Thursday 3rd December

Worshipping wizards! - Psalm 19 vs 1
 
Since May we have been trying to see Space-X’s sky-train of sixty satellites as they move across the night sky. We have failed on every occasion but the bonus prize has been to look at the starry night sky more often than ever before and to be reminded of the Psalmist’s words in Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
 
John Calvin said, ‘There is not one little blade of grass, there is no colour in this world that is not intended to make men rejoice.’ A modern writer, Paul Tripp, wrote similarly, ‘our heavenly Father... designed the world in which we live to be a gloryscope.’ Everyone gets some sense of God from nature. It exists for a grand vertical purpose – to help us see and celebrate our Creator!
 
However, though this true, what the heavens say with its silent words is open to gross misinterpretation. We end up worshipping nature and we miss God. It needs something more.
 
That’s what happened 2000 years ago in the Middle East. A new star appeared and the heavens began to introduce something completely new. Some of those nature worshippers spotted it. They were astrologers. Today we would probably call them wizards! It moved so, intrigued, they followed it. They became known as the ‘wise men’ or ‘Magi.’ They were about to discover that the heavens did indeed “declare the glory of God.”
 
Even this special star needed more! We know now that it took them to see a new king...actually to the Word made flesh...Jesus...but it wasn’t the star that clinched the deal. It took them to Jerusalem where the religious experts in the Bible (OT) told them where the child would be born. There they “bowed down and worshipped him” and were “overjoyed” (Matt.2:10, 11). What happened here? The wicked wizards were changed into worshipping wizards...and it took the Scriptures to point them in the right direction.
 
Back to Psalm 19. At verse 7 David turns his attention to “the Law of the Lord” which “refreshes the soul, makes wise the simple, gives joy to the heart and light to the eyes.” Why? Because an even greater wonder than God’s creation is His Word. Simple! Nothing that David can see or even feel (19:12-13) makes sense without the words of God. We have His words! We can hear in our souls the very voice of God himself by his Spirit through His Book. Not only has He spoken in the past but now, today, this Christmas.
 
Did you notice that “light to the eyes” bit? That’s not starlight, not even sunlight but SON-light...to see Jesus as the promised Saviour of sinners. Have you seen Him? You don’t have to guess who God is. He speaks to us directly in the Bible. Is that Book precious to us this Advent? Is it “sweeter that honey” (19:10) to us? Let it lead us to the Christ this Advent season and experience the “great reward” (19:11).