SEARCH ME, O LORD (PSALMS 139)
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SEARCH ME, O LORD (PSALMS 139)
An atheist complained to a Christian friend, “Christians have their special holidays, such as Christmas and Easter; and Jews celebrate their holidays, such as Passover and Yom Kippur; Muslims have their holidays. EVERY religion has its holidays. But we atheists,” he said, “have no recognized holidays. It’s an unfair discrimination.”
“What do you mean, atheists have no holidays,” his friend replied, “People have been observing a special day in your honor for years.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the atheist said, “When is this special day honoring atheists?”
“April first.”
So far we have studied many classic, renowned and beloved psalms in the Bible – Psalm 1, 8, 23, 84, 121. Nearly half of the psalms (73) are attributed to King David, including Psalm 139.Psalm 139 is one of the most powerful, personal and popular psalms in the Bible. I know at least three songs from the psalm. Traditionally this psalm describes omniscience (vv 1-6), omnipresence (vv 7-18) and omnipotence (vv 19-24). There is evidence more compelling and complete for God’s existence than in our physical, spiritual and emotional makeup.
How do you see yourself? Do you feel like a big shot or a small fry in life? Do you feel you have it all or do you feel you have nothing? Do you have the world at your feet or feel the world is not your home? What is your plan and purpose in life? To sleep, work, eat?
Your Thoughts are Transparent to Him
1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. (Psalm 139:1-6)
President Abraham Lincoln once had a dream: He was in a party of plain people, and, as it became known who he was, they began to comment on his appearance. One of them said: He is a very common-looking man. The President replied: The Lord prefers common-looking people. That is the reason he makes so many of them.” ?
Psalms 139 is a very intimate, individual and introspective psalm. Even though 11 psalms begin by addressing God as “Lord” (Ps 3, 6, 8, 15, 23, 27, 38, 93, 94, 97, 99), this is the only psalm that begins with the more forefront “Lord, You…” introduction. The personal pronoun “You” occurs more than ten times in the chapter.
David begins the psalm with three main verbs: search (v 1) and know (vv 1, 2) and perceive/understand (v 2). Search is to penetrate and probe, know is to pursue and prove, understand is to pervade and perceive. One is investigation, the second is insight, and the third is influence and integration. The verb “search” is translated as sounded (1 Sam 20:12), found out (1 Kings 7:47), seek (Prov 23:30), try (Lam 3:40). No book uses this word more than the book of Job (Job 5:27, 13:9, 28:3, 28:27, 29:16, 32:11) that explores and examines everything for an answer. The verb “search” is an inspection and investigation. God’s search area includes our center, our core, our consciousness. God is the best ICAC, auditor, better than any airport scanner, detector or screening.
The next verb “know” is the most repeated verb in the chapter (vv 1, 2, 4, 14, 23 twice). No psalm matches the chapter’s six occurrences, not even the 176 verses in chapter 1119. The personal pronoun “me” (know me) in the opening verse is not in Hebrew- it is just “know,” not just him but her and humans altogether. One version (ASV) correctly has the “me” in bracket. Know can be intimate (Gen 4:1). Know me and know about me is different. One is inside, the other is outside. One is information and the other is intimate. You ask me, Do I know so and so? I once made the mistake of asking a person in Cantonese, “Do you know who and who?” The reply was, “I know him but he does not know me.”
The last is to perceive or understand in Hebrew. It is the discovery. Dictionaries define understand as “to be thoroughly familiar with the character and propensities of,” “to show a sympathetic or tolerant attitude toward something” (i.word.com), “to know it very well,” “to stand under something” (english.stackexchange.com). Others say it means to be close to.
We do not have to display our thoughts, disclose it or describe it but it is discovered by our Lord. There is no curtain, cover or cunning to conceal it. Nor is there a secret, shield, screen or shade for it. He knows us better than anybody, even we ourselves or our family.
For me, to know is relationship and to know about is research, realization. One is to experience, the other is to examine. Know Jesus is first-hand, to know about is second-hand.
To discern (v 3) is to round up, but “familiar” (v 3) is winnow, to try, to dig deep and “hem” (v 5) is to clam down or close down. One is to encircle, next is to enclose and last is to enforce. One is to circle, the other is to check and the last is to corner.
How can you know someone? Unless you are the maker, you cannot know a man for sure. Knowing you is not only outside but inside, not only near but far, not only after but before. Afar (v 2) is translated as space (Josh 3:4), great while to come (2 Sam 7:19), abroad (2 Chron 26:15), long ago (Isa 22:11), and of old (Isa 25:1). It is not only distance, but time and duration.
Behind in verse 5 is translated as backward (Gen 49:17), backside (Ex 26:12),
hinder parts (1 Kings 7:25), afterwards (Prov 29:11), hereafter (Isa 41:23) and without (Ezek 2:10).
It was staggering, shocking and surprising and stunning to the Psalms.
Sit and rise Thoughts from afar Going out and lying down
Deeds Discernment Direction
Conduct Comprehension Course
Your Tenderness is Tailored by Him
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 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. 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. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you. (Psalm 139:7-18)
Have you ever wondered how much the elements in your body are worth? First, let's take a look at the elements from which you are made. Your body is approximately:•65% Oxygen
•18% Carbon
•10% Hydrogen
•3% Nitrogen
•1.5% Calcium
•1% Phosphorous
•0.35% Potassium
•0.25% Sulfur
•0.15% Sodium
•0.15% Chlorine
•0.05% Magnesium
•0.0004% Iron
•0.00004% Iodine
Your body contains trace amounts of other elements, such as silicon, manganese, fluorine, copper, zinc, arsenic and aluminum.
What is the going rate for a body's worth of these elements? One US dollar! Are you surprised?
http://chemistry.about.com/b/2011/02/06/how-much-are-the-elements-in-your-body-worth.htm
The average human is made up of 54 different elements, ranging from carbon (the most prevalent) to radium (the least prevalent). Then find the cost for the pure element, this was done with a variety of sites (but mainly chemicool.com). All the following calculations and data are relevant for an adult of approximately 70Kg (154 lbs), the data offers no distinction between men and women. But, due to the natural differences in body tissue composition it is likely that there will be some variation. Here are the 15 most abundant elements in the body and their real world cost values. Giving the grand total cost of the human body as $1985.77.
https://bgoodscience.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/body-for-sale-how-are-your-chemical-components-worth/
Summing up all the amounts in the Value column, we come to a grand total of just over $160.
http://www.datagenetics.com/blog/april12011/
Verse 8-11 introduces one and not four translated “if” in Hebrew – two “if” in verse 9 and one in verse 11 are missing in Hebrew. The first is the person or presence, the second is the place. The awkward “make my bed” (v 8) is translated as lay (Est 4:3) or spread (Isa 14:11, 58:5). Dawn (v 9) is translated as morning (Gen 19:15), day (Gen 32:24) or early (Ps 57:8).
The contrast are heights and depths – up and down, high and low (v 8 heavens /depths), east and west – start and end, near and far (v 9 dawn, far side), and darkness and light, seen and unseen (v 11) and night and day (v 12).
The point is in verse 10 – guide and hold fast. One is to guide and the other is to grip. The first is to lead you on, and the second is to latch onto you. One is the direction, the other is the determination. The former is to be at the top and in front, the other is to be by the side and to be close. Hold me fast (v 10) is translated as catch (Gen 22:13), take hold (Gen 25:26), get possession (Gen 34:10), lay hold (2 Sam 2:21) and fasten (1 Kings 6:6).
The personal pronoun “my” is prominent in the early verses (KJV): my downsitting, mine uprising, my thought (v 2), my path, my lying down, my ways 3 and my tongue (v 4), only to reappear in later verses as introduced by the reason “for”(v 13 my reins, my mother's womb, v 14 my soul, v 15 my substance). It gives way to a greater emphasis to “you.”
Your Spirit (v 7) Your presence (v 7) Your hand Your right hand (v 10) Your works (v 14) Your eyes Your book (v 16) Your thoughts (v 17)
Person Presence Protection Prompting Power Perception
Penetration Purpose Plan
The progress is from your Spirit (v 7), your presence (v 7), your hand, your right hand (v 10), your works (v 14), your eyes, your book (v 16) and your thoughts (v 17).
The climax is in the reason listed in verses 13-14. The first “for” (v 4) refers to outward speech, but the second “for” (v 13) refers to the inmost being - you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Verse 13 speaks of God’s purchase (v 13, “created” my inmost being) and protection (“knit” me together in my mother’s womb). The translation for create is possess (Gen 14:19), purchase (Gen 25:10), buy (Gen 33:19), redeem (Neh 5:8), attain (Prov 1:5), get (Prov 4:5) and own (Isa 1:3). The translation for knit is cover (Ex 25:20), hedge (Job 3:23), fence (Job 10:11), shut up (Job 38:8) and defend (Ps 5:11).
The second “for” (v 14). The verb praise occurs 68 of 1o3 times in the Old Testament in Psalms. Fearful is translated as afraid (Gen 3:10), fear (Gen 15:1), dreadful (Gen 28:17), reverence (Lev 26:2), terrible (Deut 1:19).
Wonderful is very diverse, translated as sever (Ex 8:22, 9:4), put a difference (
Ex 11:7), separated (Ex 33:16), set apart (Ps 4:3) and marvelous (Ps 17:7). The first is dreadful, demanding and divine, and the second is dissimilar, different and distinctive and distinguished. One is reverential, the other is remarkable. The first is sacred, the second is special.
There is so much to know and learn about the body when my wife was sick with cancer. She has to eat hot food or she vomits. She is anxious about not urinating or excreting waste, besides checking the waste content. She is short of breath so she resorted to gulp for air. Her stomach and ribs are in pain so she had to sit leaning forward. She cannot lie down on her painful back and stomach, so she had to sleep sitting at times.
Your Triumph is True in Him (vv 19-24)
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:19-24)
A couple took in a messed-up young girl. She lived with them for a year and went through all kinds of troubles. Every evening after supper they did something that ultimately made a difference in the girl’s life. They had her repeat, “God does not love me because I am good. He loves me because I am precious, and I am precious because Christ died for me.” (Haddon Robinson, What Jesus Said About Successful Living)
A coworker asked me why the psalmist ended verse 23 (Search me) with the imperative version of verse 1 (You have searched me). It kept me thinking. There are six imperatives, not one. The difference is the first time was involuntarily; the last time is voluntarily. The first time examines God’s attribute; the second man’s attitude. One is factual, the other is freely.
Search me, God, and know (v 23) Test me and know (v 23) See (v 24) Lead (v 24)
Scrutinize Sanctify Safeguard Support
Investigate Involve Inspect Influence
Probe Prove Purge Pave
My heart My anxious thoughts Offensive way in me The way everlasting.
Being Brain Behavior Becoming
Desires Decisions Deeds Destiny
Condition Concerns Character Commitment
Also the first verse’s “search” from the double imperative (search, know) differs from verse 23 in that the heart and thoughts are not mentioned. The imperative “test” from the second set of imperatives (test, know) implies taking, passing and acing the grade. The imperative see (v 24) in reference to present sins is different from the see of past substance - the unformed body of NIV (v 16). Verse 16 is internal, invisible, and past; verse24 is external, visible, and present. The final imperative lead (v 24) is different from verse 10 in the way everlasting. Verse 9 previously refers to the morning, but verse 24 presently refers to everlasting. Verse 29 refers to the places, verse 24 refers to the precepts of God.
Conclusion: You were known to God, but He wants you to know Him and to make Him known. Do you have any secret you have not confessed to Him? Do you feel that nobody knows you, understands you or cares for you? Is life precious to you? How have you lived it? Improve or ignore it? Do you feel so indifferent, insignificant, and incomplete in life? He is your Maker, Master and Mediator; your Creator, Companion and Chief in life. Have you surrendered yourself to Him, served Him without reservation and share Him to others?
