ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-NINTH PSALM
David, having had aspersions laid upon him, calls upon God in
this Psalm to witness his innocency. Now, that this his appeal be
not thought unreasonable, he presents God in his two especial
attributes, omniscience and omnipresence; then he shows he loved
goodness, and hated wickedness.
This Psalm is divided into four parts:-
I. A description of God's omniscience, Ps 139:1-7.
II. A description of his omnipresence, Ps 139:7-18.
III. David's hatred to evil and evil men, Ps 139:19-23.
IV. A protestation of his own innocency, which he offers to the
trial of God, Ps 139:23, 24.
I. He begins with God's omniscience: "O Lord, thou hast searched
me,"
He searches and knows our actions.
1. "Thou knowest,"
2. "Thou understandest my thoughts,"
counsels and thoughts.
3. "Thou compassest my path,"
4. "There is not a word,"
knowest.
And for this he gives this reason: God is our Maker: "Thou hast
beset me," two arguments prove that God knows all
things.
1. God knows all the past and future: "Beset behind and before."
2. He governs man: "Thou God madest man,"
concludes this Divine attribute, omniscience, with an acclamation:
"Such knowledge,"
II. From God's omnipresence the prophet argues that man cannot
hide any thing from God, for he is every where present.
1. "Where shall I go,"
2. "Or whither shall I flee,"
There is no place that is not before thee.
1. "If I ascend up to heaven,"
2. "If I make my bed in hell,"
3. "If I take the wings of the morning,"
And among many instances that might be brought forward to prove
God's omniscience and omnipresence, we may simply instance the
formation of a child in the womb.
1. "Thou hast possessed my reins,"
wholly to frame, and cherish me when formed.
2. "Thou hast covered me,"
bones,
Then the prophet breaks out in admiration of God's works.
1. "I will praise thee,"
2. "I am fearfully,"
with reverential fear.
3. "Marvellous are thy works."
Then he proceeds with the formation of the infant embryo.
1. "My substance,"
2. "When I was made in secret,"
mother's womb.
3. "And curiously wrought,"
to interweave coloured threads. Man is a curious piece, and the
variety of his faculties shows him such. [See the notes.]
4. "In the lowest parts of the earth,"
is as secret if God wrought it in the lowest part of the earth.
5. "Thine eyes did see my substance,"
without any distinct parts.
6. "And in thy book,"
picture in the eye of the painter.
7. Which in continuance,
The prophet closes this part with an exclamation.
1. "How precious also are thy thoughts,"
respects.
2. "O how great is the sum of them." They are infinite.
3. And for this cause: "When I awake,"
providence are ever before my mind, and my admiration is full of
them.
The prophet, having ended his discourse on the omniscience and
omnipresence of God, justifies himself at God's tribunal.
1. "Surely thou wilt slay the wicked,"
associate with them.
2. "Depart, therefore, from me,"
3. "For they speak against thee wickedly,"
So far from giving them the right hand of fellowship, he asks,-
1. "Do not I hate them, O Lord,"
feel for and pity them as men.
2. Then he returns this answer to himself, "Yea, I hate them,"
IV. Lastly, it would appear that his heart was sincere and pure,
or he would not abide such a trial.
1. "Search me, O God:" In the beginning of the Psalm he showed
what God did; now he entreats him to do it.
2. "Try me,"
3. "And see if there be any wicked way,"
4. "And lead me in the way everlasting." This was the end
proposed by his trial; that, if God saw any wickedness in him that
might seduce him, he would withdraw him from it; and lead him to
think, and devise, and do those things which would bring him to
life eternal.
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