Our perfect God has perfectly revealed Himself in the pages of His perfect Word. No other place exists where we see the perfections of our Lord as in the pages of His Word. Psalm 19 extols the perfection of this blessed Book that we know as The Holy Bible.

The psalm opens with a consideration of the declaration that God has made through the general revelation of His creation. According to Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” As great and glorious as the heavens are, creation is general revelation, as it reveals His glory and power to mankind.

In Psalm 19, the psalmist expounded upon this general revelation in the first six verses. General revelation is timeless, and it speaks “day unto day” and “night unto night” (verse 2). It is universal as it “is gone through all the earth” (verse 3), transcending language and culture to testify of God’s creative power. General revelation leaves mankind without excuse. Indeed, it is like the sun, and “there is nothing hid from the heat thereof” (verse 6).

However, general revelation alone is not sufficient in the conversion of a sinner. In His perfect wisdom, God also provided mankind with specific revelation, also known as special revelation. Specific revelation is given by the Spirit of God in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. As verses 1–6 speak of general revelation, so verses 7–14 of Psalm 19 proclaim God’s special revelation in the Bible.

In verse 7, the psalmist proclaimed of this special revelation, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.” Let’s consider each of these important words in Psalm 19:7 as we seek to appreciate the perfection of God’s Word.

The Law

The word Law in the context of God’s Word sometimes refers to the Mosaic Law, which is given in the first five books of Moses in the Old Testament. But the Hebrew word תּוֹרָה (torah) is bigger and broader than this restricted use. The word comes from a verbal root that simply means “teaching” or “instruction.” The Bible is God’s teaching distributed to mankind. It embraces all the revealed Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation. This is the broad, grand sense in which the word תּוֹרָה (torah) is used in Psalm 19:7.

Of the LORD

Man’s law, when it adds to or subtracts from God’s Law, will always lead one astray. God’s Law never leads people astray! No human law code could ever be described as “perfect.” Only a perfect God can make a perfect law. God chooses in this verse to use His covenant name—I AM—that describes His eternal existence. Man has no choice in a fallen world but to live by some law. As hard as he might try, man must live by some standard. The question is: by whose standard? The psalmist declared with all the authority of Heaven that only the Law of the LORD is perfect.

Is perfect

The Hebrew word used here to express the perfection (“completenss” or “entirety”) of Scripture is תָּמִים (tamim). In a wonderful grammatical twist that captures attention and gives emphasis, the Law of Jehovah (singular) is characterized by its perfections (plural). It is perfect in every way. It is full, and it is complete. God’s Law needs no updates, no appendix, no addendum, and no apology. God does not produce a new updated edition every few decades. The Holy Bible, as written in its original languages of Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, is inspired, inerrant, infallible, and perfectly settled forever. Man can add nothing to it and ought to take nothing from it. It is the perfect revelation of a perfect God.

Converting

Because the Law of the Lord is perfect, it has life-giving and transforming power! The Hebrew root word is שׁוּב (shub) and is the very word that is used in the Old Testament to express “repentance.” General revelation can awaken us to our need for God, but special revelation is given to us in the Bible and shows us how God has met that need in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Scriptures reveal our need to repent of sin and to trust in the finished work of a crucified Savior. The Law turns us around from the path of death, converting us to walk instead on the path of life.

The soul

When God breathed into the nostrils of Adam, His ultimate creation became a living soul. God’s breath is what separates man from the rest of God’s creation. The soul is that part of man that will never die; it is destined to live forever—either in Heaven in the presence of God or in hell, separated from God’s presence. Other books can inform the mind, instruct the will, and move the emotions, but only the perfect special revelation of God can transform the soul.

These memorable, poetic words by an unknown author have inspired many Christians to love the Bible more fully, read it more frequently, and live by it more carefully.

The Bible:
Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy.
It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.
It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s charter.
Here Paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed.
Christ is its grand object, our good its design, and the glory of God its end.

As we conclude this study of the attributes of God, may we give thanks for a perfect God Who has perfectly revealed Himself to mankind in His perfect Book!