Psalm 139
Notes
Transcript
Psalm 139
Everyday around the world people receive medical diagnosis that are disheartening.
After feeling just fine, with little or no symptoms they find that they have had cancer growing int heir bodies.
Even with the advances of medicine and medical procedures, we still cannot see what is going on in our own bodies very easily.
We must rely on tests, and scans to try to piece together the information to give us an idea of what is happening.
But this beautiful Psalm, another written by David, tells us that God knows everything that is happening both inside and out in our lives.
Not only are we wonderfully and carefully made, but God knows everything from our birth to the day that we will die.
He loves us so very much, and He cares about even the minute details of our lives.
The truth is we cannot really understand ourselves, we cannot fully understand the wickedness and deceit in our own hearts.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
And yet God knows every thing about us, and loves us even still!
In studying this chapter I see six important things about our nature and our lives.
Six elements of our relationship with God that we need to realize and explore if we are ever going to have any idea just how much God loves us!
Let’s take a look at those six elements!
We are:
I. Known
I. Known
1 O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain unto it.
We are personally known by God!
What a wonderful truth!
The Bible says that the Lord has searched me (explore/scout out) and has known (a relationship) us.
He knows us, not just knows of us, but really knows us.
In fact he continues …He knows my downsitting, a word which means to dwell or inhabit - He knows where I live.
As well as my uprising - to stand - poetic way of saying that He knows all of me.
David says, that God understands my thoughts, even from afar.
God understands my thoughts, my heart, better than I do since we cannot even understand our own hearts.
David says, that God compassest my path and my lying down, it speaks to keeping a careful watch on people, watching their paths closely.
In fact he continues and says that he is acquainted (to Know intimately, closely) with all my ways.
Very different than how we use the word acquainted, or speaking of an acquaintance.
He truly knows us!
In fact David continues and says, For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
Altogether - means every part.
He knows every word that your tongue has spoken, is speaking, and ever will speak.
This is an incredibly intimate knowing!
Not only does He know us, but David tells us that He besets us behind and before - the word speaks to putting up a protective barrier, like a fortress in a city.
David says, He protects us on every side, and even from above, He lays his hand upon us.
A picture of his involvement in our protection.
Is it any wonder that David says, Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high I cannot attain unto it.
We are Known by God…and not just known but protected!
Secondly, we are ...
II. Led
II. Led
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; Even the night shall be light about me.
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
David now moves into the second element of our relationship with God…we are not only known, but we are led.
We may naturally try to hide from God because sin has broken our relationship with Him,
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
but hiding will do no good!
So David concludes - Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence.
Where could I go where God could not find me?
He continues, If I ascend into heaven thou art there:
It doesn’t matter how high of a mountain I climb here’s already there!
If I make my bed in hell (sheol), behold, thou art there.
Sheol is is the word that describes the world of the dead, the underworld…but David declares that God is there too.
If I dwell in the skies or in the depth of the ocean...
Or as David put it, “If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell int he uttermost parts of the sea.”
Guess what God is still there!
But David reveals something here about all these places that God is… “Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”
In all these places, we will not be able to run from the presence of God, but rather God will be leading us all the way!
Now David says, If I were to say … “Surely the darkness shall cover me;”
Even if I were to try to hide in the darkness it will do no good!
For he says, “Even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from me, but the night shineth as the day.”
He is saying - light or darkness…it is no matter to God… God can see us in any light!
We can see this as God is always watching…so you better be careful!
Or we can take it as It doesn’t matter if we find ourselves in trouble during the brightest day, or the darkest corner of the night…God sees us and is aware of our situation…and He is leading us!
He is not only omniscient - He knows everything - But he is also omnipresent - He is everywhere - Always with us!
David says, “For thou has possessed (to buy, purchase, acquire, possess) my reins (the seat of emotions, the inner most and most private aspect of a person): Thou has covered me in my mother’s womb. (He placed me there!)
Praise the Lord wherever we are We are Known, and we are Led by God! This last part of the verse leads us to the third element of our relationship… We are:
III. Made
III. Made
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
David now turns to praise the God who has made him.
Why, because we are fearfully (with reverence and respect) and wonderfully made: Marvelous are thy works (workmanship); And that my soul knoweth right well.
It is so important to truly understand and internalize this verse!
You are made exactly the way that God wanted you to be made.
You are not too short, too tall, to skinny, to big boned, You eyes are not the wrong color, your hair is exactly as God chose, your nose is not too small or too big, Other than the things that we can change doe to how careful we are in taking care of this body…you are made exactly how God wants you.
When we wish something else…we are saying God, you didn’t know what you were doing!
David continued, “My substance (frame, strength) was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret” (in the mother’s womb)
And curiously wrought (to embroider, weave, to do needlework figurative to a human embryo’s being woven into existence) in the lowest parts of the earth. (not talking about under ground, but in the lowest part of the earth in the view of man).
Kind of like when Nathaniel said, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
Even though someone may come from the lowest positions, God still sees them…and God made them.
David says, “Thine eyes did see my substance (a different word than above, this one literally means embryo) yet being unperfect (even though it was not fully formed) and in thy book all my members were written.
The KJV translates gave an alternate interpretation here as “in thy book all of them are written.”
The words my members were added to help in understanding.
The original says in thy book all were written.
Literally everything, this would include my members, my days, my life…God knows it all!
He continues “Which in continuance (yom, meaning in days, years …time) were fashioned when as yet there was none of them.”
God created - made you your members, your organs, and all from nothing.
God made you!
You are Known, you are Led, you are Made, You are
IV. Loved
IV. Loved
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee.
The very thought that we are thought about!
How precious are those thoughts about us - how valuable of such high value and worth!!!
Not only that but how great is the sum of them - not just the quality of the thoughts (they are precious), but the quantity of the thoughts (of great number).
David says, If he were to try to count the number of times that God thought about us…they would be more than all the sand on the earth!
When I wake up He is still think about us!
God doesn’t sleep
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
God doesn’t sleep…so instead David says, When I wake up - you are still thinking about me!
You think about that which you love!
You will love that which you think about!
We cannot even number the number of times that God has thought of you!
He is in love with you!
You are his treasure!
You are Known, you are Led, you are Made and you are Loved…and fifthly, you are...
V. Defended
V. Defended
19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: Depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
20 For they speak against thee wickedly, And thine enemies take thy name in vain.
21 Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
God will defend us from the Wicked.
Then David turns to the wicked and warns them - Depart from me ye bloody men!
God is coming after you!
What is David’s chiefest complaint about these bloody men?
They speak against God wickedly
they take God’s name in vain.
Just as the commandment - Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain - speaks more than just cursing with His name - it speaks to using his name without reverence and fear.
So these enemies of David have Not feared God, they have lightly used God’s name in a promise, or vow, or speak against God as the earlier part of the verse says.
This bothers David - it grieves him — as it should all of us!
He says I hate them, O Lord that hate thee!
I am grieved by those that rise up against thee!
He hates them with a perfect hatred — a hatred without sin, set within the boundary of what is right.
He counts them as his enemies - because they are the enemies of God!
Just as God has defended us, we ought to be vigilant and zealous about defending God as David was!
Because we are Known - He knows who we are, and where we are.
We are Led - He leads us even through the darkest valleys
We are Made - We are made in His image, exactly the way He wanted us to be - He has had all of eternity past to plan you out the way He wanted you!
We are Loved - he loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for you! So that we can be reconciled to Him.
We are Defended - and therefore we ought to defend His name!
And then lastly, we are...
VI. Cleansed
VI. Cleansed
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
Of all of His thoughts toward us, none is greater than his forgiveness and cleansing!
David, having just said that He knows everything about us, asks God to Search Me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts.
But this searching, and knowing, and trying is not for God’s discovery…He already knows!
It is for our discovery…because we cannot even truly know our hearts because it is desperately wicked!
David asks him to Search his heart - Explore every nook and cranny - scout out and explore like the darkest caves...
He asks Him to know his heart - discern how I think, and how I feel.
Try me - Examine and prove me - to test refine it as a precious metal like gold or silver.
See if any dross comes to the surface.
Know my thoughts - literally means anxious feelings - He is asking God to calm his inner anxieties Same word that is used in Psalm 94.19 - by the way the only two times this word is used...
19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul.
God quiets those anxieties…Here David is asking Him to know them and root them out as dross from the silver.
He continues…see if there be any wicked way in me.
Wicked here is not the word Ra, where everywhere else is translated sinful, bad, or wicked. It is the word Oseb which means pain or painful way - a way that will lead me to a life of pain rather than a life of joy.
And He asks God to lead me in the way everlasting.
Lead me in the way - the path the road - the pattern of life, the righteous life…the life that leads to eternal life.
He is asking for cleansing - away from the wicked, painful life to the life of righteousness.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Oh how we ought to praise the Lord!
for we are Known by Him - He knew us before time ever began!
Praise Him because we are Led by Him - We just need to follow His leading!
Praise Him because we are Made by Him - we don’t need to change anything!!!
Praise Him because we are Loved by Him - Oh the depths of that love!!!
Praise Him because we are defended by Him - We need not fear or be anxious.
Praise Him because we are Cleansed by Him!
Oh How He loves you and me!
Let’s love him back!
Let’s seek to know Him!
Let’s seek to follow His lead
Let’s seek to accept how He made us
Let’s seek to love Him!
Let’s seek to defend His name!
Let’s seek His cleansing and invite His searching, His knowing, and His trying of our hearts, thoughts and ways!