Psalm 139:8

Psalm 139:8

God os omnipresent

Ancient beliefs about worlds and kingdoms beyond our own were many and various. Every culture had its gods and its belief systems about where those gods lived and how they exerted their power over the earth. The true God had promised Himself exclusively to Israel and the other nations were overseen by lesser gods, all of them identified through sacred places, temples and shrines, through idols and sacred objects. In fact, the idea of there being no God did not sit well with anyone in western cultures until the “so-called” Age of Enlightenment in 16th century. What all religion had in common was this idea that the “gods” were greater than humans and that they therefore occupied and controlled worlds beyond the earth. 

The one, true God does indeed dwell in a kingdom that far surpasses the constraints of this world, He reigns over the heavens and the earth, over a tangible world and also over the spiritual realms that exists within it, around it and above it. God is supreme in His omnipresence and His authority and David was wise enough to know this, in fact he had learned enough to know that even if He left this world and ascended into the heavens, God is there!

Our psalm-writer goes further, he understands that just as there is a heavenly world above and beyond the earth, so there is a world beneath us. In Hebrew this was Sheol, later called Hades by the Greeks. As we have mused before, Sheol was seen to be the place of the departed spirits of men, and it also housed the fallen angels. The spirits of men were divided into the righteous and the unrighteous and all awaited their fate on a coming day of judgement. Jesus Himself went to this place after His death, perhaps to reassure and prepare those who were about to be delivered by His resurrection? (1 Peter 3:19). This spiritual realm is certainly mysterious but one thing that David knows is that even in Sheol, God’s presence is felt, there is nowhere where men or demons can escape Him. When David talks about “making his bed” he is, of course, referring to his death. In other words, death does not remove us from the influence and justice of God, all it does is to release us from the constraints of the world. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more
Psalm18:15    A blast of breath    This verse transports us back to the exodus and Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, described in Exodus 14.  The people took an unexpected route away from their captors, no doubt the Egyptians thought it ill-advised as the Israelites found themselves confronted by a vast area of swamp and water known as the Sea of Reeds or the Red Sea. It was insurmountable and their desperate plight intensified when the dust clouds from Pharaoh’s advancing army gathered on the horizon.   There was no escape. Why had Moses led them to this deadly place? They were ill prepared and helpless to fight back.  Somehow their leader remained calm, his words, recorded in Exodus 14:13, are remarkable and highlight the faith of godly Moses. “ Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need...
Read more

Psalm 119:135

Psalm 119:135 His shining face In verse 58 0f the Psalm we commented on the apparent impossibility of being able to see the face of God. And yet this intimacy was something that the psalmists, and other writers, craved. The High Priestly blessing, prayed over the people every day, asks that the Lord make His face shine upon them. In verse 58 we discovered that this plea involved more than just being able to see the face of God, which was impossible; I quote,  “ The Hebrew word for face in the Old Testament can be translated “presence.” Now things start to make more sense! Those Israelites who so regularly abandoned the Lord God were being reminded to seek again the presence of God and the psalmist lets it be known that this is his constant quest. When you think about it, a person’s face reveals a great deal about their character and personality even, maybe, their circumstances or lifestyle. The more we seek the face of God and the more we spend time in His presence, the more like H...
Read more