God's Two Great Books

Q: What does the Bible say about studying creation?

The Bible teaches that creation declares the glory of God and reveals His handiwork. Psalm 19 emphasizes that the heavens and the firmament proclaim God's glory. David, as a shepherd and a king, recognized that creation itself is a means of understanding God's nature and attributes. Romans 1:20 states that the invisible attributes of God, His eternal power, and divine nature are clearly seen through what has been made, leaving humanity without excuse. Therefore, studying creation can lead to a deeper appreciation of God's majesty and governance over the world.

Q: How do we know the Word of God is perfect?

The Bible asserts that the Word of God is perfect and converts the soul. In Psalm 19, David declares that the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. Despite having limited parts of the Scripture during his time, David recognized the transformative power of God's Word. The perfection of Scripture is affirmed by the fact that it accomplishes its purpose of redemption and reconciliation. In James 1:18, it's mentioned that God brought us forth by the word of truth. This evidences the potency and perfection inherent in God’s revelation.

Q: Why is understanding both nature and scripture important for Christians?

Understanding both reveals the fullness of God's glory and grace. Henry Mahan articulates that God’s creation and His word are complementary revelations of His glory. He contends that true students of the world book (creation) and the word book (Scripture) acknowledge no contradiction between the two. Psalm 19 portrays the heavens as declaring God's glory, while the Scriptures reveal His grace. Together, they provide a comprehensive understanding of who God is and how He interacts with humanity. This dual acknowledgment aids believers in experiencing a deeper relationship with God.

Q: How can we grow in knowledge of God through His creation?

We grow in knowledge by observing creation, which continuously reveals God’s glory. David in Psalm 19:2 emphasizes that day after day creation pours forth speech about God's glory. This continuous declaration through the cycle of day and night invites us to learn about God's characteristics. By contemplating the created order, Christians are often reminded of God's power, wisdom, and majesty. Romans 1:19-20 underscores that God has made Himself evident through creation, encouraging us to engage with the world around us to deepen our understanding of Him.

Q: What do the two great books represent in Christianity?

They represent God's revelation through nature and Scripture. In his sermon, Henry Mahan refers to the 'two great books' as nature and Scripture. Nature, or the world book, reveals God's glory and handiwork, while Scripture, the word book, imparts God's grace and truth. Both are essential for a comprehensive understanding of God and serve as tools for believers to recognize the divine in their lives. The two are not in conflict; rather, they bear witness to the same truth of God's character and purposes.

God's two great books. I believe there's a lesson to
learn immediately in the title, God's two great books. For David
devoted himself, both as a shepherd boy and as a king and as a soldier,
to the study of God's two great books, nature and scripture. Look at verse 1. The heavens
declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork.
David was a student of God's creation. He studied the world
book. Turn back to Psalm 8 and listen
to him here. In verse 3, Psalm 8, when I consider
thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars
which thou hast ordained, what is man? that are mindful of Him. How foolish are those who spend
their time and their wits trying to find discrepancies between
science and the Word of God, who try to find discrepancies
and contradictions instead of accepting both of these sacred
volumes and coming to know the author. One can come to know
much about God from the study of the heavens, the things that
God has made. Turn to Romans chapter 1. In
fact, Paul says in Romans chapter 1 that we are responsible for
the invisible things of God, the creation of God. We are responsible
to walk in that light. Look at Romans chapter 1 verse
18. Now watch this carefully. For the wrath of God is revealed
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who
hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known
of God is manifest in them, for God hath showed it unto them.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.
Even his eternal power in Godhead, so they are without excuse. Yes,
sir. The things that God hath made,
that's what David said, the heavens declare the glory of God. And
the firmament showeth his handiwork. I appreciate the man who is a
student of the world book and the word book, and he can say
from his heart, my father wrote them both. My father wrote them
both. The true student, now I've heard
young people talk about going out into the woods and studying
the heavens and astronomy and nature and all of these things,
astrology and all of these other things they study, you know.
But the true student of creation, the true student of the heavens,
the true student of the stars, the true student of nature has
no quarrel with God's book. The true student of science has
no quarrel with God's book. And the true student of God's
book has no quarrel with God's providence. David was a student
of both. Someone said foolish is the man
who sets the works of God against the Word of God. Wise is the man who can see that
both creation and the Word of God has one foundation. the glory
of God. The heavens declare the glory
of God, this book declares the glory of God. So science or creation
or astronomy or the heavens or nature or whatever you're talking
about and the Word of God have one foundation and that is the
glory of God. And this book of nature, the
heavens and the things that God has made, This is the outer court,
someone said, the outer court in which we look and admire and
adore and stand amazed at the power and greatness of our God
and the wisdom of our God. And the Word of God, the word
book is the inner court where we kneel and where we pray and
where we praise God. Blessed is the man who is a student
of both nature and scripture. Blessed is the man who is a student
of the world book and the word book, who sees no contradiction
between science and creation, who sees no contradiction between
the works of God and the word of God, who sees that both have
the one foundation, the glory of God, who stands in the outer
court of the tabernacle and beholds the things which God has made
and says they declare the glory of God as he stands amazed admiring
and adoring the handwork of his Lord and the man who can go into
this book into the inner court within the veil and see the blood
upon the mercy seat upon the broken law and kneel there and
pray and praise his God who created both. This psalm can be divided
into three parts. Let's look at it. This is going
to be a study tonight, not so much a sermon. But this psalm
can be divided, to help us to understand a little bit about
it, into three parts. First of all, I see the creation. Verse 1, let's read the first
six verses. The heavens declare the glory
of God. The firmament showeth His handiwork.
Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth
knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice
is not heard. Their line is going out through all the earth, and
their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a
tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out
of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
His going forth is from the end of heaven, his circuit unto the
ends of it, and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. Now
verse 7 starts another division. The first six verses talk about
the creation, nature, the world book showing God's glory. Now the next verses starts out
verse 7, the law of the Lord. And that will be the word of
God. The word book showing His grace. And then the third division begins
with verse 12, who can understand His errors. Cleansed thou me
from secret faults." That's the prayer of the man who studies
both books. Let's see if we can get some
help here. Now that's the three divisions. The first six verses
talk about the creation, showing God's glory. The next few verses,
7 through 11, shows the Word of God revealing God's grace. And then in closing the psalm,
David, the man who sees both, utters a short prayer. Verse 1, the heavens. What are
we talking about the heavens? Well, turn to 2 Corinthians 12. You notice the word heavens there
is plural. There's more than one. It's the
heavens. You know, 2 Corinthians 12, several
times in the scriptures, it talks about the heaven of heavens that
God's throne is in the heavens, His earth is the footstool. Well,
in 2 Corinthians 12, verse 2, Paul said, I knew a man in Christ
above fourteen years ago, whether in the body I cannot tell, or
whether out of the body I cannot tell. God knoweth, such a one
was called up to the third heaven. Well, most of the writers, and
I don't know a great deal about this, but I'll give you this
for what it's worth, most of the writers talk about there
being three heavens, or heaven divided into three parts. There
is heaven, the third heaven, the abode of God. And that's
what Paul says here, I was called up to the third heaven. And then
they talk about the second heaven being the place of the stars
and the planets. It's out yonder above the first
heaven, above the clouds and above whatever that is out there,
but where the stars are, where the moon is, where the sun is,
where the planets are, that's the second heaven. And then right
above us here is the first heaven, the clouds, where the rain falls
and all of these things. But all of these heavens are
constantly declaring not just glory but the glory of God. The heavens declare not just
glory, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament,
that's the sky, that's that which is just above us, shows His,
and Mr. Spurgeon said, I don't care for
the word handiwork, the word is His handwork, what God's hands
have made, what God has formed. But the heavens declare the glory
of God. They're constantly speaking of
the glory of God, of the wisdom of God, of the power of God,
of the greatness of God, of the glory of God. During the French
Revolution, there was one of the revolutionists by the name
of Jean Bon AndrÃ©. And one day he said to a peasant,
I'll pull down all your churches, I'll tear down all your steeples,
And then you will no longer have any object to remind you of your
religious superstition." And the peasant replied, you cannot
pull down the sun, you cannot pull down the moon, you cannot
pull down the stars, and these all declare the glory of God. If every preacher on the earth
was silent, And every mouth on earth cease from declaring the
glory of God, the heavens above would still declare his glory,
his wisdom, and his majesty. That's what David says. The heavens
declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handwork. Now verse 2. Day unto day uttereth
speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. And the correct
translation to help you is, day after day pours forth speech,
and night after night shows forth knowledge. In other words, where
one day leaves off, declaring the glory of God, teaching us
about the glory of our Lord, the wisdom of our God, where
one day leaves off, the next day takes up. And each night
passes on to the next night a continuous sermon, continually declaring
His glory. Every new day and every new night
ought to bring us new knowledge of the glory of our Lord, ever
learning and coming to a knowledge of the truth. And then the passing
of day and night ought to teach us of the rapid passing of time,
the brevity of life, joy and sorrow, the preciousness of time. Day after day, night after night,
it pours forth speech. Day after day, night after night,
it shows forth knowledge. The day is Christ. Christ said,
I am the light of the world. The night of darkness warns us
about everlasting darkness. Our Lord says, work while it's
day. The night is coming when no man can work. Walk in the
light while you have the light. The night comes when no man can
see. Christ said, I am the light of
the world. And then verse 3. There is no speech nor language
where their voice is not heard. What are we talking about? We're
talking about the witness of the heavens. We're talking about
the world book. We're talking about the book
of nature. We're talking about the things God has made. David is a student
of the world book. He's a student of nature. And
he says, these heavens declare my Lord's glory. The firmament
showeth his hand work. And each passing day and each
passing night ought to increase our knowledge, ought to shed
forth more knowledge and more speech unto us of God's glory. We ought to grow not only in
grace, but in the knowledge of our Lord. Now watch verse 3,
and there are two interpretations, and both are applicable right
here. We don't want to get into the mechanics of it and miss
the blessing of it. This is one of the dangers of
dissecting God's Word. If it doesn't violate the rest
of the Scripture, let it speak to you as the Holy Spirit applies
it. But there are two interpretations here, and this is what I like
to do in a case like this. what it's saying here. It's the
second interpretation. What it's actually saying here
is this, that the heavens and the things that are made don't
speak in literal words. That's what it's saying. It's
saying there's no speech, no language, and the word where
is in italics. Their voice is not heard. The
sun doesn't say a word. There's no voice heard. The stars
do not say a word. They don't speak a word. The
trees don't speak. The planets don't speak. The
clouds don't speak. These things do not speak. There
is no speech and there is no language. And there is no voice
to be heard. That's what it's saying. It's
saying that. Now here is the way it's translated
here, and it's all right. It's saying here, What a lot
of people feel like this is saying, many other languages on this
earth. We speak English. I'm speaking to you in English.
Right now, down in Mexico, Walter's speaking in Spanish. If I went
down there and spoke, they wouldn't understand a thing I said. Over
in France, David Ellis is speaking in French tonight. In Spain, David Estrada's speaking
in Spanish. All of these hundreds of different
languages. And yet, the heavens which declare
the glory of God speaks to every man. There is no speech and no
language where this message is not presented. There's no speech
or language in all the earth where their voice is not heard.
That's all right. That's true. There's no violation
of Scripture there. And you can, either one can be
true. Either one is true. And verse 4 comes back with this. Though there are no literal words
spoken, though there's actually no speech involved, though there's
actually no voice heard, yet their line, their message, their
instruction, their teaching, their witness is gone through
all the earth. Through all the earth. No man
living beneath the heavens is without excuse. has an excuse. No man living
beneath the heavens is beyond the reach of God's preachers,
the court preachers, the things he's made. You see that? The
heavens declare the glory of God, and though they do not speak,
and though there's no voice heard, Yet their line, their witness,
their message, their word has gone throughout all the earth
and their words to the end of the world, their message to the
end of the world. And in them, in the planets,
in the heavens, he set a tabernacle for the sun. Like a mighty king,
the sun continues on its way, attended by the moon and the
stars. which is as a bright groom coming
out of his chamber, rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race,"
talking about the sun. His going forth is from the end
of the heaven, his circuit unto the ends of it, and there's nothing
hid from the heat thereof. The sun is the main part of the
heaven, just like a tabernacle out there for his use, for his
journeys, for his going forth. Like a bright groom, the attention
is upon him. like a strong man running a race,
like a king going from one end of the heavens to the other.
But nearly all of the writers agree and look upon the Son here
as a picture of Christ, the Son of Righteousness, a picture of
our Savior. Look at it again. It says in
verse 4, the last line, in them, in the heavens, God hath made
a tabernacle for the Son. He hath made a dwelling place
for the Son. And Jesus Christ, the Son of
Righteousness, dwells in the midst of God's entire revelation,
tabernacling among men in all His brightness. It was all made
for Him. It was all made as a place where
He might display His glory, as a stage where He might fulfill
His grace. as a battleground upon which
he might accomplish his victory. All of it. In other words, he's
saying here that the heavens seem to be spread out there as
a place for the sun to be seen, to do his work as a bridegroom,
to conquer. All of it, like a big tabernacle,
you know, where the sun can go about all of his activities and
all of the things that the sun is made to do. And even so, the
heavens and creation and the earth and man and all these things
were made for Christ. Let's see if that's not true
in the book of Colossians. In the book of Colossians, let's
see if that's not true. In Colossians chapter 1, listen
to this. In Colossians chapter 1 verse
16, For by him were all things made that are in heaven, Colossians
1 verse 16, that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether
they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers,
all things were created by him and for him. And he is before
all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of
the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead, that in all things, in creation, in all things, in
the universe, in all things, in redemption, in all things,
in the covenants, in all things, past, present, and future, in
all things, in death, judgment, and eternity, in all things,
He might have thee for eminence. Now this is what David is saying
as he studies the world book. He says it's just like a big
tabernacle. God has set a tabernacle for
the son, for the son. And that son is like a bridegroom
coming out of his chamber, all eyes on him. He is the most important
figure. He's like a mighty warrior, a
strong man who has won the race and won the victory, all eyes
on him. His going forth is from the end
of heaven all the way, and His circuit unto the ends of it. And there's nothing that is beyond
His reach, or His head from His heat. There's nothing that passes
without His affecting it. The moon, the stars, the earth,
everything that grows, everything's affected by the sun. And this
is what he's saying about our Lord, the Son of Righteousness.
God created everything as a tabernacle to display his glory. And he's
like a bridegroom that's come forth for his church. And he's
like a strong man who wins the battle over the forces of evil
and death. He makes a circuit of mercy.
He blesses to the farthest ends of the earth and to the remotest
corner of the earth. For He has a people out of every
tribe, kindred, nation, and tongue unto heaven. None, none has escaped
His attention. It's like the sun, that mighty
sun. And there's none, He said, who can be denied or who will
be denied the heat and the warmth and the comfort of His love.
who believe, and there's none who can survive the heat of his
wrath if they reject him. Everybody's affected by the Son. It is he with whom we have to
do, is what it says, we have to do, you can't, you've got
to deal with the Son, the S-O-N. That's what David said, the heavens
the world book, the book of nature, declares the glory of God. And
the firmament showeth the work of his fingers, the things that
are made. And every day it increases Every
night it increases knowledge, pours forth knowledge. We grow
in grace in the knowledge of our Lord as we observe what He
hath done, what He hath made. Don't be a dummy. Don't sit by
and let this pass you by. Stop, somebody said, and smell
a rose and see God. Stop and gaze at a star and hear
God speak. Stop and look at the moon and
the sun, the way the moon affects the tides and the world and all
these things. Marvelous! Marvelous! Don't miss
the sun. This whole tabernacle, David
said as he looks at it, looks like it's just set up as a big
tabernacle, and he sees the sun rise in the morning as he tends
his sheep, and he watches it cross the heavens, and he sees
it at night, all the rays of light as it begins to set. He
knows it'll be back next morning. And he says he's like a bridegroom,
prancing around, you know, in his glory. He's like a strong
man that's won the battle, and everybody's watching him, and
he reaches to the farthest corners, the remotest corners of the earth,
and there's nothing hid from him. And that's our Lord. Well, then we come down to the
Word Book. Let's look at it, verse 7, the
Law of the Lord. testimony of the Lord, the statutes
of the Lord, the commandment of the Lord, the fear of the
Lord, the judgments of the Lord. In verse 7 through 9, now watch
this, and you can underline it in your Bible, there are six
descriptive titles of this book. There's six descriptive titles.
And after each of them, there is a result. There is an effect. There's a title and a result.
There's a title and an effect. First of all, in verse 7, this
book is called the Law of the Lord. And it says the Law of
the Lord is perfect. Now we're not talking about the
Law of Moses. So many people, when they pick
up a Bible and they see the word L-A-W, they immediately think
Ten Commandments. That's not what he's talking
about here at all. This is not the Law of Moses, this is the
whole text of God's Word. He says the Word of God is perfect. And yet David, now you think
about this a moment, I just thought about this, how much of the Word
did David have? Huh? Most of this over here is
written after David. David had the writings of Moses.
David had the writings of Moses, and I guess of Samuel. That's
about it. David had the book of Ruth, I
suppose. But he had so little, really,
a small part of the Scripture, and most of that, now watch it,
most of that was historical. And most of that was a pattern
part of the Word of God. And yet he says, it's perfect. The Word of God is perfect. Well, if just the historical
part and if the part that just has Christ in type is perfect,
think what the whole volume is. Think how grateful we ought to
be today if David stands around talking about the perfect Word
of God. with what limited understanding
Christ revealed in shadow-tight picture and ceremony, how much
more we ought to talk about the perfect Word of God. And here's
the results of that Word. It converts the soul. And brethren,
let me tell you something. In the conversion of a soul,
there is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit must quicken.
We must be born of the Spirit, forgotten of the Spirit. The
Lord Jesus Christ, he is the object of faith. He must be revealed
to the heart. He must be revealed in the heart.
But I'm telling you, the great means of conversion of sinners
is the Word of God. And men are not going to be converted
from sin to Christ and from darkness to light without the Book. The
Scripture says, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
Word of God. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the gospel, it is the power of God unto salvation. Of his own
will beget he us with the word of truth. Our Lord Jesus Christ
tells us that the soul went forth to sow, and the seed which he
sowed was the word of God. The word of God is perfect, it
converts the soul. And I'm telling you this with
all my heart. If you want to know God, you'll
come to know God in His word. Desire the sincere milk of the
Word that you may grow thereby. If you want to grow in truth,
and you want to grow in grace, and you want to grow in the fruit
of the Spirit, and you want to grow in fellowship, and you want
to know Christ, get acquainted with this book. The Word of God
is perfect. It converts the soul. Now watch
the second descriptive title. And the testimony of the Lord
is sure. It's sure. What God has to say
about creation is sure. Don't put a question mark on
the Word of God. What God says about salvation
is sure. What God says about heaven, hell,
death, judgment, it's certain. It's infallible. Turn to John
3 and listen to our Lord on this subject. In John chapter 3, He's
talking to an educated man. He's talking to a religious man. He's talking to a professor of
scripture and he says in John 3 verse 11, Verily, verily, I
say to you, Nicodemus, we speak that we do know and testify that
we have seen. It's sure. It's certain. Call it old-fashioned, call it
first century theology, call it what you will, but I believe
this book is God's Word inerrant infallible, verbally inspired. And it's sure. And it's certain.
And what's the result of believing that? Look at it. The testimony
of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Now that's not saying that God
takes a moron and makes him wise through the magic of the word.
The simple here is you and me. humble minds, teachable minds,
men and women who don't have the answers, men and women who
are willing to receive the Word of God, are made wise unto salvation
by the Scriptures. That's what he's saying. The
testimony of the Lord is certain, infallible and sure, and the
humble man and the teachable man and the man or the woman
who will receive the word of God shall be made wise through
the scriptures. What's the third one? The statutes
of the Lord. We're still talking about the
word of God. His statutes are his decrees. His statutes are his decrees,
his counsel. And he says the statutes of the
Lord are founded in righteousness. What are God's decrees? I will
in no wise clear the guilty. The soul that sinneth, it shall
surely die. God will be merciful and just. God will be just and justified.
These are the statutes of God. These are the decrees of God.
These are the declarations of God that are born of righteousness. and that are born of truth, and
that are born of holiness. We see in Christ how God can
be just and justify. God does not change. I am the
Lord, I change not. That's a decree. That's a statute. The Lord is not a man that he
should repent. And these righteous decrees and
statutes rejoice our hearts. We see how that God can be just
and justifier in the death of his son. We see how that God
can be righteous and yet love in the satisfaction of Christ.
We see how that God can clear the guilty. and justify the sinner,
because Christ has come and taken that sinner's place, and done
for the sinner what he couldn't do for himself, and honored the
law, and satisfied God's justice, and we see how these statutes
and these decrees and the counsel of God is not compromised. And
that rejoices our hearts. Note the progress. Look back
at verse 7. The law of God, the word of God
is perfect. It converts the soul. It is the
perfect seed. It is the seed that has life.
You see, it converts the soul. Secondly, the testimony of God
is certain and sure, making us wise. Making wise the simple. Thirdly, the statutes of the
Lord are founded upon righteousness, and that makes us happy. We have
a reason for happiness. It's not just a giddy emotional
excitement. Somebody told us if we do this,
that, and the other, that we could go to heaven and never
cry, and never hurt, and never have no sorrow, and never die,
and we're just as happy, happy as we can be. And somebody says,
on what basis, on what foundation do you build that hope? I don't
know, just praise the Lord, God is good. Now wait a minute. You
say that you're going to heaven when you die and live eternally
in the presence of God. What is the foundation on which
you base that happiness and that excitement? Well, just God said,
believe and I believe and that settles it. Now hold on here.
The statutes of God, the decrees of God, the counsel of God are
founded on righteousness. What about your sins? What about
your iniquities? What about your transgressions?
What about the holy law of God? What about the eternal righteousness
of God? What about the justice of God?
What about the counsel of God, which says, I will not clear
the guilty? Oh, I don't know. Well, then you have no cause
to rejoice if you don't know. But if you know, you have a cause
to rejoice. And this is where this book comes
in. The Word of God is perfect. The
Word of God is certain. It makes a man understand, makes
him wise. And the Word of God is, the statutes
and counsel of God is founded upon God doing things right. And that's what makes me rejoice.
Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I have a righteousness
before the holy law of God, worked out by Christ my surety. Yes
sir, I have a perfect standing before the throne of God's justice
because Christ has paid my debt and satisfied in full every requirement
of God's holiness. And I have a high priest on the
right hand of God who daily intercedes for me and makes even my righteousnesses,
which are filthy rags, acceptable in God's sight. I'm happy about
that. And when I don't feel so good,
when my head's aching, and my body's aching, my bones are weary,
and my flesh is dying, and my sight is gone, and my hearing's
gone, his words are the same. It never changes. All right, the fourth thing here,
quickly, the commandment of the Lord is pure. No mixture of error
dilutes it. No stain of sin pollutes it.
It's the pure word of God. This word is pure. Any error
in this church is not because of this book, it's because of
us. Any error in your thinking, when you see two men, here's
one born again, here's another born again, here's one that loves
Christ, here's another that loves Christ, here's one that professes
to know Christ, and this one does too, and I believe both
of them do, and here they are arguing with one another. This didn't
do it. No, sir. No, this didn't do it. Their flesh did it. That's where
the problem is. There's where the disunity and
disruption, there's where it is. It's not here. The Word of
God is pure. And what does it do? It enlightens
the eyes of understanding. Oh, I see. I see. I see. Turn to Luke 24. Let me show you something. Here
it is. Oh, how we come along through life and we hold our
traditions and our customs and all that, and then one day the
Holy Spirit takes something in the book and shows us where we've
been all mixed up. We ran before we were sent. We
popped off before we knew anything. Here in Luke 24, 30, And it came to pass, as he sat
at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and break it,
and gave it to them, and their eyes were opened, and they knew
him. And he vanished out of their
sight. But their eyes were opened, and they knew him. That's what
the Word of God does, it opens a man's eyes. That's what it
does. And you know, somebody says a
man convinced against his will is a man unconvinced still, and
that's true. This is some of the thing about
arguing doctrine. It's really a waste of time.
This logic and human reasoning and argument and all of these
things, it's the word of God that will open my eyes and nothing
else. And then he says the fear of
the Lord, verse 9, the fear of the Lord. Now they're still talking
about the Word of God. John Gill says, it's still the
Word of God that's intended here, for the Word teaches men to fear
the Lord. A man who does not know the Word
of God has no cause to fear the Lord. It's the Word of God that
teaches men to fear the Lord. It's the Word of God that directs
us to the cleansing blood of Christ. The fear of the Lord
is clean, is cleansing, and it endureth forever. The
ceremonial law is done away, and the moral law as a covenant
is done away, but the gospel, the cleansing work of Christ
is forever. Look at verse 9 quickly, the
latter part. The judgments of the Lord are
true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than
gold. They afford us both riches and pleasure. They're sweeter
than honey from the honeycomb. A lot of men go out in the world
looking for gold, riches, wealth. Some go out looking for excitement,
pleasure, satisfaction. The Word of God affords both.
It affords riches, that's what he said, the judgments of God
are true and righteous altogether, more to be desired than gold. And yeah, sweeter than the honey
and the honeycomb, this book is sweet. Which would you rather
have? A thousand dollars or more knowledge
of God revealed to your heart by the Holy Spirit through this
book? Well, there are plenty of thousands
of dollars around, you might get that later on, but I'll tell
you, nothing can replace this. It's more to be desired than
gold, and it's sweeter than honey from the honeycomb. Well, let
me quit. Five minutes. The prayer of the man who understands
them both. He says, by the word of God,
verse 11, your servant is warned, and in keeping of them, that
is the word, is great reward. But verse 12. Here's the prayer
of the man who has studied the book of creation and the word
of God. The man who has studied the world
book and the word book, and he comes to this conclusion, who
can understand his errors? This is a question which has
its own answer. And the answer is right there.
That's the answer. Who can understand? is errors. Here it is. The heart is deceitful
and desperately wicked. Who can know it? You know we're
always saying something like this. Well, if I know my heart,
that's one thing you don't know. The man best knows himself, though,
who knows this book. We don't have any conception
of how much sin and iniquity and evil dwells within us. For the next line says, cleanse
thou me from secret faults. Now listen, and I missed this
for years, I always had the idea that he meant cleanse me from
sins that I know about that nobody else knows about. And that's
all right. You won't go wrong if you say
that. But that's not what he's talking about. You see, he just
said, who can understand his errors? Who can know all of his
errors? Who can know the sins of the flesh? Who can know what
goes on in the heart? Who can know just how much God
despises flesh? Who can know what dwells and
lurks within us that God sees and God knows and God understands
that you yourself don't even understand? What David is praying
here is forgiveness and cleansing from sins that he didn't even
know about. That's right, that he didn't
even see. Oh Lord, cleanse me from the sins that even I don't
see. Now you think I'm wrong? You
study this a little bit. You go home, look hard at it,
and pray about it. There's nobody in this congregation
that knows just what a great sinner he is. You know a few
things about the things you've said you shouldn't have said,
and thought you shouldn't have thought, and did you shouldn't
have done, and all these things, past, present, we worry about
this. But there's enough sin that you don't even know about
that only God detects and discerns and understands that's damnable
and abominable. That's right. And that's what
David's praying about. He said, who can understand his
error? Who can know his error? Who can understand the depths
of sin which this flesh holds? Oh God, cleanse me from those.
cleanse me from those." And then he says, Lord, keep back thy
servant from presumptuous sin. Do you know what these are? These are the willful, deliberate,
sinful, walking in rebellion, presuming on the grace of God.
That's what it is. There's a natural proneness in
every one of us to sin. And David knew that, and David
knows that, and what he's praying is this, Lord, hold me back,
restrain me. As your horse is restrained by
a bridle and held back by a bridle, keep me from letting and having
sin get a dominion over me and controlling my life and going
on in that which I know, God forbids, in that which I know
God commands me not to do, presuming on the grace of God. Well, I'm
God's child and he'll forgive me, and I'm God's child and he'll
take care of it, and I'll go to heaven when I die. Presumptuous
sins. Many people do that. They go against, in other words,
whatever it costs, just let her go. And they go right on in a
path that they know is not the path God wants them to travel.
They go on in a direction they know is not the direction God
wants them to travel. But that's alright, I'm God's
child, and everything will be alright. It won't be alright.
That's presumptuous sin. That's presuming on the grace
of God. And that's when sin gets dominion
and control. And that's what he says here.
Let not them have dominion over me. Then shall I be upright,
and then I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
You know what the great transgression is? It's departing from the living
God. And that's where this finally leads to. It's apostasy. It's
apostasy. And then he closes with these
words, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Now the words of my mouth

God's Two Great Books

What does the Bible say about studying creation?

How do we know the Word of God is perfect?

Why is understanding both nature and scripture important for Christians?

How can we grow in knowledge of God through His creation?

What do the two great books represent in Christianity?

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God's Two Great Books

What does the Bible say about studying creation?

How do we know the Word of God is perfect?

Why is understanding both nature and scripture important for Christians?

How can we grow in knowledge of God through His creation?

What do the two great books represent in Christianity?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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