“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” (Psalm 19:1)
This is a keynote passage of the Old Testament affirming what’s proclaimed by the apostle Paul in Romans 1:20: “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.”
The psalmist uses an interesting set of Hebrew words to make his point. The first is the verb sapar, translated “declare.” It has the meaning to count, list, make record of. In this context, it points to an indisputable record or accounting of the omnipotent and all-powerful Creator exhibited in the heavens.
As frail humans, we can barely assess the full impact of this heavenly record. What we can observe with our advanced telescopes shows billions of galaxies and other features and formations beyond our wildest imaginations. However, our mighty God “telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names” (Psalm 147:4) and “bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth” (Isaiah 40:26).
The second word of interest is the verb nagad, translated “sheweth,” which means to explain, announce, and reveal. This verb occurs in the hiphil stem, which is the causative active form—meaning that God’s handiwork inherently, constantly, and actively declares to all humanity His power and greatness.
It’s no wonder that in eternity it will be proclaimed in heaven, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). JPT
Days of Praise Podcast is a podcast based on the Institute for Creation Research quarterly print devotional, Days of Praise. Start your day with devotional readings written by Dr. Henry Morris, Dr. Henry Morris III, Dr. John Morris, and others to strengthen and encourage you in your Christian faith.
