Praise for the Works of God

PSALM 19:1-6—This well-known passage of Scripture describes the silent yet eloquent testimony of nature to the power and skill and wisdom of God, all of which reflect his wondrous glory. The testimony of the heavens may be read by the thoughtful of every land; for regardless of the language used all can understand that “the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.”

The Psalmist was not the only Old Testament writer to recognize the glory of God in the heavens. Job wrote concerning the Lord, “He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength … which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.” (Job 9:4,9,10) And the Lord, in order to impress Job even more vividly concerning his superior strength and wisdom, inquires of him, “Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth [the constellations of the zodiac], each in its season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? [or dost thou appoint its rule on the earth?—Leeser].”—Job 38:31-33

The shining hosts of heaven, by their numberless multitude, their orderly groupings in various constellations, their continual yet never conflicting movements, their perfect harmony, their magnitude and their mutual benign influence, continuously—day and night—declare the glory of God. Anyone who meditates upon the unmistakable testimony of God’s glory as revealed in the heavens will scarcely be like the “fool” who saith in his heart, “There is no God.”—Psalm 14:1

“Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night she with knowledge,” declares the Psalmist. And then he adds—as translated in the margin—“Without speech or language, their voice is heard.” Thus we are reminded that throughout all the ages, the most brilliant and effective testimony to God’s glory that has daily been given, has been a silent one. Just as actions speak louder than words, so the object lesson of the heavens does also, and without doubt, as a result of this testimony, countless millions of human beings have been able to maintain their faith in the existence of God.

The faith in God that is engendered in the hearts of men by the testimony of the heavens, while a great blessing, and doubtless very pleasing to the Creator, does not enlighten the mind concerning his plans and purposes. This information can be obtained only through a study of his Word. Thus we might say that God has two great Books—one, the Book of nature, and the other, his written Word. The Book of nature tends to establish faith in the hearts of the reverently inclined, while the written Word serves as a guide to those who seek, regardless of cost to themselves, to know and do the will of the Creator.

PSALM 65:9-13—Here the mighty and loving works of God which come closer home to man are related. Not alone do the heavens declare his glory, for his loving provision of the bounties of earth brought forth under the invigorating influences of the sun and rain, also testify of his loving-kindness.

While the bounties of the earth which come to us so plentifully every year seem more understandable to our finite minds than do the heavens above, actually they are not. We can plant our seeds in the ground, but the power of God which makes them grow is quite beyond our comprehension. How true are the words of a well-known poem, “Only God can make a tree.”

“O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.” (Psalm 104:24) As we scrutinize the works of God we can see the wisdom that is manifested in many of them. On the other hand, because of our limited understanding, we might be inclined to wonder about some of the things which have been created. But in this passage, the Psalmist assures us that divine wisdom is displayed in all that God has created.

It will probably require all the ages of eternity for human beings to come to this full appreciation of the wonderful works of the Creator. In the New Testament we are told that throughout the ages to come the manifold wisdom of God will be made known through the church. (Eph. 2:7; 3:10) This is another reason the consecrated followers of the Master should give all diligence to make their “calling and election sure.”—II Pet. 1:10

QUESTIONS

Does the testimony of God’s glory in the heavens enlighten human beings concerning the divine plan of the ages?

Where alone can one learn about God’s will, and how to do it?

What will be one of the channels through which the world will learn about the wisdom and love of God?

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