The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no voice or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world.
Psalm 19.1-4
Since the foundation 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 men are without excuse.
Romans 1.20
These verses from Old and New Testaments remind us that, God has as it were, written his name large across his Creation so that men are without excuse. That is at one level a frightening thought, for at the final assize the plea ‘I never knew’ will carry no weight!
But there are two levels of seeing, hearing, listening and knowing. There is first, the realisation that the work of creation is God’s doing and indeed the gift to men of scientific discovery and a desire to ‘think God’s thoughts after him’ (Johann Kepler) has revealed and still is revealing, the immensity and wonder of what God has done. But second, unless this brings about a humble acknowledgement of the Creator and his plans and purposes for the world he has made, chaos ensues as we see across the globe as men deny him or follow a perverted understanding of who he is.
This is dramatic evidence that Satan, ‘the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4.4
The glory of creation is the first part of God’s great revelation of himself. The glory of Christ is the second. But as Paul writes to the Corinthians above so many have been blinded so that they cannot see.
This poses a great challenge to those of us who can see! Have we fully appreciated the wonder and depth of what God has made known to us in Christ? Are we seeing rightly? Do we have a real heart for those who are blind and walking blindly into a godless eternity? In the light of this are we like Paul willing to be
‘all things to all people that we might win some.’ 1 Corinthians 9.22?
We will think more of the incentives to do this as we follow through this Psalm in the next few days.