| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. |
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1 O Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known me.
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2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising;
Thou understandest my thought afar off.
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3 Thou searchest out my path and my lying down,
And art acquainted with all my ways.
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4 For there is not a word in my tongue,
But, lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether.
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5 Thou hast beset me behind and before,
And laid thy hand upon me.
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6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain unto it.
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Such knowledge – His mighty intellect grasps with ease all the interests of his wide domain, from immensity to minutia. R1864:3
Memory that never fails, judgment that never errs, plans that never miscarry, vigilance that never ceases. R1560:2
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7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
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Go from thy spirit – To escape or be hidden from divine power. E366
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8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.
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My bed in hell – Sheol, oblivion, death, not torment. E366
Thou art there – Even oblivion is accessible to divine power. E366
God has the same power to aid those in hell that he has to bless those in heaven. HG754:6*; HG756:1*
God's power is unlimited. Even over those in the tomb he can, and will, exert it, and bring forth all that are in the graves. (John 5:28) R2599:3
"I have the keys of death and of hades, oblivion." (Rev. 1:18) E366
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9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
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10 Even there shall thy hand lead me,
And thy right hand shall hold me.
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11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me,
And the light about me shall be night;
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12 Even the darkness hideth not from thee,
But the night shineth as the day:
The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
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13 For thou didst form my inward parts:
Thou didst cover me in my mother’s womb.
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14 I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
Wonderful are thy works;
And my soul knoweth that right well.
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Fearfully – Awe-fully; we are noble creatures, in the image of our God, except as marred by sin. R1566:3
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15 My frame was not hidden from thee,
When I was made in secret,
And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
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My substance – My organism. E404
When I was made – Either at first birth, or in the resurrection. E404
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16 Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance;
And in thy book they were all written,
Even the days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was none of them.
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In continuance – Gradually. E404
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17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
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18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand:
When I awake, I am still with thee.
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19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God:
Depart from me therefore, ye bloodthirsty men.
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20 For they speak against thee wickedly,
And thine enemies take thy name in vain.
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21 Do not I hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee?
And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
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Them – Includes both evil men and evil angels. Q322:2
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22 I hate them with perfect hatred:
They are become mine enemies.
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Perfect hatred – We want to hate what the Lord hates. "Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity " (Heb. 1:9) R4909:5, R1861:4, R5949:2, R1291:1; Q321:5, Q783:T
We hate the Antichrist systems with "a perfect hatred" because we love God with a perfect love. The two, being opposites, properly produce opposite sentiments. R1191:4
We have no thought of ever becoming more loving than the Lord. R4909:6, R2131:2
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23 Search me, O God, and know my heart:
Try me, and know my thoughts;
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Search me, O God – It is in the diagnosis of our case that we are most likely to err; it is here that sobriety of mind and meekness are so much needed. R2094:5
Try me – The Lord says, I will prove you by leaving you all your time, influence, money, everything, in your hands as my steward. Q615:T
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24 And see if there be any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting. |
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