"Their Words To The Ends Of The World"

Three thousand years ago David marvelled at the world-wide witness to the Creator through the heavenly bodies:

"Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.

There is no speech nor language; their voice cannot be heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world" (Psalm 19).

An eighteenth century poet, J. Addison, caught the spirit of David's admiration when he wrote:

"What though no real voice nor sound amidst their radiant orbs be found?

In reason's ear they all rejoice and utter forth a glorious voice; For ever singing as they shine, The hand that made us is divine." In our twentieth century God's voice in creation speaks as loudly as ever.

Indeed it should be all the more impressive, because modern astronomy has probed the secrets of the universe more deeply than ever before, revealing the immensity and complexity of God's creative work. "The invisible things of Him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even His everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse" (Rom. 1:20).

In Romans 10 the words of Psalm 19:4 are remarkably applied by the Spirit's guidance in a rather different sense:

"So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily.

Their sound went out into all the earth,

And their words unto the ends of the world".

Such progress had the message of Christ made in apostolic times that it justified the application of David's words in this way. But we are privileged to see in our exciting era developments which go far beyond those of the first century. We are witnessing the outworking of a divine global strategy to make God's word available to millions more than in any previous generation. This is being promoted in many ways, but let us think particularly of the distribution of Scripture and communication by radio.

The ever widening distribution of the Scriptures is a remarkable feature of our time. Figures for 1978 recorded that the 65 national Bible Societies which are members of the United Bible Society distributed 503,328,908 items - Bibles, Testaments, single books or selected portions of Scripture - in 150 different countries or territories.

Whether we look at the overall volume of annual Scripture distribution, or at the variety of languages into which portions have been translated, the apostle's words in Rom. 10:18 find their echo today:

"Their sound went out into all the earth,

And their words unto the ends of the world".

Modern radio developments have opened up vastly wider dimensions for the communication of the word of God. Some versions translate Rom.

10:18:

"Their voice has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world".

How literally this expresses the effect of today's wide radio network in spreading the truths of Scripture! Some areas which have been closed to the personal evangelism of missionaries from other countries still permit the reception of broadcast messages. Many who have never learned to read for themselves may listen to radio messages in their own language. So remarkably has modern technology been harnessed for the wider communication of the gospel!

The scope of this communication is illustrated by the fact that Trans World Radio (including broadcasts from all its stations) transmits its message in 69 different languages. The only broadcasting concern to exceed this number is Radio Moscow with 72 languages; Radio Peking takes third place with 43 languages. Richard E. Wood, of Annenburg School of Communciation, Philadelphia, summarized a recent analysis of broadcasting activities with the statement that "the airways are dominated by two major concerns - politics and Christian evangelism", and that "evangelical missionaries can compete on equal terms with the world's major political voices".

By such means in our time God is furthering His own great purposes in a world distraught by sin:

"I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles,

That Thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth".

(Isa. 49:6)

unknown | Mar 1981
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