Psalm 139 - Thanksgiving For God's Presence Lesson 9 Series

A. MY OMNISCIENCE, OMNIPRESENCE AND OMNIPOTENCE – PSALM 139

“O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast 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. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy 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 hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto 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 thee” (Psalm 139:1-18, The Prayer Bible, KJV).

GOD’S ATTRIBUTES

Omniscience – knows all things all the time.

Omnipresence – everywhere at all times.

Omnipotence – all power to do all things.

B. MY OMNISCIENCE (vv. 1-6)

1. God knew David, “I have searched . . . I your Lord, know you thoroughly” (v. 1). It is God’s nature to know us.

2. God knows our every move. “I know your journeys and your rest . . . everywhere you go” (vv. 2-3). “Thou compassest my path” (v. 3, KJV), means to sift to know.

3. Every word. “Before your tongues speaks . . . I know” (v. 4). I know thoughts being developed into words.

4. Everywhere. “In front and behind” (v. 5). I am following you to record all you do (good and bad), and I go before to foreknow all you do. “You cannot escape God going backwards or running ahead.”

5. I know the real you. “Being known by Me is a wonderful ...” (v. 6). You have no imagination/idea what God knows about you.

C. MY OMNIPRESENCE (vv. 7-12)

1. Every place. “Impossible to escape My Spirit (v. 7). When they ask, “Where is God,” answer, “Where is He not?”

2. Since you can’t hide from God, it is both comforting and convicting.

3. Where? Heaven, I am there ... hell, I am there” (v. 8). “If I fly to a new day ... across the sea” (v. 9). “There you would find My right hand” (v. 10). God is magnificently present everywhere at all times.

4. Space and time. “You cannot hide from Me in the darkness” (v. 11). God's light is brighter than the darkest night.

D. MY OMNIPOTENCE (vv. 13-18)

1. “Thou has possessed my reins” (v. 13, KJV). The King James word reins means emotion or desire. “Thou has covered me” (v. 13, KJV), means to weave as to use skill and art to knit together.

2. God overseeing. “I saw you being conceived in . . . womb” (v. 14). Two forces (1) God works through nature’s law, (2) God oversees His law.

3. Sovereignty. “Your life . . . preordained . . . I wrote them in a book before they happened” (vv. 15-16). The King James Version, “lower parts” reference to womb. God oversaw from conception till finish.

4. “Substance yet being imperfect” (v 16. KJV). Substance is “together as a ball” meaning fetus or the embryo. “Praise Me for reverently and wonderfully forming you, recognize My marvelous creative works” (v. 16).

5. Innumerable. “If forming the fetus is precious, My thoughts are greater than precious, they are innumerable.”

E. YOUR TAKE AWAYS

“I, your God, will search you to know the intent of your heart; I will try you to know your thoughts. I will point out any wicked inclination in you, and lead you in the way of eternal life” (Psalm 139:23-24).