NASHVILLE (BP) – This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing Team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum.
Bible Passages: Psalm 139:1-4, 7-16
Discussion Questions:
- Why is it important to know your purpose in life?
- What does Psalm 139:1-4 reveal about God’s care for us?
- How can you allow God to use your gifts and abilities for His kingdom this week?
Food for thought:
Anyone who has instructed teenagers has likely been asked some form of this question: “Why do I need to know this?” They want to know its purpose for their lives.
Having a sense of purpose is fundamental to all human beings. The reason for this is that God made us for His purposes, that we might love, serve and glorify Him. In Psalm 139, David expressed his amazement over this wonderful truth.
God is omniscient. He knows all things. But what was amazing to David was that God had “searched” (v. 1) him. This word indicates intention. In the Old Testament, this term is used to describe the activity of spies scouting out a land or scribes examining God’s law. David used figurative language to declare that the Lord’s knowledge of him was comparable to a purposeful examination of a matter.
“When I sit down and when I stand up” (v. 2) describes everything David did in both his public and private lives. God knew David’s deepest desires, disappointments, concerns and motivations. Twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week, God is aware of every detail of our lives. Others may not fully understand what we mean when we speak, but God does. If this is true about what we are about to say, it is also certainly true about whatever we are about to do. David’s declaration in verse 4 recognizes the Lord’s omniscience. Nothing in the past, present or future has ever been hidden from our God, Who is eternal and all-knowing.
David also focused on God’s omnipresence and its effect on him. Not only does the Lord know everything about us, but He is also everywhere. David’s questions point to a human inclination to escape God’s presence, which goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. But David recognized that God’s omnipresence offers comfort to those who trust Him. At the same time, it proves ominous for those rebelling against Him.
David relied on merisms to make his point. Merisms are polar opposites used together to express totality, completeness or the whole. For example, David said God was in “heaven” and “Sheol,” contrasting height and depth. He also referred to the “dawn” and the “western horizon,” which refer to east and west. God would be in each of these places to guide David with His “right hand” (v. 10). Even if David attempted to turn the light into darkness to hide from God, it would be like children putting their hands over their eyes and thinking they are hidden from those standing in front of them. Whatever our darkness is, it can’t keep God from seeing us. He always has His eyes on His children, even in the darkest times of our lives.
David recognized that from his conception, God was fashioning every part of him. The language of verses 13-16 depicts intricate care and precision, such as those who made thread and then wove it into fabrics. “Remarkably and wondrously” (v. 14) means that God created us uniquely in a way that should produce awe and worship. God made us in His image to glorify Him. From the moment we were conceived, the Lord has had His eyes on us. He has made every human life for a purpose. No one is an accident. Like David, we can praise God’s greatness. Because God has made us, He knows us personally and is always with us.
Explore the Bible
Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way. More information can be found at Lifeway.com/ExploreTheBible.
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