Psa 139:13-16 | KingComments | STEP | God knows everything and is everywhere because He created everything. He also knows man because He created man. For the believer is added the tremendous encouragement that God knows him in grace. The word “for” ( ) indicates that now comes the explanation of the above. Of course God knows everything about me, of course God is everywhere where I am, because He is my Maker. The LORD is not only the almighty Creator of heaven and earth, He is also my Creator, He made me. Therefore, He knows me thoroughly and guides me in my ways, until death and resurrection ( ). In describing his own creation, David begins with his “inward parts”, literally “kidneys”. The kidneys are the innermost part of man. In the spiritual application they are associated with the deliberations that a man has. God tests the kidneys ( ; ; ) to see if his conscience is clean or not. They are also seen as the symbol of wisdom, not the material part, but more the emotional and spiritual part of man ( ; ; ). Then he talks about how God “wove me in my mother’s womb”. That deeply hidden, dark place is light to Him. There God has artfully ‘composed’ Him. He harmoniously connected all the parts. Therefore He has perfect knowledge of man and there is nothing in man that He does not know. He put it all in place Himself in exactly the place He wanted and with the function He gave it. He has made it into one whole, with each ‘part’ supporting the other ‘part’. Although David did not possess the medical knowledge of the origin of human life and body that we possess, he gives thanks to God because he is “fearfully and wonderfully made” ( ). As all of God’s works are wondrous, so is he. He is deeply convinced – “my soul knows it very well” – that God has a personal plan with him. This every one of His own may know and say with certainty (cf. ). When David was made in secret, none of his “bones” [“frame” is literally “bones”] were hidden from God ( ). They are an integral part of his body. The bones give strength to the body. Together with the muscles, they allow the body to move. God did not need a lamp when making the bones in man. He embroidered a work of art without light in the dark hidden because He is present as light in the hidden. “The depths of the earth” is a poetic description for “the secret”. It emphasizes that these are the most hidden places, something that cannot be seen by human eyes (cf. ). In , David speaks of the eyes of God that saw His embryo, His “unformed substance”. He has described in His “book” all the “days that were ordained [for me], when as yet there was not one of them”. His name is written in the book of life of the Lamb Who has been slain ( ). God describes in advance how a human life proceeds (cf. ). To Him not only darkness and light are alike ( ), but also the future is alike the present to Him. God knew our thoughts long before we thought of Him ( ), but He also has thoughts Himself ( ). This goes beyond the wonders of God’s omniscience and omnipresence and how He made everything. It is about the thoughts of God that are behind His works (cf. ). These are precious to the believer, although their number is fully beyond his thoughts. The LORD fathoms the psalmist through and through, while to the psalmist the LORD is unfathomable. God’s thoughts are innumerable, even more innumerable than “the sand” ( ; cf. ; ). This does not cause doubt, but gives utter peace. The God-fearing falls asleep with the thought of God. deal with the pregnancy, when the psalmist was still in his mother’s womb, before his birth. In it is about the situation after death. If he were to awaken later, after death, he would still be with the LORD.

‏ Psalms 139:13-16

God, the Former of Life

God knows everything and is everywhere because He created everything. He also knows man because He created man. For the believer is added the tremendous encouragement that God knows him in grace. The word “for” (Psa 139:13) indicates that now comes the explanation of the above. Of course God knows everything about me, of course God is everywhere where I am, because He is my Maker. The LORD is not only the almighty Creator of heaven and earth, He is also my Creator, He made me. Therefore, He knows me thoroughly and guides me in my ways, until death and resurrection (Psa 139:18).

In describing his own creation, David begins with his “inward parts”, literally “kidneys”. The kidneys are the innermost part of man. In the spiritual application they are associated with the deliberations that a man has. God tests the kidneys (Jer 11:20 ; Jer 17:10 ; Jer 20:12; Lam 3:13; Rev 2:23) to see if his conscience is clean or not. They are also seen as the symbol of wisdom, not the material part, but more the emotional and spiritual part of man (Job 16:13 ; Job 19:27 ; Job 38:26; Psa 7:9b ; Psa 16:7 ; Psa 26:2 ; Psa 73:21; Pro 23:16).

Then he talks about how God “wove me in my mother’s womb”. That deeply hidden, dark place is light to Him. There God has artfully ‘composed’ Him. He harmoniously connected all the parts. Therefore He has perfect knowledge of man and there is nothing in man that He does not know. He put it all in place Himself in exactly the place He wanted and with the function He gave it. He has made it into one whole, with each ‘part’ supporting the other ‘part’.

Although David did not possess the medical knowledge of the origin of human life and body that we possess, he gives thanks to God because he is “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psa 139:14). As all of God’s works are wondrous, so is he. He is deeply convinced – “my soul knows it very well” – that God has a personal plan with him. This every one of His own may know and say with certainty (cf. Eph 2:10).

When David was made in secret, none of his “bones” [“frame” is literally “bones”] were hidden from God (Psa 139:15). They are an integral part of his body. The bones give strength to the body. Together with the muscles, they allow the body to move. God did not need a lamp when making the bones in man. He embroidered a work of art without light in the dark hidden because He is present as light in the hidden. “The depths of the earth” is a poetic description for “the secret”. It emphasizes that these are the most hidden places, something that cannot be seen by human eyes (cf. Job 28:7).

In Psa 139:16, David speaks of the eyes of God that saw His embryo, His “unformed substance”. He has described in His “book” all the “days that were ordained [for me], when as yet there was not one of them”. His name is written in the book of life of the Lamb Who has been slain (Rev 13:8). God describes in advance how a human life proceeds (cf. Jer 1:5). To Him not only darkness and light are alike (Psa 139:12), but also the future is alike the present to Him.

God knew our thoughts long before we thought of Him (Psa 139:2), but He also has thoughts Himself (Psa 139:17). This goes beyond the wonders of God’s omniscience and omnipresence and how He made everything. It is about the thoughts of God that are behind His works (cf. Psa 40:5). These are precious to the believer, although their number is fully beyond his thoughts. The LORD fathoms the psalmist through and through, while to the psalmist the LORD is unfathomable.

God’s thoughts are innumerable, even more innumerable than “the sand” (Psa 139:18; cf. Gen 22:17 ; Gen 32:12; Heb 11:12). This does not cause doubt, but gives utter peace. The God-fearing falls asleep with the thought of God. Psa 139:13-16 deal with the pregnancy, when the psalmist was still in his mother’s womb, before his birth. In Psa 139:18 it is about the situation after death. If he were to awaken later, after death, he would still be with the LORD.