Psa 139:1-12 | KingComments | STEP | In this psalm David tells of the exercises of his heart as he goes the ways of God. Prophetically, these are the exercises of God’s people in the time of their trouble ( ). The sin of all the tribes was idolatry. From that they will have to be cleansed. With the ten tribes, this cleansing occurs on the way to the promised land in the wilderness of the nations ( ). With the two tribes it happens by means of the great tribulation. For them, in addition to the cleansing from the sin of idolatry, there is also the cleansing from the sin of rejecting Christ. The latter is specifically the sin of the two tribes. Psalm 139 shows us the glory of the LORD during the purification of the whole people. Division of the psalm The LORD is omniscient (all-knowing). Nothing is hidden from Him. The LORD is omnipresent (everywhere present). No one can hide from Him. The LORD is omnipotent (all-mighty). Nothing is impossible for Him. Therefore the LORD will remove the wicked from among them. Now that they have been purified, only one desire remains with them, and that is to be led by the LORD in the everlasting way. For “for the choir director” ( ) see at Psalm 4:1. For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1. Through the troubles (Psalm 138) the faithful remnant comes into the presence of the LORD. We see this in Psalm 139. David begins by noting that the LORD knows him through and through ( ) and ends by praying that the LORD will use His knowledge and omnipotence to purify him ( ). The presence of the LORD is like the Word of God. Its awareness works like a “two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” ( ). The believer sees himself in it, as he sees himself in a mirror (cf. ). He comes to know himself through it. The LORD wants to purify the vine by His presence, that it may bear more fruit ( ), which means that the believer lives more to His honor and glorification. God knows and sees everything. There is nothing that escapes His all-seeing eye. It goes even further, for He also fathoms everything, including man, every human being. According to a United Nations estimate, there were 7.7 billion people living on earth in 2019 [www.wikipedia.org; website visited 25-11-2020]. It is estimated that over 200,000 people have been added every day so far. And that’s a snapshot. These figures are already far beyond our thinking, let alone when we think of all the people who have lived on earth since Adam. To God, these are not statistics. He fathoms and knows every human being who has ever lived and is living at this moment. To fathom means to examine extremely precisely and closely. The result of this precise examination is a perfect knowledge of man. Of course, for God, this close examination is not necessary. He knows man, because man is His own creature. What matters here is the deep impression David has of God through his dealings with Him. He works this out and applies it in what he says further in this psalm. What David says here is not a factual statement, not a general confession, however true that may be, but a statement that indicates that he is deeply aware that God fathoms and knows him ( ). This confession is not made out of fear or under compulsion, but is done from a living relationship with and the utmost confidence in that God. It is a matter between “You” and “me”. In the awareness of God’s omniscience, I may consider that God is present in every corner of my heart. Thereby I also know that He knows me better than I know myself ( ). To Him even the most deeply hidden places in my heart are completely in the light ( ; ). If this awareness makes me uneasy, I may be thinking of things in my heart that are not according to His will. In that case, I can remove – and if necessary, confess – my faulty thoughts and then ask Him for His will. Knowing a person is much more than knowing facts. Knowing here has to do with knowing intimately, having a relationship with someone. It is not just that the LORD knows everything about David; it is that the LORD has a relationship with David. He knows the moments that I “sit down”, why I do it, and what I do then ( ). His knowledge of me is total. He also knows “when I rise up”, when I do, and why, what I intend to do (cf. ). Even “my thoughts” are an opened book to Him. He not only knows what I think, but also “understands” what I think, and that even “from afar”. The latter refers not so much to distance – the LORD is always near – but more to time, that is, He knows everything about me far in advance. This is a comforting thought. “My path and my lying down” are scrutinized by Him ( ). This is about daily life, from the morning, from getting up and leaving for daily work, to the evening, going back to bed. He scrutinizes how I conduct myself during those times and during those pursuits. There is nothing in everything I do throughout the day that surprises or amazes Him, for He is “intimately acquainted with all my ways” (cf. ). Also, everything I resolve to say, that is, even before I take a “word on my tongue”, He knows it ( ). His perfect knowledge of me means that nothing can be said or done by me that surprises Him. Rather, it is my amazement at Him, at His perfect knowledge of my whole being, including what I don’t even know yet myself, but what He sees in me that makes me say: “Behold, O LORD, You know it all.” That all-knowing God protects me and covers me with His hand, which He lovingly lays upon me ( ). He has “enclosed me behind and before”. The word ‘enclose’ is sometimes used for the siege of a city, so that it is completely enclosed. That is what God is doing to me. I can’t do anything outside of Him without Him knowing. I cannot take a step backward or forward, or He is there. This does not make me afraid, but gives me peace. Above all, it is His protection from enemies who want to attack me from behind or from the front. This section of tells me that the omniscience of the LORD is used by Him to protect me ( ). By “from behind” we can also think of our past and by “before” of our future. Sometimes thoughts of our past can attack us and thoughts of the future can trouble us. Then He places Himself behind us and in front of us. With this He says, as it were, that the past is in His hand and that with regard to the past everything has been made good through the work of His Son. And as for the future, everything is also in His hand. By the same work of His Son we shall be with Him forever. Next, He lays His hand upon me, with which He says to me: ‘You are Mine.’ Then we feel the reaction of arising in us. In great wonder we say to Him: “[Such] knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is [too] high, I cannot attain to it.” The human mind falls completely short of knowing things that are beyond knowledge. There are no words to describe it (cf. ; ). The only thing appropriate here is to fall on our knees and worship Him.

‏ Psalms 139:1-12

Introduction

In this psalm David tells of the exercises of his heart as he goes the ways of God. Prophetically, these are the exercises of God’s people in the time of their trouble (Psa 138:7).

The sin of all the tribes was idolatry. From that they will have to be cleansed. With the ten tribes, this cleansing occurs on the way to the promised land in the wilderness of the nations (Eze 20:34-38). With the two tribes it happens by means of the great tribulation. For them, in addition to the cleansing from the sin of idolatry, there is also the cleansing from the sin of rejecting Christ. The latter is specifically the sin of the two tribes. Psalm 139 shows us the glory of the LORD during the purification of the whole people.

Division of the psalm

Psa 139:1-6 The LORD is omniscient (all-knowing). Nothing is hidden from Him.

Psa 139:7-12 The LORD is omnipresent (everywhere present). No one can hide from Him.

Psa 139:13-18 The LORD is omnipotent (all-mighty). Nothing is impossible for Him.

Psa 139:19-22 Therefore the LORD will remove the wicked from among them.

Psa 139:23-24 Now that they have been purified, only one desire remains with them, and that is to be led by the LORD in the everlasting way.

God, the Omniscient

For “for the choir director” (Psa 139:1a) see at Psalm 4:1.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1.

Through the troubles (Psalm 138) the faithful remnant comes into the presence of the LORD. We see this in Psalm 139. David begins by noting that the LORD knows him through and through (Psa 139:1b-2) and ends by praying that the LORD will use His knowledge and omnipotence to purify him (Psa 139:23-24).

The presence of the LORD is like the Word of God. Its awareness works like a “two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12). The believer sees himself in it, as he sees himself in a mirror (cf. Jam 1:23-24). He comes to know himself through it. The LORD wants to purify the vine by His presence, that it may bear more fruit (Jn 15:1-5), which means that the believer lives more to His honor and glorification.

God knows and sees everything. There is nothing that escapes His all-seeing eye. It goes even further, for He also fathoms everything, including man, every human being. According to a United Nations estimate, there were 7.7 billion people living on earth in 2019 [www.wikipedia.org; website visited 25-11-2020]. It is estimated that over 200,000 people have been added every day so far. And that’s a snapshot. These figures are already far beyond our thinking, let alone when we think of all the people who have lived on earth since Adam.

To God, these are not statistics. He fathoms and knows every human being who has ever lived and is living at this moment. To fathom means to examine extremely precisely and closely. The result of this precise examination is a perfect knowledge of man. Of course, for God, this close examination is not necessary. He knows man, because man is His own creature. What matters here is the deep impression David has of God through his dealings with Him. He works this out and applies it in what he says further in this psalm.

What David says here is not a factual statement, not a general confession, however true that may be, but a statement that indicates that he is deeply aware that God fathoms and knows him (Jer 12:3a). This confession is not made out of fear or under compulsion, but is done from a living relationship with and the utmost confidence in that God. It is a matter between “You” and “me”.

In the awareness of God’s omniscience, I may consider that God is present in every corner of my heart. Thereby I also know that He knows me better than I know myself (1Jn 3:19-20). To Him even the most deeply hidden places in my heart are completely in the light (Psa 139:12; Dan 2:22). If this awareness makes me uneasy, I may be thinking of things in my heart that are not according to His will. In that case, I can remove – and if necessary, confess – my faulty thoughts and then ask Him for His will.

Knowing a person is much more than knowing facts. Knowing here has to do with knowing intimately, having a relationship with someone. It is not just that the LORD knows everything about David; it is that the LORD has a relationship with David. He knows the moments that I “sit down”, why I do it, and what I do then (Psa 139:2). His knowledge of me is total. He also knows “when I rise up”, when I do, and why, what I intend to do (cf. Isa 37:28).

Even “my thoughts” are an opened book to Him. He not only knows what I think, but also “understands” what I think, and that even “from afar”. The latter refers not so much to distance – the LORD is always near – but more to time, that is, He knows everything about me far in advance. This is a comforting thought.

“My path and my lying down” are scrutinized by Him (Psa 139:3). This is about daily life, from the morning, from getting up and leaving for daily work, to the evening, going back to bed. He scrutinizes how I conduct myself during those times and during those pursuits. There is nothing in everything I do throughout the day that surprises or amazes Him, for He is “intimately acquainted with all my ways” (cf. Job 31:4).

Also, everything I resolve to say, that is, even before I take a “word on my tongue”, He knows it (Psa 139:4). His perfect knowledge of me means that nothing can be said or done by me that surprises Him. Rather, it is my amazement at Him, at His perfect knowledge of my whole being, including what I don’t even know yet myself, but what He sees in me that makes me say: “Behold, O LORD, You know it all.”

That all-knowing God protects me and covers me with His hand, which He lovingly lays upon me (Psa 139:5). He has “enclosed me behind and before”. The word ‘enclose’ is sometimes used for the siege of a city, so that it is completely enclosed. That is what God is doing to me. I can’t do anything outside of Him without Him knowing. I cannot take a step backward or forward, or He is there. This does not make me afraid, but gives me peace. Above all, it is His protection from enemies who want to attack me from behind or from the front. This section of Psa 139:1-6 tells me that the omniscience of the LORD is used by Him to protect me (Psa 139:5-6).

By “from behind” we can also think of our past and by “before” of our future. Sometimes thoughts of our past can attack us and thoughts of the future can trouble us. Then He places Himself behind us and in front of us. With this He says, as it were, that the past is in His hand and that with regard to the past everything has been made good through the work of His Son. And as for the future, everything is also in His hand. By the same work of His Son we shall be with Him forever. Next, He lays His hand upon me, with which He says to me: ‘You are Mine.’

Then we feel the reaction of Psa 139:6 arising in us. In great wonder we say to Him: “[Such] knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is [too] high, I cannot attain to it.” The human mind falls completely short of knowing things that are beyond knowledge. There are no words to describe it (cf. Eph 3:19; Phil 4:7). The only thing appropriate here is to fall on our knees and worship Him.

God, the Omnipresent

Having described the omniscience of God in an impressive way, David speaks in these verses in an equally impressive way of the omnipresence of God. It is impossible to go anywhere where God’s Spirit could not reach me, or to go anywhere where I am no longer in God’s presence (Psa 139:7; Jer 23:24). The prophet Jonah tried, but he failed (Jona 1:1-17).

When David speaks of where he can go “from Your Spirit” and “flee from Your presence” he does not mean to say that he wants to. He wants to make it even more clear that God, Who is Spirit (Jn 4:24), knows everything and is present everywhere. It is impossible for man to hide from Him. There is no place in creation where He is not, because He created everything. The question is not: Where is God, but: Where is God not? He is not part of His universe, He is not a component of it, but rules over it with perfect knowledge of every detail in it.

Imagine, says David, that I ascended to heaven (Psa 139:8; cf. Amos 9:1-2). Then I would meet You there, for You dwell there. Now if I descended to the deepest place in creation, Sheol, the realm of the dead, then I will meet You there also, for there You are as well.

In the height and in the depth, I cannot escape You. Now if I tried it in the breadth or in the length (Psa 139:9). Let me “take the wings of the dawn” and “dwell in the remotest part of the sea”. That is, he moves at the speed of sunrise, changing darkness into light – close to the equator this is very fast – and goes to dwell in the remotest place on earth.

The possibilities David mentions for escaping God are at the same moment answered by himself: it is simply impossible to go anywhere where God is not. David comes to a comforting conclusion through his questions, and that is that God’s hand leads him everywhere (Psa 139:10). And he discovers – not only that God does not let go of him, but – that God’s right hand lays hold of him. The section of Psa 139:7-12 makes it clear that the LORD uses His omnipresence to guide us (Psa 139:10) and illuminate us with His presence (Psa 139:11-12).

Then, if distance offers no way to escape God, it may be possible to be swallowed up by darkness, and that even the light around him would be night (Psa 139:11). But then what happens? Then, because of God’s presence with him, the night turns into the light around him (cf. Acts 12:7a). He comes into the full light. Where God comes, it automatically becomes light, because God is light.

Darkness makes things dark for us. This is also true spiritually. Many things in our life are “dark” to us; we don’t understand them. For God, it is not so. It makes no difference to Him whether it is night or day, or whether there is darkness or light (Psa 139:12). Everything is light to Him. Day and night, light and darkness, it is all created by Him and therefore nothing is hidden from Him.