Chose Life Series

Summer in the Psalms

Psalm 139:1-18

Pastor Jefferson M. Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

08-15-202

[Manna Media Video - Psalm 139]

Background of Psalm 139

Psalm 139 was written by David to the chief musician. It is in the fifth book, or division, of the Psalms which focus on God being among us and a longing for our heavenly home.

Several Jewish commentators have called this Psalm the “crown prince of all the psalms.”

I’ve often wondered what it may have sounded like. Was it more of a spoken word or even a rap? Gaithers or Skillet? Country or rock? We aren’t sure but Jesus and His family would have known this song well and it would would have been part of their family worship.

The psalm can be broken down into four parts and speaks of God’s attributes of omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and holiness.

Turn with me to Psalm 139.

Prayer.

God Knows You

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. (Psalm 139:1-6)

First notice that David addresses God as “Lord.” This is Yahweh, the promising keeping God.

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 

This God knows David. He knows everything about David. God has “searched” him, meaning to explore or to mine. God’s knowledge of David is perfect.

This God knows everything David does.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

God knows when he “sits and when he rises.” This is a way of saying that God knows the totality of David’s life.

This God know David’s thoughts.

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

His heart is an open book before God.

This God knows David’s actions and is with him everywhere he goes.

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

The word “discern” means to winnow or sift through our lives. “Going out” is his public life, his daily routine, his conduct. “Lying down” speaks to his private life, when it is just God and David. God is intimately acquainted with all of David’s ways.

This God knows everything David is going to say even before he says it!

Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.

This God protects David with, literally, thick, thorny hedges.

You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me

God will guard, guide, and provide David with everything he needs.

This section highlights what theologians call God’s omniscience.

Maxine calls me the “well of useless information.” Recently, I took a test online. They gave you two seconds of a song and you had to name the song and the album. I only missed seven! Maxine says that is because because I had a sad childhood, which may be true.

There is nothing that God doesn’t know.

How many of you had World Book Encyclopedias? If you had asked me at twelve years old what I was reading, I would have said “B”. I’ve tried out for Jeopardy and I’m constantly reading and learning new things.

But God doesn’t learn or have “aha” moments. He knows everything eternally, perfectly, immediately, and comprehensively.

David makes that clear in Psalm 147:

“He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” (Psalm 147:4-5)

Solomon understood this as well:

“For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths.” (Proverbs 5:21)

And Paul breaks out into praise when he considers this attribute of God:

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Rom 11:33)

God knows everything. But more than that, He knows you! In verse one, the word “know” means to know intimately.

How many people actually know you? The real you? I would say that there are less than five people in the world that know the completely Jeff.

Maxine knows me better than anyone in the world. There are things that Maxine knows that I haven’t told anyone else. After 29 years of marriage, she can read my mind.

But so can Google!

But God knows me at an infinitely deeper level than Maxine. He knows my motives, my thoughts, my words before I think them. That kind of knowledge could make us uncomfortable if God wasn’t such a good God!

Look at David’s response in verse 6:

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain