Bible Study - Psalm 139

The readings for worship this week have to do with people called by the Lord to serve Him. In Psalm 139: 1-12, David knows that he has been called to be King among his people. He knows that he cannot run away anywhere from the Lord and His Spirit, “holding” him and “leading” him in His ways. The Lord knows everything about him. That thought could be scary and cause him to be honest and confess his sins to the Lord, as he does in psalms like Psalm 51. In this psalm, though, the fact that God knows all about him is “wonderful,” for even on the darkest of days there is still Light from the Lord, and the Lord knows and cares about him.

In Psalm 139:13-16, David speaks of the fact that the Lord knew about him even while he was still in his mother’s womb, being “fearfully and wonderfully made,” as one of the Lord’s own “wonderful works.” (The psalms are poetry, and this is a very poetic picture of the creation of a child. Solomon speaks of the mystery of it all. In Ecclesiastes 11:5 he says, “As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God Who makes everything.”)

We have many questions about all this because, in a very fallen, sinful world, things don’t always work in the womb in the way we wish or expect. We leave all these things in the Lord’s hands and trust Him. The Lord knows what will happen, as v.16 says, though this does not mean that everything in our life is predetermined. People can resist and reject the good and gracious will of God. This is one of the passages that causes us to be pro-life as a church. We cannot purposely take away life, for our own desires, that God had created. Every life is precious. (One of our other Bible readings this week is 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, which also reminds us that we are not our own. Even our bodies are not our own, to be done with as we please. That is certainly true of little children, too.)

In Psalm 139:17-18, David simply marvels at the precious thoughts of God, greater than he can count or comprehend. Whether he is asleep or awake, he is with the Lord and the Lord is with him. Maybe if we could all remember that, we would sleep better and more peacefully!

Psalm 139:19-22 sounds very harsh to our ears when we think of New Testament passages where Jesus talks about “loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us” (Matthew 5:44). Luther talked about “trying to put the best construction on everything” in dealing with others and explaining things in the kindest way. At the same time, there really is evil in the world and evil people, and Satan is a real and dangerous enemy. This passage reminds us of that reality also. David was a warrior king and fought against many enemies in trying to protect His country and his people. Goliath was no friend. There really is right and wrong in the world and in God’s standards for us. We cannot put a stamp of approval on what is evil or neglect to stand up for what is true. Christians are being killed in many places just for being Christians. Many hate the Lord and take His name in vain. The devil is deadly serious in fighting against us and our Lord. David knew these realities and spoke clearly of the battle we are also in and need to be in.

David ended Psalm 139 by asking the Lord, in v. 23-24, to keep searching him and knowing his heart, so that if there are “grievous ways” in him, he can realize them and repent and return to the Lord in a more faithful way. In spite of his faults and struggles, he prays that the Lord will keep teaching him “and lead him in the way everlasting.” As New Testament believers, we know that Jesus himself is finally "the way everlasting,” as we keep trusting Him and receiving His Word and seeking to share Him as Savior with as many as we can, so that others may know “the way everlasting too.”