Finding Yourself in the Psalms

Psalm 139:7-12

A Psalm of God’s Presence

Psalm 139
Four sets of 6 verses
God’s Omniscience (1-6) God’s Omnipresence (7-12) God’s Omnipotence (13-18) David’s Worship (19-24)
I. God’s Omnipresence
A. Not pantheism (God IS everything)
B. Not panentheism (God is IN everything)
C. There are no limits to God’s presence
1. 139:7. Ascend into heaven. We’ve done that!
2. Make my bed in hell (sheol – the grave)
3. 139:9 “rise on the wings of the dawn” (the rising of the sun); Settle on the
far side of the sea (the setting of the sun)
a. A reference to travel as far as the eye can see
b. “If I had the ability to move from one end of heaven to the other”
D. Even there you’re hand will guide me.
E. Right hand will hold me fast. “Right hand” = strength
F. 139:11 “Surely the darkness will hide me” HIDE = “crush, bruise.” David is
saying that even when overwhelmed and it seems that God is not there, HE IS.
G. 139:12. Our eyes can adjust to LOW LIGHT, but not to NO LIGHT. But God does not need light. He sees everything.
II. We Are never hidden from God.
A. JONAH – Jonah 1:3 “from the presence of the Lord” (KJV)
B. NATHANIEL – John 1:48-50 “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree”
C. 2 Chron 16:9. King Asa – relied on King of Aram (Syria) D. Jer 23:23-24. False prophets acted as if God was not there
E. Matt 24. Two in the field. Men and women rejecting God, acting as if He is not there.

F. Hebrews 4:13 (NIV) Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid

bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

III. Your Response. Does the knowledge of God’s Omniscience bring you comfort or

distress?