Search Me, O God! (Psalm 139)
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
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.
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!—Psalm 139 ESV
Though parts of this psalm is quoted in pro-life campaigns, is this what it is about? Let’s take a closer look at this beautiful psalm of David and see what we can learn about prayer through it.
Studying Psalm 139
Read the psalm (included in its entirety above) several times. As you do, take note of several things:
Observations
Do you notice any repeated words or themes in this psalm?
List the merisms in the psalm. What do they tell us about God? (Again, merisms refer to something by its polar extremes to refer to its entirety.)
What are the main verbs in this psalm?
Circle or highlight the pronouns used in this psalm. What person are they? Are they singular or plural? How does this impact the tone of the psalm?
What imagery and figures of speech can you find? How do these help enrich what David is saying?
What is David’s request? What does he pray for? How does it connect to his meditations on God’s character?
Look at the parallel structure in verses 23-24. How does the second line of each verse extend the ideas of the first?
Interpretation
Understanding the text
After considering the entire psalm, which genre would you place it in (e.g.lament, hymn, confidence, royal/kingship, thanksgiving, remembrance, wisdom)? Why?
The main verbs in vv. 1-5: searched, know, discern, acquainted, hem—are in perfect tense, expressing unvaried, fixed habit (Motyer). How might this add to your understanding of these actions?
Understanding its place in Scripture
Book 5: Though there are still laments sprinkled throughout this book, the focus is largely on praise and worship of the Lord, during and/or on their way home from exile. God’s personal name, Yahweh, is often used. He is the King, who will defeat His enemies and one day come again. How does this context enrich your understanding of this psalm?
What hints of David’s situation might you find in this psalm? How or when might David sing this psalm?
If David prefigures Christ, how and when might Jesus pray this psalm?
How might these impact how you pray this psalm?
A little commentary
“known” (v. 1): This is the same word to describe sexual relations between a husband and wife.
“hem” (v. 5): How can this word be positive? How can this be negative?
“presence” (v. 7): Can also be translated “face.”
“Sheol” (v. 8): Underworld, hell, abode of the dead, connected to death.
”the sea”(v. 9): Mediterranean Sea, to the west of Israel.
“inward parts” (v. 15): immaterial conscience and soul, not just internal organs
“when I awake” (v. 18): could possibly be referring to awaking into the presence of God after death, the entrance into new life with Him in person
“try” (v. 23): to test
Application
Express David’s prayer in vv. 23-24 in your own words. Can you connect it with the truths about God in this psalm?
Why do we need to be so vigilant about uprooting sin? What sins in your life are blocking you to “the way everlasting”?
Reflection: Meditation and Prayer
As I have been reviewing these psalms for this series, I was struck by one realization: my understanding of prayer is too small.
It is too small because I often think prayer means asking God for things. And then I feel a bit silly asking for such self-serving requests. So I don’t ask at all. Which isn’t the answer either.
This is how the psalms teach us a new way to pray.
Many of the psalms we have studied are a blend of powerful theology and honest requests. By first meditating on the nature of God, the psalmist’s heart is oriented properly. Out of this perspective, they then bring their requests to God.
David’s Meditation (vv. 1-18)
We see this same pattern in David’s psalm as well. As David meditates on one particular truth about God, he is led to worship. Then out of this desire to worship God, he makes his requests.
By Book 5 of the psalms, we see the exiled people return to the promised land. The pilgrim finally make it through the ascent to the temple of the Lord.
The editors of the psalter may have put David’s psalm here to reflect a bit of the posture that we want to have when we finally enter God’s home. There is awe and wonder as the pilgrim sings along with David. Through a series of merisms, he personally marvels at God’s transcendence that is also incredibly intimate:
God,
You are personal, not distant. You know me in particular, not generically (v. 1).
You know me intimately and comprehensively in every possible dimension (vv. 2-3).
You see me in public and private.
You understand our outward actions as well as our inward motivations and patterns (v. 4).
You surround me completely (v. 5).
You know me better than I even know myself (v. 6).
You are very near and close, wherever I go (vv. 7-10).
Even if I want to get away from you, I cannot escape because you’re always there before I even get there (vv. 11-12).
Your light reveals all my darkness and sin, even if I try to hide it from you.
You are the creator of vast creation but also of microscopic embryos. (vv. 13-14).
There are no secrets from you, even if my mother is even unaware of my existence (v. 15).
You not only created me body and soul, you have ordained every day of my life (v. 16).
You were there even before my beginning and you will be there when my life ends, when I enter resurrection glory (v. 18).
With all these amazing truths about God, no wonder David worships and marvels! (vv. 14, 17)
David’s Alignment (vv. 19-22)
Then, when we get to the verses 19-22, we seem to get a shift. Where do these verses come from?
As I pondered this psalm, I realized that depending on where you are, you may read this psalm either positively or negatively.
If you have nothing to hide, if your relationship with God is strong and intimate, then this psalm is incredibly comforting.
However, if you are harboring some secret sins, if you are trying to escape from God’s all-seeing gaze because you know He would not be pleased with your thoughts and actions, then this psalm could even be a little menacing.
We don’t know where David was when he wrote this psalm. He could have written it when he was on the run from his enemies. This could make it comforting for him.
But he could have also written it after Nathan confronted his sin with Bathsheba. The enormity of his foolishness could have prompted him to pen these words with a different meaning.
As we’ve seen before, the psalms don’t always have a particular situation in mind. They are specific yet broad enough to apply to many different circumstances.
In either case, David turns his focus back to God. And as he meditates, we see his heart begin to change. He realizes that because God is both transcendent and personal, the wisest thing he could do is to align himself with Him.
Similarly, the wicked evildoers that David addresses in these verses could depend on where he’s at.
If he is on the run, these could be actual enemies that taunt him and malign the name of the Lord. On the other hand, they could be spiritual enemies within that oppress his guilty soul with their accusations. Whoever these are, we see David rise from his meditations with a strong conviction: I will stand with the Lord! (vv. 21-22)
This alignment with God then forms the basis of how he prays.
David’s Prayers (v. 23-24)
Because of who God is, David’s prayers are changed. A worshipful heart will ask for God’s glory, not our own. It will seek His Kingdom, not the furtherance of ours (Matt. 6:10).
This may help to explain a little of his rather jarring requests in vv. 19-22. These verses don’t seem to fit in, but in some ways, they do. Because God sees all—including evil—David is passionate and zealous about rooting it out.
This is demonstrated in Christ, his royal descendant, as well. In his zeal, a fulfillment of Psalm 69:9, Jesus overturns the tables of the money-changers in John 213-17. A godly passion for the purity and holiness of God’s house fueled his actions.
But David doesn’t just stop at the evil around him. He turns to ask God to do the same kind of work within his own evil heart. He asks the God who sees all to root out all wickedness—even if it is within himself.
For those of us who desire to grow in faithfulness, purity, and godliness, this is a prayer we need to learn. It is easy to forget that evil is not limited to “out there.” It is also “in here”—in our own hearts.
And because God sees all—even the things we are unaware of—He is the only one who can search our hearts. The zeal and passion for righteousness is matched with a zeal and passion for personal holiness.
So as we think of how to pray Psalm 139, may we also ask God to awaken our awareness of sin in our own hearts. This might include prayers that the righteous will be victorious but let us also include a cry to God for holiness within.
Who God is should impact how we pray. As we meditate on His nature and character, it should change what we ask for. We certainly can ask for help, healing, and relief but when we reflect on His character first, it can help us push out what we ask for into not just physical requests but spiritual requests.
In John 15:16, Jesus makes a radical promise that “whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” I believe that those who are friends with Christ will pray like He does. These are the prayers that are guaranteed an answer.
May His nature shape how you and I pray today.
Counseling the Word
Because this psalm can be viewed in a couple different ways, it can be used in a variety of situations.
For those who are afraid, worried, or anxious, we can pray this psalm as a comforting prayer. We can pray for our friends, that they might not listen to the voices of the enemy that speaks fear, guilt, shame, and despair into their hearts.
On the other hand, for those who are harboring and living in sin, this can also be a gentle way to remind them that the Lord sees all. This can be a way we can encourage them to pray with David, that this same God might search and know their hearts as well, for their good and His glory.
Praying the Word
Praise: Reflect with David on all the traits of God listed in this psalm. Meditate on these truths about Him before you lay down your requests. Marvel with David at God’s creation and the vast measure of His thoughts.
Thanksgiving: Fill in the blanks with specifics to make this prayer your own. God you know me when _________
Confession: Sometimes we can view this omniscient side of God negatively because we have something to hide. Will you confess, repent and then let His omniscience be viewed as an act of God’s love for us? Delight in his presence. The shade of his hand can make us feel gloomy—or it can be a comfort when we turn back to Him.
Perhaps the evildoer is within you—your guilt and shame over the evil in your own heart. You feel like Paul in Rom. 7:15-20, where you keep doing evil though you don’t want to do it. We still struggle with sin. Confess and then ask God to awaken in you a passion for righteousness. God save me from the sin that persists in my life!
Petitions: Pray vv. 23-24 sincerely. Ask Him to grow a zeal for Him in you as you align yourself with Him joyfully and willingly. Pray He might awaken your apathetic or hard heart.
Ask God for His wisdom to lead you “in the way everlasting.”
Intercession: Pray that those who suffer with anxiety and fear might know the Lord who sees them. Pray that they might find comfort in the God who is always with them.
For those who are hardened in their hearts, ask that the Lord might awaken a zeal for God in them. Pray for a humble desire to deal with their sin before the Lord.
Extension: What is another aspect or truth about God you can meditate on? Consider His grace, mercy, love, strength, righteousness, holiness, sovereignty, wisdom, goodness, faithfulness, etc. Take some time to meditate on this quality, using a Bible dictionary or concordance to help you develop a multi-faceted view. How might these truths inform your posture and requests? How might it reset how you see your life and redefine your interpretation of what is going on in it—and therefore your prayers? How does placing God front and center help make it clear who we are?
