The Wings of Morning
Psalm 139
Psalm 139
INTRODUCTION
It is little wonder that the book of the Psalms is far and away the most popular book in the Bible. The psalmists often give voice to the thoughts and meditations of our own hearts. There is virtually no experience in life that is not touched on my the themes found in this wonderful collection of hymns. Not only do the psalmists touch on our pains and joys but in the process they manage to expound on the great theological truths of Scripture. Blending a God-centered theology and its eminently practical application is particularly true of Psalm 139. It is an intensely personal reflection on the loving, all-knowing, ever-present, providential care of God. David acknowledges that though he is utterly transparent before God, yet, in his heart he delights in in the Lord because he knows that he is merciful, despite being familiar with all David’s weakness and frailty. The bottom line for David is his absolute trust in God’s covenantal love for him. The unrepentant sinner cannot love God as he has no confidence in becoming the object of God’s mercy. In those rare moments when he considers the sovereignty of God and the inevitable judgment that is forthcoming, he naively believes he can hide from it (Genesis 3.8; Revelation 6.16). Sinners attempt to conceal sin in their hearts (Job 31.32). Such is not the case with the psalmist David who emphatically delights in his affirmation of God’s infinite knowledge and invites the cleansing work of God’s Spirit (cf. the penitential Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, also 102, 130). David’s opening declaration is mirrored by his closing supplication; namely, because the Lord knows him, having searched him through and through, he yields to God’s sovereign rule in his heart. Moreover, the psalmist invites God to reveal the results of that search so that he might be holy and led in the way everlasting.
THE LORD KNOWS ME (vv. 1-6)
What is true of the psalmist, who is focusing on his relationship with God, is true of everyone. There is nothing hidden from God; God sees deeply into the heart of his child. One cannot escape the eyes of the Lord. He is knows what you are thinking before you utter a word. Job says of God, His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step. There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide (Job 34.21). And, of course, the author of Hebrews writes, Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account (4.13).
The heroes of the faith are those who know and delight in the Lord’s penetrating and cleansing inquiry into the inner recess of the heart. God’s men and women desire pure hearts; they are fully devoted to the Lord. Their honesty and transparency about personal inability, weakness and sin is an invitation for the refining fire of the Spirit to transform their lives. The Bible bears witness to many such people. Caleb was such a man. The Lord acknowledged Caleb’s unique spirit in Numbers 14.24, “my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly” (cp. Joshua 14.14). The Scriptures are replete with stories of how the Lord searched for those men and women whose hearts were devoted to Him. For example, at the end of Asa’s life, after he had failed to trust the Lord, the prophet Hanani reminds him of an earlier day when he had been obedient and the Lord blessed him with military victories. Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him (2 Chronicles 16.8-9). Recall also the Lord’s complaint to Ezekiel over the total lack of intercessors in Jerusalem. I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before we in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, and I found none (Ezekiel 22.30).
David was a model in some ways of one whose heart belonged to the Lord (cp. 2 Chronicles 17.3; 29.2; 34.2). When the Lord spoke to Solomon after he had finished building the temple he admonished him to take his father as a standard bearer in this matter: As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did…(1 Kings 9.4; cp. Acts 13.22). By way of contrast, David writes of the ungodly: An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: there is no fear of God before his eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin (Psalm 36.1-2). Such people fear the Lord and in vain flee from their inevitable judgment.
THE LORD SURROUNDS ME (vv. 7-12)
There is no escape from God’s presence. Though when the heart is not right with God the mind is anxious and seeks refuge apart from God. The psalmist poetically observes that there is no place one can flee from God, not in the heavens, not in the depths; not on the far side of the sea, not even in the darkness. More importantly, one must be scrutinized by God before being purified by God. Adam and Eve found that to be true when they attempted to hide in the garden. Though they were punished, they received a promise of redemption (Genesis 3.15). For those who hate God and misuse His name, his omnipresence is an odious thing. This is not true of the psalmist; God’s constant presence is the source of his comfort and security.
There is a wonderful illustration of this in Isaiah 63.7-19 where we read the prophet’s retelling of the story of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt. In summary he says: In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old (cp. Deuteronomy 31.6, 8). Just as the Old Testament saints might be assured of God’s gracious protection and provision, so too, the New Testament believer is assured of God’s presence and protection. Jesus assures his disciples, And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor [ἄλλον παράκλητον – this is to say that Jesus is the first Counselor] to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth (John 14.16; Matthew 28.20).
To be sure, God is not limited by time or space. Neighboring nations worshiped false deities that were believed to be bounded geographically, by the elements, or some other constraints. However, the living God knows of no such limitations. He is light and he dispels the darkness (John 1.5; Jonah 2.8; Isaiah 44.17-18). So, no matter what the circumstances or where the psalmist might be, the Lord is ever present. And because the psalmist wants the Lord to examine his heart so that it might be purified he is comforted by God’s presence. Being hemmed in by the Lord (v.5) is not a confinement but a freedom.
I REJOICE IN THE LORD & HIS PLAN FOR ME (vv. 13-18)
Man is made in God’s own image. That is, man is spiritual, moral, and intellectual (knowing). This being true, God has a purpose for men and women, namely, to know and to enjoy Him. The one who walks with the Lord delights in this purpose no matter how “straight the course.” Jeremiah is reminded of this when the Lord calls him into His service. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1.5).
God is concerned with the individuals whom he has formed for his purpose. Therefore praise is the proper response to God’s grace of discernment, perception and purpose. The child of God sees God’s presence everywhere (vv. 7-12) and experiences the joy of God’s watchful eye over him. All of God’s ‘works’ are “wonderful,” but the believer senses more than any other part of God’s creation that he is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Though God’s grace to him is like a “knowledge… too wonderful for” him (v. 6), he lives with a personal awareness of God’s gracious purpose (“I know that full well”). The psalmist reveals a unique awareness of God’s grace toward him an responds with a hymn of thanksgiving (“I praise you”). VanGemeren, EBCOT, p. 838
Paul understands this fundamental truth and expresses it in Ephesians 2.10, For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. All of this the psalmist says is “written in your book.” This is not to default to fatalism but to acknowledge the sovereign and effectual love of God for the elect whose names are written in the book of life. There is nothing that escapes the Lord’s notice. In Psalm 56.8 David writes, Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll - are they not in your record? There is a book of remembrance in which are written the names of those who love the Lord (Malachi 3.16; revelation 20.12).
It is impossible to understand the mind of God completely (Isaiah 55.8-9; Job 42.3), but it is possible to worship Him for His greatness. “Yahweh’s plans are beyond man’s ability to comprehend, as they are more in number than the sand of the sea (vv. 17-18; cp. Genesis 22.17; 32:12). They are like a dream; but, unlike a dream, God’s love is real. When awake the psalmist knows that he still enjoys God’s presence (v. 18)” (VanGemeren).
VINDICATE ME AND LEAD ME IN RIGHTEOUSNESS (vv. 19-24)
Some protest that the imprecatory conclusion to this Psalm is inconsistent with all that the psalmist has said. Yet, there can be no final peace without reconciliation with God. As one carefully reads the text he discovers that the psalmist is not speaking of his enemies. Rather, he is aligning himself with God, and thus God’s enemies are his enemies (cf. Psalm 2). He has no tolerance for those who oppose the holiness of God. He wants nothing to do with them. The believer has nothing to do with those who oppose God. Jehu the son of Hanani rebukes Jehoshaphat (a good king of Judah) because he lent assistance to Ahab (a wicked king of Israel). Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is upon you (2 Chronicles 19.2; cp. Revelation 2.2; Psalm 101.3-4). Jesus said: No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money (Luke 16.13; cf. 2 Corinthians 6.17).
The psalmist cries out for the vindication of righteousness. Let there be an end to evil and evil doers. Those who misuse the name of the Lord must be silenced. John understood this and recorded the saints’ plea for vindication Revelation 6.10 (cp. Revelation 5.8; 8.3).
The Lord who is everywhere present searched the psalmist’s heart, finding in it that which He himself instilled, a holy desire for the fellowship of worship. Thus his final plea is for further perfection – Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Of course, what good is it to pray this terrifying prayer if one does so without the full weight of confession upon his lips? The heart’s desire must be for the cleansing penetration of the Holy Spirit. This was the expression of Peter’s heart who, when being restored to fellowship with the Lord Jesus, exclaimed in anguish, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you (John 21.17). “There is a deeper gladness in pouring out our hearts to our loving Lord than in locking them in sullen silence…” (Alexander Mac Claren, Psalms).
It is little wonder that the book of the Psalms is far and away the most popular book in the Bible. The psalmists often give voice to the thoughts and meditations of our own hearts. There is virtually no experience in life that is not touched on my the themes found in this wonderful collection of hymns. Not only do the psalmists touch on our pains and joys but in the process they manage to expound on the great theological truths of Scripture. Blending a God-centered theology and its eminently practical application is particularly true of Psalm 139. It is an intensely personal reflection on the loving, all-knowing, ever-present, providential care of God. David acknowledges that though he is utterly transparent before God, yet, in his heart he delights in in the Lord because he knows that he is merciful, despite being familiar with all David’s weakness and frailty. The bottom line for David is his absolute trust in God’s covenantal love for him. The unrepentant sinner cannot love God as he has no confidence in becoming the object of God’s mercy. In those rare moments when he considers the sovereignty of God and the inevitable judgment that is forthcoming, he naively believes he can hide from it (Genesis 3.8; Revelation 6.16). Sinners attempt to conceal sin in their hearts (Job 31.32). Such is not the case with the psalmist David who emphatically delights in his affirmation of God’s infinite knowledge and invites the cleansing work of God’s Spirit (cf. the penitential Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, also 102, 130). David’s opening declaration is mirrored by his closing supplication; namely, because the Lord knows him, having searched him through and through, he yields to God’s sovereign rule in his heart. Moreover, the psalmist invites God to reveal the results of that search so that he might be holy and led in the way everlasting.
THE LORD KNOWS ME (vv. 1-6)
What is true of the psalmist, who is focusing on his relationship with God, is true of everyone. There is nothing hidden from God; God sees deeply into the heart of his child. One cannot escape the eyes of the Lord. He is knows what you are thinking before you utter a word. Job says of God, His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step. There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide (Job 34.21). And, of course, the author of Hebrews writes, Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account (4.13).
The heroes of the faith are those who know and delight in the Lord’s penetrating and cleansing inquiry into the inner recess of the heart. God’s men and women desire pure hearts; they are fully devoted to the Lord. Their honesty and transparency about personal inability, weakness and sin is an invitation for the refining fire of the Spirit to transform their lives. The Bible bears witness to many such people. Caleb was such a man. The Lord acknowledged Caleb’s unique spirit in Numbers 14.24, “my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly” (cp. Joshua 14.14). The Scriptures are replete with stories of how the Lord searched for those men and women whose hearts were devoted to Him. For example, at the end of Asa’s life, after he had failed to trust the Lord, the prophet Hanani reminds him of an earlier day when he had been obedient and the Lord blessed him with military victories. Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him (2 Chronicles 16.8-9). Recall also the Lord’s complaint to Ezekiel over the total lack of intercessors in Jerusalem. I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before we in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, and I found none (Ezekiel 22.30).
David was a model in some ways of one whose heart belonged to the Lord (cp. 2 Chronicles 17.3; 29.2; 34.2). When the Lord spoke to Solomon after he had finished building the temple he admonished him to take his father as a standard bearer in this matter: As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did…(1 Kings 9.4; cp. Acts 13.22). By way of contrast, David writes of the ungodly: An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: there is no fear of God before his eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin (Psalm 36.1-2). Such people fear the Lord and in vain flee from their inevitable judgment.
THE LORD SURROUNDS ME (vv. 7-12)
There is no escape from God’s presence. Though when the heart is not right with God the mind is anxious and seeks refuge apart from God. The psalmist poetically observes that there is no place one can flee from God, not in the heavens, not in the depths; not on the far side of the sea, not even in the darkness. More importantly, one must be scrutinized by God before being purified by God. Adam and Eve found that to be true when they attempted to hide in the garden. Though they were punished, they received a promise of redemption (Genesis 3.15). For those who hate God and misuse His name, his omnipresence is an odious thing. This is not true of the psalmist; God’s constant presence is the source of his comfort and security.
There is a wonderful illustration of this in Isaiah 63.7-19 where we read the prophet’s retelling of the story of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt. In summary he says: In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old (cp. Deuteronomy 31.6, 8). Just as the Old Testament saints might be assured of God’s gracious protection and provision, so too, the New Testament believer is assured of God’s presence and protection. Jesus assures his disciples, And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor [ἄλλον παράκλητον – this is to say that Jesus is the first Counselor] to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth (John 14.16; Matthew 28.20).
To be sure, God is not limited by time or space. Neighboring nations worshiped false deities that were believed to be bounded geographically, by the elements, or some other constraints. However, the living God knows of no such limitations. He is light and he dispels the darkness (John 1.5; Jonah 2.8; Isaiah 44.17-18). So, no matter what the circumstances or where the psalmist might be, the Lord is ever present. And because the psalmist wants the Lord to examine his heart so that it might be purified he is comforted by God’s presence. Being hemmed in by the Lord (v.5) is not a confinement but a freedom.
I REJOICE IN THE LORD & HIS PLAN FOR ME (vv. 13-18)
Man is made in God’s own image. That is, man is spiritual, moral, and intellectual (knowing). This being true, God has a purpose for men and women, namely, to know and to enjoy Him. The one who walks with the Lord delights in this purpose no matter how “straight the course.” Jeremiah is reminded of this when the Lord calls him into His service. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1.5).
God is concerned with the individuals whom he has formed for his purpose. Therefore praise is the proper response to God’s grace of discernment, perception and purpose. The child of God sees God’s presence everywhere (vv. 7-12) and experiences the joy of God’s watchful eye over him. All of God’s ‘works’ are “wonderful,” but the believer senses more than any other part of God’s creation that he is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Though God’s grace to him is like a “knowledge… too wonderful for” him (v. 6), he lives with a personal awareness of God’s gracious purpose (“I know that full well”). The psalmist reveals a unique awareness of God’s grace toward him an responds with a hymn of thanksgiving (“I praise you”). VanGemeren, EBCOT, p. 838
Paul understands this fundamental truth and expresses it in Ephesians 2.10, For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. All of this the psalmist says is “written in your book.” This is not to default to fatalism but to acknowledge the sovereign and effectual love of God for the elect whose names are written in the book of life. There is nothing that escapes the Lord’s notice. In Psalm 56.8 David writes, Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll - are they not in your record? There is a book of remembrance in which are written the names of those who love the Lord (Malachi 3.16; revelation 20.12).
It is impossible to understand the mind of God completely (Isaiah 55.8-9; Job 42.3), but it is possible to worship Him for His greatness. “Yahweh’s plans are beyond man’s ability to comprehend, as they are more in number than the sand of the sea (vv. 17-18; cp. Genesis 22.17; 32:12). They are like a dream; but, unlike a dream, God’s love is real. When awake the psalmist knows that he still enjoys God’s presence (v. 18)” (VanGemeren).
VINDICATE ME AND LEAD ME IN RIGHTEOUSNESS (vv. 19-24)
Some protest that the imprecatory conclusion to this Psalm is inconsistent with all that the psalmist has said. Yet, there can be no final peace without reconciliation with God. As one carefully reads the text he discovers that the psalmist is not speaking of his enemies. Rather, he is aligning himself with God, and thus God’s enemies are his enemies (cf. Psalm 2). He has no tolerance for those who oppose the holiness of God. He wants nothing to do with them. The believer has nothing to do with those who oppose God. Jehu the son of Hanani rebukes Jehoshaphat (a good king of Judah) because he lent assistance to Ahab (a wicked king of Israel). Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is upon you (2 Chronicles 19.2; cp. Revelation 2.2; Psalm 101.3-4). Jesus said: No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money (Luke 16.13; cf. 2 Corinthians 6.17).
The psalmist cries out for the vindication of righteousness. Let there be an end to evil and evil doers. Those who misuse the name of the Lord must be silenced. John understood this and recorded the saints’ plea for vindication Revelation 6.10 (cp. Revelation 5.8; 8.3).
The Lord who is everywhere present searched the psalmist’s heart, finding in it that which He himself instilled, a holy desire for the fellowship of worship. Thus his final plea is for further perfection – Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Of course, what good is it to pray this terrifying prayer if one does so without the full weight of confession upon his lips? The heart’s desire must be for the cleansing penetration of the Holy Spirit. This was the expression of Peter’s heart who, when being restored to fellowship with the Lord Jesus, exclaimed in anguish, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you (John 21.17). “There is a deeper gladness in pouring out our hearts to our loving Lord than in locking them in sullen silence…” (Alexander Mac Claren, Psalms).