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890827PM

Ps19-5 DIVINE DECREES

PSALM 19:8B

Our precious portion of scripture to meditate upon in our study this evening is Ps. 19:8. Note the second half. This is the fourth of six sets of divine snapshots of the perfect sufficiency of God’s word each focuses on a special facet of God’s written revelation. Our text says the commandment of the Lord or His divine decrees are pure so they enlighten our eyes.

We previously say God’s word is:

The divine teacher The divine witness The divine directions

But what do we mean about divine decrees? You see this word commandments of decrees speaks of: “those things that are binding and non-optional”. They are “authoritative and impervious”. They are decrees from God; His divine commands.

Chuck Swindoll captures the nature of this aspect of God’s word in his newest book, Rise and Shine. Let me quote from him on one of God’s decrees what our purpose in existence is to please Him, singing glory to His name!

“The primary purpose of our lives is to glorify God. That, in a nutshell, is the reason we have been left on this planet. We haven’t long to live. In our brief span of sixty or seventy years, God graciously allows us breath in our lungs, a heart that beats over a hundred thousand times a day, and sufficient mental and physical strength to carry on. In the process of our earthly existence, His most primary purpose for our lives is not that we make a name for ourselves or accumulate a pile of dough or push people around like a hot shot. Pure and simple, it is to bring glory to His name. If in the process He permits us a measure of success or a few joys and benefits for our labor, no problem. But due to the brevity of life, we must keep first things first.”

Wow! What a clear view of life! Turn to Isaiah 42:5-7.

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“Our God is a jealous God. He shares His glory with no one else. From this day forward, do not allow yourself to forget the importance of glorifying His great name, regardless of your age, your status, your financial portfolio, or your sphere of influence. Read the following divine decrees through two ancient prophets. They represent words of warning for every generation.

“Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk in it, ‘I am the LORD, I have called you in righteous- ness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon, And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.’” (Isaiah 42:5-7)

“‘“But you, are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them…”’”(Jeremiah 45:5).

Do you see what I mean?

God says: Seek Me first and My ruling of your life before all else! (My paraphrase Mt. 6:33).

Again: Whether therefore ye eat, drink or whatever, do it for My glory. (1 Cor. 10:31).

Those are divine decrees. They are the authoritative, binding, nonoptionals of God’s word….

See Ps. 19:8. Note the commandments on divine decrees of the Lord are clear… – This word is literally “bright like the sun” – It speaks of that which is clear, easy to see and understand. – It makes our duty to God’s decrees plain!

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Sometimes people long to know what to do. If someone could just tell me…. God already has!

He said glorify Me. That’s a non-optional command, the only reason we are here is to do that.

The story is told of the man who, while walking on the beach, found washed up on the sand a used magic lamp. When the genie answered his rub, he told him that the lamp contained but one remaining wish. The man pondered for a moment, and then requested a copy of the stock page from the local newspaper, dated exactly one year later. In a puff of smoke, the genie was gone, and in his place was the financial news. Gleefully, the man sat down to peruse his trophy; he could invest with certainty, knowing the winners one year hence. As the paper fell to his lap, it turned over to the obituary column found on the reverse of the page, and the name on the top of the listing caught his attention: it was his!

That’s what the Bible speaks of when it says:

Acts 26:18 “opened eyes turned from darkness to light” God turns on the lights, dispels dark

Ps. 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp to my feet (each step)” “A light to my path (God’s direction)”

This clear, bright condition of life is why Christ said:

JJohn 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (KJV)

But what is the negative side of this? What if God’s decrees are not heeded?

What if the brightness of the non-optional, binding command is rejected? Let me illustrate from Romans. Rom. 1:18-32 is the history of mankind from Eden’s gate upon expulsion for the fall (Gen. 3) to the Great White Throne (Rev. 20) at the close of the 1000 year reign of Christ and the casting into Hell the final lost soul.

*Note the key to man’s eternal existence is what they did with the truth and bright light of God’s revelation!

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v. 18 they suppressed it v. 19 God made Himself clear conscience “within them” v. 20 bright light #2 creation: order symmetry indescribable power detail

Even today the inexplicable character of this ordered universe testifies of a creator.
Many scientists1 have tried to attribute the creation of the universe to the theoretical process of evolution. They have led most people to believe that chance was the cause of the beginning of the universe rather than a personal and a powerful God. However, science is unable to explain how the initial matter and energy came to exist. Robert Jastrow, an astrophysicist and director of NASA, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, says:

“Now we see how the astronomical evidence supports the biblical view of the origin of the world…the essential elements in the astronomical and biblical accound of Genesis are the same. Consider the enormousness of the problem: Science has proved that the universe exploded into being at a certain moment. It asks: What cause produced this effect? Who or what put the matter or energy into the universe? And science cannot answer these questions.

“For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream: He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been there for centuries.”

Now the key, Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (KJV) Because of rejecting God’s revelation and thus His person, hearts of darkness result!

And on you go: Man started in perfection and decayed to cavemen of darkness…

Back to Ps. 19:8: I quote John Calvin of Geneva who wrote over four centuries ago on this very verse:

1 Mac study notes?

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“In the end of the verse, the Psalmist teaches that the commandment of God is pure, enlightening the eyes. By this he gives us tacitly to understand that it is only in the commandments of God that we find the difference between good and evil laid down, and that it is in vain to seek it elsewhere, since whatever men devise of themselves is more filth and refuse, corrupting the purity of the life. He farther intimates that men, with all their acuteness, are blind, and always wander in darkness, until they turn their eyes to the light of heavenly doctrine. Whence it follows, that none are truly wise but those who take God for their conductor and guide, following the path which he point out to them, and who are diligently seeking after the peace which he offers and presents by his word.2”

Mk. 12:29 Love God with all our being Deut. 6:4 Lead our families 1 Thess. 1:10 Wait for the Son 1 Thess. 2:13 Take God at His word 1 Thess. 2:19 Measure life by Christ’s return

2 Scroggie?