The Witness of the Stars. E. W. Bullinger

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СКАЧАТЬ will come,

      In all the glory of His royal right,

      Redeemer and Avenger, taking home

      His saints, and crushing the usurper’s might?

      This is the hope.

      May the God of all grace accept and bless this effort to show forth His glory, and use it to strengthen His people in waiting for His Son from Heaven, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come.

      ETHELBERT W. BULLINGER.

      August 31st, 1893.

      Introduction.

      For more than two thousand five hundred years the world was without a written revelation from God. The question is, Did God leave Himself without a witness? The question is answered very positively by the written Word that He did not. In Rom. i. 19 it is declared that, “that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. 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.” But how was God known? How were His “invisible things,” i.e., His plans, His purposes, and His counsels, known since the creation of the world? We are told by the Holy Spirit in Rom. x. 18. Having stated in v. 17 that “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word (ῥήμα, the thing spoken, sayings) of God,” He asks, “But I say, Have they not heard? Yes, verily.” And we may ask, How have they heard? The answer follows—“Their sound went into all the earth (γή) and their words (ῥήματα, their teaching, message, instruction) unto the ends of the world (οἰκουμένη).” What words? What instruction? Whose message? Whose teaching? There is only one answer, and that is, THE HEAVENS! This is settled by the fact that the passage is quoted from Ps. xix., the first part of which is occupied with the Revelation of God written in the Heavens, and the latter part with the Revelation of God written in the Word.

      This is the simple explanation of this beautiful Psalm. This is why its two subjects are brought together. It has often perplexed many why there should be that abrupt departure in verse 7—“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” The fact is, there is nothing abrupt in it, and it is no departure. It is simply the transition to the second of the two great Revelations which are thus placed in juxtaposition. The first is the Revelation of the Creator, El, אֵל, in His works, while the second is the Revelation of the Covenant Jehovah, יְהוָה, in His Word. And it is noteworthy that while in the first half of the Psalm, El is named only once, in the latter half Jehovah is named seven times, the last being threefold (Jehovah, Rock, and Redeemer), concluding the Psalm.

      Let us then turn to Ps. xix., and note first—

      The Structure{1} of the Psalm as a whole.

      A | 1-4-. The Heavens.

      B | -4-6. “In them” (בָּהֶם) the Sun.

      A | 7-10. The Scriptures.

      B | 11-14. “In them” (בָּהֶם) Thy Servant.

      In the Key to the Psalms, p. 17, it is pointed out that the terms employed in A and B are astronomical,{2} while in A and B they are literary. Thus the two parts are significantly connected and united.

      Ewald and others imagine that this Psalm is made up of two fragments of separate Psalms composed at different periods and brought together by a later editor!

      But this is disproved not only by what has been said concerning the structure of the Psalm as a whole, and the interlacing of the astronomical and the literary terms in the two parts, but it is also shown by more minute details.

      Each half consists of two portions which correspond the one to the other, A answering to A, and B to B. Moreover, each half, as well as each corresponding member, consists of the same number of lines; those in the first half being, by the cæsura, short, while those in the last half are long (or double).

      A | 1-4-. Eight lines

      B | -4-6. Six lines

      A | 7-10. Eight lines

      B | 11-14. Six lines

      If we confine ourselves to the first half of the Psalm{3} (A and B, verses 1-6), with which we are now alone concerned, we see a still more minute proof of Divine order and perfection.

      The Structure of A and B.

      A & B | C | 1. The heavens.

      | D | 2. Their testimony: incessant. (Pos.)

      | E | 3. Their words inaudible. (Neg.)

      | D | 4-. Their testimony: universal. (Pos.)

      | C | -4-6. The heavens.

      Here we have an introversion, in which the extremes (C and C) are occupied with the heavens; while the means (D, E and D) are occupied with their testimony.

      The following is the full expansion of the above, with original emendations which preserve the order of the Hebrew words and thus indicate the nature of the structure:—

      C | a | The heavens

      | b | are telling{4}

      | c | the glory{5} of God:

      | c | and the work of his hands

      | b | is setting forth{6}

      | a | the firmament.

      D | d | Day after day{7}

      | e | uttereth{8} speech,

      | d | And night after night

      | e | sheweth knowledge.

      E | f | There is no speech (what is articulate)

      | g | and there are no words (what is audible);

      | g | and without being audible,

      | f | is their voice (what is articulate).

      D | h | Into all the earth (as created)

      | i | is their line{9} gone forth;

      | h | And into the ends of the world (as inhabited)

      | i | Their sayings.

      C | j | For the sun He hath set a tent (an abode) in them;

      | k | l | and he as a bridegroom (comparison)

      | | m | is going forth from his canopy, (motion: its rising)

      | | l | he rejoiceth as a mighty one (comparison)

      | | m | to run his course. (Motion: its rapid course.)

      | k | n | From the end of the heavens (egress)

      | | o | is his СКАЧАТЬ