• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
The Witness of the Stars | Introduction
Preface| Table of Contents| Chapter 1
The Witness of the Stars
E. W. Bullinger
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 Romans 1:19 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 Romans 10:18. Having stated in v. 17 that "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the
Word (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 and their
words (their teaching, message, instruction) unto the ends of the world." 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 Psalm 19, [one] part of which is occupied with the
Revelation of God written in the Heavens, and the part with the Revelation of God written in theWord.

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, in Hisworks, while the second is the Revelation of the
Covenant Jehovah in HisWord. And it is noteworthy that while in the first half of the Psalm,El is
named only once, in the latter halfJehovah is namedseven times, the last being threefold (Jehovah,
Rock, and Redeemer), concluding the Psalm.

Let us then turn to Psalm 19, and note first--
The Structure* of the Psalm as a whole.
A. 1-4. The Heavens.
B. 4-6. "In them" the Sun.
A. 7-10. The Scriptures.
file:///C|/The Witness of the Stars E.W.Bullinger/intro.html (1 of 14)11/25/2006 7:32:01 PM
The Witness of the Stars | Introduction
B. 11-14. "In them" Thy Servant.
* For what is meant by "Structure," see A Key to the Psalms, by the late Rev. Thos. Boys, edited
by the present author.
In the Key to the Psalms, p. 17, it is pointed out that the terms employed inA andB areastronomical, *
while in A and B they areliterary Thus the two parts are significantly connected and united.
* Vis., inA (vv 7,8),--

"Converting," from to return, as the sun in the heavens.
"Testimony," from to repeat, hence, a witness, spoken of the sun in Psalm 89:37.
"Sure,"faithful, as the sun (Psa 89:37).
"Enlightening," from to give light, as the sun (Gen 1:15,17,18; Isa 60:19; Eze
32:7).

InB (vv 11-13),--

"Warned," from to make light, hence, to teach, admonish.
"Keeping," from to keep, observe, as the heavens (Psa 130:6; Isa 21:11). Or as the
heavenly bodiesobserve God's ordinances.
"Errors," from to wander, as the planets.
"Keep back," to hold back, restrain.
"Have dominion over," from to rule. Spoken of the sun and moon in Genesis 1:18.
"The sun to rule the day," &c. (Psa 136:8,9).

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 toA, and B toB. Moreover, each half, as well as each corresponding member, consists of the same number of lines; those in the first half being, by thecaesura, short, while those int he last half are long (or double).

A. 1-4. Eight lines
B. 4-6. Six lines = 14 lines
A. 7-10. Eight lines
B. 11-14. Six lines = 14 lines.
If we confine ourselves to the first half of the Psalm * (A and B, verses 1-6), with which we are now
file:///C|/The Witness of the Stars E.W.Bullinger/intro.html (2 of 14)11/25/2006 7:32:01 PM
The Witness of the Stars | Introduction
alone concerned, we see a still more minute proof of Divine order and perfection.
The Structure ofA andB.
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.
* The other half of the Psalm is just as perfectly arranged. For example, there are six words used
(vv 7-9) to describe the fulness of the Word of God, and they are thus placed, alternately:
F.Two feminine singulars. (Law and Testimony.)
G.One masculine plural. (Statutes.)
F.Two feminine singulars. (Commandment and Fear.)
G.One masculine plural. (Judgments).
Here we have anintroversion, in which the extremes (C andC) are occupied with theheavens; while the
means (D, E andD) are occupied with their testimony.
The following is the full expansion of the above, with original emendations which preserve theorder of
the Hebrew words and thus indicate the nature of the structure:
C. a. The heavens
b. are telling (1)
c. the glory (2) of God:
c. and the work of his hands
b. is setting forth (3)
a. the firmament.
D. d. Day after day (4)
e. uttereth (5) 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, (what is audible).
f. is their voice (what is articulate).
D. h. Into all the earth (as created)
file:///C|/The Witness of the Stars E.W.Bullinger/intro.html (3 of 14)11/25/2006 7:32:01 PM
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...