Several years ago, a Christian magazine published an anonymous article by a Christian leader recounting his fall into pornography. It all began when, alone in a hotel room in a distant city, he saw an advertisement for an exotic dancer at a local night club. Rationalizing to himself that, to be an effective Christian leader, he had to experience all of life, he was soon on his way to the show. But it didn't stop there. He was hooked, and for the next five years, fought a battle with extreme sexual lust.
Would he have gone to the show if he had not been alone? Of course, not! The truth is, he was NOT alone, for God was there all the time. Jeremiah 16:17 says, "For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes."
With that true illustration fresh in our minds, let's look more closely at Psalm 139 and what it can teach us about fearing the Lord. Psalm 139 teaches many things, but perhaps, most importantly, it teaches us about three major characteristics of God and our response to them. These characteristics alone, when properly understood, will help us to fear the Lord as we ought.
1. The Omniscience of God. - verses 1-5
"O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me."
- This means that God is all-knowing.
- David says this in reference to what he realizes God knows about him. Nothing ever takes Him by surprise!
- Notice verse 1, "O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me." "Searched" means "to search out as for treasures or secrets."
- David came to realize that the Lord knew things about him that David didn't even know about himself!
* God saw treasure and great value in David. John 2:25 says, "...he [Jesus] knew what was in man."
* God knows what's there, because He put it there. Isaiah 62:12 states, "And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken." Here, God calls His people "Sought out." Only that which is of great value is sought out!
* As the songwriter Ray Boltz said concerning the choice of David as the king of God's people,
But when others see a shepherd boy,
God may see a king;
Even though your life seems filled
With ordinary things.
In just a moment, He can touch you,
And everything will change.
When others see a shepherd boy,
God may see a king.
- Men see children, but God sees kings.
- Men see stones, but God sees diamonds.
- Men see rocks, but God sees precious gems.
- Men see failures, but God sees potentials.
- When men cannot see the way, God sees the purpose!
- David's response to God's Omniscience is found in verse 6, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it."
2. The Omnipresence of God. - Psalm 139:7-16
"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them."
- This means that God is present in every place.
- David says it in reference to never being out of God's sight!
* In life and death. - verse 8
* David's coronation day and the lowest sea. - verses 9-10
* In darkness and the light. - verses 11-12
* In the womb. - verses 13-16
- These verses teach plainly that God planned out and skillfully constructed every part of David's life.
- Job 10:8&11 says, "Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me...Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews."
- David's response to God's Omnipresence is found in verses 17-18, "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee."
3. The Omnipotence of God. - verse 19
"Surely thou wilt slay the wicked..."
- This means that God is all-powerful.
- David says it in reference to God's protection of David from his enemies.
- David's response to God's Omnipotence is found in verses 20-22, "For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies."
- It is always wise to side with an all-powerful God!
Conclusion: David knew and understood that the Lord knew all about him and still loved him. He learned to practice the continual conscious presence of the Lord. This is a vital lesson we need to learn if we are to become a God-fearing people.
I think if we really believed that nothing is hid from God, we would behave differently. Paul wrote, "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." (Hebrews 4:13)
One, who realizes the omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence of our great God, will surely want to please Him! As we learn to fear Him, let's let it be our desire to please Him by living in His continual and conscious presence!