Psalm 139
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How is it? We live in a day and age where you can be better connected with people around the world, within seconds, multiple people at one time, plugged in to what they are doing where they are going, their likes and dislikes, and yet…
The feeling of loneliness, the scary lack of depth in relationships, and the spiral decline of the value for another person seems like an epidemic. In fact many around the world are calling loneliness an epidemic now! Leading individuals into despair and depression...
Suicide among teens and adults is on a consistent rise
Self worth and the value of life are rapidly declining
Meanwhile “self-help” books, blogs, and TED talks are abundant
They come in all varieties, flavors, all pointing to YOU the individual
Your beauty
Your talents
Your Uniqueness
Your rights… All pointing to you!
So WHY is it getting worse, spiraling out of control?
People crying out in various ways… KNOW ME, SEE ME, LOVE ME!
David as he writes is reflecting on the same cries… BUT looks to God not himself.
C. S. Lewis states:
Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ, and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.
This Psalm has four strophes of six verses each…
Verses 1 & 23-24 summarize the theme
1) vs 1-6 Depth of God’s knowledge
2) vs 7-12 Never alone / too far
3) vs 13-18 Your value to God
4) vs 19-24 Drawing close to God
Let’s read this together
For the choir director. A Psalm of David. O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. O that You would slay the wicked, O God; Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David. O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. O that You would slay the wicked, O God; Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
You Are Known By God Almighty
You Are Known By God Almighty
David starts by making a clear statement he knows of God… because God is God! Then as David ponders this he begins to unpack this statement we “know” and really think through this:
verb “search” means “to examine with pain and care.” The Jewish people used this word to describe digging deep into a mine, exploring a land, and investigating a legal case. Our friends see the outside but God sees the heart, and we cannot deceive Him -Wiersbe
He knows what you are doing
He UNDERSTANDS your thoughts!
Weather you are active or resting God knows it
David begins to contemplate this even deeper...
You know what I am going to say before I even say something!
You go in front… you are following me…
Laying a hand on David
Gives the idea of blessing
It is also an assurance… I am here!
David contemplates this kind of involvement, this kind of knowledge, this fine tune awareness!
Would you desire God to be a part of all of it? He IS!
This kind knowledge is beyond David’s control and too wonderful (Surpassing all David can even comprehend!) WOW GOD! I don’t understand this God… David is saying.
This is God’s Omniscience= Knowing everything!
Wiersbe~ What we think about God and our relationship to Him determines what we think about everything else that makes up our busy world—other people, the universe, God’s Word, God’s will, sin, faith, and obedience. Wrong ideas about God will ultimately lead to wrong ideas about who we are and what we should do, and this leads to a wrong life on the wrong path toward the wrong destiny. In other words, theology—the right knowledge of God—is essential to a fulfilled life in this world. David contemplated God and wrote for us a psalm whose message can only encourage us to be in a right relationship with Him.
Think through your actions, thoughts, words just this last week...
Would you desire God to be a part of all of it? He IS!
Consider
And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
I love the idea that God knows everything until it pertains to me… My sin, My secrets, My life… Then it is scary, concerning, convicting
You Are Never Alone or Too Far
You Are Never Alone or Too Far
Verse 7 gives David’s initial response… HIDE, RUN!!! But wait he thinks about this too:
We see God’s Omnipresence= He is everywhere at once
David realizes and is showing Israel look God is every where
We would see this with Jonah and Elijah and many others who flee from God
Even in the darkest furthest places God is there
And in those places… He can strengthen
In those places… He is strong and guiding even there
Are you in a dark far off place from God right now? God can and does work in those places to draw you back to Himself.
He is not hindered in His care, love, or awareness of you just because you run away or wander into the dark areas. He sees clearly and is not hindered
BUT WHY? WHY would God care, follow seek?
You Are Special To God
You Are Special To God
ALL KNOWING, EVERYWHERE PRESENT… Big God right?! Can we add ALL POWERFUL?! Think of creation...
In six days God speaks and things are created… from nothing!
Our earth our sun… by the way 1 Million earths will fit in our sun (golf ball vs 15 FT Sun)
Canis Majoris 7 Quadrillion earths in it! (golf ball and Mt Everest almost 6 miles high / Texas 22 inches deep)
Going the speed of light (186,000 miles per second) 4.3 years to reach nearest star, nearest galaxy 2 Million years, and there are over 100 Million galaxies!
states that God measures our universe with the span of His hand… states God formed man with His hands and breathed life into man!
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?
Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
David boldly states here our great and powerful God knits you together in your mother’s womb...
Formed you, He saw you in there, you are fearfully and wonderfully MADE!
Your skills, abilities, inabilities, form shape, personality
I can tell you this and tell you to appreciate in others, BUT we must see it in us too!
God made you exactly how He wanted, you are a masterpiece! Everything else God did He just said words, but YOU He formed!
This is why we say no to abortion, this is why we say no to assisted death
NOT because we hate, but because we find precious what God considers precious… LIFE!
David declares God has a plan for you… He knows your days, what He desires from you
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
This is why we say no to suicide… your life has value, God has a purpose for you, your life has meaning!
Don’t look at you, to yourself, look to Him the author and finisher of your life… What love what passion, oh and just in case you thought you were forgotten look at verses 17-18
He thinks about you… David falls asleep pondering this and counting God’s thoughts of him… and when he wakes up, still there thinking of David! Sand of the seashore!
Drawing Close to God
Drawing Close to God
When we ponder God’s thoughts of us we begin to ponder His thoughts on many things including
Him and His Holiness
His View on life
His view on sin
Wiersbe~ What we think about God and our relationship to Him determines what we think about everything else that makes up our busy world—other people, the universe, God’s Word, God’s will, sin, faith, and obedience. Wrong ideas about God will ultimately lead to wrong ideas about who we are and what we should do, and this leads to a wrong life on the wrong path toward the wrong destiny. In other words, theology—the right knowledge of God—is essential to a fulfilled life in this world. David contemplated God and wrote for us a psalm whose message can only encourage us to be in a right relationship with Him.
David begins to express his hate for what God hates, his passions for the things God is passionate about… and David comes full circle:
Search me God… I know my heart and that it can deceive even me
God point out the things in my life that offend you
God I was looking at others, BUT I need to look to myself because I need you to lead ME.
SEARCH GOD= examine with great care and show me...
We do have a great, big powerful God, BUT He is NOT distant… EVEN though we consistently try to be distant at times. God is closer and more aware of you than you are aware of you! DRAW CLOSE… He did the scriptures state that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us!” Today as we celebrate and partake of communion we remember just how much He loved us… shown at Calvary. What an amazing God!