You asked

how did ancient israelites distinguish god's glory from nature itself in their understanding?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Psalm 19:1-4

“The heavens declare the glory of God. The firmament shows his handiwork. Day after day they pour forth speech, and night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech nor language. Their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,”

This psalm, attributed to David, opens by celebrating how the natural world continually speaks of God's majesty and wisdom to all humanity. It then shifts to describe the perfection and life-giving power of God's written law.

What does this passage suggest about how we might perceive the Creator's presence in the world around us, without confusing the two?

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Read alongside it

Romans 1:20
Paul speaks of God's invisible attributes being clearly seen through what has been made.
Job 38:1-11
God questions Job from a whirlwind, demonstrating divine power and wisdom through creation.
Isaiah 40:26
The prophet points to the vastness of the stars as evidence of God's unparalleled power and understanding.

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