| Church School Lesson: Wonderfully Marvelous |
Wonderfully Marvelous
November 24, 2024
Background: Psalm 139; Print: 139:1-12
Key Verse: Psalm 139:1; Devotional: Exodus 33:12-23
Psalm 139:1-12 (ESV)
1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
Psalm 139 (Commentary)
139:1-4 David contemplates the staggering omniscience of God. Not only does the Lord know everything about the universe, he has also searched and known his servant (139:1). God knows every last detail about you, too. Nothing escapes his knowledge; nothing catches him off guard. He knows all of your actions, your thoughts, and your words (139:2-4). Before a word is formed on [your] tongue, God knows what you will say (139:4).
139:5-6 In light of this, David concludes, You have encircled me and placed your hand on me (139:5). In other words, “I’m locked inside your knowledge, God. There’s nowhere to run and hide.” While the Lord’s complete awareness is bad news for the unbeliever, it is glorious news for the believer. It means we are never lost and never forgotten. Though others misunderstand and misread your intentions, God is never confused about you. God understands. How does David respond to such wondrous knowledge? He admits that it is beyond him; it’s unfathomable (139:6). When we comprehend that God can do the incomprehensible, it should cause us to be overwhelmed with worship for him.
139:7-9 Not only is the Lord omniscient, but he is also omnipresent. God is everywhere. David asks, Where can I flee from your presence? (139:7). But, of course, no one can escape God. David therefore confesses that wherever he might try to hide—even in heaven or in Sheol (the grave) or at the eastern horizon or at the western limits (139:8-9)—he would still bump into God. He inhabits the universe from top to bottom.
139:10-12 Believer, no matter where you are, God’s right hand will hold on to [you] (139:10). No darkness is too dark to hide us from his sight (139:11). To him, the night shines like the day (139:12). So, regardless of the circumstances you face, remember God is ever-present. Call on the intimate God in your day of distress, knowing that he is right by your side.