A Fresh Look at Psalm 139

I. What Psalm 139 is not.

A. It is not simply a pro-life talking point.

1. This is how we most often hear Psalm 139 used in evangelical circles.

a. God forms us in the womb and has a plan for us therefore, life begins at conception. b. Please understand this is not false doctrine. c. God does do both of these things, and you could infer that unborn child is a person. d. The problem is not that the doctrine is bad.

2. The problem is that we stop with only this lesson being taught.

a. It’s a limited view of Psalm 139. b. We’re like a horse wearing blinders.

3. And like the horse, we miss the big picture. 4. You’re only looking at verses 15-17, and there are 24 verses in the Psalm. 5. You’re miss 21 verses of rich theology, and condemning yourself to shallowness.

B. It is not a chapter of affirmations for fixing our Self-esteem.

1. This is the second most common use of Psalm 139.

a. Does it talk about the fact that God cares about me? Yes! b. Does it talk about the fact that God created me in His image? Yes! c. But it doesn’t say He did this because of how awesome I am! d. Nor does it imply that I am awesome!

2. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

a. In verse 6, the Psalmist basically says he’s clueless, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.” b. In verse 10, the Psalmist admits that he cannot face life on his own, “even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” c. In verse 14, the Psalmist basically denies his claim to self-worth, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” d. In verse 16, the Psalmist says he has no control over his life, “the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” e. In verses 19-24, the Psalmist implies that his purpose for living is not himself. f. In short, the Psalmist view of Himself is that He is clueless, incapable, powerless, and has no control over his life.

3. This Psalm doesn’t sound like a bastion of self-affirmation.

4. That’s because it’s not about me or even the Psalmist.

a. What is in this Psalm is very assuring and comforting. b. But if I make it about me, I miss the point.

C. If Psalm 139 is not about the common tropes that are placed on it, then what is it about? II. Let’s start by looking at what it actually says.

Psalm 139:1-24

Psalm 139:1–24 NLT

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! 7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! 19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! 20 They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. 21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you? 22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

I. A fresh look at Psalm 139.

A. It’s all about God. (v1-24)

1. The focus of this Psalm is God.

a. Out of the 24 verses in Psalm 139, there is only one verse where God is not subject of the sentence or the object of praise, and that’s verse 6. b. And even here, the Psalmist is talking about how small he is in compassion to God. – “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.” c. Through the whole of the Psalm, David’s focus never wavers.

2. It’s a Psalm about who God is.

a. God is all-knowing. (v1-6) b. God is ever-present. (v7-12) c. God is all-powerful. (v13-18)

d. God is all-consuming. (v19-24)

3. It’s because of this focus that he can write the other lesson we learn in the Psalm.

a. Our problem is not a self-image problem.

b. It’s an awe problem.

B. It’s all about how much God cares about us. (v1-24)

1. God knows all and protects us from everything . (Psalm 139:1-6)

Psalm 139:1–6 NLT

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

2. God is everywhere and is looking out for us even when we are ungrateful. – (Psalm 139:7-12)

Psalm 139:7–12 NLT

7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

3. God has created us in His image so we could fulfill His purpose. – (Psalm 139:13-24)

Psalm 139:13–24 NLT

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! 19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! 20 They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. 21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you? 22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

a. The Psalmist isn’t just crafted in God’s image. He’s made that way because God has a plan for Him.

b. God’s purpose involves.

i. Loving the things that God loves. –

“How precious are your thoughts..”

ii. Hating the things that God hates. –

“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 complete hatred; I count them my enemies.”

iii. Letting God make changes in our lives. – “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

5. God doesn’t do all of these things because we are wonderful but because He is.

a. Humanity is depicted as rebellious and shallow in Psalm 139.

i. He has thoughts and actions that are going to ruin God’s plan for Him. (Psalm 139:1-6)

Psalm 139:1–6 NLT

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

b. Then when God wants to fix them he runs and hides. (Psalm 139:7-12)

Psalm 139:7–12 NLT

7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

c. This is high-handed rebellion against the God who loves Him.

d. But the same God who created him pursues him, refuses to let him go, and sets him up to follow the right path again. (Psalm 139:13-24)

Psalm 139:13–24 NLT

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! 19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! 20 They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. 21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you? 22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

e. It is reflecting on this experience that leads David to conclude how incomprehensibly awesome God is.

4. It is David’s awe for God that gives Him security, significance, and purpose.

IV. How can we apply Psalm 139 to our lives?

A. By standing in awe of God.

1. This is the true purpose of Psalm 139. 2. It is there to make us appreciate how powerful, Loving, and gracious God is. 3. We do this by letting Him lead us in His plan. 4. We do this by worshipping in Spirit and in truth as David did. 5. If we fail to truly stand in awe of Him, all other application of this passage is meaningless because we’ll never find the motivation to achieve it.

B. By treating all human beings with dignity and respect.

1. We are all created in the image of God and are worthy of the same love and respect that God gives us. (Psalm 139:14) 2. This means we value everyone regardless of their race, gender, personal conduct, or beliefs.

Psalm 139:14 NLT

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

3. We do this by loving them with the love of Christ.

a. This means we see them as Jesus sees them.

(Matthew 9:36)

Matthew 9:36 NLT

36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

b. This means we meet their needs like Jesus would.

c. This means we do not hold the grace of God with partiality. (James 2:1-9)

James 2:1–9 NLT

1 My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? 2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4 doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? 5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? 8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

4. Remember, whatever we do to them we do to Jesus. (Matthew 25:40)

Matthew 25:40 NLT

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

C. By finding our purpose for living in God and God alone.

1. If Psalm 139 teaches us nothing else, it teaches us that true fulfillment in life comes from standing in awe of God and expressing that awe by following His plan for us. 2. One cannot truly have an experience with God and leave the same person. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Psalm 139:23–24 NLT

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

3. The first encounter one has with God is when Jesus calls them to believe in Him.