Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

great"shine,"riches"I. The Elemental Forces of NatureCreated (1-4).The first division celebrates the creation work of the first and second days(Genesis 1:3-8). The psalmist presents apoetic enrichment of the thoughts recorded very simply in Genesis. He speaks ofGod the Creator as though He were aman;as a poet he conceives of God'screative work in terms of human activity: "In splendor and glory hast Thouclothed Thyself; enwrapping Thyself inlight as a garment, spreading out theheavens like a tent- cloth, who layeth thebeams of His chambers in the waters,who maketh the clouds His chariot, whowalketh upon the wings of the wind,making His messengers out of the winds,His servants out of flaming fire" (Delitzsch'srendering). Such humanizing ofGod, in the Scriptures, does not degrade God; it exalts and honors Him, sothat frail, mortal man can say, "Jehovah,(verse 1).my God, Thou art veryGod is almighty. He had to use only avery small fraction of His power to createthe universe. The power God had touse in order to create all things is but asa nudge of the hand as compared withthe almighty power of God above andbeyond His creative power. The creationof all things was a verysmall and insignificant task for God. But for man,who can think only in terms of humanstrength and human activity, creation isan inconceivably immense undertaking.Hence, God is extolled and glorified whenman speaks of God's creation in terms ofhuman activity.LT. The Earth and Its Seas Created (5-9).The figurative language of the psalmistis continued in this part of the Psalm,supplementing the simple, factual account of creation in Genesis, chapter 1,by pointingus beyond the fact to themarvel of God's creation. The marvel ofGod's creation is not that God was ableto create this vast universe and all that isin it, but rather that God, being infinitelygreater than the universe, condescendedto bring it into being.The largest of the oceans, the Pacific,covers 63,634,000 square miles. The totalexpanse of the five oceans created by Godis 133,251,000 square miles. God, bycontrast, is so infinitely great, that thewhole universe is in comparison to Godwhat the smallest invisible particle ofvapor is to the greatest expanse of thevast ocean (Benjamin B. Warfield, Biblical and Theological Studies, 1952, ThePresbyterian and Reformed PublishingCo., p. 8).ILT. Food and Drink Provided bythe Creator (10-14).This and the next division correspondwith Genesis 1:11-13, where part of the284third day's work was completed, namely,the creation of the vegetable kingdom forthe provision of food for man and beast.God does care for His creatures. Thewonder of God's greatness is not that Heis able to provide food and drink for allthe beasts of field and forest, and for allthe people of the world, but that Godhumbles Himself in His grace to careabout His creation, (see Psalm 113:5-6).IV. God's Provision For His Creatures(15-18).This section of the Psalm continuesthe thought of the preceding, that God onthe third day created the vegetable kingdom for the sustenance of His highercreatures. Delitzsch says that the oil referred to in verse 15 makes man's "face tonot by means of anointingsinceit was not the face but the head that wasanointedbut bythe fact that oil increased the nutritiveness and savorinessof food.V. God'sAppointment*of Times andSeasons (19-23).The creative work of the fourth dayis taken up and reflected in this divisionof the Psalm, following the statements ofGenesis 1:14-19. God set the sun in theheavens to function not only as a luminary, but also to regulate the daily activities of man and beast. The moon wasdeclared byGod to be the principalmeasurer of the divisions of time. Hence,all of man's civil life is regulated according to the lunar month, and the cycleof the moon is the basis of our calendar.VI. God's Care of All His Creation(24-29)."Fixing his eye upon the sea with itssmall and great creatures, and the care ofGod for all self-living beings, the poetpasses over to the fifth and sixth days ofcreation"(Delitzsch). 'The psalmist expresses wonder at the great number ofGod's works, and the vast magnitude ofGod's activity in the earth. "O Lord,how manifold are thy works! in wisdomhast thou made them all : the earth is fullof thy(verse 24). From man'sviewpoint, God's care of His creatures inall the earth is an inconceivably vast enterprise. But we should remember that itforms only a small part of God's totalactivity. God's activity in the universeis like a game in comparison to the broadscope of His activity outside of the universe. It is an infinite universe to us,but to God it is only as a speck of dustthat cannot in any way claim His attention.VLT. A Renewed Creation, for theGloryof God (30-35).The Psalmist ends his review of God'swork of creation with a meditation reflecting the Sabbath-rest of Genesis 1:31-2:3. His desire is that the glory of God,reflected in a perfect creation, may continue forever, and that God, who whenHe viewed His works at the end of sixdays, saw that theywere good and wassatisfied with them, may be able to rejoice in them forever in glad Sabbathrest.God's works may cease to give Himpleasure because of sin and sinners; butGod will in due time purge His creationof all sinners (32, 35), and renew it asa new creation in Christ, for His ownglory.PRAYER MEETING TOPICNovember 17, 1954CONVERSIONA FACT IN THEPsalms:HEARTEzek. 18:30-32; John 12:40Rev. Leter E. Kilpatrick65:1-3, page 15650:14-17, 21, page 12951:7-10, page 13168:27, 31-34, page 165References: In the discussion. Find others.While conversion, so far as the human eye can observe it is concerned, isa "turn-around" in the manner of life,it is infinitelynoted in a previous studymore than this. As was(topic for 20October 1954), there may be a change ofconduct, and what appears to be a changeof attitude, which is only outward.Pharaoh saw his land being desolatedby one plague after another and changedhis words and defiant manner towardMoses. He "called for Moses and Aaron,and said unto them, I have sinned thistime: the Lord is righteous, and I andmy people are wicked. Intreat the Lord(for it is enough) that there be no moremighty thunderings and hail; and I willlonger"let you go, and ye shall stay no(Ex. 9:27, 28). Pharoah was "converted."But his heart of cruelty and avarice andgreed of gain remained unchanged. Assoon as the thundering and hail ceased hedecided it was just an unusually severestorm, and that he must be getting softin the head to be frightened by a naturalphenomenon. He refused to let this nationof slaves go. His conversion was not afact in the heart.God's appeal is never confined to mereconduct. He says, "My son, give me thineheart,"and again, "Keep thy heart withall diligence, for out of it are the issuesof life" (Prov. 23:26; 4:23).There Can Be No Conversion Without"Repent,Conviction of Sin.your transgressions . . (Ezek.and turn yourselves from all18 :30-32)The wicked heart of man is wicked chiefly in that man thinks he is righteous.COVENANTER WITNESS