Psalm 139:7-12 - Awesome Attributes of God! Part Two - OMNIPRESENCE
Psalm 139:7-12: Awesome Attributes of God! Part Two -
OMNIPRESENCE
Psalm 139:7-12 (CWR) Where can I go to leave the presence of
your Holy Spirit? Where shall I run that you're not already there? 8
If I were to launch out into space, you'd be there. If I were to
tunnel into the depths of the earth, you'd be there. 9 If I had wings
and could fly to the ends of the earth or to the most remote island
in the sea, 10 your presence would be there and your arms would be
ready to hold me. 11 Even if I hid in the dark, everything around me
would be as visible to you as in the daylight. 12 Darkness to you is
as light as the day.
COMMENTARY PEARL
What's the largest living thing on earth? Your first guess
might be the blue whale. It's the largest animal ever known. These
massive mammals grow up to 100 feet long and can weigh 200 tons. (That's
400,000 pounds!) Blue whales are so big their tongues weigh as much as
an elephant, and their hearts can weigh more than a car.
But blue elephants are far from the largest things on earth.
Scientists found a mushroom colony in Oregon that spans about six square
miles. That's one humongous fungus! While some of the fungus grows
underground, plenty of mushrooms can be found poking through the soil.
Experts estimate this honey fungus weighs as much as 60 tons. But that's
not the largest living organism either. Aspen trees spread through
an intricate root system. One tree shoots out its roots and other
trees pop up that are identical to the first. Lots of them. Several
years ago a scientist found an aspen grove in Utah, where one tree
spread over 106 acres. Its estimated weight: 6,000 tons (that's 13
million pounds - way more than a blue whale). The scientist named the
aspen Pando, which is a Latin word meaning "to spread."
Pando is big ... but nowhere close to God's bigness. He
doesn't just span across part of a state; he spreads across the
universe! God is omnipresent. He's everywhere, all of the time. In Psalm
139 King David writes, "Where can I flee from your presence? If I go
up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths,
you are there." David goes onto say that no matter where he goes,
God is there to guide him.
When Jesus came to earth, he took on human form. But God is
not like us. He's a spirit. It's not like God can be found in a rock
or the trees (although some movies may urge you to believe that).
God is living large, because he's alive everywhere. So look for him,
discover his bigness, and be amazed. [Case For Christ For Kids by Les
Strobel]
CONTEXT
A. The omniscience of the Lord (139:1-6)
B. The omnipresence of the Lord (139:7-12)
C. The omnipotence of the Lord (139:13-18)
D. The Holiness of God / The loyalty of David (139:19-24).
[Bible Knowledge Commentary and Ryrie SB]
INTRODUCTION/OVERVIEW
This psalm contains the clearest expression of the attributes
and character of God to be found in the Psalter. One could hardly
describe the omniscience and omnipresence of God more effectively.
[Believers SB]
This poem describes the attributes of the Lord not as abstract
qualities, but as active qualities by which He relates Himself to His
people. [Nelson SB]
From the standpoint of OT theology, this is the climax of
thought in the Psalter on Gods personal relationship to the
individual. The psalmist does not engage in abstract philosophy or
speculative meditation; he merely describes his humble walk with God and
shares his experiental knowledge of the Lord. [Wycliffe Bible
Commentary]
Gods omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence are the
subjects of Davids meditations in this beautiful psalm. His first
meditation is on Gods knowledge, that every aspect of his life was
searched out and controlled by what the Lord knew. He then realized it
was impossible to escape from such omniscient control, no matter how
far or fast he might go, for God is everywhere. David then stated
that God has such control over him because in His power He created
Him secretly and planned his life with great care. On the basis of
these meditations, David then affirmed his loyalty to God and prayed
for God to prove him by examining him. [Bible Knowledge Commentary]
This psalm focuses on four great attributes of God: His
knowledge of all things (vv. 1-6), His presence everywhere (vv. 7-12), His
power in the formation of man (vv. 13-18), and His holiness, which
destroys evil men and searches the believer's heart (vv. 19-24). [Ryrie
SB]
David meditates on the omniscience (139:1-6), omnipresence (vv.
7-12), and omnipotence (vv. 13-18) of God. He then applies these truths
to the wicked, whom he calls on God to slay (vv. 19-22), and to
himself, whom he calls on God to examine and to lead (vv. 23-24). [Victor
Bible Readers Companion]
DEFINITIONS
Omnipresence: Man cannot hide anything from God, for he is
everywhere present. (Adam Clarke Commentary)
Vss. 8, 9 The four suppositions which follow express the
extremes of the universe and reinforce his basic premise. [Wycliffe Bible
Commentary]
Vs. 8 If I ascend up into heaven: The word "heaven" here, in the
original is in the plural number-"heavens,"-and includes all that there
is above the earth-the highest worlds. (Barnes' Notes)
Vs. 8 Hell: the underworld, the abode of the dead, both good and
bad. [Jamieson, Fausset, And Brown Commentary]
Vs. 8 Depths Sheol, traditionally translated as hell, generally
means just the place of the dead, without implying either reward or
punishment. David is saying that God's sovereignty extends even to the grave
and beyond. [Quest SB]
Vs. 8 The heavens . . . the depths: The two vertical extremes
[NIV SB]
Vs. 8 In the heavens above and in sheol (NIV marg.) below. These
opposites signify that all areas in between (a third merism in this psalm)
are also in the Lords presence. [Bible Knowledge Commentary]
Vs. 8 Heaven and earth include the whole creation, and the
Creator fills both (Jer 23:24); he not only knows both, and governs
both, but he fills both. (Matthew Henry's Commentary)
Vs. 9 Wings of the morning: A poetic expression for the swift
spreading of light at dawn. [Passages Of Life SB]
Vs. 9 Wings of the morning: the extreme east. the sea: the
extreme west. [Jamieson, Fausset, And Brown Commentary]
Vs. 9 Wings of the dawn . . . far side of the sea: The two
horizontal extremes: east and west [NIV SB]
COMMENTARY
VSS. 7-10 One cannot escape the presence of God in His universe.
Every place is accessible to God, [Disciple SB]
Just as he is not limited by space, neither is he limited by
time. [Life Recovery SB]
Vs. 7 God is a Spirit, and therefore it is folly to think that
because we cannot see him he cannot see us: (Matthew Henry's
Commentary)
Vs. 7 Why did David want to run from God? David did not really
want to escape God's presence. It's possible that these are
rhetorical questions, asked merely to make the point that God is
omnipresent-he can be found everywhere. Or perhaps David's reaction can be
compared to others who, in the presence of the Almighty, became painfully
aware of their sin and unworthiness (Isaiah 6:5; Luke 5:8). [Quest
SB]
Vs. 7 Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?: Fearful
thought to those that hate him-that, much as they may wish or desire it,
they can never find a place where there is not a holy God! Comforting
to those that love him-that they will never be where they may not
find a God-their God; that nowhere, at home or abroad, on land or on
the ocean, on earth or above the stars, they will ever reach a world
where they will not be in the presence of that God-that gracious
Father-who can defend, comfort, guide, and sustain them. (Barnes' Notes)
Vs. 11 It is impossible to hide from God in the darkness.
Night may conceal from men, but not from God. [SDA Commentary]
Vs. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee: What is to us
hidden by darkness, or unknown through ignorance, is perfectly seen and
known by God; because he is all sight, all hearing, all feeling, all
soul, all spirit-- all in ALL, and infinite in himself. He lends to
every thing; receives nothing from anything. (Adam Clarke Commentary)
What is visible light to us is only a tiny portion of all the
wave-lengths radiating through space at all times and in every direction.
Animals and birds-even insects-can see things that are invisible to us.
Our powers of sight are extremely limited, so we often think
of darkness as being empty. But God can perceive everything: even
what we call darkness is lighted up for Him. For God, there is no
darkness. Imagine being able to see the full electromagnetic
spectrum-gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, radio waves, and
microwaves. What would the universe look like? How would the world around us
appear?
If our eyes could take in and process the full
electromagnetic spectrum, we would be able to examine things with X-ray vision.
Gamma ray vision would allow us to see through mountains and planets.
Ultraviolet vision would enable us to view the flowers as the bees do-in
different colors from those of visible light. We could detect the heat
radiating from all living things if we had infrared vision, and our eyes
could become a radio dial to tune in to the radio signals.
Furthermore, we could watch TV broadcasts without a TV set. All we would have
to do is to tune our minds into the channel, and our eyes would act
as receivers.
As it is, we use such a small portion of the available
spectrum that we can hardly imagine what life would be if our eyes were
opened completely. What appears to us to be darkness is crammed full of
rays and waves-particles of energy rushing about in our atmosphere
and throughout space.
The perfect powers of vision that God endowed humanity with
in Eden have been severely limited. When Jesus comes, we will be
given glorified bodies. We think we can see a lot now, but just wait!
Do you remember the story of Elisha's servant: "And the Lord opened
the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was
full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2 Kings
6:17)? [Nature Quest by J & P Tucker re vs 12]
APPLICATIONS
God is omnipresent. He is literally everywhere in creation. By
this is not meant God is in a rock. As a Person, He is present
everywhere. Were we to have a parent, spouse or friend in attendance with us
at all times, how would our conduct change? Would we still allow
ourselves the rebel word, the lustful glance, the inappropriate action?
We are truly what we are, it has been said, when we are alone. But
this is not true, because no one can ever be truly alone. God is
always there, always aware. It is a discipline which will mold us into
right habits, to practice the presence of God. And as we come to know
our Father in this manner, we will also come to know that there is
no place which He cannot come with us. He is with us in our
victories, and defeats. He is with us when we believe all others have
left. He is with us in the most mundane details of our lives.
Receive this truth, it will bless you today and tomorrow. [In His Time;
Walk With Wisdom re Jer.23:23-4]
Even though the Psalmist speaks of God as being everywhere, yet
he is not a pantheist. God is distinct from His creation. He
fills His creation and sustains it, but He is independent of it and
cannot be mingled with it. [Harper]
In two ways the presence of God is an antidote against sin:
first, because God sees us, and, secondly, because we see God.
Ignatius of Loyola [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
Dont Fear Tomorrow
Jesus Is Already There!!!
[sign on semi-trailer truck]
PRAYFUL APPLICATIONS
There is no place so desolate that you cannot find Me there.
When Hagar fled from her mistress, Sarah, into the wilderness, she
thought she was utterly alone and forsaken. But Hagar encountered Me in
that desolate place. There she addressed Me as the Living One who
sees me. Through that encounter with My Presence, she gained courage
to return to her mistress.
No set of circumstances could ever isolate you from My loving
Presence. Not only do I see you always; I see you as a redeemed saint,
gloriously radiant in My righteousness. That is why I take great delight in
you and rejoice over you with singing! (Genesis 16:7-14 AMP; Psalm
139:7-10; Zephaniah 3:17) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
I want you to learn a new habit. Try saying, "I trust You,
Jesus" in response to whatever happens to you. If there is time, think
about who I AM in all My Power and Glory; ponder also the depth and
breadth of My Love for you.
This simple practice will help you see Me in every situation,
acknowledging My sovereign control over the universe. When you view events
from this perspective - through the Light of My universal Presence -
fear loses its grip on you. Adverse circumstances become growth
opportunities when you affirm your trust in Me no matter what. You receive
blessings gratefully, realizing they flow directly from My hand of grace.
Your continual assertion of trusting Me will strengthen our
relationship and keep you close to Me. (Psa. 63:2; Isa. 40:10-11; Psa.
139:7-10) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
There is comfort in the fact that God can never be taken by
surprise. [Daily Walk Bible]
All believers who come to understand the attributes of God
discussed in this psalm find them a great source of comfort, and a great
prompting to obey Him. [Bible Knowledge Commentary]
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo [old, but one of the best]
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Last Day Prophecy: His Other Sheep by Pastor Gerald Babanezhad:
https://vimeo.com/162267518
