Read Psalm 139:1–12
Questions from the Scripture text: To whom was this psalm sent (superscript)? Whose was it? Whom does it address (Psalm 139:1)? What has YHWH done? What does He know (Psalm 139:2a), understand (verse 2b), measure (Psalm 139:3a), and recognize (verse 3b)? When, and how much, does He know David’s words (Psalm 139:4)? How closely does He attend him (Psalm 139:5)? How does this knowledge compare to David’s (Psalm 139:6)? What does David ask in Psalm 139:7? At what height and depth is God there (Psalm 139:8)? At what distance (Psalm 139:9)? What is He doing in those places (Psalm 139:10)? What might David fear will crush him (Psalm 139:11a)? But what will be the outcome for him (verse 11b)? Why—for Whom is darkness not dark (Psalm 139:12a)? With what effect/result (verse 12b–c)?
What difference do God’s omniscience and omnipresence make? Psalm 139:1–12 looks forward to the opening portion of morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twelve verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that knowing the God Who knows us and all things, we ought to live conscientiously, humbly, and confidently.
The first half of this well-loved Psalm focuses upon God’s knowing everything (His omniscience, Psalm 139:1-6) and being everywhere (His omnipresence, Psalm 139:7-12).
In thinking about God’s omniscience, it isn’t just that He knows the total number of things that there is to know. Rather, knowing is inherent to Him. There can be nothing to know, except that He knows it entirely. Creatures know things in a derivative, borrowed way from Him; but He possess all knowledge, because He possess knowledge itself. The way that we experience this is that He knows both the inner life of our resting and the outer life of our activity (Psalm 139:2a, Psalm 139:3); He knows our inner life without need of time or proximity for inspection (Psalm 139:2b, Psalm 139:4). There are two great applications here: conscientiousness and humility.
First, we must live every moment of our life conscientiously—as before God Himself. But the language of Psalm 139:5 doesn’t just communicate this in the sense of being subject to His observation. It literally “presses” upon us that we are to live as those whose lives are I constant contact with God. Perhaps you have had the experience of being engaged in some foolishness, when you were brought suddenly to correct it by the sensation of the loving hand of your earthly father upon your shoulder. The image something like that.
Second, we ought to be humbled. Sadly, many of us operate in a judgmental spirit toward others, under the assumption that we know the inner workings of their hearts. But, we must be humbled, right along with David, as we consider the way in which the Lord knows us and our hearts. How can we be so proud as to think we know others that way? We don’t even know ourselves (cf. Jeremiah 17:9)! But YHWH does (cf. Jeremiah 17:10), and this should instill humility into us.
In Psalm 139:7-12, praise of God’s omniscience continues, but with His omnipresence coming more into focus. Again, we know that heaven and highest heaven cannot contain Him (cf. 1 Kings 8:27). So, we mustn’t think of this as God existing in any place, or even in all places. Rather, existence is inherent to Himself. He is the only One Whose being is independent, and therefore, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. Since everyone (and everything) else exists only in dependence upon Him, there is literally no existence apart from Him. Again, there are at least two important applications here: comfort and confidence.
The comfort we see, especially, in Psalm 139:10. It is not just that He is always at hand, but that His hand is leading us and holding us! And the confidence we see, especially in Psalm 139:11. The word behind “fall” has more of the sense of “crush” than of “cover.” But darkness can do neither of these to us, if we are living by His grace, rather than trusting in our own ability. Our night is light when living by the grace of the One Who cannot be limited by any circumstance whatsoever! The world mistakenly associates confidence with pride. But the student of Psalm 139 knows that truly undauntable confidence comes not by pride, but by the humility to live in dependence upon the Lord, Who knows us and has brought us to know Him.
When do you tend to be forgetful that you are before the face of God? In what circumstances are you most temped to pride? In what areas do you most tend to overestimate your knowledge? In what circumstances are you most apprehensive or fearful? How will you arm yourself against such situations by meditation upon God’s attributes? How will you bring mindfulness of Him and His attributes into the situations themselves?
Sample prayer: O YHWH, You have searched us and known us. You know our sitting down and our rising up; You understand our thought afar off. You comprehend our path and our lying down. And You are acquainted with all our ways. For there is not a word on our tongue, but behold, O YHWH, You know it altogether. You have hedged us in behind and before, and laid Your hand upon us. Such knowledge is too wonderful for us; it is high, we cannot attain it.
Where can we go from Your Spirit? Or where can we flee from Your presence? If we ascend into heaven, You are there; if we make our bed in the pit, behold, You are there. If we fly upon the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead us, and Your right hand shall hold us. If we say, “Surely the darkness shall crush us,” even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.
So come, now, by Your Spirit, and make the light of the knowledge of Your glory to shine in our hearts in the face of Jesus Christ, we ask in His Name, AMEN!
Suggested Songs: ARP139B “Where Can I From Your Spirit Flee” or TPH139B “LORD, You Have Searched Me”
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