INTRODUCTION
1. Please open your bibles to Psalm 139:7-10.
2. Illustration:
3. Let’s read Psalm 139:7-10, “ 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”
4. We will begin a discussion of the omnipresence of God starting with verse eight.
DISCUSSION
I. FIRST, PSALM 139:8 TEACHES ABOUT THE VERTICAL OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD.
1. Verse eight teaches that it would not make any difference how high up into or above the heavens one might go, God is already there. The same verse teaches that it would not make any difference how deep into the earth or below the earth one might go, God is already there.
2. Let’s read Psalm 139:8, “If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.”
3. Another way of saying what we have just read is to say that if we were to travel to another galaxy or to another universe God would already be there.
4. The word “hell” in the phrase: “if I make my bed in hell” comes from a Hebrew word that refers to the place of the dead.
(1) Sometimes the word refers to the grave of the dead.
(2) Sometimes the word refers to the realm of the departed spirits. When it is used that way it has reference to the same place we read about in Luke 16. In Luke 16 the same place is called by the Greek word hades.
1) In Luke 16:19&ff Jesus refers to the realm of the departed spirits being divided by a great gulf. On one side of the great gulf are the unrighteous. Those on this side of the gulf are experiencing punishment.
2) On the other side of the great gulf are the righteous. Those in this compartment of hades are experiencing blessings. Both groups are waiting for the final judgment day.
5. If one were to have fallen into a crevice that was 22 miles deep after the earthquake in Chile God’s presence would be there. Remember the epic center of that strong 8.8 earthquake was 22 miles deep. February or March of 2010.
6. Recently someone fell off into the mouth of a volcano. However, deep that person may have fallen the presence of God would have been there. February or March of 2010.
7. Psalm 139:8 teaches that God’s presence will always exist wherever we go vertically!
II. SECOND, LOOK AT PSALM 139:9. THIS VERSE TEACHES THAT WHEREVER ONE MIGHT GO HORZONTIALLY, GOD’S PRESENCE WILL ALREADY BE THERE.
1. Let’s read Psalms 139:9, “If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea”.
(1) These two phrases bring to our mind the sunrise in the east and then our traveling with the swift rays of the morning sun through the day to the far west sunset beyond the sea.
(2) Whatever distance we would travel from the east to the west would not take us anywhere that God’s presence would not exist.
2. Turn to Jonah 1:17. Hold your place for a few moments. Do you remember how Jonah tried to escape the presence of God by boarding a ship and go the opposite direction from where God wanted him to go?
(1) Where did Jonah try to go to, instead of going to Nineveh?
(2) Tarshish was far west from Nineveh. Tarshish would have been in what we now know as Spain.
(3) Do you think that Jonah might have breathed a sigh of relief when the ship sailed away from Joppa and the land of Israel and headed in the opposite direction of Nineveh?
(4) Do you think Jonah might have thought that God was limited to being only in the country of Israel? That Israel was really the only place that God’s people lived?
(5) Did Jonah soon find out that the presence of God was upon the waves of the sea?
(6) Did Jonah soon find out that the presence of God was in the depth of the sea and also in the belly of the great fish?
3. One of the major lessons taught in the book of Jonah is that God can not be localized in a city or a nation or country.
(1) Because Israel is called the Holy Lands does that make Israel more sacred that other countries? Does that mean that there is more of the presence of God in Israel than the presence of God in other lands and countries?
(2) Let’s read Jonah 1:17 & 2:1&10 & 3:1& 2, “17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 2:1, “Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly.” 2:10, “So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” 3:1-3, “1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent.”
1) God tried to teach Jonah that His presence extended far beyond the country and people of Israel.
2) Jonah found out that it made no difference how far east or west he went, he could not escape the presence of God.
4. People in every generation must understand that God’s presence will always be present, no matter how far east or how far west we may travel.
5. Are you aware that in the religion of Islam – which is also call the Muslim religion that every Muslim is suppose to visit Mecca in Saudia Arabia at least one time in their life if possible?
(1) Why is that a requirement? The Muslims believe that God is in Mecca in a special way.
(2) The Muslims believe God is in Mecca in a special and unique way and that when one visits Mecca, in the deserts of Saudi Arabia that God is going to convey His presence upon them there, more than God would somewhere else.
6. Do some folks think the same thing about a visit to the Holy Lands? I think that they do, but the bible teaches that there is just as much of the presence of God in all other parts of the world, as there is the presence of God in the Holy Lands.
7. Do some folks think that there is more of the presence of God in a beautiful sun rising or a beautiful sun set or in the beautiful mountains or in the beautiful snow or even the United States of America.
(1) I think that many people are guilty of thinking that certain scenes of nature and certain people and nations contain more of the presence of God than other environments.
(2) But they are mistaken. Psalm 139:9 teaches that wherever we go in God’s creation, God’s presence is already there.
8. Pay close attention and tell me if you agree with a statement I am going to make. God is the environment for everything that God has created. What does it mean to say: God is the environment for everything that God has created?
(1) Did you know that the universe does not contain God? Do you understand that God contains the universe?
(2) Did you know that nothing exist beyond God?
(3) Do you understand that everything that exists dwells within God?
9. An illustration about the sea can help us appreciate the omnipresent nature of God.
(1) What is the environment for the fish and all the animals and vegetation that dwell in the sea? The environment for all the things of the sea is the sea. In this illustration the sea can symbolize or represent God.
(2) So where does everything dwell that God has created? The environment for everything that God has created is God. The sea, the land, the galaxies and the universe all dwell in God.
1) God’s omnipresence teaches that nothing is larger and greater than God .
2) God’s omnipresence teaches that there is no boundary, either vertically or horizontally to the presence of God.
3) Where ever one would go up or down or east or west the presence of God is already there.
10. Turn to 1 Kings 18:25-29. Do you remember Elijah challenging the false prophets of Baal to get their god to show his presence and provide fire for the bull that they were offering for a sacrifice?
(1) The idol god (spelled with a little “g”) never did show his presence. Our great God constantly shows His presence.
(2) Let’s read 1 Kings 18:25-29, “25 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” 26 So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. 27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. 29 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.”
(1) Do you realize that anything, whether it would be a false idol like the prophets of Baal putting their trust in or whether it is material things, money or pleasure there is no real and everlasting help available other than from God, our Great Omnipresent Creator.
(2) Let’s now look at a demonstration of the presence of our great and wonderful God.
1) True, the demonstration of the presence of God with Elijah is a miraculous demonstration which the New Testament teaches we are not to expect since the days of the apostles and those that they laid their hands upon.
2) However, to observe this miracle from 1 Kings 18 Christians of the 21st century can be motivated to have a stronger faith in the passages that teach us about the omnipresence of God.
3) The prophets of Baal cried and pleaded and tortured themselves to try and get their god to show his presence. Elijah teaches God’s people that God is already present.
4) Do you take the air you breathe for granted? What would happen if you breathed and there was no air?
5) What do you think would happen if God ceased to exist? If the presence of God and the blessings that come with God were withdrawn you would not survive one second.
6) Just as the air is present when we get ready to breathe, God is already present and exist wherever we go!
(3) Let’s read 1 Kings 18:30-40, “30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” 34 Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.”
1) “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”
2) Are you willing to also say, “the Lord, He is Omnipresent!” “The Lord God is present no matter how far up or down I go!”
3) “The Lord God is present no matter how far to the east or west I go!”
4) “The Lord God is present whether I’m visualizing beautiful scenery or whether I’m walking up and down the streets in Talco with all the falling down houses and buildings!”
5) “The Lord God is present whether I’m in the Holy Lands or in Mecca or in the United States or whether I’m in China or India!”
CONCLUSION
1. Turn to Psalm 139:10. This verse is very encouraging in the midst of the discussion of the omnipresence of God. It teaches Christians that they are not to think of the omnipresence of God as a truth that is just to cause us to fear God, but that the truth of the omnipresence of God as a very encouraging and comforting truth.
2. Do you understand that the bible teaches about the omnipresence of God because God wants His children to know that He is near and available for the purpose to help.
3. Let’s read Psalm 139:10, “Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”
(1) The writer of Psalm 139 took great comfort in the fact that wherever he went: up or down, east or west, God would be there to help Him.
(2) Are you living faithful to God to the extent that the truth about the omnipresence of God gives you comfort and help?
4. Do you remember some quotes from some of the young people in our last lesson? Brooke, age 9 provides this statement as to why she thought it was possible for God to be omnipresent: "God can be everywhere because he is a wonderful God!"
1) Who could disagree with little Brooke?
2) Who could disagree with Psalm 139:10, “Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”
5. Do you want to come and receive God’s help as we stand and sing?
Acknowledgements: Acknowledgements for trying to interpret the scriptures as accurately as possible and for some of the seed thoughts and illustrations go to the following:
1. Homer Hailey and his commentary on Isaiah by Religious Supply, Inc.
2. John Gill and his commentary on Psalm from studylight.org
3. Bob Winton CD Commentary on Jonah. 464 Ridgewood Drive Manchester, Tennessee 37355. If interested in CD covering many O. T. & N.T. books call (866) 753-8456.
4. CAREY KINSOLVING and www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org.
