THE FEAR OF THE LORD
– IT IS A CLEANSING
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Psalm 19:9 |
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The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever… KJV |
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever… NIV |
Psalm 19 is one of my favourite Psalms because when I finally realised just what it was saying, it transformed my life. As a youngster I was a believer in the theory of evolution and would enter into any fray regarding how the world and the universe began. I had a few facts and figures at my disposal which were employed at every opportunity to prove my point. Little did I realise how verse 1 of Psalm 19 would shatter my closely held belief system and change my entire outlook on how the world began, and more importantly who did it! Verse 2 told me of the unchanging God of all creation in that day and night His wonderful works were on display for anyone who would care to stop, look and listen.
My fear of God started when I began to delve into the enormity of space. Verse 1 speaks of the firmament which is a word describing the sky, space, the heavens and the universe, and then it describes all this as the handiwork of God! The immensity of the universe is astonishing. If we were to travel at the speed of light which is 186,000 miles a second for one year, we would cover a distance of 6 trillion miles! And even at that speed it would take us upwards of 10 billion years to reach the farthest point we know of in space. This is mind-boggling and unimaginable.
If creation is so great, how much more is the One who created it all! Day and night the heavens tell us of His greatness and His power. In verses 3 and 4 we are told that there is no speech, nothing audible, yet the voice of God’s mighty works goes out to all the world, and its message until the end of the world.
Lord Kelvin, the great Scottish Mathematician and Physicist said: If we think strongly enough, we will be forced by science to believe in the God of Creation.
Emmanuel Kant, the German Philosopher once said: The starry sky above me and the moral law in me, are two things which fill the soul with ever-increasing admiration and reverence.
If verses 1 to 6 tell us about God’s revelation of Himself to all of mankind, then verse 7 tells us of another aspect of God’s revelation, and that is: The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
Both aspects glorify God.
- His handiwork reveals His Power and Knowledge.
- His law reveals His Love and Grace.
His law is contained in The Word of God which is perfect. It convicts and converts the soul and those who read, study and meditate on it have a reverential fear of it because it shows we are at fault, that we are guilty of sin, that the righteousness we desperately cling to is regarded by God as filthy rags.
The Psalmist tells us that there are eight qualities attributed to the Word of God:
| · It is Perfect. | · It is Sure. | · It is Right. | · It is Pure. |
| · It is Clean. | · It is Enduring. | · It is True. | · It is Righteous. |
And what’s more:
| 1. It converts the soul. | 2. It makes wise the simple. |
| 3. It rejoices the heart. | 4. It enlightens the eyes. |
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.
May you know the Love and Peace of God in your life which comes from simple obedience to The Law of The Lord which is to be desired more than gold and which you will find sweeter than honey. May the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart be acceptable in His sight, for in Him, you will find strength and redemption.