Psalms 19:1-6 ESV  To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.  (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.

“I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.” – C. S. Lewis

Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

There are two errors that some make when referring to creation. The first error is to think of creation as divine and as controlling the destinies of people (astrology, see Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:3; Isaiah 47:13; Jeremiah 10:2; Daniel 4:7). The other is to see creation as an entity wholly self-sustaining and self-directing (macro-evolution). Actually, creation is a testimony to the power, righteousness, and faithfulness of God, its creator (Psalm 50:6; 89:5-8; 97:6; Romans 1:19-20).

This psalm reminds us that the testimony of creation is a testimony to the glory of God. This aspect is discussed below. Its testimony is continuous, day and night, unable to be extinguished or ignored by us. Its testimony is universal, speaking in a language that is unmistakably clear and understandable to all who will listen.

The sun, long worshiped as a god in many cultures, actually serves as a messenger of the creator God who put it in its place and gave it life-sustaining power. Its testimony cannot be ignored either. It is the supreme metaphor for God’s glory (Psalm 84:11; Isaiah 60:19-20).

In Romans 10, Paul makes the argument that the message has gone out into the whole world, citing verse 4 of this psalm as proof of its universal proclamation. In Romans 1:18-20, he argues that all of us are without excuse when it comes to knowing about God because of the universal testimony of creation.

Romans 1:18-20 ESV  For 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.

So, what is plainly revealed in creation? And how are His invisible attributes clearly perceived?

First, its seems that the very power locked up in the created order (such as that exhibited by the sun or even the tiny atom) and exhibited in nature’s forces testify to a powerful Creator. Further, these forces, though seemingly random in nature, reveal patterns (like those that enable weather forecasting) that speak of order and design. The beauty and complexity of creation also gives testimony to the Creator.

The irreducible complexity of organisms in the universe gives evidence to the Creator.

In 1996, Dr. Michael J. Behe, a professor of biochemistry at Lehigh University (and an evolutionist), published a challenging book to classical Darwinian evolution entitled “Darwin’s Black Box.” In this book he uses the flagellum to introduce the concept of “irreducible complexity.” If a structure is so complex that all of its parts must initially be present in a suitably functioning manner, it is said to be irreducibly complex. All the parts of a bacterial flagellum must have been present from the start in order to function at all. [Answers in Genesis website, “The Amazing Cell”, by Dr. Dudley Eirich]

It seems obvious that the earth was designed to be inhabited and to sustain life. The creatures that inhabit earth seem to be designed to exist and prosper on it. At the very foundation of life in the blueprint for life-DNA, there exists a complexity and design that defy explanation in terms of time and chance. The statistical probability that what we observe around us is a product of accident exceeds the limits of our ability to conceive.

As we think about the expansive nature of the universe, beyond our ability to conceive or measure, we get a glimpse of the greatness of our Creator. We ignore this message to our peril.