Sean Bird – teacher of calculus & physics at

Psalm 19The creatures show God’s glory, the Word shows his grace. He who here sings about the work of God in the world around him, pleads for a work of grace within himself. Sean Bird – teacher of calculus & physics at

I want to know how God created this world. I want to know His thoughts, the rest are details. • Albert Einstein, not a Christian, but firmly denies atheism • 1879-1955 • God created everything by number, weight and measure. • Sir Isaac Newton • 1642-1727 I think that each individual man should do all he can to impress his own mind with the extent, the order, and the unity of the universe, and should carry these ideas with him as he reads such passages as the 1st Chap. of the Ep. to Colossians (see Lightfoot on Colossians, p.182), just as enlarged conceptions of the extent and unity of the world of life may be of service to us in reading Psalm viii, Heb ii 6, etc. - James Clerk Maxwell, founder of E&M 1831-1879

Psalm 19 overview In his earliest days the psalmist, while keeping his father's flock, had devoted himself to the study of God's two great books—nature and Scripture; … How foolish and wicked are those who instead of accepting the two sacred tomes, and delighting to behold the same divine hand in each, spend all their wits in endeavouring to find discrepancies and contradictions. We may rest assured that the true "Vestiges of Creation" will never contradict Genesis, nor will a correct "Cosmos" be found at variance with the narrative of Moses. He is wisest who reads both the world-book, and the Word-book as two volumes of the same work, and feels concerning them, "My Father wrote them both."

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. 12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God 2 Cor 10:5 Genesis 3:6 The woman saw that the tree was 1. Good for food 2. A delight to the eyes 3. To be desired to make one wise My question is, WAS IT? Did this match reality? NO !

The heavens declare the glory of God; The book of nature has three volumes: heaven, earth, and sea, of which heaven is the first and the most glorious, and by its aid we are able to see the beauties of the other two.

For he has raised everywhere, in all places and in all things, his ensigns and emblems, under blazons so clear and intelligible that no one can pretend ignorance in not knowing such a sovereign Lord, who has so amply exalted his magnificence; who has, in all parts of the world, in heaven and on earth, written and as it were engraved the glory of his power, goodness, wisdom, and eternity. Paul has therefore said quite rightly that the Lord has never left himself without a witness [Acts 14:17]; even among those to whom he has not sent any knowledge of his Word. It is evident that all creatures, from those in the firmament to those which are in the center of the earth, are able to act as witnesses and messengers of his glory to all men … For the little birds that sing, sing of God; the beasts roar for him; the elements dread him, the mountains echo him, the fountains and flowing waters cast their glances at him, and the grass and flowers laugh before him. John Calvin pg35-36 Commentaries, Available online at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom.pdf

Rev 4:11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” “From the Christian point of view, every fact of the space-time universe is created by God and is what it is by virtue of its place in the plan of God” - Cornelius VanTil Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

Any part of creation has more instruction in it than human mind will ever exhaust, but the celestial realm is peculiarly rich in spiritual lore… Every moment God's existence, power, wisdom and goodness, are being sounded abroad by the heavenly heralds which shine upon us from above… He who would imagine infinity must peer into the boundless expanse; he who desires to see divine wisdom should consider the balancing of the orbs; he who would know divine fidelity must mark the regularity of the planetary motions; and he who would attain some conceptions of divine power, greatness, and majesty, must estimate the forces of attraction, the magnitude of the fixed stars, and the brightness of the whole celestial train. It is not merely glory that the heavens declare, but the "glory of God," for they deliver to us such unanswerable arguments for a conscious, intelligent, planning, controlling, and presiding Creator, that no unpredjudiced person can remain unconvinced by them.

Historic Presuppositions of Science • The world is real –If one believes the world is not really there, then there is not an incentive to investigate it. But the Christian doctrine of a real creation provides an incentive (Gen 1:1; Neh 9:6; Rev 4:11). • The universe is good –Even with the Fall, this goodness is not eradicated. This higher view of nature led to the Christian belief that the material world is worthy of investigation (Gen 1:31; Ps 111:2,3; 1Tim 4:4). “There is need of art and more exacting toil in order to investigate the motion of the stars, to determine their assigned stations, to measure their intervals, to note their properties.” (I.v.1) The early chemist Jean-Baptiste van Helmont insisted that the pursuit of science is “a good gift,” given by God. 1580-1644

Limitations of General Revelation “to what avail is the loudest declaration to a deaf man, or the clearest showing to one spiritually blind? God the Holy Ghost must illuminate us, or all the suns in the milky way never will.”

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

In the expanse above us God flies, as it were, his starry flag to show that the King is at home! Strange is it that some who love God are yet afraid to study the God-declaring book of nature The nearby dwarf galaxy NGC 1569, photo taken by Hubble Telescope Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. How beautiful this dome of sky,And the vast hills in fluctuation fixedAt thy command, how awful! Shall the soul,Human and rational, report of TheeEven less than these? Be mute who will, who can,Yet I will praise thee with impassioned voice.My lips, that may forget thee in the crowd,Cannot forget thee here, where thou hast builtFor thine own glory, in the wilderness!William Wordsworth, 1770-1850. Psalm 19

The lessons of day&night 7. Night invites us to rest in Him 6. Day bids us work for God • The changeful character of earthly things • The brevity both of joy and sorrow • The preciousness of life 4. Our utter powerlessness in getting back time that is past 5. The irresistible approach of eternity

For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. Jesus Christ is called the Word, for he is a far more distinct display of Godhead than all the heavens can afford; they are, after all, but dumb instructors; neither star nor sun can arrive at a word, but Jesus is the express image of Jehovah's person, and his name is the Word of God. Psalm 19

For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. Jonathan Edwards “It appears to me very likely that the Holy Ghost in these expressions which he most immediately uses about the rising of the sun, has an eye to the rising of the Sun of Righteousness from the grave …He rose as the joyful, glorious bridegroom of his church; for Christ, especially as risen again, is the proper bridegroom, or husband, of his church, as the apostle teaches (Romans 7:4), "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” Psalm 19

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” The great means of the conversion of sinners is the Word of God, and the more closely we keep to it in our ministry the more likely we are to be successful.” “The testimony of the Lord is sure.” God bears his testimony against sin, and on behalf of righteousness; he testifies of our fall and of our restoration; this testimony is plain, decided, and infallible, and is to be accepted as sure. God's witness in his Word is so sure that we may draw solid comfort from it both for time and eternity, and so sure that no attacks made upon it however fierce or subtle can ever weaken its force. What a blessing that in a world of uncertainties we have something sure to rest upon! Psalm 19

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. 12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19

5.7 Jehovah’s perfect law Restores the soul again; His testimony sure Gives wisdom unto men; 8The precepts of the LORD are right, And fill the heart with great delight. 6. The LORD’s command is pure, Enlightening the eyes; 9Jehovah’s fear is clean, More lasting than the skies. The judgments of the LORD express His truth and perfect righteousness. 7. 10They’re more to be desired Than stores of finest gold; Than honey from the comb More sweetness far they hold. 11With warnings they Thy servant guard In keeping them is great reward 8.12His errors who can know? Cleanse me from hidden stain 13Keep me from willful sins, Nor let them o’er me reign. And then I upright shall appear And be from great transgression clear. 9.14 Let all the words I speak And all the thoughts within Come up before Thy sight And Thine approval win. O Thou Jehovah, unto me My rock and my Redeemer be.

Sean Bird – teacher of calculus & physics at