Psalm 139 is another familiar and magnificent composition by David. When during his life he wrote this we don’t know. It has the aroma of younger days, when he had more time for contemplation of God before his busy reign as King began. But it pertained to his entire lifetime, I’m sure, as it does mine. I’m going to camp here awhile (as I did with Psalm 119), because, like Psalm 119, its content is so rich.
This song is full of praise to Yahweh (14), yet it remains a prayer for God’s scrutiny & examination of his heart & deepest thoughts (23-24). It reminds me of Psalm 19:14, where David prayed, “Let the words of my mouth & the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock & my redeemer.” Perhaps David recalled what God said about him when he chose him to be king and called him “a man after my own heart.” David focused a lot on his heart throughout his lifetime, even during the dark times from his sin with Bathsheba onward.
David had a heart for God as Psalm 138:1 tells me. So when he praised God’s omniscience in 1-6 and God’s omnipresence in 7-12 and his creative omnipotence in 13-16, he did so marveling at God’s multidimensional being, while at the same time finding God to be intensely personal & intimate with him (17-18). There was something just & righteous that rose up in David when he thought of God like this that made him God’s advocate & ally (19-22). Oh that I might be more like David here in my prayers and praise and marvel more & more at David’s God.
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