“O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my down sitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off. You compass my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways—for there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have beset me behind and before and laid Your Hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.”
Psalm 139:1-6
No one knows us any better and loves us any greater.
Our all-seeing God.
Who of us can understand how Someone can know everything about us—our thoughts, secret desires (and sins), motives, fears, doubts, etc.—and still love us? In some ways that’s a bit unnerving, especially when we’re like Jonah and running from Him; in other ways, this is strangely comforting (and overwhelming) that the One Who made all that is would choose to “search us and know us.”
The Hebrew word “chaqar” is used here for “searched” and also means “to penetrate, examine thoroughly, consider in-depth, etc.” Thus, it’s an “intimate investigation”—not for the purpose of interrogation, but always for the purpose of communion.
How wonderful to know the Heavenly Father knows when we sit down and when we get up. He knows what time we go to bed at night. . .the dreams or nightmares we have. . .what time we get up in the morning. . .the type toothpaste we use. . .what we do with our spare time. . .what type books we read and what type shows we watch on television, etc. Truly, He is “acquainted (Heb. ‘cakan’—‘to be familiar with, knowledgeable of, etc.’) with all our ways—for there is not a word in our tongue that He doesn’t know it altogether.”
Hmm. . .looks like we still have quite a bit of work to do (James 3:1-12; Mt. 12:36).
Thank God for His Grace.
And, thank God for His “besetting (Heb. ‘tsuwr’—‘to cramp, confine, hem in, bind up, etc.’) us behind and before and laid His Hand upon us.” What a beautiful picture of His holding us in the “hollow of His Hand from which no one or nothing can pluck us” (Jn. 10:28-29; Ps. 73:21-24). Hallelujah!!
No wonder David said “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; I cannot attain it—i.e., ever get a hold on it. It’s simply beyond me.”
He was blown away by such an all-knowing God.
And, so should we be.
Who of us can understand the omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence of our great God? Who can comprehend His Holiness or sovereign Justice? Who can grasp a God Whose “ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than ours” (Is. 55:8-9), yet Who has made Himself knowable to us by sending His Son, Jesus, into this world and inspiring men of old to capture His Word, Will and Ways in the Holy Bible?
Yes, truly, they’re “too wonderful for us and we can never come close to grasping them.” All we can do is bow our heads, close our eyes and whisper, “Thank You, Lord, for loving me.”
By Tom Smith Morning Manna December 6, 2010
