Sunday School 3-19-06 Psalm 139(1-3), (7-14), (23-24)
Psalm 139:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
He knows all about me
How silly human beings are! What makes us think we can hide things from God? This idea started in the very beginning. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they hid themselves among the trees of the Garden thinking God would not find them, but then God uttered those fateful words, “Adam where art thou.” God knew all along where Adam was. Man added to his folly by fashioning fig leaves to hide his nakedness from the All Mighty. Man’s efforts have never been able to hide the shame of sin. Something had to die in order for sin to be covered. God made man a garment of animal skins. Today our sin is covered by the death of God’s own Son. Why try to hide? If you have sin in your life confess it to God and repent. God will graciously forgive and unlike any human being, forget!
139:2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 139:3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
Downsitting & Uprising
The Hebrew word translated “downsitting” means to dwell, remain, sit, or abide. In other words, when you are at your residence, at rest. Uprising means when you get up to go out into the world. If we put this together this means God knows us when we are home among our family and when we venture out in the world to deal with society. Some think God only watches them when they are in church, but the plan of God for Christians never was limited to when we are worshipping. God wants to be involved in our life in every aspect. When we keep back part of our existence from Him our testimony suffers. Notice the end of this verse. He not only knows our words; He knows our thoughts. The word translated thoughts means purpose, or aim. So many times we are misunderstood. Our words do not translate our intentions. Feelings can be hurt sometimes without our knowledge. Thank God that never happens with God. When things don’t work out like we want them to, God knows what we intended. He knows our weaknesses and understands our failures. This also applies to evil thoughts. Some people say nice things to your face while they are planning your downfall. You can’t fool God! Hew knows if you are malicious no matter how nice your words appear.
139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.139:9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 139:10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 139:11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 139:12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
Escaping from God’s presence
Where can a man go to hide from the presence of God? This Scripture tells us we can’t hide in heaven, hell, the uttermost part of the sea, in the deepest darkness, or anywhere else; this is all vanity and vexation of spirit. No matter how low a Christian sinks, God is there to hold us up. No matter what lengths the ungodly venture to escape the wrath of God, He is there. A Christian is always under the watch care of a loving God! Notice the wonderful revelation of vs 12; the darkness He turns into day. I think of these verses when I hear of people committing suicide. The idea is to hide from the cares of this world and the vision of God, but this is impossible to accomplish. When death arrives we are transported to the judgment of God. The old song was right which proclaimed “there’s no hiding place down here.”
139:13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
God’s knowledge
The word translated “possessed” means to get, acquire, create, or buy. The word translated “reins” means the seat of our emotions and affections. “Covered” means to be fenced in or hedged about. This is saying God created our hearts. He knows what the human body needs to be healthy psychologically. We need love, peace, fellowship, understanding, purpose, and hope. All of these God planted into us when He designed the creature known as human kind. Notice David gives a strong rebuke to the abortionists of our day. David claims God covered him in his mother’s womb. This means God protected Him and shielded him from harm. Why? Because God had a plan for His life. I wonder how many great men and women have been sacrificed on the altar of convenience. I wonder if a Doctor who would’ve discovered the cure for cancer has been ripped apart by an abortionist only minutes before his birth. I wonder how many great school teachers have been burned alive in their mother’s womb. How sad it is to think man has become so selfish as to murder innocent babies in the name of women’s rights! I firmly believe America will, and actually already has, answered for this terrible sin!
139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
The answer to our youth problem in America
I read an article in a national magazine concerning the schoolboys who murdered their classmates at Columbine High School. They both were raised to think they were descendants of monkeys and not created by a loving God. They were convinced this world is all there is. They mocked at God. The only comment I can make is to say they learned their lessons too well. If we want to stop school shootings in our nation we need to stop tearing down signs containing the 10 commandments and go back to teaching those principles to our young ones. They need to know they are special. They need to know God loves them and will one day either welcome them into Heaven or sentence them to an eternity in Hell. You want to know why teen suicide is at epidemic proportions today. It is because we have given their lives no value! We should be convicted on gross negligence and incompetence as parents in the United States when we give children no purpose, no reason to live, and no cause for their existence. Shame on us! We have sown the wind and are now reaping the whirlwind!
139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 139:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Correct me
The intention of this verse is plain. David wants God to search his life and point out to him where his faults are. This takes a big man. Most people want to be congratulated for their good works, but we would be better off if we searched for our faults and strove to overcome them. Anything that offends God I want to remove from my life. The Scripture admonishes us to “draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto us.” The closer I get to God, the closer He will allow me to get. He will enable me to become more like Jesus. The reason I want to do this is two fold. One, that I might be a better witness for Him. The second is that He might “lead me in the way everlasting.” I want to go to Heaven; don’t you? Let’s ask God to help us remove all the dross from our lives.
Listen to the words of this wonderful verse: Hebrews 12:1 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”
Psalm 139 (New Life Translation to be used as a commentary only)
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away. 3 You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am
7 I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to you.
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
THANKS FOR STUDYING WITH US THIS WEEK. OUR LESSONS CAN BE FOUND EACH WEEK ON OUR WEBSITE WWW.ADDISONCHURCH.COM. BE SURE TO SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK WHEN YOU VISIT. WE ALSO WILL EMAIL THE LESSON DIRECTLY TO YOU BY REQUEST AT ADDISONFWBCHURCH@BLUESTARR.NET. YOU WILL NEVER BE ASKED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS, NOR WILL YOUR INFORMATION BE GIVEN OR SOLD TO ANY OUTSIDE SOURCE. SEE YOU SOON!!!!
PASTOR RICK BARCUS
