What does Psalm 19:1 mean?

David, the shepherd-king, was accustomed to spending time outdoors. Both day and night he scanned the sky, and what he saw—the immense array of stars, the sun, and the moon—taught him to worship the Creator. The existence and structure of what we see in the heavens and sky keep on declaring God's glory. God's glory is His perfections revealed. All the stars, the sun, moon, and clouds are His "handiwork." Just as an artist's painting is his handiwork, even so the heavens and the sky are God's handiwork.

That's as true today as it was thousands of years ago: science continues to deepen our appreciation for God's design. The more we learn about how the universe is structured, and how it works, the more fully we grasp the power of God. The message of this verse is also important for establishing "universal" evidence. Nature itself declares that there is a God, and tells us much about Him—this is something all people have some ability to understand.

The natural world reveals that God is wise, powerful, and eternal. Paul wrote that God's "invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world" (Romans 1:20). He also wrote in verse 20 that God's revelation of Himself in nature leaves those who reject Him inexcusable.

Pointing out that God made what we see in the night sky was also a statement of theology, in the ancient world. God instructed His people not to worship the heavenly objects. In Deuteronomy 4:19 He said, "And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them." Those stars and planets are not deities, or spirits—they are the creations of God.