Psa 139:22-23 | KingComments | STEP | One who, like David and like every God-fearing, is connected to God and lives from that connection, is aware of the radical separation between him and the wicked. He will ask God to “slay the wicked” ( ). He says to the “men of bloodshed” to depart from him (cf. ). Among these people there is no respect for the life of which David has been so deeply impressed. They are out to thwart God’s plans and prevent their execution ( ). The God-fearing submits this to God: “For they speak against You wickedly, and Your enemies take [Your name] in vain.” The influence of the wicked and men of bloodshed leads to destruction of those who come under their influence. God must put an end to this pernicious influence so that no more people are dragged along the path of destruction. The God-fearing knows the heart of God and His hatred of sin ( ). He cannot do otherwise than take God’s side against God’s haters. He loathes those who rise up against God – they are rebels, rebellious, who reject all authority – to keep Him from the blessing He wants to give to His own. Do we also loathe people who, in order to indulge their own lusts, deliberately go against everything God has given as a blessing? Dedication to the Lord excludes all loyalty to those who hate Him. Love for them implies that we expect them to distance themselves from such behavior. For the God-fearing, it is not a question. He hates them with utmost hatred ( ). It is not about those people as such, because God has no pleasure in the death of the sinner, rather He wants them to repent and live. If, however, people continue unstoppably on a path of sin and drag others along with them, they prove to be enemies of God. Such people will be seen by every God-fearing as his own enemies.

‏ Psalms 139:22-23

God Will Judge

One who, like David and like every God-fearing, is connected to God and lives from that connection, is aware of the radical separation between him and the wicked. He will ask God to “slay the wicked” (Psa 139:19). He says to the “men of bloodshed” to depart from him (cf. Pro 29:10). Among these people there is no respect for the life of which David has been so deeply impressed.

They are out to thwart God’s plans and prevent their execution (Psa 139:20). The God-fearing submits this to God: “For they speak against You wickedly, and Your enemies take [Your name] in vain.” The influence of the wicked and men of bloodshed leads to destruction of those who come under their influence. God must put an end to this pernicious influence so that no more people are dragged along the path of destruction.

The God-fearing knows the heart of God and His hatred of sin (Psa 139:21). He cannot do otherwise than take God’s side against God’s haters. He loathes those who rise up against God – they are rebels, rebellious, who reject all authority – to keep Him from the blessing He wants to give to His own. Do we also loathe people who, in order to indulge their own lusts, deliberately go against everything God has given as a blessing? Dedication to the Lord excludes all loyalty to those who hate Him. Love for them implies that we expect them to distance themselves from such behavior.

For the God-fearing, it is not a question. He hates them with utmost hatred (Psa 139:22). It is not about those people as such, because God has no pleasure in the death of the sinner, rather He wants them to repent and live. If, however, people continue unstoppably on a path of sin and drag others along with them, they prove to be enemies of God. Such people will be seen by every God-fearing as his own enemies.

Search Me

The God-fearing hates all who stand up to God (Psa 139:22). He does so not in a proud spirit, but out of love for God. This is also evident in his prayer in these verses. He also hates the thought that there would be anything present in himself that is not subject to God. Therefore, in these final verses he asks God for a complete ‘screening’ of his heart and anxious thoughts. After asking for judgment on the wicked and the enemies of God, he now asks for God’s judgment on himself.

These two go together. It is a separation of chaff from wheat. Also in Psalm 26 we see that the testing of the believer and aversion to a God-hostile walk are mentioned in the same breath (Psa 26:2-5).

He began the psalm by noting that God searches and knows him (Psa 139:1). Now he asks God to search him and show him what is in his heart (Psa 139:23; cf. Jer 17:9-10). He places himself in the presence of God and asks to try him, to test him as to the uprightness and purity of his thoughts (cf. Heb 4:12-13).

He wants nothing more than to live in accordance with the will of God. Therefore, he asks that God look at his spiritual condition and see if in him there is “any hurtful way” (Psa 139:24). The Hebrew word for ‘hurtful’ is literally ‘idolatrous’. That is, a hurtful way is an idolatrous way, the way of the wicked who have put aside the LORD. If so, David says to God, will You let me know.

He then asks that God lead him “in the everlasting way”. The everlasting way is the old way of the righteous (Psa 1:6a; Jer 6:16). That is what his desire is for. He wants to go in the way where life from and with God is lived. That way also ends in eternal life, with Him Who is its source, God Himself. Death does not end that way, but is a final step on that way that brings him into full, undisturbed fellowship with God.