Psalm 139

I. Introduction: A wonderful Psalm of God’s knowledge, protection, and love for His children and their desire to please Him.

II. Text: Psalm 139:7-12

III. Omniscience of God, Psalm 139:1-4

A. Omniscience means all-knowing

B. God has an intimate knowledge of His creation

C. Revelation 20:12 – All humanity will be judged righteously by God Romans 2:6-11 – He will render to each according to their deeds; therefore, He knows all that goes on with each person. Hebrews 4:12-13 – He knows our thoughts and intents

D. The important thing for David is not that God knows all men, but that He knows David personally and intimately.

E. For David, this intimate knowledge is not a source of fear but of comfort.

F. Some may fear that God knows us so well if we are not pleasing Him. However, our lives should be such that our most secret acts please God.

G. God’s knowledge of David was extensive.

H. He knew the very common and mundane events of David’s existence such as his sitting down and rising; things that are not very important to us.

I. He also knew the important things of David such as his intimate thoughts and each word that we speak.

J. Of course, we would like to say that we know our spouses so well. Husbands, how many times have you had to ask your wife to repeat what she just said to you because you were not paying attention? Wives tend to know their husbands more intimately yet they cannot read their husband’s mind; not for a lack of trying. Yet God never misses a word we say and he knows our thoughts.

K. God’s knowledge of us should give us this same confidence.

L. Matthew 10:29-31 – We are of more value than the sparrows that God watches2 Timothy 1:12 – We can commit ourselves to God’s care

M. We should marvel with David that such knowledge is too wonderful to comprehend

N. God cares for us! Does it not mean something very special? We count ourselves blessed if one person in this world loves us yet the Creator of heaven and earth loves us in a special, personal, and intimate way. He loves you.

IV. Omnipresence, Psalm 139:7-12

A. Omnipresence means God is everywhere in His creation

B. David suggests that if he wanted to escape from God’s presence he could not.

C. If he went to the farthest reaches of the universe, to the unseen realm of the dead, or the depths of the sea that God would be there and would have led him there.

D. Jonah tried to escape from God but could not.

E. Jonah 1:2-3 – Jonah attempts to flee from God Jonah 1:9-12 – Jonah could not escape and God took him to Assyria

F. We cannot go anywhere where God cannot see us.

G. It should give us comfort because we can be in the worst conditions imaginable, a prisoner in a foreign country, alone at sea, or in an unfamiliar place among strangers and our God will be with us and will strengthen us. It is frightening for the person who thinks that because he is away from home, or with unfamiliar people that he can sin and get away with it. God is always watching and the person’s sins will find him out.

H. David said that the darkness would not hide him

I. Darkness would be like light around him; night vision. Again, this is comfort for the child of God who knows that in the darkest depth of the earth, God sees him clearly, Romans 8:35-39. However, for the hypocrite, God can see his deeds that he does hoping the darkness will cover his sin.1 Thessalonians 5:4-8 – We are of the day Luke 12:2-3 – All will be made known Ephesians 5:11-13 – The secret things are manifest by God’s light

J. We must live so that we please God.

K. We must behave in such a way that we would not be embarrassed if what we did was broadcast on the evening news. We can sometimes fool people, though in this we are often fooling ourselves, but we can never fool God.

V. Omnipotence of God, Psalm 139:13-16

A. Omnipotence means all-powerful

B. David considers the marvel of God’s creation of his body.

C. The growth of the child in the womb was very mysterious to those in David’s time. Even though we can see pictures of an embryo developing and see our own children in sonograms, it is marvelous to consider God’s creative power in bringing us into existence. Before David was born, God cared for him.

D. David also considers his own observations and knows well God’s marvelous power.

E. Creation, Psalm 8:3-5; Job 38:4-7, 31-38 Care for Israel, Psalm 66:3-7

F. David also realizes that God has planned for David’s future and will care for him and guide him.

G. God will be there with us, as He was with David, for our entire lives. When we die, God will be there on the other side as well.

VI. Conclusion

A. David’s thoughts of God are great and precious, Psalm 139:17-18

B. Do we take time to meditate on the greatness of God and His care for us? We should be humbled to know that God knows us so well and should seek to know Him as best we can.

C. David’s great love and appreciation for God arouses anger towards those who have no regard for God, Psalm 139:19-22

D. They do not follow God’s will and speak against Him (mockers) They blaspheme His wonderful name and it angers David.

E. David desires that God know him completely and purge wickedness and fear from him so that he can go to everlasting life, Psalm 139:23-24.