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AROUND THE CLOCK

THERE ARE JUST SOME THINGS AND SOME MOMENTS IN LIFE THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO STOP TALKING ABOUT.

SOMETIMES IT'S WHEN YOU GET ENGAGED - YOU TALK ABOUT THE PERSON DAY & NIGHT.

SOMETIMES IT'S A DREAM, GOAL, VISION YOU HAVE FOR YOUR LIFE - YOU TALK ABOUT IT NIGHT AND DAY.

SOMETIMES IT'S WHEN YOU ARE WORKING IN A FIELD YOU REALLY ENJOY - YOU TALK ABOUT IT NIGHT AND DAY.

WHEN WE GET TO PSALM 19:2, THE TEXT SAYS THAT THE HEAVENS AND THE SKIES TALK ABOUT GOD NIGHT AND DAY.

PSALM 19:2

THE PSALMIST ENCOURAGES THE CONGREGATION TO SING THE FOLLOWING:

2 DAY TO DAY [THE HEAVENS] POURS OUT SPEECH, AND NIGHT TO NIGHT [THE SKY] REVEALS KNOWLEDGE."

THE PSALMIST HAS ALREADY DECLARED IN V. 1 THAT THE HEAVENS AND THE SKY "ARE DECLARING" AND "IS PROCLAIMING" THE "GLORY OF GOD" AND HIS "HANDIWORKS."

IN V. 2, THE PSALMIST DOUBLES DOWN ON THE ACTIVE, ONGOING NATURE OF THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS. HE SINGS THEY HAPPEN "DAY-TO-DAY" AND "NIGHT-TO-NIGHT" AND IT'S POURING OUT "SPEECH" AND "KNOWLEDGE."

SPEECH HERE ISN'T GENERIC BABBLING ABOUT ANYTHING-AND-EVERYTHING. SPEECH HERE IS MORE CONCERNED WITH THE IDEA OF GOD'S WISDOM, PROMISES, OR LAW. IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S THE KIND OF SPEECH THAT IS CONNECTED TO GOD-STUFF.

THEREFORE, WHEN THE PSALMIST MAKES THE CLAIM THAT THE HEAVENS AND THE SKY ARE SPEAKING DAY AND NIGHT - IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT GOD.

EARLY CHURCH FATHERS

LEO THE GREAT FROM THE 400s EXPANDS ON THIS IDEA. HE WRITES:

“ALL NATURE SERVES THE WORD OF GOD FOR OUR INSTRUCTION…ITS VOICE IS HEARD IN THE DAY, IT IS HEARD IN THE NIGHT, AND THE BEAUTY OF ALL THINGS, ESTABLISHED BY THE WORK OF ONE GOD, DOES NOT CEASE TO PUT INTO THE EARS OF OUR HEARTS A RULING ORDER…[THAT] IT IS SUBJECT…TO THE CREATOR.”

NOTE THAT NATURE IS DESIGNED NOT JUST TO BE OBSERVED, ENJOYED, AND PROVIDE FOR US (ALTHOUGH IT IS!), IT ALMOST DESIGNED TO SERVE THE WORD OF GOD BY PASSING ON WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE (GOD-SPEECH).

THIS WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE IS "PUT INTO THE EARS OF OUR HEARTS" AND REMINDS US THAT EVERY LAYER OF CREATION IS "SUBJECT...TO THE CREATOR."

CHARLES SPURGEON

THIS FOLLOWING IS AN EXTENDED QUOTE, BUT FEW ARE BETTER THAN SPURGEON [EMPHASISMINE]:

"[IT IS] AS IF ONE DAY TOOK UP THE STORY WHERE THE OTHER LEFT IT, AND EACH NIGHT PASSED OVER THE WONDROUS TALE TO THE NEXT. THE ORIGINAL HAS IN IT THE THOUGHT OF POURING OUT OR WELLING OVER, WITH SPEECH; AS THOUGH DAYS AND NIGHTS WERE BUT AS A FOUNTAIN FLOWING EVERMORE WITH [GOD'S] PRAISE. OH TO DRINK OFTEN AT THE CELESTIAL WELL, AND LEARN TO UTTER THE GLORY OF GOD! THE WITNESSES ABOVE CANNOT BE SLAIN OR SILENCED; FROM THEIR ELEVATED SEATS THEY CONSTANTLY PREACH THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, UNAWED AND UNBIASED BY THE JUDGMENT OF MEN. EVEN THE CHANGES OF ALTERNATING NIGHT AND DAY ARE MUTELY ELOQUENT, AND LIGHT AND SHADE EQUALLY REVEAL THE INVISIBLE ONE; LET THE VICISSITUDES OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES DO THE SAME, AND WHILE WE BLESS THE GOD OF OUR DAYS OF JOY, LET US ALSO EXTOL HIM WHO GIVETH "SONGS IN THE NIGHT."

TWO TAKEAWAY IDEAS

ONE

IT WOULD BODE US WELL TO "LISTEN WITH EARS OF OUR HEART." PAUL ECHOES THIS SAME SENTIMENT IN ROMANS 1:20 WHEN HE SAYS:

"FOR SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD GOD’S INVISIBLE QUALITIES—HIS ETERNAL POWER AND DIVINE NATURE—HAVE BEEN CLEARLY SEEN, BEING UNDERSTOOD FROM WHAT HAS BEEN MADE, SO THAT PEOPLE ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE."

HERE PAUL MAKES THE CLAIM THAT PEOPLE ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE FOR KNOWING GOD. I WOULD (HUMBLY!) ADD THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT WITHOUT EXCUSE FOR SIMPLY GROWING IN THEIR DEFERENCE AND SUBMISSION TO GOD - ALLOWING THE HEAVENS AND SKY TO REMIND US OF THE HIERARCHICAL CREATED ORDER.

TWO

THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID OF NOT ONLY LISTENING AND LEARNING FROM THE HEAVENS AND THE SKY, BUT ALSO PARTICIPATING AND PRACTICING ALONGSIDE. TO QUOTE THE ABBREVIATED SPURGEON AGAIN:

"OH TO DRINK OFTEN AT THE CELESTIAL WELL, AND LEARN TO UTTER THE GLORY OF GOD!"

IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S A GOOD PRACTICE THAT AS THE:

  • SUN SPEAKS THE WISDOM OF GOD IN THE MORNING, WE SPEAK THE WISDOM OF GOD TO OUR SPOUSES.
  • MOON SPEAKS THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IN THE EVENING WE SPEAK THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD TO OUR CHILDREN.
  • CLOUDS SPEAK THE LAW OF GOD IN THE DAY, WE SPEAK THE LAW OF GOD TO OUR COWORKERS ALONG THE WAY.
  • STARS SPEAK THE STORY OF GOD IN THE MIDNIGHT, WE SPEAK THE STORY OF GOD TO OTHERS IN OUR CONGREGATIONS.

"DAY TO DAY [THE HEAVENS] POURS OUT SPEECH, AND NIGHT TO NIGHT [THE SKY] REVEALS KNOWLEDGE(PS. 19:2)....[AS IT] SERVES THE WORD OF GOD FOR OUR INSTRUCTION (LEO THE GREAT)...[THAT WE MAY] DRINK OFTEN AT THE CELESTIAL WELL, AND LEARN TO UTTER THE GLORY OF GOD! (CHARLES SPURGEON)"