31/08/2014

PM August 31st Psalm 139

August 31st


Psalm 139

A Psalm of David

All powerful, All knowing God

1: O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2: Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3: Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4: For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5: Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6: Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7: Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8: If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9: If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10: Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11: If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12: Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 13: For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. 14: I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15: My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16: 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. 17: How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18: If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. 19: Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. 20: For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. 21: Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? 22: I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. 23: Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

To the chief musician


Psalm 140

A Psalm of David

Relief from persecution
1: Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; 2: Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war. 3: They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah. 4: Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings. 5: The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah. 6: I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD. 7: O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. 8: Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah. 9: As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. 10: Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again. 11: Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him. 12: I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor. 13: Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
Today we are reading Psalms 139 & 140. Psalm 139 is a Psalm of David in which he gives an autobiographical account of his deliverance from sin and self. He begins and ends his Psalm telling the Lord that he knows that he knows everything about him. Then he bring three thoughts followed by his personal application of each thought. His thoughts are the Omniscience, Omnipresence and Omnipotence of God.
A. Divine searching
   B. Omniscience
      C. Admiration
   B. Omnipresence
      C. Admiration
   B. Omnipotence
      C. Shame
A. Divine searching

David begins says O LORD you have shone your searchlight into my soul and discovered everything about me.

You know when I stand up to work
You know when I sit down to rest
You know everything I think about
You know everywhere I go when I am awake
You know where I go in my dreams
You know everything about me.
You know every word I utter and the thoughts behind them
You know where I came from and where I am going
You put your hand on my life

All of this is too wonderful to think about. It is the highest thoughts that I can have of you and I cannot fully understand it all. Where could I go to separate myself from your presence? If I went up into heaven you are there. If I make by bed in the grave you are there. If I took a plane and flew to the farthest Island – even there your hand leads me and your right hand supports me. If I tried to hide myself in the darkness of the night, even there the night is bright in your presence. The daylight and the darkness are both the same to you. You can see me in the dark. You control the strings of my mind. You covered me with flesh in my mothers womb. I will praise you because my body is fearfully complicated and wonderfully made. All the things you do are amazing to me and I know this for sure. My body is not hid from your sight when I was conceived in the secret place of the womb. Your eyes saw my yet unformed body and in your book all the parts of my flesh were catalogued even while they were transforming from cells into a foetus. All of these things that I think about are precious to me and there are so many of them to think about. If I tried to count all my thoughts they would be as great in number as the grains of sand in the Sahara Desert. And when I awake from my thoughts you are still with me. There is no doubt that you will destroy the wicked and deliver me from men of murder. They speak against you terrible things. And all they say is pointless. I hate those that hate you, O LORD and those that rise up against you grieve me. My hatred for them is a perfect hatred. They are numbered as my enemies. Search me O God and know my mind, test me and know all my thoughts. And search out any wicked way in me and lead me in the righteous path of law keeping forever.

Psalm 140 is a Hymn of praise to the Lord. A Psalm of David in which he prays for deliverance from wicked men.

A. Prayer – preservation from his enemies v1
   B. The evil man – his purposes – Selah v2-3
A. Prayer – preservation from his enemies v4
   B. The evil man – his purposes – Selah v4
A. Prayer – preservation from his enemies v6-7
   B. The evil man – his desires – Selah v8
A. Prayer – destruction of his enemies v9-11

David begins saying deliver me from the evil man and deliver me from the violent man. David’s mortal life was crucial if he was to reign and have children and provide security and prosperity for Israel. They constantly plan traps to catch me and they are always at war with me. The say sharp words and poisonous words at me. Think about that. David prays that the Lord will keep him from safe from the hands of wicked men and murderous men. They want to destroy all that David does. The secret of David’s kingdom was the spiritual battle that raged And David knew where the victory was to be found. It was found in the deliverance of the Lord. The proud set traps for David. Think about that. David turned to the Lord who was his deliverer. He says O GOD you are the strength of my deliverance. David did not know a salvation as Christians understand salvation. His salvation was the saving of his life from the hand of his enemies in battle. David therefore prays for the destruction of the wicked. David has confidence that the Lord will support his cause and the rights of the poor. David says surely the law abiding Jews will live to give thanks to the Lord and the upright will live in the presence of the Lord in peace.


  • How does David describe the knowledge of the Lord?
  • What does David ask the Lord to do to him?
  • In the second Psalm list the things that the Psalmist asks the Lord to do for him.   

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