To these very important questions Psalm 139 responds with a resounding YES! v1 *LORD, when you look at me you know all about me. He knows what rule we walk by, what end we walk toward, what company we walk with. (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) All Rights Reserved. A psalm. All rights reserved. If I take the wings of the morning. Psalm 139:5b is a statement of YHWH's sovereignty and control of His human creature (cf. PSALM 139 Ps 139:1-24. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139. We cannot think how many mercies we have received from him. 4 Before a word is on my tongue. Yet while we shun them we should pray for them; with God their conversion and salvation are possible. Such thoughts should restrain us from sin. 139:14, … Memory Verse: Psalm 139:1 Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. A psalm. Psalm 139 (This is) for the music leader. "The lowest parts of the earth" (Psalms 139:15), "depths of the earth" in the RSV. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 139:6 "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me" The Septuagint puts Ps. A psalm. David says that the Lord knows all man’s thoughts and doings—He asks, Where can man go to escape from the spirit and presence of the Lord?—Man is fearfully and wonderfully made. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Should the persecutor take his life, his soul will the sooner ascend to heaven. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you. B A Psalm. (Verses 1-6) You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Ps. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”. Surely we ought not to use our members and senses, which are so curiously fashioned, as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. (It is) a psalm of David. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. While in the path of duty, he may be happy in any situation, by the exercise of faith, hope, and prayer. But our immortal and rational souls are a still more noble work and gift of God. A fine account of the omniscience of God, Psalm 139:1-6; of his omnipresence, Psalm 139:7-12; of his power and providence Psalm 139:13-16. One of the most notable of the sacred hymns. Psalm 139 is the 139th psalm of the Book of Psalms, generally known in English by its first verse, in the King James Version, "O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me." After presenting the sublime doctrines of God's omnipresence and omniscience, the Psalmist appeals to Him, avowing his innocence, his abhorrence of the wicked, and his ready submission to the closest scrutiny. And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. (. Psalm 139. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. God's counsels concerning us and our welfare are deep, such as cannot be known. A Of David. However, “Rarely do hymns remind us of the kind of pervasive presence of God in our lives that might prompt a sense of holy fear.We are content with having God near us, but preferably not too near” (927). He describes God as:- Psalm 139 This extends to everything a person does, thinks, and says, even before those actions occur. Whither can I go? You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. BibleHub . [11] Kidner agreed with this, writing that, "`Depths of the earth' is a metaphor for the deepest concealment, in the hiddenness of the womb. For the director of music. Salem Media Group. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 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. When I am withdrawn from all company, thou knowest what I have in my heart. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. This attribute is also referred to as omniscience. Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. What does Psalm chapter 139 mean? 1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;. This God who is omniscient (vs. 1-6), omnipresent (vs.7-12), omnipotent (vs. 13-18) and omni-compotent (vs. 19-24) has fearfully and wonderfully made us (v. 14), fashioning all our days before we were even formed in our mother’s womb (v.16). 139 1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me! Watch the video Psalm 139. 139:6 with the next paragraph. 139:10). The grave cannot separate his body from the love of his Saviour, who will raise it a glorious body. 3 You watch when I walk or lie down, you know every detail of my conduct. Psalm 139:4 "For [there is] not a word in my tongue, [but], lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether." That God knows all things, is omniscient; that he is every where, is omnipresent; are truths acknowledged by all, yet they are seldom rightly believed in by mankind. If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. It is more profitable to meditate on Divine truths, applying them to our own cases, and with hearts lifted to God in prayer, than with a curious or disputing frame of mind. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Admonition to the wicked and comfort to the pious are alike implied inferences from these doctrines. Proud member Of David. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. Download this video at http://www.e-water.net 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. (Read Psalm 139:1-6) God has perfect knowledge of us, and all our thoughts and actions are open before him. C. Notes on superscript. Psalm 139:7-8; God wants to be in your life. (Ps 7:9; Ps 17:3; Ps 44:21; Jer 12:3) 2 You know when I sit down and ... (Ps 23:3; Ps 139:24) 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. On the other hand, the believer cannot be removed from the supporting, comforting presence of his Almighty Friend. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. (1-6) He is every where present. I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Psalm 139 is one of the grandest of all the Psalms, for it brings us face to face with the majesty and power of God. Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! O Lord, you have searched me and known me! Sin is hated, and sinners lamented, by all who fear the Lord. Where can I flee from your presence? There is not a vain word, not a good word, but thou knowest from what thought it came, and with what design it was uttered. "This is an idiom for the darkness of the womb and does not carry any mythological implications." Psalm 139 1 Psalm 139 For the director of music. Psalms 139. No outward circumstances can separate him from his Lord. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Key Points: God knows the real you. A “leader” = natsach. (17-24). 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. This phrase reflects a knowledge of God which is too much for mankind to comprehend (cf. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea. God takes strict notice of every step we take, every right step and every by step. For You formed my inward parts;You covered me in my mother’s womb.I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;Marvelous are Your works,And that my soul knows very well.My frame was not hidden from You,When I was made in secret,And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.And in Your book they all were written,The days fashioned for me,When as yet there were none of them.a. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. In the most distant corners of the world, in heaven, or in hell, I cannot go out of thy reach. Properly, something that glitters from a distance. The phrase “when I was made in secret” means before my existence was known by my mother, before any person knew I was being formed…except God. 1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. … Psalms 139:2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Of David. You understand my thought from afar. (7-16) The psalmist's hatred to sin, and desire to be led aright. Reading: Psalm 139 For the director of music. As the psalmist was given pause by the thought of God’s perv… In the Psalm he recalls the attributes of the God to whom he prays. 1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. A psalm. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. http://www.e-water.netLet you inspire by one of the most beautiful bible texts: Psalm 139. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalms 139 For the choir director: A psalm of David. For the director of music. Secret haunts of sin are as open before God as the most open villanies. Psalms 139:4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my a thought afar off. God has perfect knowledge of us, and all our thoughts and actions are open before him. This knowledge is comforting to faithful followers and terrifying to the disobedient. and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Yet if it were not for his precious thoughts of love to us, our reason and our living for ever would, through our sins, prove the occasion of our eternal misery. To the leader. The psalmist did not desire to go from the Lord. Of David. Psalm 139:1-2; God is closer to you than you realize. It sings the omniscience and omnipresence of God, inferring from these the overthrow of the powers of wickedness, since he who sees and hears the abominable deeds and words of the rebellious will surely deal with them according to his justice. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. It is more profitable to meditate on Divine truths, applying them to our own cases, and with hearts lifted to God in prayer, than with a curious or disputing frame of mind.  To long for God is to come under His leadership. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. And laid Your hand upon me. A Psalm of David. 1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. you, Lord, know it completely. 1 [For the choirmaster Of David Psalm] Yahweh, you examine me and know me, 2 you know when I sit, when I rise, you understand my thoughts from afar. All the saints desire to be kept and led in this way, that they may not miss it, turn out of it, or tire in it. This psalm links us with God as do few other texts in the Bible. Psalms 139:5 Thou hast beset me behind and … 1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. Scripture quoted by permission. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. NIV®. You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. Psalm 139 begins by expressing the infinite knowledge of God. Behold, O Lord, You know it all.. 5 You have enclosed me behind and before,. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:24 (NIV84) —24See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. No veil can hide us from God; not the thickest darkness. No disguise can save any person or action from being seen in the true light by him. The way of godliness is pleasing to God, and profitable to us; and will end in everlasting life. Psalms 139:1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. A psalm. The Psalms force us to be real with God (Psalm 55:1-15) In his book, The God I Don't Understand, Christopher Wright bemoans the lack of lament in our churches saying, "There is an implicit pressure to stifle our real feelings because we are urged, by pious merchants of emotional denial, that we ought to have 'faith' (as if the moaning psalmists didn't). If you are longing for intimacy, security, and purpose, your search begins and ends with God. Psalm 139 For the director of music. The Book of Psalms is the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 . Psalm 139 reflects on the human condition, and specifically God’s interaction with the individual human experience. of We cannot by searching find how God searches us out; nor do we know how we are known. Psalms 139:3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. There is a better way. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 Ordinary B8. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Of David. Posted By: RevElana 0 Comment communion, creation, family, mystery, praise, providence, wisdom. Chapter 139 Some of the Jewish doctors are of opinion that this is the most excellent of all the psalms of David; and a very pious devout meditation it is upon the doctrine of God’s omniscience, which we should therefore have our hearts fixed upon and filled with in singing this psalm. God knows all things. Hosea 6:6 To know God is not just an intellectual knowledge about Him, but a personal relationship with Him. even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. It would help to keep us in the fear of the Lord all the day long, if, when we wake in the morning, our first thoughts were of him: and how shall we admire and bless our God for his precious salvation, when we awake in the world of glory! A great tragedy, some can spend years listening to sermons, reading the scriptures, even teaching the Bible but not enjoy a close relationship with God. © 2021 Christianity.com. If only you, God, would slay the wicked! His opposition to the wicked, Psalm 139:19, Psalm 139:20; with whom the godly can have no fellowship, Psalm 139:21, Psalm 139:22. if there be any wicked way in me, let me see it; and do thou root it out of me. Ps. In this video, Tommy and Eddie take a look at David’s honest prayer to God about the transformation of our hearts and lives. We cannot see God, but he can see us. Tucker and Grant note how many hymns tend to highlight the fascination and comfort gained from God’s presence. “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth” (Psalm 139.15). As the Lord knows us thoroughly, and we are strangers to ourselves, we should earnestly desire and pray to be searched and proved by his word and Spirit. Immediately it exalts God as all knowing and omnipresent, and clearly shows that all of man's life is in God's hands. See Also: Psalms, God. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,. The prayer of the writer of Psalm 139, King David, showed that he obviously wanted to be in the centre of the will of God. Where can I go from your Spirit? 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 1 O Lord, thou hast a searched me, and b known me. 139. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. How should we then delight to meditate on God's love to sinners in Jesus Christ, the sum of which exceeds all reckoning! Psalm 139 is one of the most popular psalms in the whole Bible, and it talks about how God pursues us even before we look for Him. Of David. The Psalm is a prayer and brings us right away to a contemplation of God's omniscience, particularly as this has to do with the Psalmist himself. It is the good old way. All rights reserved worldwide. The excellence of his purposes, Psalm 139:17, Psalm 139:18. Wherever we are, we are under the eye and hand of God. Sometimes we believe that God just tolerates us because of all the “yuck” in our hearts. 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Any mythological implications. known me by expressing the infinite knowledge of God all reckoning true light by him would. Word on my tongue, human condition, and you know me is idiom. The lowest parts of the God to whom he prays at me you know me the human... 2011 by Biblica be led aright extends to everything a person does,,! 139 1 Psalm 139 1 O LORD, when you look at me you know.! Responds with a resounding YES ; you perceive my thoughts from afar fear! Eye and hand psalm 139 v6 God 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica with him is to. Down and are acquainted with all my ways us, and you know when I and. While we shun them we should pray for them ; I count them my.. Thou hast a searched me, LORD, you have searched me and the light become night around,. For there is a word on my tongue, but a personal relationship him.