In March of 2009, Dutch artist Johan van der Dong decided God needed a telephone number. So, he got him one. A cell phone number to be exact—to show that God was “available anywhere and anytime.” “In earlier times you would go to a church to say a prayer,” Dong said in an interview, “and now [this is an] opportunity to just make a phone call and say your prayer in a modern way.”
Apparently people appreciated the opportunity for this “divine hotline.” Within one week, over 1,000 people left God a message. On one hand, it’s great to know that over 1,000 people want to connect to God. On the other hand, you have to wonder how people felt once the “connection” is made. The disturbing problem was when you call the number set up for God, this is what you heard on the other end: “This is the voice of God. I am not able to speak to you at the moment, but please leave a message.” That doesn’t exactly convey the idea of a God who is “available anywhere and anytime,” does it? Evidently van der Dong was encouraged because he planed on keeping the line open for six months.
When you think about it, all this Dutch artist did was to give people the very wrong, unbiblical impression that God is disconnected from us.
Associated Press, “Dutch leave messages on God phone,” www.newsvote.bbc.co.uk (3-7-09), and Reuters, “Leave God a message at his Dutch answering service,” www.reuters.com (3-2-09)
We looked at the majesty of God in several ways, a cosmic view comparing Him to creation, a merciful God who supplies water to a thirsty people. In Psalm 139 we see God who is very personal, very connected to us. He is truly connected to His people. In fact when we read Psa. 139 we find 3 characteristics of the Lord that far exceed anything we can ever experience. These 3 qualities are God’s all knowing knowledge, God’s vastness or enormity, and His power. These 3 qualities, God’s vastness, knowledge and power, come to each of us in a very personal way. The more we think of them and attempt to understand how our heavenly Father connects with us in this way it’s overwhelming. This is what happened to the David. He says in v.17;
17How precious also are Your thoughts to (toward) me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
This verse is the pivot point of the psalm. We could summarize it this way.
God’s infinite majesty is poured out upon us in infinite ways.
Another way of thinking of this is to say; God is very close to us. This majesty, or “closeness” that is described in 3 ways in vv. 1-18. Notice in v. 17 that God’s works, plans, thoughts and character are so overwhelming that David calls them “precious”, or “wonderful”. We would say, “mind-boggling” or “awesome.” God is not satisfied to simply reign as King over His universe. He desires to have a personal relationship with us on the deepest level. He searches and knows us, v.1. His eye is always upon us, vv. 2-3. He hears all that we say, v.4. All of this overwhelms David, v.6.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.
As a painter knows his picture, and a sculptor knows his statue so God knows each of us.
The thoughts of the psalm move being seen by God, vv. 1-6, to being pursued by God, vv. 7-12, to being fashioned by God, vv. 13-16, and David’s love of God’s thoughts, vv. 17-18. It’s in these 3 poetic meters that we find the 3 characteristics of God as they are revealed toward us. So in vv. 1-6 how is God’s infinite majesty poured out on us?
God knows each of us intimately (vv. 1-6)
Now that’s pretty scary.
1O LORD, You have searched me and known me
God is like a doctor giving a physical examination. He’s like an MRI machine searching out the very depths of our being. He sees every bone, sinew and tissue. He’s like an intimate friend probing us until we reveal all. Where we are or what we’re doing, or when we do it, doesn’t make any difference. God is intimately aware of our thoughts.
2You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend (sift) my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
When we think about this a little more we realize that it’s not just that He knows what we’re thinking, He understands (the reason for) what we think, i.e. our hidden motives and agendas. He knows what we think about people and our motives for what we say to them. In a very real sense He knows us better than we know ourselves.
When you stop to think about how intimately God knows us, do you think we would change our thoughts and words if we really understood the active presence of God in our lives? Just knowing how intimately God is aware of our thoughts should lead us to desire to bring every thought captive to Him.
2Cor. 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
In this way God protect us from our selves and from harm (v.5).
5You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.
If we truly stop to think about how God loves us in all His majesty, we too would say the same as David. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.” (v.6).
Not only does God know us intimately. God is also with us constantly.
God is with us constantly (v. 7-12)
Another way of thinking about this is that God continually pursues us. Yes, David was awed by the fact that God knows all about us. But then that’s rather scary and we want to run away and hide.
7Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
And isn’t that just like us. We want people to know who we are, but we don’t want others to dig too deeply into our lives. There are certain facts about us that we don’t even tell ourselves. They’re too tender, hurtful, and intimate. These are the feelings and facts that God knows intimately. Yet, at the same time He’s constantly with us.
Where can we go from God’s Spirit, from His presence? Nowhere, even to pit of Hell, God is there. God commands His the entire creative order. There is no corner in which He is absent – in life and in death.
On Sunday, July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 landed on the surface of the moon. For those of us who remember that event, we also can remember astronaut Neil Armstrong’s historic statement when he stepped onto the moon’s surface: “That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”
But here’s an event few know about. Buzz Aldrin had brought aboard the spacecraft a tiny Communion kit. His church gave it to him. Aldrin sent a radio broadcast to Earth asking listeners to contemplate the events of that day and give thanks. Then, in radio blackout for privacy … [Aldrin] read, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit.” Silently, he gave thanks and partook.
Dennis Fisher, “Communion on the Moon,” Our Daily Bread (June/July/August 2007); Wikepedia: Buzz Aldrin
Once we’ are known by God we cannot flee His presence. Where we are doesn’t make any difference to Him. He is the providential Creator of the entire universe. He is intimately aware of who we are and where we are. Nothing in this created order prevents His presence with us. We can try to shut Him out of our lives and our thoughts but He’s still there.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, 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.
If we try to run from God we will constantly run into Him at every turn. We cannot escape Him in the darkness, even the darkness of our own souls. He is jealous for us and will not be denied.
God not only knows us intimately and is with us constantly,
God fashions each one of us perfectly.
To show the majesty of God in His power, or omnipotence, David chose the marvel of birth. How can it be that God knows our very thoughts and words? It’s that God made each of us. Note how this is described.
13For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. ….. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. ……
So God knew each of us from the very beginning, from conception. But He knows us throughout all of life even to the day we pass from this life into the next.
16……. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned(formed) for me, when as yet there were none of them.
Psalm 139 is not the only place where we find God telling us that He knows us.
Pro. 20:27The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all the inner depths of his heart.
Eccl. 3:11He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
So what do these verses and other like them tell us about God’s intimate relationship with us? God has made each of us very special. We have our own special gifts, abilities, talents, desires and purpose for Him. God put each of us here, in this time and place for a very special reason. It’s our responsibility to discover that purpose. It’s our responsibility to be so attuned to God that we are aware of His presence in our lives.
This leads to another thought. We shouldn’t try to be like some one else. Nor should we be jealous of another’s gifts and abilities. Is God aware of the trials and difficulties we’ve been through? Of course He is. We were told that in vv. 1-3. This doesn’t mean we’re to blame God for the bad rap we think we’ve been handed. Rather we should be all the more diligent in staying close to Him for His protection and His presence. After all, He is the only One who truly knows us and has the perfect plan for us.
We close with the hymn “No higher calling” the chorus of that hymn reads;
There is no higher calling,
No greater honor
Than to bow and kneel
Before Your throne.
I’m amazed at Your glory,
Embraced by Your mercy,
Oh Lord, I live to worship You.
All of our lives should be, must be, a worship of the God who created each of us in a very special way. God’s infinite majesty is poured out on us in infinite ways. He knows each of us intimately; is with us constantly and fashioned each of us perfectly. Should we not worship Him daily?
