PSALM 139
Omniscience of God verse 1- 6
O LORD – YOU have searched me, and known me
YOU know my down sitting and mine uprising
YOU understand my thought afar off
YOU compass my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways
For there is not a word in my tongue – BUT – lo – O LORD
YOU know it altogether
YOU have beset me behind and before
and laid THINE hand upon me
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me
it is high – I cannot attain unto it
Omnipresence of God verse 7- 12
Whither shall I go from YOUR Spirit?
or whither shall I flee from YOUR presence?
IF I ascend up into heaven
YOU are there
IF I make my bed in hell
BEHOLD – YOU are there
IF I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea
even there shall YOUR hand lead me
and YOUR right hand shall hold me
IF I say
Surely the darkness shall cover me
even the night shall be light about me
yea – the darkness hides not from YOU
BUT the night shines as the day
the darkness and the light
are both alike to YOU
Creation of God verse 13- 16
For YOU have possessed my reins
YOU have covered me in my mother’s womb
I will praise YOU
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made
marvelous are YOUR works
and that my soul knows right well
My substance was not hid from YOU – when I was made in secret
and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth
YOUR eyes did see my substance – yet being unperfect
and in YOUR book all my members were written
which in continuance were fashioned
when as yet there was none of them
Compassion of God verse 17- 18
How precious also are YOUR thoughts to me – O God
how great is the sum of them
IF I should count them – they are more in number than the sand
when I awake – I am still with YOU
Judge of the wicked verse 19- 22
Surely YOU will slay the wicked – O God
depart from me therefore – you bloody men
For they speak against YOU wickedly
and YOUR enemies take YOUR name in vain
Do not I hate them – O LORD – that hate YOU?
and am not I grieved with those that rise up against YOU?
I hate them with perfect hatred – I count them mine enemies
Doxology verse 23, 24
Search me – O God – and know my heart
try me – and know my thoughts
and see if there be any wicked way in me
and lead me in the way everlasting
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 O LORD, YOU have searched me, and known me. (2713 “searched”
[chaqar] means examine, investigate, probe, sound out, test, find out or explore.
DEVOTION: The family you grew up in knows you very well. They know the good, the bad and the ugly of your life. They remember all your successes and failures. They know all the times you sinned against them. Sometimes we might even think that they know what you are thinking before you think it. Family is usually the hardest individuals to witness to about the LORD. They compare themselves with you. That is the wrong comparison but it is what happens.
Here we find the Psalmist, David, writing about all that the LORD knows and does in his life. There is nothing hidden from the LORD. HE knows even more than our family. HE knows our inner thoughts. HE understands our weaknesses and works with them.
This psalm starts with a statement of the LORD investigating the life of the psalmist David. He knows that the LORD examines the life’s of all those who are followers of HIM. HE wants us to grow in our knowledge of HIM.
Further the psalm informs us about some of the attributes of God. Our God is all knowing. HE is present everywhere. HE is the protector of HIS people. HE is the judge of the wicked. HE is the creator of the universe. The LORD knows all about us. HE can examine our innermost thoughts. HE can see if there are any wicked thoughts in our mind.
HE knows what we think of our job. HE knows what we think of our spouse. HE knows what we think of our children. HE knows what we think about our church. HE knows what we think of our pastor. HE knows what we think about HIM.
What are thinking now? GOD knows. Is it pleasing to HIM? David concludes the psalm by asking the LORD to continue to examine his life. Are we asking the same thing of the LORD???
CHALLENGE: Grow in your knowledge of the attributes of the LORD through your study of the Word of God. Understand that HE understands us better than all those who are close to us. HE still loves us. Thank HIM!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 7 “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Flee – 1272 בָּרַח, בָּרַח, בָּרַח [barach /baw·rakh/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 284; GK 1368 and 1369 and 1370; 65 occurrences; AV translates as “flee” 52 times, “… away” seven times, “chased” once, “fain (inf. for emphasis)” once, “flight” once, “make haste” once, “reach” once, and “shoot” once. 1 to go through, flee, run away, chase, drive away, put to flight, reach, shoot (extend), hurry away. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to go, pass through. 1A2 to flee. 1A3 to hasten, come quickly. 1B (Hiphil). 1B1 to pass through. 1B2 to cause to flee, put to flight. 1B3 to drive away.
James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: What does it take for revival to take place in a person or a nation? That question has been asked multiplied times throughout history as individuals have realized the condition of their soul or the state of the culture they live in. The answer lies in this psalm as David presents to his readers the reality of the God they were serving. He is all knowing, seeing and powerful! As David meditated upon that truth he came to realize that no matter what he did, thought or sought to hide, was missed by God. With that recognition he humbled himself before God and sought to be transparent. When we see God as He is we cannot help but do the same and then revival comes to our soul and to our community.
CHALLENGE: : Do you believe and admit that nothing escapes God’s attention? Sin will be confessed when we see God in his completeness and position of authority! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 23 Search me, O God and know my heart: try me, and know my
thoughts. (8312 “thoughts” [sar’aph] means disturbing, disquieting thoughts, thoughts that cause a person to be troubled or disquieted, anxious thoughts, or the processing of information which causes distress and anxiety in one’s mind and heart.)
DEVOTION: Once we turn our heart over to the LORD through a prayer of acceptance of HIM as our personal Savior, HE will take over our life and cause us to understand better what it means to follow HIM.
One of the things that the LORD does to those who have chosen to follow HIM is to search out our hearts to see what we are thinking which causes our actions.
Once HE has searched our hearts HE gives us instruction through the Holy Spirit and HIS Word found in the Bible as to what we should do to change some of our actions.
We might have been a good person before we accepted HIM as our personal Savior but just being a good person will not get us into heaven. We have to be one that is committed to HIM and willing to change any thought or action that is not pleasing to HIM.
It is a learning process that takes the rest of our lives but we can grow in this relationship on a daily basis if we are willing to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
So our thinking and actions have to change and that takes a lot of time and effort on our part to listen and then act the way HE wants us to act on a daily basis.
We don’t instantly become a mature believer but we can take daily steps to improve our walk with the LORD with the help of the Holy Spirit and fellow believers.
Asking HIM to search our heart and listening to what HE says to us is very important to our growth in HIM. Some grow faster than others but all those who are genuine believers grow.
CHALLENGE: Each day we need to have a genuine time of devotional time with the LORD which means a time in the Word of God and prayer. Asking the LORD to show us what we are supposed to do today to live a life that is pleasing to HIM!
: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (5148 “lead” [nachah] means guide, go in the direction of, create an opportunity, or govern.)
DEVOTION: After we realize that the LORD is omnipresent, omniscience, omnipotent and the judge of the whole earth what should we do with our relationship with HIM? HE made us in the womb of our mother. HE knows each of the parts of our body. HE has chosen those who would be HIS followers. HE knew if we were one of them before the foundation of the world.
Now that we know these facts from our study of this Psalm we should ask this question: “What should we do?” The answer is to allow HIM to be our guide in life.
We should be willing to allow HIM to search our inner being and correct the areas that need improvement. That is the purpose of his pruning us when we are trying to live for HIM. HE doesn’t sent trials in our life for no purpose. HE always has a purpose and that is to make us more like HIS Son, Jesus Christ.
HE knows our heart. David was a man that was a man after God’s own heart. He wanted to follow the LORD wherever HE would guide him. Sometimes he would go off on his own and would realize that it was wrong. He would allow the LORD to create an opportunity to succeed. He wanted the LORD to be pleased with his life. He was willing to confess his sin and ask for forgiveness. All this was important to a true follower of the LORD.
There is a narrow way that leads to live everlasting. It leads to a place in heaven for eternity. Few are the people who follow this path. Our prayer is that everyone reading these devotionals is headed in that direction.
CHALLENGE: Be willing for the LORD to search through your thoughts and actions to see where improvement is necessary. Look forward to an everlasting relationship with HIM. Our life here on earth only lasts for a short time. Eternity is more important.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Book of the LORD verse 16
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Prayer of Awe of WHO God is verse 1- 24
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Praise verse 14
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 4, 21
LORD acquainted of believers ways verse 3
Omniscience verse 6, 13
Omnipresence verse 7- 12, 18
Creator verse 14- 16
Eyes of the LORD verse 16
Thoughts of the LORD verse 17, 18
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 17- 19, 23
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Spirit verse 7
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Fearfully and wonderfully made verse 14
Soul verse 14
Created unperfect verse 15- 16
Wicked men verse 19
Bloody men verse 19
Enemies verse 20, 22
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Wicked verse 19, 24
Bloody men verse 19
Speak wickedly verse 20
Enemies of God verse 20
Take God’s name in vain verse 20
Hating God verse 21
Rising up against God verse 21
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Searched by LORD verse 1, 23
Known of LORD verse 1, 2
Understood of God in thought life verse 2
Knows all our thoughts and actions verse 2, 3
Control of tongue verse 4
Protection of the LORD verse 5
Knowledge verse 6, 14
Controlled of the Spirit verse 7
Lead verse 10, 24
Held verse 10
Praise verse 14
Righteous hatred verse 21, 22
Searched by God verse 23
Tried of God verse 23
Righteous thoughts verse 23
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Heaven verse 8
Hell verse 8
Slay the wicked verse 19
Everlasting way verse 23
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QUOTES regarding passage
14. Here, however, rsv follows lxx et al., and is a little unfair in its marginal note, since the Hebrew can be legitimately translated ‘I praise thee, for I am awesomely wonderful’; hence av, rv, ‘… I am fearfully and wonderfully made’. Cf. jb, freely: ‘For all these mysteries I thank you: for the wonder of myself, for the wonder of your works.’
The last line of this verse, as it stands, reads ‘And my soul knows (it) very well’ (cf. lxx, av, rv). Most modern versions put this the other way round, with rsv (Thou knowest me …); but this requires a change in the traditional vowels, which is hardly called for. (Kidner, D. (1975). Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, p. 502). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
139:13–14. The theme of verses 13–18 is announced here: the Lord (You is emphatic in Heb.; cf. v. 2) created him in his mother’s womb. The language is figurative in that creating and knitting describe God’s sovereign superintendence over the natural process of reproduction (on knitting; cf. Job 10:11).
This fact prompted the psalmist to break forth in praise over the thought of how marvelously he had been made. Even David’s rudimentary knowledge of the marvels of the human body led him to be in awe and wonder. The words wonderfully and wonderful are mindful of God’s marvelous knowledge (Ps. 139:6). (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 892). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
This is one of the greatest passages in literature about the miracle of human conception and birth. “In the presence of birth,” said Eugene Petersen, “we don’t calculate—we marvel.” David declared that God is present at conception and birth, because we are made in the image of God and God has a special purpose for each person who is born. We live in and with our bodies all our lives, and we know how amazing they are. God formed us as He wants us to be, and we must accept His will no matter how we feel about our genetic structure, our looks, or our abilities. The verb “covered” (v. 13, kjv).means “woven together” (see Isa. 32:12), and “intricately wrought” in verse 15 is translated “embroidered” in Exodus. In the mother’s womb, the Lord weaves and embroiders a human being, and abortion interrupts this miracle. What a tragedy!
But the Lord did more than design and form our bodies; He also planned and determined our days (v. 16). This probably includes the length of life (Job 14:5) and the tasks He wants us to perform (Eph. 2:10; Phil. 2:12–13). This is not some form of fatalism or heartless predestination, for what we are and what He plans for us come from God’s loving heart (33:11) and are the very best He has for us (Rom. 12:2). If we live foolishly, we might die before the time God has ordained, but God’s faithful children are immortal until their work is done. How can we ignore God when He has given us such a marvelous body and planned for us a wonderful life? Life is not a prison, it is an exciting pilgrimage, and the Lord has prepared us for what He prepared for us. Our responsibility is to yield ourselves to Him daily, ponder His thoughts found in His Word (92:5; Isa. 55:8–9), and walk in the Spirit. God thinks of us! (Jer. 29:11). Should we not think about Him? (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be exultant (1st ed., p. 197). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
Ver. 14. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, &c.] The formation of man is not of himself, nor of his parents, but of God, and is very wonderful in all its parts; it has been matter of astonishment to many Heathens, as Galen and others, who have, with any carefulness, examined the structure and texture of the human body, the exact symmetry and just proportion of all its parts, their position and usefulness; how every bone, muscle, artery, nerve and fibre are nicely framed and placed to answer their designed end; particularly the eye and ear, the exquisite make of them for sight and sound, have filled the most diligent inquirers into nature with amazement and wonder, and are a full proof of the wisdom and knowledge of God; see Psal. 94:9 no man has cause to reproach his parents, nor blame the Former of all things for making him thus, but on the contrary should praise the Lord, as David did, who has given him life and breath, and all things; or own and confess, as the word may be rendered, that he is in various surprising instances a wonder of nature; see Isa. 45:9, 10; Rom. 9:20; Psal. 100:3. R. Moses in Aben Ezra thinks David is speaking of the first father, or the first Adam; who was wonderfully made of the dust of the earth, and had a living soul breathed into him; was made after the image of God, holy and upright: but rather he speaks of Christ, the second Adam, his antitype, who as man is a creature of God’s make, and was wonderfully made, even of a virgin, without the use and knowledge of man; is the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, the tabernacle which God pitched and not man; was produced by the power of the Holy Ghost, was born without sin, which no man is, and united personally to the son of God, and is the great mystery of godliness; and his name is justly called Wonderful. Cocceius interprets this passage of God’s separating act of David, and so of others in election; which is a wonderful setting apart of man for himself, as the word is used Psal. 4:3 it is the effect of amazing love, and to be ascribed to the sovereignty of God, and the unsearchable riches of his grace; but this seems not to be intended here, though it is a marvellous act, as all the works of God are, as follows; rather, since the word may be rendered, I am wonderfully separated, it may be interpreted of his being separated in his mother’s womb from the rest of the mass and matter of her blood, and formed from thence; which was done in a secret, unknown, and marvellous way and manner. Marvellous are thy works; of creation, providence, sustentation of all creatures, the government of the world, the redemption of mankind, the work of grace and conversion, the perseverance of the saints, and their eternal salvation. And that my soul knoweth right well; having diligently sought them out, and having such a distinct knowledge of them as to be capable of talking of them, and of shewing them to others, and pointing out the wonders, beauties, and excellencies of them; see Psal. 111:2 and 145:5 and 9:1 however, he well and perfectly knew, or knew so much of them that they were very wonderful and amazing: some connect the word rendered right well, which signifies greatly, or exceedingly, not with his knowledge, but with the marvellous works known; and take the sense to be, that he knew them to be greatly or exceedingly wonderful; so R. Moses in Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 288). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
14. “I will praise thee:” a good resolve, and one which he was even now carrying out. Those who are praising God are the very men who will praise him. Those who wish to praise have subjects for adoration ready to hand. We too seldom remember our creation, and all the skill and kindness bestowed upon our frame: but the sweet singer of Israel was better instructed, and therefore he prepares for the chief musician a song concerning our nativity and all the fashioning which precedes it. We cannot begin too soon to bless our Maker, who began so soon to bless us: even in the act of creation he created reasons for our praising his name. “For I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Who can gaze even upon a model of our anatomy without wonder and awe? Who could dissect a portion of the human frame without marvelling at its delicacy, and trembling at its frailty? The Psalmist had scarcely peered within the veil which hides the nerves, sinews, and blood-vessels from common inspection; the science of anatomy was quite unknown to him; and yet he had seen enough to arouse his admiration of the work and his reverence for the Worker. “Marvellous are thy works.” These parts of my frame are all thy works; and though they be home works, close under my own eye, yet are they wonderful to the last degree. They are works within my own self, yet are they beyond my understanding, and appear to me as so many miracles of skill and power. We need not go to the ends of the earth for marvels, nor even across our own threshold; they abound in our own bodies.
“And that my soul knoweth right well.” He was no agnostic—he knew; he was no doubter—his soul knew; he was no dupe—his soul knew right well. Those know indeed and of a truth who first know the Lord, and then know all things in him. He was made to know the marvellous nature of God’s work with assurance and accuracy, for he had found by experience that the Lord is a master-worker, performing inimitable wonders when accomplishing his kind designs. If we are marvellously wrought upon even before we are born, what shall we say of the Lord’s dealings with us after we quit his secret workshop, and he directs our pathway through the pilgrimage of life? What shall we not say of that new birth which is even more mysterious than the first, and exhibits even more the love and wisdom of the Lord. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 120-150 (Vol. 6, pp. 262–263). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)
139:14 I am fearfully and wonderfully made. If the ESV text is followed, the statement helps the worshiper to marvel over the mysterious process of a developing baby. The word translated “wonderfully made” (Hb. nipleti) has a slightly unusual spelling (the expected spelling is niple’ti), which favors the ESV footnote: “I am fearfully set apart.” This takes the word to be the term for God setting his people apart (Ex. 8:22; Ps. 4:3) or making a distinction between them and those who are not his people (Ex. 9:4; 11:7; 33:16). The faithful person singing this, who in the OT would be the child of faithful parents, can affirm that God set his special love upon him from the earliest stages of his personal life (cf. Ps. 22:9–10; 71:5–6). (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (pp. 1116–1117). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
HUMOR STUFF (from Paul D.)
A visiting minister was very long-winded. Worse, every time he would make a good point during his sermon and a member of the congregation responded with “Amen” or “That’s right, preacher” he would get wound up even more and launch into another lengthy discourse.
Finally, the host pastor started responding to every few sentences with “Amen, Pharaoh!” The guest minister wasn’t sure what that meant, but after several more “Amen, Pharaohs” he finally concluded his very lengthy sermon.
After the service concluded and the congregation had left, the visiting minister turned to his host and asked, “What exactly did you mean when you said “Amen, Pharaoh?”
His host replied, “I was telling you to let my people go!”
As Christians walk by the Spirit, they will manifest His characteristics.
INSIGHT
As Paul teaches in Romans 7, a civil war rages within every child of God. The opposing forces are the power of the flesh and the power of the Spirit. Paul refers to these as the “outer man” and the “inner man.” What is at stake is the control of the child of God. As we yield ourselves to the control of the Spirit, then love, joy, peace, patience, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. As we yield ourselves to the control of our unrighteous promptings, then anger, jealousy, impurity, etc., begin to take root and bear fruit in our lives. We must yield our “members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:13) and begin to taste of the fruit of God. (QuietWalk)
Water and Blood
“This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.” (1 John 5:6)
John’s writings are replete with examples and illustrations that focus on the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of John is built around seven great miracles of creation demonstrating the unique power that only the omnipotent Creator God could wield (John 10:25).
In his first epistle, John uses the word “know” 28 times to emphasize the behaviors and evidence that assure us that we have a living faith in Jesus Christ and are in truth the sons of God. In today’s text, John lists three “proofs” witnessed in history that verify the incarnation of the God-man Jesus Christ.
The water refers to physical birth—the amniotic sac that surrounds and cushions every human child until just before birth. This common experience was used by the Lord Jesus to help Nicodemus understand the necessity of the second (spiritual) birth required to enter the Kingdom of heaven (John 3:5-6).
The blood is either a reference to Christ’s death on Calvary “for the remission of sins” (Romans 3:25), or, perhaps, the fulfillment of the many prophecies that this Messiah would be of the lineage of David (Luke 1:32). Either way, this poignant evidence was both visible and verifiable.
The “Spirit” witness is obviously the time when the Holy Spirit visibly descended like a dove on the Lord Jesus at His baptism by John the Baptist, and the voice of the heavenly Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (John 1:33; Matthew 3:16-17).
There is thus a threefold witness to Christ’s incarnation: human physical birth, royal bloodline with the shedding of innocent blood, and heavenly confirmation. “This is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
Quote from Vince (MD):
Experience teaches only the teachable – Aldous Huxley
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