No Excuse (Psalm 19:1–4)

The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
    whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.
– Psalm 19:1–4

We have this picture in Psalm 19 of what Romans 1 teaches: all creation is shouting the glory of God. There is no place in the world, no language, where God’s glory is not being displayed in creation to everyone in the world. His invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—are clearly seen, Romans 1 says, so that people are without excuse. There is no one who cannot behold the glory of God in the creation around them.

Psalm 19:1–4 teaches us that God’s glory is revealed in nature.

But that is just it. Psalm 19 paints this picture of God’s glory in creation being universal. Then you get to verse 7, and God’s glory in his Word is even more powerful and more necessary. Verse 7 begins talking about the law of the Lord and the effects of God’s Word: reviving the soul, rejoicing the heart, enlightening the eyes, warning people, and leading them to reward in God in a way that creation cannot do.

This is so important for all of us to realize. I picture hiking in the Himalayas and seeing God’s glory in creation in such grand ways all around you—beauty and majesty on display in those mountains. Everyone in the villages on those mountainsides sees the glory of God in this way. But then you go into village after village after village, and they do not have God’s Word in their language. No one has ever shared the good news at the center of God’s Word about Jesus.

Do you realize what this means? It means all of the people in these villages have enough knowledge of God to show that he is glorious and that they have sinned against him. Just keep reading in Romans 1: although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God. Their thinking became futile, their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man, birds, animals, and reptiles.

Psalm 19:1–4 reminds us that salvation comes through God’s grace.

In other words, they have all turned aside from God to lesser gods and idols in this world. And if no one shares the Word of God with them, that is the end of their story. They see God, and they reject God. No one has told them the Word of God that has power to enlighten their eyes and lead them to the reward found in God through Jesus.

This is why we pray all the time on this podcast for unreached people. Every follower of Jesus who has the Word of God must live and pray, give and go—however God leads—playing whatever part he calls us to play to get his Word throughout the world. Creation and God’s glory on display in creation are insufficient to save. God’s Word alone can save.

So, God, I pray that you would help all of us to play whatever part you are calling us to play in the spread of your Word to the ends of the world, that your voice and your Word—through our praying, giving, and going—would spread throughout the earth, your Word to the end of the world. May people not only see your glory in creation, but receive your grace through your Word.

In Jesus’ name we pray, according to your Word in Psalm 19. Amen.