PSALM 139
Psalm 139:1 ¶ O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Psalm 139:7 ¶ Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 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.
How much of the Scriptures reveal Christ? And how much of the Scriptures are just here for us to sustain our adopted practice of traditional religion? Who is the Word? Who is the truth? The answer to all these question is that all the Scriptures speak of Christ, who is himself “the truth!”
Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
And notice in that Luke 24:44 verse we highlighted the phrase, “and in the psalms, concerning me.” Therefore we are to seek Christ in this and all other Psalms, as well as all other scriptures.
We know that this Psalm was written by David. But how did David, the youngest son who kept the sheep of his father Jesse, come to know of the Omnipresence, (present everywhere at all times), the Omniscience, (having infinite knowledge), and the Omnipotence (all powerfulness) of God? We could say of him as the Jews did of his Master in John 7:15, And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
Listen to the Lord’s description of David after he had made him king over Israel. 2 Samuel 7:8 Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: 9 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
The Apostle Peter gives us clear insight into this matter. 2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Therefore, this “holy man spake” as he was born along by the inner voice of the Holy Spirit! He didn’t learn all this at “Sheep-watching School!”
Peter in his Pentecostal message also refers to this matter. Acts 2:25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
That which David “saw” by the inner voice of the Holy Spirit, revealed, not just David, but Christ! For only Jesus Christ can sit on the throne of David eternally! It could not be that it was any of David’s physical seed, for the kingdom was shortly taken from them. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can fulfill these promises! For the angel Gabriel made the promise to Mary that it was Jesus who should fulfill this prophecy. Luke 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And the New Testament begins with these words in Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. And it ends with these words in Revelation 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Truly and clearly stated, Christ is all, and in all. Colossians 3:11 His name is above every name! Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
And it is such an unfathomable mystery that the Human Being, Jesus of Nazareth, is very God! He is the eternal Son of God. He is God “manifest in the flesh!” 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Consider this verse: 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; The Greek rendering here actually states, “…one mediator between God and human beings, the human being Jesus Christ. For he is very God and very man! And in this knowledge we come to see the statements listed in our verses thirteen through sixteen in this psalm in a very different light. For only seeing it as David’s awareness, limits us from the wondrous thoughts of our Lord’s experience in his Incarnation.
Here is God the Son, separated into human flesh from the eternal spiritual Oneness with the Trinity. He communes with the Father, by the Spirit that he is aware of the Father’s “covering,” or protecting him in the virgin’s womb. And upon the awareness of his humanity he states, I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. {That word rendered “my soul” is also translated, “myself” in Psalm 131:2. It is translated, “the life of” in Proverbs 1:19. Therefore it is set forth that the eternal Son was seeing and approving of the Spirit’s formation of his body within the womb of Mary.}
For as he was first introduced to us as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, (Rev. 13:8), he now comes to the approval and praise of his human body in order to fulfill that identity and responsibility. This was his thoughts “when he cometh into the world!” Hebrews 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7 ¶ Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
For how was he introduced into the world of his earthly ministry? His forerunner, John the Baptist proclaims him to be the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
And notice what the Hebrew writer states was the very first word thought of, as the Eternal Son entered into his human body. The first word he caused his human brain to think, “when he cometh into the world” was “Sacrifice!” So he was eternally revealed from the foundation as the sacrificial Lamb. (Revelation 13:8) He was introduced by John the Baptist as “the Lamb of God.” Therefore the first word on his Incarnate mind was, “Sacrifice!”
John Calvin had this to say concerning David representing Jesus Christ. “This entering into the world was the manifestation of Christ in the flesh; for when he put on man’s nature that he might be a Redeemer to the world and appeared to men, he is said to have then come into the world, as elsewhere he is said to have descended from heaven. (John 6:41) And yet the fortieth Psalm, which he quotes, seems to be improperly applied to Christ, for what is found there by no means suits his character, such as, “My iniquities have laid hold on me,” except we consider that Christ willingly took on himself the sins of his members. The whole of what is said, no doubt, rightly accords with David; but as it is well known that David was a type of Christ, there is nothing unreasonable in transferring to Christ what David declared respecting himself, and especially when mention is made of abolishing the ceremonies of the Law, as the case is in this passage. Yet all do not consider that the words have this meaning, for they think that sacrifices are not here expressly repudiated, but that the superstitious notion which had generally prevailed, that the whole worship of God consisted in them, is what is condemned;”
And in the following verses of that Hebrew’s ten passage, just listed, we read these treasures of enlightenment: Hebrews 10:8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
The body of Jesus Christ was offered once to atone for all the sins of all the elect of God for all eternity. And when that offering was accomplished, it also provided two additionally wonderful things. First it brought satisfaction to the Father! Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: And secondly, it ended the dispensation of the law, as it established the realm of grace! Hebrews 10:8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Therefore we should not approach this psalm with human reasoning, thinking to ‘figure it all out’ by our religious minds! For, as has been clearly stated, this is a “great mystery.” So all the creature can do is be thankful for the Lord God’s sharing of it, and be thankful for being provided eternal life by believing it.
Here are a few verses to support the workings of God concerning the forming of the human embryo, and of the, as yet, unformed human being. For it is all by the work of God’s hands.
The Prophet Jeremiah was instructed by God the he was known by God “before I formed thee.” Jeremiah 1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. This corresponds with the sixteenth verse of our psalm which states: 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.
The Creator has set forth the male and female as the instruments of his procreation to continue the human race. But this cannot be accomplished without the effectual will of the Creator! Isaiah 26:18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; Psalm 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Only the Lord God’s hands can fashion humans, and give them the ability to comprehend! Psalm 119:73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.
Job states that he was “formed out of the clay.” That is, he was created by God in his mother’s womb, as Adam was created in the womb of the earth. Job 31:15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb? 33:6 Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay.
This corresponds with verse fifteen of our text. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Pastor Gene Breed
February 23, 2019
