well this morning we began the first uh part of psalm 139 psalm 139 tonight uh we're going to look and conclude our reflection on this day in this psalm and we're going to read again the entirety of the psalm and you'll find that on page 662 in your pew bible 662 this is the word of the lord to the choir master a psalm of david oh lord you have searched me and known me you know when i sit down and when i rise up you discern my thoughts from afar you search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways even before a word is on my tongue behold oh lord you know it all together you hem me in behind and before you lay your hand upon me such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high i cannot attain it where shall i go from your spirit or where shall i flee from your presence if i ascend to heaven you are there if i make my bed in sheol you are there if i take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand shall hold me if I say surely the darkness shall cover me and the light about me be night even the darkness is not dark to you the night is bright as the day for darkness is as light with you for you form my inward parts you knitted me together in my mother's womb I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. My soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret. Intricately woven in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed substance. In your book were written every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them if i would count them they are more than the sand i awake and i'm still with you oh that you would slay the wicked oh god oh men of blood depart from me they speak against you with malicious intent your enemies take your name in vain do i not hate those who hate you oh lord and do i not load those who rise up against you i hate them with complete hatred i count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. And there is the reading of God's Word. Well, it's important tonight as we reflect on the second part of this psalm to remember somewhat the setting and the purpose for which we looked at this morning this psalm is given, and what the psalmist is asking of the Lord in the midst of these great reflections of God's attributes and his goodness. And as I hinted at this morning, it seems to me that something has happened to the psalmist that at one time something was trustworthy for him in life that was then taken away for him and it no longer was a source of strength for him and it became a source of falsehood for him he seems to be being spoken against but i can't say any more than that and most likely that's sheer just a reflection of the content of the psalms and the psalms that come before and after for we're not really given much detail as to the precise circumstance that led to this particular psalm i think you do get some of that in the midst of this moment in the psalm that shocks everyone don't you it's a shocking moment when he says slay the wicked oh god where did that come from what led to that we don't know too much beyond this but i do know and i do think we should take with us tonight that whatever the psalmist is facing the real source of strength and encouragement for him is a knowledge of God's attributes. It's a knowledge of who God is and what God has been like to the psalmist, which is the very thing that we struggle with. Is God for me or is God against me? It's always the question that people go through and struggle. And he is comforted in light of whatever he's facing that God knows everything. that God has exhaustive knowledge of it all, that it's not escaped him, that the Lord, the Lord is the all-powerful one. And the psalmist is describing for us just how safe he feels in that knowledge. The Lord has hemmed him in in this truth. It's a beautiful image that the Lord, in the truth of who God is, has preserved him and provided a shield around him it's the truth that has guarded his heart and his mind of who god is and what an assurance of faith comes out here because you can't say what he says you can't grasp what he has grasped unless you have some kind of assurance in this life and can have assurance in this life that god is for you and that god knows you and that you are known by him and that that is something given to you from heaven do you think when jesus said to peter after peter had confessed him blessed are you simon bar jonah flesh and blood is not given that to you but my father has given that to you in heaven do you think he said that so that nobody else would have that kind of assurance it's the same kind of thing here blessed are you if you have this kind of perspective of the wonderful attributes of god and what they mean for you that's a gift that's a gift and here we see that such a life here is what god wants for us that that's that's marvelous isn't it god wants us to live this way god wants us to enjoy him this way here's god uh putting on himself on display that he wants us to have full assurance of faith in his son for being kid in him this is the life that he has for us so that we can say that these things are true for us too that we like the psalmist would leave today standing in complete awe and admiration of the lord the one whose attributes and sovereignty have been put on display before us and whose power stands above all other earthly powers the psalmist is relishing and these attributes and we studied the first two this morning of what he brought out his omniscience that he knows everything and his omnipresent that he's never alone that god is always with him wherever he goes this was a source of wonderful comfort for david he was overwhelmed to think that god knew everything exhaustively about him his choices in life all the words he would speak that every thought he would have and that he had received from the lord a kind hand and a strong arm of deliverance that god had hedged him in that god loved him and this is what he had received he then moved on to god's omnipresence that there was no circumstance in life there was no circumstance there was no place that he could go that god was not with him and all the way he described the greatest um situations that we could imagine that would seem to bring the greatest amount of separation from god and not even those separated him not even height nor depth it could not separate him from the love of christ death could not separate him nothing could separate him the lord is present with us and already you see how foolish it is which the psalms constantly describe how foolish it is to to put your trust in somebody something else gods that cannot speak idols that cannot talk that cannot comfort that cannot help but this god can the lord cares and the lord wants you to know that he doesn't leave or forsake regardless of circumstance he desires this kind of confidence and so after thinking about his omniscience and his omnipresence the psalm now turns to god's omnipotence his exceeding great power if you will david now traces for a few moments here a few verses this power and the whole display of it from the very beginning of His existence all the way even to His own death. Which is not an end of existence. Look at verse 13. For You formed me. You formed my inward parts. You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. My soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret. Your eyes intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and your book were written of me. Every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. what what a reflection isn't it how do you take that in how do you process that that that is that is overwhelming we're maybe we feel a little bit of sinners god could not really care that much about us it's got to be somewhat of a struggle to say as david that can't be me Isaiah would remind Israel he has been merciful to you. He knows you. He knows your weaknesses. Remember these, O Jacob and Israel, for you are my servant. I have formed you. You are my servant, O Israel. You will not be forgotten by me. I have blotted out like a thick cloud all your transgressions and like a cloud your sins returned to me for i've redeemed you sing oh heavens for the lord has done it shout you lower parts of the earth break forth into singing you mountains oh forest and every tree in it for the lord has redeemed jacob and glorified himself in israel thus says the lord your redeemer and he who formed you from the womb huh i am the lord i make everything who stretches out the heavens all alone who spreads spreads abroad the earth by myself i knew you i formed you and i made all this the song the psalmist is mesmerized and rejoicing that god has demonstrated so much power so much knowledge all of it culminating that he has even determined the whole course of his life. You still can't help but think of Jesus in all of this, can you? If the Psalms are about him in many ways, you can't help but to see so much of him. When we read of him praying and we read of him praising and we read of the devotion of Christ, we clearly see here, it's these truths that he knew and perceived and understood that when he walked on this earth, he understood his own father's love for him. And it's based in that, that this is all true for us if we have him. Hear a thought about how profound this is. As a response like Psalm 71, upon you I have leaned before my birth. You are he who took me from my mother's womb my praise is continually of you you see he's he's all the way back realizing that god had had known him that god had formed him before he had any knowledge of god before he knew a thing we live in um and fret and worry about everything don't we fret and worry about everything life health having a long life we worry we worry and we worry and do you see how all of that is just being extinguished in the by the attributes of god by the power of god by a knowledge that he doesn't change by a knowledge that he knows everything by a knowledge that he had already before it was even marked out determined the course of your life. Saying, I'm always present. Three things he's said so far. I'm all knowing of you. I'm always present with you. And by my power, I formed you, created you, and gave you all the purpose that you need. And who you would be. And what you would accomplish. That I am an object of God's creative power and care. God didn't willy-nilly do this. You know, it's really a marvel of how many people pass by us every day. And they're the ones you notice, aren't they? The ones who are the prestigious and the notable and the strong and the wealthy and those whom society values. Think about all the people who pass by you who are nobodies. All the people who have nothing. All the people who you would say they amount to little in this life. If they are a believer and know the Lord, the Lord looks at them with this kind of care and love and sheltering presence. He loves them. Remember what He said to Jeremiah, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart. I consecrated you. I appointed what you would go do. He'd be a prophet. Psalm 139, David is thinking with redeemed eyes of life, life itself as a gift from God, all of it. And all of it's determined, the days, where we go. Remember Paul would say this when he preached in Acts, that even the boundaries of where you're going to live is marked out by God. He has chosen that. He's chosen the days to a T to when you live. I know I talk too much about my situation, but I think about this. This is the greatest comfort for me with my father. as i see him suffer right now it comforts me to think god already has this perfectly determined and that he has marked out his days and that there's a purpose he is caught up in this david is caught up in this what has overwhelmed him is how powerful god really is that as a master craftsman forming us in the womb making us he says skillfully wrought skillfully formed skillfully formed by the hand of god creative power you look at a newborn baby that that comes out i remember when that first happened i was dazed and confused by the whole thing trust me there's that baby you put in the palm of your hand david knew nothing of embryos and cells every little baby is made of microscopic cells so small that if you were to write the letter g as one pastor noted the size of the letter would contain 30 to 40,000 of these cells every cell has 200 trillion little tiny molecules it's like a little micro universe the body has 35 trillion they argue maybe more of these every minute three billion cells die in your body and are replaced he's sustaining your life constantly every minute three did you hear that three billion die and are replaced everything firing together everything working the way that it should so that you're here tonight and can hear and see. His power. His power. I suppose it's... You just have to say, what a tragedy that we kill babies, isn't it? The worst thing I have to say right now. Look at the human race, what we do. Everything the Scripture tells us is that God is forming in the womb. Conception. Life begins. David is in awe. Think of his creative power holding together all this. I've read this before, but as another noted, on a clear night you can see 10,000 points of light. A few of these are planets of our solar system that shine by reflected light. Thousands belong to the special grouping of stars known as the Milky Way, to which our sun belongs. Other thousands are entire galaxies which shine at one point because they're so distant. We say 10,000 points because that's what we can see with our unaided eyes. But these 10,000 are only the tiniest fraction of existing stars. A typical galaxy contains billions of individual stars. Our galaxy alone contains 200 billion stars. But that's only ours. There are thousands of others visible to the naked eye and billions more that you can go up on Palomar Mountain and look at with that telescope. The distance from one edge on average galaxy to the other edge is approximately 600,000 trillion miles. The average distance from one galaxy to another is 20 trillion miles. This is where David is. You know, sometimes in our computer world, in our screen world, we don't even look up past the roof, right? God did this. And he concludes, and he's thinking here, that this God, whose wonderful attributes has been put on display, considers me for my individuality in the womb. God knew and ordained my life. God gave me life. And God mapped out the course of life. Your eyes, verse 16, saw my substance. Unformed substance. In your book were written of me. every one of them the days that were formed for me when as yet there were none of them god just doesn't create and depart he's always there unchanging omnipresent omniscient omnipotent from the womb everything marked out to the very course where the psalmist says verse 18 when i awake i'm still with you you can take that asleep if you want Puritans used to say that every night we go to sleep, it's a kind of death, and we wake up in the morning to a new life. But I take it as real death. That it is like that. That it's real death, but it is like awakening in the Lord's presence. You're here, and then you're there. Because you're still with Him. This has left the psalmist in powerful praise, awe of God, thoughts so precious. They are just so precious to me, O Lord. great is the sum of them if i could count them they would be more than the sand you see what's happened kind of makes all of our little worries here pretty small doesn't it it makes us pretty small now at this point then we come to the intent one of the intents of the psalm what does that knowledge do for somebody what should it do well it makes somebody i would hope immensely thankful, right? Hope they're thankful for that. But how would that show? It motivates the practical purpose of this psalm. This is a very practical psalm. The knowledge of and understanding of God's powerful protection in life, His intimate care, His involvement with us, His care, and the gift that He would give us that He would give His Son to die for us. It doesn't leave us non-responsive. It doesn't leave us apathetic. it drives us to what? You ask, well, how would I appreciate this? How would it show? What would be the greatest way I could show that I'm really thankful that God has brought me to this kind of understanding of salvation and his love and his preserving care? Many people ask God for many things, don't they? Many people ask God for many things. God came to you and said, what do you want? Ask of me anything you want. He did to Solomon. Ask, what shall I give you? Lord, you have made me your servant king instead of my father, but I'm a little child. I don't know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of people whom you've chosen, a great people too numerous to be numbered and counted. Therefore, give to your servant an understanding heart to judge your people. I'm a king that I may discern good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours? This speech pleased the Lord. But Solomon asked such a thing. And God said, because you've asked this and have not asked for a long life for yourself and that you've not asked for riches to make your name great, that you've not asked for the life of your enemies, but you've asked for yourself understanding to discern justice behold i've done according to your words i've given you a wise and understanding heart so that there has not been anyone like you before nor shall there arise anyone like you after what god were to ask you tonight in light of his omniscience his omnipresence and his omnipotence that he's put on display that you know in your life what would you ask him What does a thankful heart who has a knowledge of this ask God for? He's inviting you. That's what the psalm is inviting you to do. Think about it. What does someone who's really known the love of Jesus ask for? What does he ask God for? Well, the answer gets down to what pleases God, doesn't it? Would it please him to say, I love your omniscience in my life, but just don't tell me that you see anything in my life is wrong? Of course not. don't tell me about it there are two things the psalm asked for then in light of all this here they come it's the most uncomfortable part of the psalm it's the part of the psalm that makes everyone really stop and reflect and that is the purpose of it almost out of nowhere it's meant to jolt you oh that you would slay the wicked oh god depart from me therefore you bloodthirsty men for they speak against you wickedly your enemies take your name in vain do i not hate them oh lord who hate you and do i not love those who rise up against you i hate them with perfect hatred i count them my enemies didn't that just seem to wreck the whole beauty of this we struggle with that why well the answer is quite simple we don't see sin as god does it's interesting that if you're looking at the life of david one of his commanders was joab he was a ruthless man he was a killer for years he was david's right hand commander but after he unjustly killed abner david hands him over to solomon to be executed there's an aspect to this that belongs to his kingly office in the theocracy there's no doubt there's an aspect and we have to keep that but but i want you to see this in light of the flow of the psalm and see how this does apply to us it's immensely practical for us how so what is the last sin you would raise if you were pointing out the sin of others well i'll tell you the sins you would raise you would raise abortion you would raise homosexuality you might raise all manner of what we think are the great big bad sin did you hear david they speak against you with malicious intent your enemies take your name in vain huh of all choices huh we would call this i suppose an imprecation calling down wrath on enemies but i think you have to get to the heart of what he's saying here at the four david is asking this let me lord take sin seriously and let me hate it and let me have nothing to do with anyone who loves it stay me keep me away from evil and evil persons the one thing we do in our relationships with people who have stood against the Lord and influence us is act like it's no big deal. It's not that David didn't associate with evil people, but that he didn't want to dwell with those who openly hated his God and chose a life of complete hatred of him in darkness. David's not denying his own sin. David was a murderer. He's asking God, now think of the heart of this. And then you see, apart from the kingly aspect of his office, he is asking the Lord to separate him. To separate him with this wonderful knowledge of who God is, as wonderful as God is, it has moved him to want to love what God loves and hate what God hates. And to let no one pull him away from the Lord to take it seriously that I think is is important to look at in the midst of this because because if there's anything that we don't take real seriously in life it is the danger of sin is the danger of sin in our own hearts and the danger of sin in others who influence us And David's asking to hate it. And the second request is moving, isn't it? He ends the psalm this way. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. I am asking you that since you are omniscient, that since you know everything, That since you are omnipresent, that since you are always with me, that since you are omnipotent in all power, I am asking that you would examine and investigate my heart since you know everything, since you see everything, and that you would do something for me. I'm asking that you would deal with, in my life, what needs to be dealt with, And that you would look and see what offensive way in me that I don't see that you see. And that you would lead me in the way everlasting. That you'd put me on the right path. That you'd turn me to your Son. That you'd guide me in the way that I should go. Don't let me harden my heart. Because I'm good at it. You see? Don't let me do that. Now, if I said to you tonight, how often do you pray these things? my guess is not as much as we should but these are the things and this is where it has led him to hate sin and to have god lead him on the paths of righteousness the worst thing about us that we don't even know ourselves we don't even see our sins we go through this life and we have little idea of them and what we have the propensity to do and before we have any ability to really know who we are, reconciliation in Christ must happen so that a knowledge of Him directs us to have Him and want us to search us and try us and test us and remove the things that are leading us astray. That is the purpose. We read the law of God every Sunday. You understand that? That's why we're doing that in church. That's why it should be read in church. Calvin said, until we establish complete happiness in Him, we will never give ourselves truly and sincerely to Him. Then, Lord, we need your help. You see? Calvin says all people have a general veneration for God. Oh, I believe in God. Oh, I believe in God. People will say that all the time. But Calvin says very few reverence Him. I think that's what we're getting at here. The psalmist is asking, I need to be led by you. I need you to try and test me. I need you to help me to be honest with myself. Because I go astray. I constantly forget and I turn. And you have proven again and again in your omniscience that you love me and you keep me. And you've shown that your whole life. You haven't turned against me. So I'm asking that in this way, you would continue to demonstrate that and help me. purge everything that I need to see, dealing with the anxieties of my heart. Interesting how anxiety comes into this. It demonstrates a lack of trust in you. You know, idolatry in our lives is most expressed when we are feeling all the stress of this life and we're running to it to release. What is it you're running to? It's an idol. Lord, expose that, address that, and lead me. Lead me in the way everlasting. The psalm begins with a God-breathed confidence that God knows everything, and it ends with this request that God would use that perfect knowledge. You see this? It ends with this request at the beginning of the psalm. Lord, you've searched me and known me, and now it ends with, take that knowledge and use it to direct my ways, my thoughts, and my actions that I would be led in the way. And of course, you know Jesus is the way. One pastor said this, happy is the Christian who prays this every day, who puts himself in the presence of the all-seeing God, who stands in His light. Remember, one thing people who are running in life don't want to do is stand in his light who stand in his light and are willing to have anything and everything which is not right brought to the light and judged that is the true walk in the light even the thoughts must be so dealt with every thought being brought to the captivity to the obedience of christ then there's a willingness to put away anything which is so grievous to god and to his spirit and to be led in the way everlasting that's what the redeemed want to do because they've been forgiven because they're saved because this wonderful knowledge has been shown to them this wonderful care of this wonderful god you see that it didn't begin with saying god's against you it didn't begin with saying he has taken his knowledge and shown all his wrath against you the psalm began by rehearsing these glorious attributes to say have you considered what God has been like to you. You've considered what He's done for you. It's overwhelming. That's how great His love is for us. Then this is what He desires. That you would walk in the way. And that you would take sin seriously. And that you'd come to Him for help. And that He would be your strength the whole way in using that wonderful knowledge to guide you. Isn't that beautiful? May we be thankful tonight that God is not like the God of the pagans who cannot speak or is a piece of wood, but a God who is personal, who desires that we know Him this way. And through the wonderful knowledge that He's filled us with of His Son, may that kind of knowledge that God gave His only begotten Son for us be believed as we ask Him today in full sincerity now as saved people, Do surgery in the heart. Do what's necessary. And lead us in the way everlasting. That's a happy life. That's a joyful life. That's the life He has for us. And I hope that Psalm 139 has encouraged you as you go out into another week. Let's pray. Gracious Heavenly Father, Your attributes and what You've said of Yourself to us are wonderful. you have shown us today your omniscience you know everything about us and you did not use it as a weapon against us but you used it to tell us that you love us and protect us and guide us in perfect knowledge and you told us that whatever we face in life wherever we go you're with us even in death You're not going to forsake us. For it was Jesus who said that He would never leave us nor forsake us. And then in all the power that You've put on display, You've mapped out the whole course and upheld our lives to this day. And if we know You this way, then it has moved us to ask what the psalmist asked tonight. Though we want to see all of our enemies saved, Though we are called to love our enemies and are not in the same kind of position as David, it is clear what this psalm is telling us. To hate evil and to take it seriously. Help us to do so. Help us to not be party to it or accept it and dwell with those who hate you. But remember, we are a separate people to you. And Lord, would you take your perfect, wonderful knowledge and would you try us and test us would you know our thoughts would you search us and since you see everything if there is any grievous way in us that we're pursuing that is contrary to what you want for us and we can easily do it would you lead us in the way everlasting would you show us your grace and help would you give us mercy this is what we desire this is what you've taught us to ask hear our prayer oh lord in jesus name we pray amen