It saves a lot of argument and trouble, and perhaps mistakes leading to greater violence, if folks know exactly where you stand.”
–Louis L’Amour (Killoe)
“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”
–Isaiah 58:11 (ESV)
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This morning we will finish our look at Psalm 139, and what a powerful portion it is. George Wood offers two suggestions regarding this portion of the Psalm. First, he points out that David asks God to look at the person who wronged him and that He should do something about them. Second, we see his spiritual maturity coming forth.
19 — Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
20 — For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 — Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 — I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 — Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties;
24 — And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (NKJV)
David desires a world where there is no more evil and wickedness. O what bliss if that could be true. That will happen only after the Great White Throne Judgment and the New Jerusalem descends from heaven. Until that time, wickedness will wax more and more–as the days of Noah. One thing we see in the first part of this section is David’s zealous loyalty to God. David could not bear to hear God’s name taken in vain and blasphemed. His name was being abused and it greatly bothered David. Yet, today, we see this happening even among the family of God. Shame! David said that he could not be accepting of those who despise God.
One thing that we should gather from this section that there is no place of neutrality toward those who attack God; they are to be counted as his enemies. “To oppose God was to oppose David” (Lawson) and so it should be with us. John tells us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15, NKJV) James exhorts us, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friends of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4, NKJV) Perhaps it would be good for us to read verse 19 from the NLT, “O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers!”
Yet, before we go further, we need to stop and ask God to search and judge ourselves. Explore my heart, he is saying, he wanted God to know his heart so God could make it known to him.” (Lawson) Have you ever thought why we need mirrors? It is to check ourselves, to see if there is a stray hair or a blemish that we don’t know about. Sometimes we need to take a closer look in the mirror, that is, we need to take a closer look in God’s Word and then ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what is wrong or what may be false in our lives. God, though infinite, is also very personal. Psalm 139 is a good psalm to read to take inventory of our lives. Steven Lawson states, “As we ponder the immensity of His greatness, yet intimately involved in a personal relationship with us, our hearts should be awestruck, even dumbfounded, that He should be so mindful of and involved with us.”
In closing I would add the prayer given by George Wood: “Lord Jesus, please dig into me. As You search, I ask You to carry away the thoughts, habits, and actions that offend You; and to repair the wounds that only You can heal. Thank You that although You know everything about me, You still accept and love me.”
“Lord, we thy presence seek;
May ours this blessing be;
Give us a pure and lowly heart,
A temple meet for thee.”
–John Keble
————————————-
This morning we will finish our look at Psalm 139, and what a powerful portion it is. George Wood offers two suggestions regarding this portion of the Psalm. First, he points out that David asks God to look at the person who wronged him and that He should do something about them. Second, we see his spiritual maturity coming forth.
19 — Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
20 — For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 — Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 — I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 — Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties;
24 — And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (NKJV)
David desires a world where there is no more evil and wickedness. O what bliss if that could be true. That will happen only after the Great White Throne Judgment and the New Jerusalem descends from heaven. Until that time, wickedness will wax more and more–as the days of Noah. One thing we see in the first part of this section is David’s zealous loyalty to God. David could not bear to hear God’s name taken in vain and blasphemed. His name was being abused and it greatly bothered David. Yet, today, we see this happening even among the family of God. Shame! David said that he could not be accepting of those who despise God.
One thing that we should gather from this section that there is no place of neutrality toward those who attack God; they are to be counted as his enemies. “To oppose God was to oppose David” (Lawson) and so it should be with us. John tells us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15, NKJV) James exhorts us, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friends of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4, NKJV) Perhaps it would be good for us to read verse 19 from the NLT, “O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers!”
Yet, before we go further, we need to stop and ask God to search and judge ourselves. Explore my heart, he is saying, he wanted God to know his heart so God could make it known to him.” (Lawson) Have you ever thought why we need mirrors? It is to check ourselves, to see if there is a stray hair or a blemish that we don’t know about. Sometimes we need to take a closer look in the mirror, that is, we need to take a closer look in God’s Word and then ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what is wrong or what may be false in our lives. God, though infinite, is also very personal. Psalm 139 is a good psalm to read to take inventory of our lives. Steven Lawson states, “As we ponder the immensity of His greatness, yet intimately involved in a personal relationship with us, our hearts should be awestruck, even dumbfounded, that He should be so mindful of and involved with us.”
In closing I would add the prayer given by George Wood: “Lord Jesus, please dig into me. As You search, I ask You to carry away the thoughts, habits, and actions that offend You; and to repair the wounds that only You can heal. Thank You that although You know everything about me, You still accept and love me.”
“Lord, we thy presence seek;
May ours this blessing be;
Give us a pure and lowly heart,
A temple meet for thee.”
–John Keble