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Psalm 19 The greatness of God revealed to us

God’s greatness in nature

Actual size Football scale

Earth’s diameter 13 thousand km 23 cm / 1 football

God’s greatness in nature

Actual size Football scale

Earth’s diameter 13 thousand km 23 cm / 1 football

New Zealand 268 thousand km2 87 mm2 / fingernail

God’s greatness in nature

Actual size Football scale

Earth’s diameter 13 thousand km 23 cm / 1 football

New Zealand 268 thousand km2 87 mm2 / fingernail

Sun’s diameter 1.4 million km 25 m / larger, higher auditorium

God’s greatness in nature

Actual size Football scale

Earth’s diameter 13 thousand km 23 cm / 1 football

New Zealand 268 thousand km2 87 mm2 / fingernail

Sun’s diameter 1.4 million km 25 m / larger, higher auditorium

Sun’s distance 150 million km 2.6 km / RSC to Cathedral Square

Nature reveals God's greatness

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

‘Ua tala mai e le lagi le mamalu o le Atua;

‘ua fa‘aalia fo‘i e le vā nimonimo le galuega a ona ‘a‘ao.

Psalm 19

Verse 1 – 6 How God is revealed in nature

Verse 7 – 11 How God is revealed in His word

Verse 10 – 14 How we should respond

Nature reveals God's greatness

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

‘Ua tala mai e le lagi le mamalu o le Atua;

‘ua fa‘aalia fo‘i e le vā nimonimo le galuega a ona ‘a‘ao.

Nature reveals God's greatness

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

O lo‘o ta‘u atu le ‘upu e le tasi aso i le tasi aso,

o lo‘o fa‘ailoa fo‘i le poto e le tasi po i le tasi po.

Nature reveals God's greatness

• Continuously

Nature reveals God's greatness

They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

E leai se gagana, e leai fo‘i ni ‘upu,

e lē lagona o latou leo.

Nature reveals God's greatness

• Continuously

• Subtly and silently

Nature reveals God's greatness

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

‘Ua o‘o atu lo latou leo i le lalolagi uma lava,

ma a latou ‘upu i tulu‘iga o le atu laulau.

Nature reveals God's greatness

• Continuously

• Subtly and silently

• Universally

Nature reveals God's greatness

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

‘Ua na tu‘u i ai le fale ‘ie mo le lā;

Nature reveals God's greatness

• Continuously

• Subtly and silently

• Universally

• Obediently

Nature reveals God's greatness

It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

O ia fo‘i, e fa‘apei o se fa‘ato‘āfaiavā ‘ua sau mai lona afeafe;

e fiafia o ia e pei o se tagata fitafita e tamo‘e i le ala.

Nature reveals God's greatness

• Continuously

• Subtly and silently

• Universally

• Obediently

• Eagerly

Nature reveals God's greatness

It rises at one end of the heavens

and makes its circuit to the other;

O lona alu atu, mai le tasi tulu‘iga o le lagi lea,

‘ua o‘o fo‘i lana fa‘ata‘amilosaga i le tasi ona tulu‘iga;

Nature reveals God's greatness

• Continuously

• Subtly and silently

• Universally

• Obediently

• Eagerly

• Fulfillingly

Nature reveals God's greatness

Nothing is deprived of its warmth E leai fo‘i se mea e lilo i lona vevela.

Nature reveals God's greatness

• Continuously

• Subtly and silently

• Universally (v4)

• Obediently

• Eagerly

• Fulfillingly

• Universally (v6)

Nature reveals God's greatness

• Continuously

• Subtly and silently

• Universally

• Obediently

• Eagerly

• Fulfillingly

• Universally, powerfully and personally

The law of the Lord is perfect E sa‘o le tulafono a le ALI‘I

An abrupt transition

“The actual words supply no logical connection between the first and second movements. I think he [i.e. David, the author] felt effortlessly and without reflecting on it, so close a connection . . . between his first theme and his second that he passed from the one to the other without realising that he had made any transition.

An abrupt transition

“First he thinks of the sky . . . Then he thinks of the sun . . . Finally, of its heat. Then at once, in verse 7 he is talking of something else, which hardly seems to him of something else because it is so like the all-piercing, all-detecting sunshine.”

– CS Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms

Psalm 19:7-8

God’s ______ is ___________ resulting in ___________.

(word) (an attribute) (an outcome)

The Word reveals God's greatness

The law of the Lord is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

E sa‘o le tulafono a le ALI‘I,

e fa‘afoisia mai ai le agaga;

Salvation

The Word reveals God's greatness

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

E fa‘amaoni poloa‘iga a le ALI‘I,

e fa‘apotoina ai lē ‘ua faigofie.

Salvation Wisdom

The Word reveals God's greatness

The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

E tonu fe‘au a le ALI‘I,

e fa‘afiafia ai le loto;

Salvation Wisdom Joy

The Word reveals God's greatness

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

E mamā poloa‘iga a le ALI‘I,

e malamalama ai mata.

Salvation Wisdom Joy Insight

The Word reveals God's greatness

Verse 7 Refreshing the soul Making the simple wise

Verse 8 Joy to the heart Light to the eyes

A dilemma

But who can discern their own errors?

O ai ‘ea na te iloa amio sesē?

A dilemma resolved

But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

O ai ‘ea na te iloa amio sesē?

‘Ia e fa‘amāgalo ‘iā te a‘u i agasala lilo.

A dilemma resolved

But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

O ai ‘ea na te iloa amio sesē?

‘Ia e fa‘amāgalo ‘iā te a‘u i agasala lilo.

‘Ia e tāofi fo‘i i lau ‘au‘auna i agasala fa‘amaualuga;

‘aua ne‘i pule ia ‘iā te a‘u;

A dilemma resolved

But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

O ai ‘ea na te iloa amio sesē?

‘Ia e fa‘amāgalo ‘iā te a‘u i agasala lilo.

‘Ia e tāofi fo‘i i lau ‘au‘auna i agasala fa‘amaualuga;

‘aua ne‘i pule ia ‘iā te a‘u;

‘ona sa‘o ai lea o la‘u amio,

‘ou te lē nofo sala fo‘i i le leaga sili.

Our prayer

May these words of my mouth

and this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

‘Ia malie fo‘i ‘iā te oe ‘upu a lo‘u gutu,

ma mafaufauga o lo‘u loto,

le ALI‘I e, lo‘u papa ma lē na te togiolaina a‘u.