August Teaching Series
A MAGNIFICENT PORTRAIT OF GOD
Rev. Renato Bernardo
Director for Education
August 8, 2008
Psalm 139:1-24
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 O Lord, You have searched me
and know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
You perceive my thoughts from a far.
3 You discern my going out and lying down;
You are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
You know it completely, O Lord.
5 You hem me in, behind and before;
You have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, You are there;
If I make my bed in the depths; you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
If I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there Your hand will guide me,
Your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,
And the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to You.
13 For You created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in Your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20 They speak of You with evil intent;
Your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord,
And abhor those who rise up against You?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, o God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS:
- The book of Psalms, as collection of inspired Hebrew prayers and hymns, is probably for most Christians the best-known and most loved portion of the Old Testament.
- Because Psalms are basically prayers and hymns, by their very nature they are addressed to God or express truth about GOD in SONG.
- Psalms are profitable when used for the purposes intended by God who inspired them; for helping us:
- to express ourselves to God;
- to consider His ways.
- The psalms were functional songs, composed for use in worship by the ancient Israelites. By functional, we mean the Psalms serve the crucial function of making connection between the worshipper and God.
- In ancient times, Psalms were commonly used as worship aids by Israelites when they brought sacrifices to the temple in Jerusalem.
REMEMBER:
- Psalm 139 is a Psalm and is therefore poetic.
- Watch out for parallelism, metaphorical language, and the musical nature of it.
- Watch out for repetitive words (Law of repetition) – laws of composition
- LORD –(V. 1, 4, 21)
- SEARCH/ED – (V. 1, 23)
- KNOW (V. 1, 2, 4, 14, 23, 23,)
- RIGHT HAND/HAND (V. 10, 10,)
- Type of psalm: An individual lament
HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
- The psalm was written by David but we are not sure exactly when it was written.
- Because of vs. 19-22 it was probably written in a time of great distress.
- In general, the historical context is the nation Israel from 1020 BC to 975 BC. It was a time of prosperity but David was plagued by enemies within Israel and without (Philistines).
A MAGNIFICENT PORTRAIT OF GOD
1. GOD IS OMNISCIENT
Psalm 139:1-6
- Thoughts – v2
- Actions - v3
- Words – v4
- Night time/ daytime – v2, v3
- Past/present/future - v5
Psalm 139:1-24
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
- The psalmist is keenly aware of God’s all-knowing gaze (Psalm 139:1-6)
- David begins with a startling admission; “O Lord, you have searched me through and through and You know me completely.”
1 O Lord, You have searched me
and know me.
- Search – chaqar – penetrate, dig for precious metal
- The word “searched” means to pierce or bore – as one would bore a hole into the ground. David pictures God as having performed an excavation on him. It has been absolutely thorough.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
You perceive my thoughts from a far.
- When I sit and stand: in all my physical movement.
- To illustrate the comprehensive nature of God’s knowledge, the psalmist contemplates that God knows his every movement, motive, and moment
(vv. 2-3).
3 You discern my going out and lying down;
You are familiar with all my ways.
- Discern – zarah – toss, sift as wheat
4 Before a word is on my tongue
You know it completely, O Lord.
- Know – yada – intimate knowledge
- God’s knowledge, being infinite, means that he knows every word we speak “altogether.” In other words, he not only knows what we say, but he knows what we mean. He knows if words are false, or if they are hypocritical. David realized that he was finite (v. 5), but God is infinite – beyond comprehension (v. 6).
5 You hem me in, behind and before;
You have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
- Verse seven begins with a question, and David knows the answer. “Where can I go to escape the presence of God?”
2. GOD IS OMNIPRESENT
Psalm 139:7-12
3 Hypothetical escape routes:
1. Vertical – heavens and depths
2. Horizontal – wings of the dawn/ far side of the sea
3. Darkness – light and dark
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?
- This is not a negative statement.
- This is not to say that David wanted to flee from God’s presence.
- This is to magnify the truth about the presence of God.
- The psalmist is keenly aware of God’s presence in every part of the universe. (Psalm 139:7-12)
- To show the amazing nature of God’s omnipresence, the psalmist introduces a series of hypothetical propositions. He suggests that even if he could do the following things – which he could not – God would still be there before him.
8 If I go up to the heavens, You are there;
If I make my bed in the depths; you are there.
- What if one could go to the farthest corner of the physical universe, or what if man could explore the deepest recesses of the spiritual world? God would be there (v. 8).
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
If I settle on the far side of the sea,
- WINGS OF DAWN – poetical expression for the speed of light.
- FAR SIDE OF THE SEA: Jewish belief that the far side of the sea is the home of the evil spirits. That means the psalmist senses that a great danger is coming!
- Fly with the wings of dawn; go the extremities of the east. Beyond the sea: uttermost bounds of the west; the sea is the Mediterranean.
- What if one could travel at the speed of light, to the remotest region of the globe? God would be there as well (vv. 9-10).
10 even there Your hand will guide me,
Your right hand will hold me fast.
- RIGHT HAND – blessings, protection, love and care
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,
And the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to You.
- What if a person could be instantly shrouded in absolute darkness? God would see him as if it were broad daylight (vv. 11-12).
3. GOD IS OMNIPOTENT
Psalm 139:13-16
GOD’S CREATIVE POWER
13 For You created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
- Inmost being – kilyah – embryo
- Knit – sakak – embroider
14 I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
- Fearfully – with utmost care
- Wonderfully – amazingly, magnificently, superbly, astonishingly
15 My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in the secret place.
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
- The psalmist is keenly aware of God’s presence in every part of the universe. (Psalm 139:7-12)
- The depths of the earth: figurative language for the womb, stressing the hidden and mysterious operations that occur there.
- Frame – ostem – bones.
- One of the most powerful displays of God’s omnipotence happens in “secret” (v. 15). David contemplates his own creation and development as a pre-born child. He acknowledges that God formed his organs; he reflects upon how his Maker knitted him together; how the Lord embroidered him like an ornate rug; how the Creator saw his undeveloped form. How amazing the all-powerful God is!
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in Your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20 They speak of You with evil intent;
Your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord,
And abhor those who rise up against You?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
- There is only one place hostile to god’s rule- wicked people. The psalmist prays to be removed from the company (Psalm 139:19-24).
A PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL INVENTORY:
23 Search me, o God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
- Test: bachan – testing metals
- Offensive way – NASB footnote; way of pain
CONCLUSION:
CROWN OF PSALMS by: TORREY; MATTHEW HENRY
This is an amazing prayer. The psalmist is confident that God knows everything about him. But he asks God to “dig deeper” to see if he could discover “any wicked way.” What wonderful imagery! David wanted to be right with God. He wanted God’s help to rid himself of any wicked thought, word, or deed. And so he pleads, “Look into my heart; look into my motives; look at my life completely; find the defects – and help me!”
This should be the prayer of every godly man and woman; and may the Lord help us to pray it more often.
To open one’s heart for God to search is in itself a wonderful thing. But to open it further so that He can do a more thorough exploration of it is better than wonderful.
It can be the greatest thing that could symbolize the most genuine act of humility.
It is synonymous to dying to yourself and conceding to God’s awesome sovereignty over your life.
It is giving God the whole right to search over the center of your whole being, as your heart is. For a person to know you love him or her brings in itself a special feeling. But for you to say it to that person further makes it all the more special. Such is how God gives regard to a heart being opened for Him to search. It signifies the same pure love that God has to offer.
Revelation 3:20
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THE HEART OF AN UNBLEMISHED SERVICE
Rev. Renato Bernardo
Director for Education
August 21, 2008
2 Corinthians 4:7-18 (New International Version)
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
- According to the Scriptures, holiness is not a special state to which only some Christians attain. It is the mandate of God that all His children be holy.
In reading God’s Word, I noticed a curious thing: what is demanded of the priest (Leviticus 21:16-24) is also demanded of the sacrifice (Leviticus 22:17-25). In fact, the wording in both cases is almost the same!
Leviticus 21:16-24 (New International Version)
16 The LORD said to Moses, 17 "Say to Aaron: 'For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. 18 No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; 19 no man with a crippled foot or hand, 20 or who is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. 21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the offerings made to the LORD by fire. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. 22 He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; 23 yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.” 24 So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.
Leviticus 22:17-25 (New International Version)
Unacceptable Sacrifices
17 The LORD said to Moses, 18 "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: 'If any of you—either an Israelite or an alien living in Israel—presents a gift for a burnt offering to the LORD, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, 19 you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. 20 Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. 21 When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the LORD to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable. 22 Do not offer to the LORD the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as an offering made to the LORD by fire. 23 You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow. 24 You must not offer to the LORD an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. You must not do this in your own land, 25 and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.' "
This speaks forcibly to me…
- WE CAN NOT DIVORCE OURSELVES FROM OUR SERVICE TO GOD!
- We cannot have one standard for ourselves and another, different standard for our service.
- We must not perform beautifully as a teacher, speaker, pastor, prayer warrior, dancer, singer, or musician and then live personally on a shoddy basis.
- What is true of one must be true of the other.
- OUR SERVICE TO GOD MUST BE UNBLEMISHED
LEVITICUS 22:20-21
- Leviticus 22:20 - Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.
- It means all sins confessed…
- Leviticus 22:21 - When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the LORD to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable.
Holiness is a biblical teaching that relates to the whole of the believer's life, public and private.
”HOLINESS IS NOT DOING WHAT YOU WOULD NEVER DO IF THIS WAS YOUR LAST DAY ON EARTH.” –Tommy Tenney
- It is a state of being marked by purity and godliness in spirit and body.
- Holiness is a requisite for seeing God, as stated in Hebrews 12:14, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."
- Peter says, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation [walk of life]; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy" (1 Pet. 1:15,16).
A Christian must be holy, because his calling and vocation are holy.Paul says that God has "called us with an holy calling" (2 Tim. 1:9). Again, he says "that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" (Eph. 1:4). "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Eph. 4:1).
- To walk worthily of such a calling means putting off all that is not godly and pure. The way of the gospel is, spiritually speaking, holy ground hallowed by the Lord Jesus' example.
- When God called Moses through the burning bush, He said,… put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" (Exod. 3:5). It is irreverent to God to stand on this holy ground of gospel grace with our feet (walk of life) still shod with fleshly spirits and works (Isa. 35:8).
- OUR SERVICE TO GOD MUST BE WHOLE, ENTIRE, COMPLETE.
LEVITICUS 22: 22; 24
- Leviticus 22:22 - Do not offer to the LORD the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as an offering made to the LORD by fire.
- Leviticus 22:24 - You must not offer to the LORD an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. You must not do this in your own land…
“True holiness consists in doing God's will with a smile”  Mother Teresa of Calcutta
- OUR SERVICE TO GOD MUST BE NON-ALIEN
LEVITICUS 22:25
- Leviticus 22:25 - and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.' "
- It means we cannot offer someone else’s service and call it ours.
Conclusion:
If we offered ourselves to God blemished, broken, and alien, we would never be saved!
Our service, therefore, cannot be offered God on any plane that is lower than when we offered Him our soul for salvation.
Reflection:
I find myself shocked when I compare a person’s performance with what I see in his life. His performing artistry woos and impresses me; yet when I look closely at him, I see brokenness, blemish, and mutilation. That distresses and puzzles me, Lord!
What causes me even more anguish is this question:
Do others find the same inconsistency in me?
One thing is sure: GOD DEMANDS CONSISTENCY; and if I, or any disciple, come up lacking, I must relentlessly root out the disparities until both life and service are one.
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