What does it mean that the heavens declare the glory of God?

The two witnesses of Psalm 19 still bear their uncorrupted testimony (1) “The heavens declare the glory of God”; and (2) “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (1:7). These witnesses plainly speak the truth according to their measure. The first declares God’s power and divinity. All men, including the heathen, have this witness continually testifying to them, therefore all who do not consequently turn to God are ‘without excuse’ (Rom. 1:20). The second (sent to the nation of Israel primarily) speaks of the holiness of God, and exposes the sinfulness of man, shutting him up to God alone for mercy, and rendering him inexcusable likewise if he does not seek this from Him.

Creation should, indeed, speak, and its voice be heard. What is invisible in the Creator should be and is seen, and seen clearly, being understood by the things that are made—even His eternal power and Godhead—not, indeed, His grace, or truth, or love, but infinite power and design, so much so that people are left thus without excuse. (See Romans 1:20.) Creation declares the power of God. It does not reveal what He is in Himself—His nature—but to any, except those wilfully blind, it is evidence sufficient of the existence of a Creator-God!

Gazing upon the Son of Man at the Cross, seeing Him glorified by all His infinite perfections being brought into display, prepares us for the second great statement, "God is glorified in Him." All others had dishonoured God, but at last One is found — the Son of Man, Himself morally perfect, who is able to undertake a work which glorifies God. But to glorify God He must be made sin, and go into the place of death. "The heavens declare the glory of God" as Creator, with infinite wisdom and power, but cannot declare the glory of His moral Being. For this the Son of Man must suffer, that by those sufferings every attribute of God may receive its highest expression. By the Cross the majesty of God is vindicated, the truth of God maintained, the righteousness of God is seen in the judgment of sin. The holiness that demanded such a sacrifice, and the love that gave it, shine in their brightest lustre. Truly the Son of Man, by His sufferings, has glorified God.

There is a feature of the divine glory that has ever been before the eyes of men, for "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). Yet all men do not discern in the wonders of creation the glory of God, even if "His eternal power and Godhead" (Rom. 1:20) are there to make their unbelief of Him inexcusable. Those who study the stars may speak of the varied glories of the heavenly orbs, and be able to tell of their great discoveries, and yet may never think of Him whose glory is before their eyes, or discern the workmanship of Him who is omnipotent and omniscient, being ignorant of the creator who brought all into existence. Divinely given faith is needed to perceive the hand of God in creation, for says the Scripture, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God" (Heb. 11:3). The babe in the family of God is much better instructed as to the origin of creation than the greatest intellectual who knows not God.

The testimony of creation to the glory of God remains before men, witnessing to "His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Rom. 1:20). God's love is not to be discovered in the works of His hands; there we see His divinity, His majesty and power; yet, though God's glory in creation is seen by the mortal eye, it can only be discerned as God's glory by the eye of faith, for it is "through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God" (Heb. 11:3). In viewing the light of the sun, or the beautiful colours of a flower, the natural man can only see what belongs to nature, but in them the man of faith discerns the handiwork of God.

Creation is the undeniable witness of this. Nothing but utter dishonesty can deny the eternity of God's power and divinity in the face of a creation of such glory as that which we behold every day. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps. 19:1). “There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.” And again, as the Lord questions Job, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?” “Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened?” “Or who shut up the sea with doors?” “And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?” (Job 38:4-11). The Lord simply demanded that Job face evidence that he was confronted with day by day. But how powerfully overwhelming an evidence for anyone who will hearken or take account! “So that they are without excuse.” Blessed is the day that a soul will thoroughly and frankly realize and confess that no circumstance is an excuse for sin. Would God that we should know more fully how to condemn it without reserve, and this particularly in ourselves.

In spite of the infidelity of man's heart, whether it betrays itself in evolution or modernism, the Creation remains, and the Psalmist declares, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork". While creation in all its parts declares the eternal power and divinity of God, it is not a little significant, that, the inspired writer of Psalm 19, speaks of parts of the creation which man has no power to touch or corrupt. He speaks of the unceasing procession of day and night, and of the perpetual circuit of the sun. In God's estimate, so powerful and convincing is this witness to His power and divinity, that it leaves men without excuse.

In Psalm 19 we have the testimony of creation and of the law. It is a solemn thought that whatever man has touched he has corrupted. Creation groans when a man has been there. But if I look where man cannot reach, at the moon, the stars, etc., all is glorious. The "heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy-work." Next (v. 7 to 11) "The law of Jehovah is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes." Here the point is not whether man can keep it or not, but its intrinsic perfection and its value for those who by grace profit by its light. Neither of these witnesses can be changed. Man early filled the earth with corruption and violence. "And God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt; and God said, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them." The heavens spread over all, and the sun going about in unwearied circuit from one end to the other, are the bright unchanging witnesses, above man's defiling hand, of the divine glory. As little does the law of Jehovah vary; but if man cannot change the law, he disobeys it. The effect of law is to claim from a sinful man that he should not be sinful.

Creation is the earliest witness of God to man, though, as soon as man fell, he had need of, and in the mercy of God found, addition to it. If men turned their back on that, or corrupted it with their own folly, the witness of creation still remained, and they could not silence this. "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: so that they are without excuse." (Rom. 1:20.)

Here it is the heavens alone that are brought forward in testimony, — those heavens so suggestive of infinity and power, to which in their paths the stars move in orderly subjection. "The heavens declare the glory of God," — El, "the Mighty"; "and the expanse telleth the work of His hands."

The lights in the firmament of the heaven are said to be for 'signs' as well as for 'seasons.' Gen. 1:14. A false application has been made of this passage in using the varied positions of the sun, moon, and planets as a means to foretell events. Of what then are they signs? it may be asked. This is perhaps answered in Ps. 19:1-6. The stupendous distance and marvellous regularity in the movements of the heavenly bodies are a sign of the glory of the One that created them, as is stated of God in Rom, 1:20; "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," or divinity.