Psalm 19:1–6
[1] The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
[2] Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
[3] There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
[4] Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
[6] Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. (ESV)

A serious question deserves a serious answer. As Christians we are often asked how it can be fair for God to declare all humanity deserving of death for its rebellion against his authority when not everyone has heard the gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in the bible. That’s a reasonable question to which the 19th Psalm provides the definitive answer.
God’s existence, declares the Psalm, is made clear by the testimony of the natural world. Just as buildings and other infrastructure tell us that human creators exist and tell us much about who they are and what they value, so nature tells us about The Creator. It makes it clear that there is a God, that his creation is a wonder and thus he must have creative capabilities far beyond our grasp. The more we study the natural world, the more awe-struck we should be at the one who formed it from the beginning. There can be no other rational explanation for the complexity of the universe and of the planet on which we reside – as well as the complexity of life itself – other than that there is a Creator.

Once it is obvious that there is a Creator, it becomes the duty of every thinking creature to discover all that it is possible to know about him. All of science should be dedicated to knowing the One who gives knowledge. “Why?” should be on every lip. But there is more to God’s revelation of himself than the handwriting in the skies. Nature tells us absolutely and incontrovertibly that there is a Creator, but it doesn’t tell us with certainty who he is. For this we need further revelation. Hence the next portion of this Psalm. Nature tells us of Elohim, he tells us, through special revelation, that he is Yahweh, the great I Am.

It is in the Old Testament scripture and then especially in Jesus Christ that God tells us who this Creator is, what he is like, and how we can know him fully. Because nature speaks so clearly to the reality of a Creator, it is living in denial to not dedicate our efforts to discovering who he is. This is why all humanity can be judged and found guilty for not knowing him and his will for his creation.

Let me choose a modern-day example of willful denial that is bound to make someone mad – and I do so on purpose. I want to make clear that denial pays a price. Covid. We know Covid can be a serious disease, for some because they are old and feeble, for others because they are young but diseased, and for others because of reasons unknown (there is so much about the natural world of which we are ignorant). Whatever the reason, this virus kills some people. Reason dictates, therefore, that we dedicate our efforts to finding a way to mitigate its reach. We look around and see that a vaccine has been developed that, while not preventing infection, is very effective in preventing the disease from becoming life-threatening. But some can see that the virus is deadly and still refuse to take the next step in limiting its reach. Well, that’s what just about the entire human race does with God’s revelation of himself in nature. It is seen clearly that nature’s existence demands a creator – only the most foolish or simpleminded can deny that. But they don’t choose to pursue the question. They don’t feel a need to know this creator. And in not knowing they find themselves under judgment and condemnation for willful ignorance and rebellion.

The heavens declare God’s glory; the scripture declares his character and purpose.