Add Psalms, Volume 2 to your library today and you will grasp the original meaning, exegetical context, and contemporary significance of these precious biblical poems, hymns, and prayers. For Instructors and School Administrators. That is the message of the beautifully-crafted Psalm 139. Come. Upgrade to Bible Gateway Plus, and access the, The Message, Large Print, Brown Trio Leather-Look, NIV and The Message Side-by-Side Bible, Two Bible Versions Together for Study and Comparison, Large Print, The Essential Evangelical Parallel Bible (NKJV/ESV/NLT/, Message Slimline Bible--soft leather-look, black/spring wildflowers, The Message Deluxe Gift Bible--soft leather-look, crosshatch denim. If you have any questions, please review our. (914). The authors address both, but consider his vertical connection: he speaks of going up to heaven and down into the depths (Sheol), yet there is Yahweh. Psalm 121 encourages us i... Get expert commentary on biblical languages, fresh explorations in theology, hand-picked book excerpts, author videos, and info on limited-time sales. They’ve abrogated any relationship with God. Give thanks. Each person has existed in the mind of God eternally. In Genesis 14:22, Yahweh is referred to as Creator (qanah) and in Deuteronomy 32:6 the nation is created through the use of both verbs qanah and ‘asah. Bible teachers will tell you that of all the 150 Psalms, this is the one that best describes God’s personal relationship with us. “In Babylonian Aramaic, the term refers to a formless mass or an incomplete vessel. “The God who is near to us is the God who knows us—who knows even those parts of our lives we would prefer to remain hidden” (925). " … The image of God’s “heavy hand” suggests God’s complete awareness of the life of the psalmist. In Psalm 139 the psalmist’s anxieties are due to the threat posed by the enemies mentioned in verses 19–22. There is a better way. As the authors note, “Because God is pervasively present, the comfort of his presence is juxtaposed with the very threat of the same. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there! Know. “Consequently, the enemies of God are the enemies of those who side with God (v. 22)” (924). night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you. 3 You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. AMEN. Read verse in The Message Bible To know we are fearfully and wonderfully made by the Lord, we need to understand the smallest details of our lives occur according to the plan of the Lord (Ephesians 1:11). GOD SEES EVERYTHING ABOUT ME. “Because the psalmist desires the presence of God, he seeks to eradicate anything in his own life that might vitiate that life-giving relationship” (925). Others insist the psalm is a prayer of an unjustly accused person, given the final strophe, while some have suggested it is a complaint uttered by a psalmist in the midst of hostility. In the first strophe "you" serves as the subject of nearly all the verbs, while in the second strophe, "I" dominates throughout. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. In other words, I cannot escape God’s presence “For you created my inmost being” (v. 13). “Although the statement does reflect the ancient three-tiered worldview (heavens, earth, and under the earth)…we should understand the psalmist as speaking figuratively and as once more suggesting the all-encompassing and inescapable presence of God” (919). Psalm 139 For the choir director: A psalm of David. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. Let's join David and exclaim: How wonderfully our God works! As the psalmist was given pause by the thought of God’s per… 139 1 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. has pastored on Capitol Hill and with the Evangelical Covenant Church in Michigan. Let Tucker and Grant show you ways to walk in "the way everlasting" through their careful exegetical work of this psalm, and every psalm, covered in this volume. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me. Admonition to the wicked and comfort to the pious are alike implied inferences from these doctrines. He continues with a full-orbed look at that presence from birth. To modern readers, this pa... Shout. The use of barah (“flee”) and the rhetorical questions are “meant to suggest the comprehensive and pervasive sense of God’s presence—it is coming at him all the time” (919). A David Psalm-6God, investigate my life;get all the facts firsthand.I’m an open book to you;even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.You know when I leave and when I get back;IR how I was sculpted from nothing into something. The final strophe, however, shifts both in focus and tenor. Psalm 139:8 "If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou [art … As the psalmist was given pause by the thought of God’s pervasive presence, we too should be inspired and taken aback. and today we’re looking at Psalm 139. Instead, they point to Goldingay here: “‘the person who has nothing to hide has nothing to fear of Yhwh’s binding or the touch of Yhwh’s hand’ [Psalms 3, 630]. Thank You that every day of my life was recorded in Your book and every moment of my life is laid out before You– praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise His holy name. No reason is provided or justification offered for the divine hand that has befallen the psalmist. However, Tucker and Grand note, “The focus on his birth, however, is not an afterthought but actually serves to buttress the claims made in the first two strophes. It helps bring both halves of the interpretive task together—the passage’s original meaning and contemporary application—explaining not only what the Psalms meant but also how they speak powerfully today. (It is) a psalm of David. The strophe ends with another merism, involving darkness and light, another possible scenario escaping God’s presence: In the ancient Near East light was typically associated with divine presence (Num 6:25–26), while darkness was associated with chaos and death. 5 You are all around me, behind me and in front of me. Psalm 139 is classified as an Individual Hymn of Thanksgiving. "Where can I go from your Spirit? 4 Lord, even before I speak a word, you know all about it. How well do you know God? Gen 47:19; 49:30; Lev 22:11; Jer 32:7). all the days ordained for me were written in your book. 2) Psalm 139 was penned by King David. 23-24 Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me;Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about;See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life. all the men and women who belittle you, God. As the NIV’s translation suggests, Psalm 139 can be divided into four strophes: verses 1–6; 7–12; 13–18; and 19–24. Body and soul, I am marvelously made! And he marvels at this, confessing a sense of awe at the vastness of God’s thoughts about him. The verb yada‘, “to know,” occurs seven times in the poem (vv. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. It clearly divides into 4 stanzas of 6 verses each in our English text. In this context, golem parallels “my frame” (‘otsem) in verse 15a, “with both terms referring to a human in its embryonic state. And the contention that Yahweh hems the psalmist in “behind and before” means that “Yahweh completely surrounds the psalmist” (917). to be out of your sight?If I climb to the sky, you’re there! All Rights Reserved. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. Tucker and Davis offer an overview of these four movements: In Genesis 22, God tests Abraham’s obedience by asking him to sacrifice Isaac, his only son. 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. The God who calls David from the fields to be his anointed king is the same God who chastens David for his pursuit of Bathsheba” (926). “The psalmist acknowledges that human creation, from its beginning, is a mystery and a wonder known only to God” (921). and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? 19–22). In this genre, singers praise God for God’s goodness in delivering them from various life-threatening situations, such as illness, oppression, enemy attack, etc. This Psalms commentary, which is part of the NIV Application Commentary Series, helps readers learn how the message of the Psalms can have the same powerful impact today that it did when they were first written. His very presence casts out all darkness (John 1:5). Praise him. 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. the idea that God is not far off, but is near to each of us. That says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in … The psalm is intimately personal, as is the God to whom the psalm testifies” (925). Rather than using more traditional creation language (bara’, “to create,” or ‘asah, “to make”), “the psalmist uses the verb qanah, which normally means ‘to acquire by purchase’ (cf. 13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Yet in verse 5 he confesses that God laid his hand upon him. Tucker and Grant consider a more mediating position: This mediating position [of Gerstenberger] takes seriously the view of Allen that the final strophe plays a vital role in the psalm by emphasizing the plight of the psalmist, but it also takes seriously the claims of the first three strophes concerning human life, and in particular the psalmist’s life. “The verb ‘to search’ (haqar) can refer to searching out land (Judg 18:2) or searching out a city (2 Sam 10:3), but often, especially in the wisdom literature, the verb means ‘to search’ in the sense of ‘to examine’” (917). He knitted each of us. The emphasis here is not on workmanship, but on the mystery of creation itself. The darkness quickly ceases to be darkness because of the radiant light of God. What does Psalm chapter 139 mean? 1, 2, 4, 6, 14, 23 [2x]), thereby repeatedly reinforcing the “I-Thou” relationship between the psalmist and God. Although hate can refer to emotion or feeling, "'hating' does not connote a negative emotion but, instead, a lack of relationship," which connotes the hater’s position in regards to God. For that reason,it is one of the most beloved psalms in the psalter. Psalm 139 is arguably the most profound statement of God’s personal relationship to the self.It is God’s love letter to His creation. Where can I flee from your presence? The Psalm is a prayer and brings us right away to a contemplation of The verb “to hem in” (tsur) or “to bind” is an equivocal term that can mean Yahweh makes him secure, but in some contexts also means “laying siege.” So which is it? The presence of God in one’s life is truly inescapable, beginning with birth. Get updates from Zondervan Academic directly in your inbox. Tucker and Grant emphasize that this is not "a critical, hostile, or even scrutinizing attitude toward the psalmist; instead, they reveal the depth of Yahweh’s knowledge” (917) in a way that’s both intimately personal, yet cosmically kingly. This leads to difficulty in translation.Furthermore, just about any Christian who is allured by the b… Psalm 139 reflects on the human condition, and specifically God’s interaction with the individual human experience. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN 37214 USA) providing information about products and services of HCCP and its affiliates. Praying through Psalm 139:16 . Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you. You hold me safe in your hand. high to get to the top! Here’s why: The God who has known us from our very beginnings is the God who has watched us all along. 2 I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. The authors don’t believe a dichotomy of meaning is warranted. Yet he has remained present with us (v. 18). Regardless of where he flees—going up to heaven or down into the depths, traveling east or west—“he can escape neither the grasp nor the notice of Israel’s God” (920). Psalm 139:16 “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Explanation and Commentary of Psalm 139:16. If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. Through his petitions the psalmist aligns himself with God and asks for God to redress his present circumstances. And because God has known us, fully known us, we should be compelled to ask God to search us to see whether there is any offensive way in us (vv. This “I-Thou” relationship, and the accompanying pervasive, intimate presence of God, roots the psalmist's hope and comfort—as well as our own. And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!And you murderers—out of here!— all the men and women who belittle you, God, infatuated with cheap god-imitations.See how I hate those who hate you, God, see how I loathe all this godless arrogance;I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred. Long before God “fearfully and wonderfully made” you, he knew what you would be like and what you would do. Yahweh is indeed close enough to bind him up (in support) but also ‘to lay siege’ to him, should doing so be warranted” (918). and know me”—my heart and my anxious thoughts. Your form could not be submitted. Turn there in your Bible. 139 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. Psalm 100 Commentary: Seven Commands and Two Motivations of Our Praise, The Art and Force of Psalm 119:1-8: Part 1, The Art and Force of Psalm 119:1-8: Part 2, Jeremy Bouma (Th.M.) The first three strophes praise God for his comprehensive knowledge of the psalmist, the fullness of his presence in the world, and his power as Creator. This connects well with the rest of v. 15, where the “secret” place and “depths of the earth” likely refers to the depths his mother’s womb. The soaring language of praise and confession in the first three strophes abruptly ends in verse 18, only to be followed by more ominous and troubling language in the final strophe. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! The second part of Psalm 139:13 continues this motif, confessing God’s presence with the psalmist from the very beginning of existence by indicating that the psalmist was knit together in his mother’s womb. Thereis no need to make a case for why Psalm 139 should be studied in detail. any more than I could count the sand of the sea. This psalm speaks of the pervasive presence of God, and his intimate knowledge of us, which offer us an outsized measure of hope and comfort in the face of adversity and trial. What is your source for the confidence you need to face the headwinds of life? He simply understands that even God’s corrective action is expressive of his pervasive presence. He has seen our comings and goings, our faithfulness and faithlessness. (916-17). Opening with a set of rhetorical questions followed by a series of hypothetical questions, the psalmist offers insight into the fullness of God’s presence in the world. In both instances the psalmist affirms God’s watchful presence over his life” (922). By making this claim immediately after using the womb imagery, the psalmist declares that no part of his life…has escaped the watchful gaze of Yahweh” (923). Your enemies are my enemies! We are content with having God near us, but preferably not too near” (927). In verse 5 God is said to “hem in” the psalmist, and in verse 7 he queries, “Where can I flee from you presence?” Both images (being hemmed in and fleeing) nearly always carry a negative connotation. And they note that this presence and knowledge seems to evoke both “flight and fascination” in the psalmist, both comfort and fear. This attribute is also referred to as omniscience. Enhance your school’s traditional and online education programs by easily integrating online courses developed from the scholars and textbooks you trust. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. The first thing we learn from Psalm 139, is that. But these words do not apply to David alone. As stated elsewhere in the Bible, God's mind is inexpressibly beyond that of any person (Isaiah 55:8–9). But first – How well do you know God? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 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. Psalm 139 The Message Bible << Psalm 138 | Psalm 139 | Psalm 140 >> God's Omnipresence and Omniscience. That’s great! I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! You know when I leave and when I get back; your reassuring presence, coming and going. even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. Where can I flee from your presence?” (v. 7) he begins. Enter. We should protect all human life in the womb, because every unborn child is a special creation of God. This extends to everything a person does, thinks, and says, even before those actions occur. Psalm 139 begins by expressing the infinite knowledge of God. A. The next two verses make this plain with the use of two merisms conveying both the vertical and horizontal of God’s presence. Even there, God is present in his life. Although some readers who come to psalm 139 often infer propositions of God’s omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, Tucker and Grant offer a different kind of contextual bridge: “Instead, this psalm confesses both God’s constant presence with the psalmist as well as his comprehensive knowledge of the psalmist. 7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? And he knows all our days. The writer of Psalm 139 suggests that if he were in the darkness, the place of chaos and death, the place that is absent of light, then perhaps finally he would find a place apart from God. see how I loathe all this godless arrogance; I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred. Opening his psalm, the poet captures the fullness of God’s knowledge through what the authors note is several examples of merism. Psalm 139 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. A Psalm of David. The sermon will take the form of four separate (though interrelated) messages that are woven into the liturgy throughout the service. Therefore, Psalm 139:23-24 are verses for believers. Psalm 139 God knows all about me – what is our response? Because God has known us, fully known us, we can trust in him when the world goes awry and seems to be in open rebellion against his ways (vv. See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—. If I go underground, you’re there!If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon,You’d find me in a minute— you’re already there waiting!Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark! You may unsubscribe from these email communications at any time. Worship. Verse 16 indicates that Yahweh looked on his “unformed body,” which employs a curious hapax legomenon appearing only here in the Old Testament: golem. 1. They apply to all human beings, at all times and in all places. Psalm 139 is composed of 24 verses and the first verse reads as follow: “O LORD, You have searched me and known me.” Sounds like a simple statement about God’s concern toward us, right? Copyright © 2020 HarperCollins Publishers. In the final few verses, he indicates that all the days ordained for him are written in “your book,” which the authors explain “likely stems from the Mesopotamian idea of tablets or books of fate in which the deities would write the preordained life of humans. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! At night I’m immersed in the light!”It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you. That’s worrying, frightening even! Thank You Father that You saw me before I was born. Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark! The psalmist quickly recognizes the fault in his own logic, however, because “even the darkness will not be dark to [God]” (v. 12). The psalmist ends his poetic utterance like this: “By living in the tension between comfort and fear, we acknowledge anew the presence of God; we acknowledge anew our desire to walk in ‘the way everlasting’” (927). The God who appears to Israel on Mount Sinai in a theophany is the same God who exacts judgment moments later at the base of that very mountain. W. Dennis Tucker and Jamie A. Please check errors and resubmit. 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