of Christ." Then immediately
Psalm 19 14
after saying that, Paul himself raises the issue of general
revelation from right here in Psalm 19. Here's the very next
verse, Romans 10:18: "But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed
they have, for 'Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their
words to the ends of the world.' But I ask, did Israel not
understand?" And the answer he gives, basically, is that they
rejected what they did understand.
What Paul says there is true not only of Israel, but of all
humanity. General revelation alone is enough to condemn
those who reject itCand make no mistake; everyone rejects
it. But the truth revealed in nature is not enough to save.
Only the gospel "is the power of God unto salvation." Unless
the truth of ScriptureCand specifically, the saving gospel of
Jesus ChristCreaches the ears of sinners, there is no hope of
salvation. Verse 17 again: "So faith comes from hearing, and
hearing through the word."
David, in essence, is saying the same thing right here in
our psalm. He is celebrating the absolute necessity, the
absolute sufficiency, and the absolute superiority of the
ScripturesCthe written Word of GodC"special revelation" or
(as we're calling it here) "supernatural revelation." And that
brings us to point 2 (vv. 7-14)C
The Superiority of Scripture 15
2. SUPERNATURAL REVELATION: GOD REVEALS HIS
GRACE IN THE SCRIPTURES
This is the structure of the psalm: Verses 1-6 say God's
sovereign glory is revealed in the skies; verses 7-14 are
teaching that God's saving grace is revealed only in the
Scriptures. And that is why the Scriptures are so utterly
superior to the revelation of God we see in nature.
Now understand; David is in no way denigrating the
wonder and the glory of natural revelation. This in no way
diminishes the grandeur and the majesty of what we see in
nature. What it does is elevate Scripture to an even higher
level.
My astronaut friends have the best perspective on general
revelation of anyone I can imagine. Think how amazing it
would be to walk in space and see the entire earth floating in
space at your feet and the vast expanse of the heavens
overhead. (Or vice versa, because, after all, you'd be
weightless. And from my perspective, that weightlessness
would be the most amazing part of the experience.)
And yet, what David is saying is that the glories of
Scripture are even greater than all the wonders of nature
combined. Scripture is more sublime, more full of wonders,
more breathtaking in its splendor and brilliance than all the
infinite wonders of nature combined. That's what David says
in verses 7-11, the very heart of this psalm. Between the two
kinds of revelation, natural revelation and supernatural
Psalm 19 16
revelation (the book of nature and the book of
Scripture)Cthe written Word of God is the superior form of
revelation.
And I want to get back to this analogy of two books. It's
an analogy that is much abused nowadays.
Have you ever heard this argument? "God gave us two
books: the book of Scripture and the book of nature. Both
are equally trustworthy. There is no possibility of a
contradiction between them. We should give equal weight to
both."
That's the rationale given by people today who want us to
adapt our interpretation of Genesis to the prevailing opinions
of the scientific community. The argument may seem safe
and reasonableCand it is true up to the last sentence of that
statement. Natural and supernatural revelation are equally
trustworthy. They are in perfect agreement.
And, yes, it is the same God who speaks in both creation
and the Bible. "He cannot deny himself" (2 Timothy 2:13),
and He never lies, according to Titus 1:2 and a half dozen
more texts. So it is quite true that there is no possibility of
any contradiction between Scripture and natural
revelationCas long as both are properly understood.
But there is a major fallacy built into the popular
misconception that the two books of revelation are equal in
every way. Nature and Scripture are not equally sufficient.
They do not speak with equal power. They cannot
The Superiority of Scripture 17
communicate with equal clarity. And therefore they should
not be given equal weight.
In practice, those who like to argue that nature and
Scripture speak with equal authority typically are saying they
believe scientific opinion ought to be the judge and arbiter of
how we read Scripture. It never seems to work the other way
around.
And what this misapplication of the "two books" analogy
does is keep the very notion of truth in constant flux. Here's
how it works in practice: Some esteemed astrophysicist or
paleontologist adds a few billion years to his estimate of the
age of the earth, and the evangelical two-book exegetes feel
obliged to adapt their interpretations of Genesis to
accommodate the latest theory.
The idea of two volumes is an analogy, not a canon of our
faith. And the analogy is helpful only as long as we bear in
mind that God did not literally give us "two books." He gave
us one book, together with an unimaginably grand display of
divine glory. That's the point of our psalm. Nature is a
perpetual exhibition of divine glory that transcends language
and location, but it does not convey explicit truth with the
same high-definition clarity and detail as Scripture. God's
written Word is full of clear propositions, precise doctrines,
careful explanations, eyewitness testimonies, and definitive
precepts. Nature, by contrast, communicates non-verbally.
(That's the whole point of verse 3 in our psalm.)
Psalm 19 18
Plus, the Word of God is eternal; everything in nature will
one day pass away. In the words of Hebrews 1:11-12, "They
will all wear out like a garment, like a robe [Christ] will roll them
up, like a garment they will be changed." Jesus Himself
emphatically declared the primacy of special revelation over
general revelation in precisely those terms. He said, "Heaven
and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away"
(Luke 21:33).
Creation is a product of God's Word. The two are not
equally ultimate. That truth is the very starting point of
genuine faith, according to Hebrews 11:3: "By faith we
understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so
that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."
And remember: according to Romans 10, faith comes
from hearing the Word, not from studying nature. Scripture
explains creation, not vice versa. Nature drives us to
Scripture for a true understanding of God and His ways, and
it is the Word of God that gives birth to faith. We are "born
again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the
living and abiding word of God" (1 Peter 1:23). "The word of
God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of
marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart"
(Hebrews 4:12). Nature, as vast and spectacular as it is, has
no such power.
The Superiority of Scripture 19
But here is the principal difference between the two kinds
of revelation, and this is the point of our psalm: Scripture is a
sufficient source of knowledge about God; nature is not.
Scripture contains everything necessary for spiritual life and
godliness. In fact, many of the truths most vital to fallen
humanity are revealed only in Scripture. That includes the
identity of the one True God, the tri-unity of the Godhead,
the deity of Christ, His one sacrifice for sins forever, His
exclusivity as the sole mediator between God and man, the
doctrine of justification by faith, and a host of related gospel
truths) and cannot possibly be discerned from nature.
Scripture alone can make us wise unto salvation; that cannot
be said of general revelation.
Scripture declares itself sufficient not only here in Psalm
19, but also in 2 Timothy 3:15-17, which says Scripture is
sufficient "to make you wise for salvation . . . that the man of
God may be competent, equipped for every good work." That
encompasses everything that pertains to life and godliness.
Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 4:6 says we are "not to go
beyond what is written"Cparticularly not when it comes to
the interpretation of Scripture and the formulation of
doctrine.
Bottom line: the two-equal-book argument as you hear it
in popular discourse today is a de facto denial of the
sufficiency of Scripture. Consider this: If you think Scripture
cannot be accurately interpreted except through the grid of
Psalm 19 20
current scientific opinion, then prior to the present
generation, no one in the history of the church ever correctly
understood even the opening verseCthe first and most
foundational statement of Scripture. That means if the
two-book theory is true, Scripture isn't clear enough for
simple people to understand correctly, and Scripture itself
teaches otherwise. That's the doctrine known as the
perspicuity of Scripture, the truth that Scripture is neither to
complex nor too mysterious for ordinary minds to grasp its
true meaning.
So the claim that general and special revelation are equal
in every sense is an untenable claim. To say that general and
special revelation should be given equal weight is a recipe
for error.
As wonderful as it is, natural revelation cannot give us
full knowledge of God. That is why God has given us His
Word, which reveals His glory even more clearly than all of
nature. Not only that, Scripture reveals God's grace and
salvation as well.
As I said, that's the point of this psalm. It's is not only
about the sufficiency of Scripture. It's also about the
superiority of Scripture. We extol the glory of God when we
see it displayed in nature, but as wonderful as the revelation
of God in nature is, Scripture gives us an even clearer view
of God's glory.
The Superiority of Scripture 21
That's why David says he loves Scripture more than
nature. Look at verse 10. Scripture is more valuable to David
than the most valuable thing nature could give himCgold.
And it is sweeter to him than the sweetest thing nature
offersChoney dripping fresh from the honeycomb.
This is really an amazing truth. Don't miss this, and don't
forget it. Next time you visit the Grand Canyon, or watch a
spectacular sunset, or fly over the Fjordlands in New
Zealand, or watch glaciers calving in Alaska, or step out of
the space shuttle from space with the full earth in viewCor
otherwise get your breath taken away by some awe-inspiring
display of God's glory in nature, while you are pondering the
glory of God and the fantastic way He has put that glory on
display for us to see in His creation, I want you to think of
this: Scripture does an even better job of putting God's glory
on display. The Bible shows us an even more impressive
array of the divine attributes. The truth of Scripture, if you
will receive it, is even more breathtaking than all the most
amazing scenes in nature.
That's the point of this psalm. Verses 7-10 exalt the
absolute sufficiency and superiority of Scripture and show
why the Bible gives us a better understanding of the glory of
God than all nature. Since John MacArthur has so fully
expounded these verses both in print and on tape, I'm not
going to try to cover every detail. Time wouldn't permit it,
anyway, even if we took a full six weeks to do it.
Psalm 19 22
But notice what David is saying about Scripture:
There are six statements. Each contains three elements.There
are six titles for Scripture. It is called law and testimony in
verse 7. It is called precepts and commandment in verse 8. It
is called fear and rules in verse 9. Those are all titles for
Scripture. This is classic Hebrew Parallelism.There are six
characteristics of Scripture, again two in each verse. It is
perfect; it is sure; it is right; it is pure; it is clean; it is
true.There are six benefits of Scripture. It revives the soul; it
makes wise the simple; it rejoices the heart; it enlightens the
eyes; it endures forever; and it is righteous altogether.There
are six occurrences of the covenant name of YHWH
translated in the phrase "of the Lord." Six times we are
reminded that the source of special revelation is God
Himself.Another way of saying all that is this: This short
passage gives us six descriptive titles of the Word of God,
six qualities of the Word of God, and six divine effects of the
Word of God. The parallelism of the poetry highlights the
names, the nature, and the effects of Scripture. And all these
expressions combined show both the utter
comprehensiveness of biblical sufficiency, and the reasons
why Scripture is absolutely superior as a witness and
testimony to the glory of God.
Why couldn't God reveal the way of salvation in nature?
The reason is simple: Our sin has so alienated us from God
The Superiority of Scripture 23
that we could not possibly know Him unless He
supernaturally revealed Himself to us. That was the most
immediate and dramatic effect of Adam's sin. Although
Adam had walked with God and fellowshiped with him face
to face, sin changed all that. Adam went into hiding. Then he
was expelled from the garden and from the presence of holy
God. Ever since the fall, all humanity has had to hide from
God in unholy terror. As sinners, we are unable to love God,
unable to enjoy His presence, and therefore unable to know
Him in a personal way. Romans 8:7-8: "For the mind that is
set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's
law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please
God." That is the essence of what it means to be spiritually
dead.
And that is why we need supernatural revelation and the
supernatural power of God's grace in order to be saved:
because we are spiritually dead. Left to nature alone, we
would be left eternally without hope, because our very nature
is so corrupted and defiled with sin that we are worthy only
of wrath and destruction.
That is why the religion of the Scriptures is from
beginning to end a supernatural religion. Although many
misguided souls have tried, there is no way to divest
Christianity of the supernatural element and still call it
Christianity. At the heart of our faith is the conviction that
our transcendent God has intervened to save us. He has
Psalm 19 24
personally and authoritatively interjected Himself into the
course of human events. He has overruled nature itself in
order to gain the salvation of men and women who would
otherwise be lost. And that truth, including the way of
salvation in Christ, could only be made known to us by
supernatural meansCspecial, prophetic revelation. That is
what we have in Scripture.
Scripture is unique. According to our passage, it is
perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true. Think about what
that is saying. Since the curse of sin ruined the universe,
nothing in nature is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true.
But Scripture is all of those things.
Scripture is sufficient. Notice that it converts the soul,
makes us wise, gives us joy, and enlightens the eyes. That
covers every spiritual need exhaustively. It's another way of
saying what 2 Timothy 3:15-17 says: Scripture is able to
make us wise unto salvation, and then it equips us for every
good work afterward. There is no need for any other spiritual
resource besides the resources we find in Scripture. There is
nothing we need to know in the spiritual realm that is not
revealed to us clearly in the Bible. These statements are a
sweeping affirmation that the Bible contains and explains
everything that is essential for life and godliness.
If that is trueCand it isCthen it is folly for anyone to try to
supplement divine truth by looking elsewhere for truth to
advance our spiritual growth. We hear constantly about
The Superiority of Scripture 25
dreams and visions, private prophecies, Spirit-directed
impulses, words of knowledge, and whatnot. There is no
warrant in Scripture for us to pursue such things. When it
comes to spiritual truth, truth about God, redemptive truth,
and all other matters pertaining to life and godlinessCall
such truth is revealed in the Bible. The Bible alone is perfect,
sure, right, pure, clean, true, and righteous.
Now, before we wrap this up, let's look at a few questions
people often ask about the sufficiency of Scripture. These are
the kinds of questions I often get: "If Scripture is perfectly
sufficient, why does God reveal Himself in nature at all? Do
general and special revelation say different things? Does
natural revelation tell us any essential truth about God that
is not revealed in Scripture?"
Thomas Aquinas devised a whole system of "natural
theology" that began with principles drawn from nature. And
ever since then, the concept of natural theology has been
abused by people who find ways to twist nature to "prove"
whatever they want. That's the strategy behind the
two-equal-books argument. They're saying that if nature is a
form of revelation, then the observations of scientists have
equal authority with the teachings of Scripture. It goes much
further than Genesis and creation. Some use that argument as
a reason to try to integrate psychotherapy with Scripture in
counseling, and you know what a disaster that has been in
the spiritual life of the church. Some give it as an argument
Psalm 19 26
for ordaining women as pastors. Still others use it to justify
almost any and every idea that secular academicians and
unbelieving pundits might say is true or politically correct.
You've heard people say that "all truth is God's truth." Let
me give you a tip that might help you as you try to be
discerning and wise: that statement ("All truth is God's
truth") is true enough. But it's of no help whatsoever in
determining whether a specific idea is true or not. It's also
usually a red flag letting you know you're about to hear
something that could never be established or confirmed by
God's Word. And if you point that out, the person making the
claim will invariably try to make the argument that natural
revelation is just as good as special revelation.
If so, show them this passage. David is explicitly saying
that Scripture is betterCmore complete, more perfect, more
authoritative (more perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and
true)Cthan natural revelation. As marvelous as natural
revelation is, it cannot be equated with Scripture.
Scripture, not nature, is the starting point and the final test
of all truth. Nature can both illustrate and give evidence of
the truth about God that we find in Scripture, but it cannot
add anything that's essential. If it could, then David could
never say the Law of the Lord is "perfect."
Furthermore, nature, interpreted correctly, always agrees
with Scripture. Scripture explains nature, because it speaks
with more clarity, more power, and more authority. Scripture
The Superiority of Scripture 27
is more complete and more specific. Scripture alone can give
us the truth we need to be saved. And therefore we ought to
cherish Scripture and esteem it more highly than all the
treasures in the universe. That is exactly what our passage
means when it says this about the Scriptures: "More to be
desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also
than honey and drippings of the honeycomb."
Notice, in closing, what else Scripture can do that nature
is powerless to do: It rebukes and restrains our
sinCespecially the sins of our hearts, presumptuous sins, and
secret sins. Verses 11-13:
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping
them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from
hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be
blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
We only have time to point out a couple of things in those
verses. Notice, first of all, verse 11: "there is great reward" in
keeping the law. That doesn't merely promise a reward for
keeping the precepts of Scripture; it says there is great
reward in the act of obedience itself. That's true. The joy, the
blessedness, and the satisfaction of keeping God's Word is a
great reward in and of itself.
Psalm 19 28
Second, notice how David is concerned about secret and
presumptuous sins. That is the mark of genuine love for the
Word of God. It is the very opposite of the religion of the
Pharisees, who were only concerned about what could be
seen by other men. They made a pretense of loving the Word
of God, but they not only nullified God's Word by adding
their own traditions; they also showed utter contempt for the
Word of God by what they did in secret.
David's prayer reflects the very opposite spirit. Verse 14:
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be
acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."
That is the spirit of a heart that has seen the glory and the
grace of God revealed in Scripture. The view of God's glory
in nature can reduce us to silent, inexpressible awe. But the
view of God's glory in His Word is what it takes to make us
truly men and women after God's own heart.
May we seek the vision of that greater glory in God's
word, and may we learn to love the Word of God and
treasure the Word of God the way we shouldCabove all the
riches of heaven and earth.