Utumishi Blog

Something that was new to me recently was the idea that Psalm 19 and Romans 1:19-20 don’t just mean that the creation is telling us about ‘God’ in some general, abstract way – e.g. we look at a mountain and think there must be a mighty Creator and – but it is pouring forth speech about Christ.  It’s not just giving us vague clues to God’s attributes (omnipotent, omniscient etc.) but pouring out speech about the very nature of God as Christ-like. Where do we get this from?

“In Romans 10 Paul asks if any have not heard the word of Christ (v17)? He answers, of course not and quotes Psalm 19! The sermon of creation is the word of Christ.” (Glen Scrivener)

How does that work in practice? A few examples:

• The sun – it’s rising (Mal. 4:2) and passage across the sky (Ps. 19:4-6 cf. Ps. 45) – and the whole related theme of light
• The seed – dying to bring life and fruit (John 12:23-24)
• The lamb – silent and compliant before the shearers or slaughter (Isa. 53:7)
• The lion – quiet and lowly as it moves in for the kill (cf. 1 Pet. 5:8)
• The rain– this is one I’ve been thinking of quite a bit recently and come to appreciate a lot more being in Kenya:
  • It comes from heaven – top-down, from God, passively received – explicitly likened to the Word God, not returning empty but succeeding in the mission for which it was sent, to bring life (Isaiah 55:10-11).
  • It comes in grace, sent to the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45).
  • The seasonal rain, ‘at just the right time’, is a longed-for, vital, wonderful blessing (Deut. 28:12), a picture of the refreshing rule of the perfect King (2 Sam. 23:3-4; Psalm 72:6-7).
  • When the doors of heaven shut and the rain withheld that is a terrible curse (Deut. 28:23), connected to the drought/withdrawal of the Word (1 Kings 17; Amos 8:11).
  • The main work of rain is to come in gentleness to give life but it can also come as a flood to destroy (Gen. 6-7).

Why does all this matter?

• Theology – it underlines the truth that all revelation of God (both Bible and Creation) is mediated through Christ – God (even the God revealed by Creation) is only and always Christ-like.
• Preaching – it’s a reminder that God is the supreme preacher – through his Word and his Creation he is continually pouring forth speech – and he is preaching about Christ.
• Evangelism – it means that humanity, in our natural sinful state, is supressing the truth (Rom. 1:18) not just of a Creator but of Christ (Rom. 10:17-21) – whether or not we have read the Bible or know him by name we all naturally push away Jesus (John 16:9). What we need is not arguments for ‘God’ from Creation (philosophy and natural theology) but arguments from Scripture for Jesus – a presentation of Him (Rom. 10:14; 16:25-26; Acts 17:2-3).
• Servant leadership – it shows that the revelation of God as the servant king is not only at the heart of the Bible, servanthood is woven into the very fabric of creation.
• Devotion – it means that the sunrise, a rain storm, a fallen leaf, when seen through the lens of Scripture, are prompts to remember Christ and his work and praise and rejoice in him.