Commentary on Psalm 139, by A. Marsnik
Transcribed from a session of morning devotions
December 23,1987
I was impressed by that one verse (verse 4) in the hymn that we just sang, Burn, Fire of God:
Burn, fire of God! with seven-fold refining,
Till mirrored from my deeps Thine eyes shall see
In purest gold Thy perfect image shining:
Thy Christ revealed in clear irradiancy.
And I just saw what a tremendous picture that was: God, as it were, from the foundation of the world — from before the foundation of the world, really — in thought, looking, looking at His creation that had not yet come into being, through which and from which would be mirrored back to Him the image of His Son. And I’ll tell you, there is something that is absolutely thrilling, awesome and astounding over that reality. There is God, entertaining in His heart His plan of creation. And He has no other real purpose to create, except that that creation will in some way mirror back to Him His Son.
And so we look at God in terms of the triple aspect of His ministry: We see God as Creator, bringing something that is not Himself into being; but nevertheless this thing that is not Himself He will identify with in a way that will cause there to be a union between Himself and creation. We see God securing that for Himself, of course, in the creation of man — man, being the one who would have the heavenly energy breathed into Him, when God breathed into the dust and there was Adam. There was a heavenly energy then imparted to the earth to bring an otherwise scattered, chaotic world back to God.
And yet we see what happened: we saw that man, that Adam, endued with this tremendous heavenly energy, did not use it to bring creation back to God; but horrible thing as it was, he used the heavenly energy to go against God. Do you know that nothing in the realm of nature knows anything of the fall? They did not have enough energy in them, they did not have enough life in them, to ever affront God. Never. But Adam was the recipient of the heavenly energy, and the awfulness of the fall was that the God-given energy and life that God bestowed upon creation through Adam was in turn used against God.
So we see God in His creative contemplation, thinking of a world that, had it remained totally in line with His purposes, would have mirrored back to Him the image of the living Word, namely Jesus. Then we see the next aspect of God’s ministry in the Incarnation, when the Word became fully flesh. I say that because I believe there is a sense in which even with the creation of Adam the Word became flesh. That was the beginning of the incarnation. But with the Incarnation there was a commitment on the part of Christ to become, as it were, more flesh than even Adam was, than the Word becoming flesh in Adam — because there were other layers, there were depths of flesh now that Adam partook of after the fall that he did not partake of before the fall.
And so the Word of God coming in Jesus Christ, identifying with flesh and blood, goes deeper. The Word takes on all of flesh, every bit of it; and unto the end that the flesh, every single layer of it that the Word identified with, could be in some sense renounced on the cross. There had to be a renunciation of the flesh in order for the flesh to be brought into alignment with the purposes of God, and so when Jesus died on the cross there were two things involved. It was basically a saying “no” to the flesh that would be governed by flesh, but it was a saying “yes” to a God who would order flesh. Hallelujah!
And so we find the third aspect of the ministry of God in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on the cross. And I realize that until we grasp the depth to which God had to go, leaving not one atom untouched by the presence of the Word, there’s going to be something missing in our perspective, and we’re going to try to fill up the gap between God and man with something else. But Jesus is the one who is the Filler-up of the gap. Praise the Lord! And I was again quickened to read, in connection with God’s overall view of creation, I was just drawn again to those precious words in Psalm 139.
I would like as we read this psalm to consider it as the speaking of man, the speaking of creation, to God. This is how creation, particularly in its spokesman man, is speaking to God.
“O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me.” I believe the tremendous search-light of God was progressively moving into every stratum of human flesh as the Word became flesh. Jesus said He is the Light of the world, and as the Light of the world took on those layers of flesh, He was a light that was searching out the darkness. But I think I had occasion to minister, on another occasion, that God just doesn’t search us out to make us look bad. He searches us out with a light in order that when the impurities are discovered, they not only are changed, but the light provides a strength and a guide for us to break away from the inconsistencies and be gathered unto the light. There’s a gathering power in the light of God. There’s a gathering, there’s a unifying influence in the life of Jesus. And layer, after layer, after layer of humanity has been searched out by that light of God in the person of Jesus — who is not the light of just some of us, but He’s the Light of the world. Keep that in mind!
Now, some people may not acknowledge it, but God’s not going to change His theme. He’s not going to change His story. Jesus is the Light of the world. Now, if we want to arrive at the end of our course imperfected [sic], we can very well choose some other light — light that has no ability to work any change in us. Or, we can submit, mournfully yet gladly, to the all-searching light of His presence, and the all-searching light of His countenance, the Word of God. “The entrance of thy word giveth light!” (Ps. 119.130) Let me tell you, there’s no way we can envisage the involvement of Jesus, the living Word, in this world as non-eventful. His coming meant that forever there was a light shining in the darkness, and the darkness would not be able to put it out. We might think we’ve put it out, and say, “Well now, that’s great, I don’t have to worry about that any more,” but the light shines, and it’s there to do its searching work.
So, let’s read some more. “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.” Can you imagine that the thought that no doubt God understood afar off was the thought, entertained by Adam, to live independently of God? Now that’s an awful thing. You see, that kind of thought, the thought entertained by Adam to live independently of God, is the thought that, when incarnated in Adam’s life, would put Adam at opposite poles from God: in the realm of darkness, as opposed to the realm of light. And that was the thought that God knew of. Far removed, when that thought that was being generated in Adam’s heart was being glimpsed at by God, I can well imagine God began to say, “I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t have done it; I should never have created him.”
But no; thanks be to God for the eternal provision of the Lamb. Hallelujah! Thanks be to God for the provision of the living, sharp two-edged sword that is able to divide asunder all of those intricate workings of the mind of man. Thanks be to God for the piercing of the heart of Mary — and I believe there is a sense in which Mary is symbolic of the whole earth being pierced by the Word, in order that the thoughts of many might be made manifest to God. (Lu. 2.35) The Word comes sharply, the Word comes to break us up in our false unity, the Word comes to shatter us in our natural existence, the Word comes as that which tells us in one way or another that a unity short of the unity with God the Father is not a unity at all, but it’s deception. And the Word comes shooting into the dark, breaking it all up, and revealing our hearts unto God. That’s the function of the Word. And we may not like it — none of us likes to be shattered, none of us — but it’s coming.
And so there was that thought entertained by man: “Oh, I could live independently of God, I could do it.” Verse 3, man speaking to God: “Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.” Thou has beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Now what does that mean? You know, people, we are positioned, as man, between the Lamb that was slain from before the foundation of the world, and a Lamb that died historically on the cross. And here we are in the middle; God has compassed us about with His presence: God’s thought in eternity — of a Lamb to match, and more than match, the self-centered thought of Adam that would suggest to Adam that he could make it on His own — and the Lamb, on Calvary, pouring out His life unto death. There’s man, somewhere in the midst of these two polarities, but it’s the Lamb on either side, hallelujah! Before, and behind.
“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” Thank God! “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.” God, you’re everywhere! You’re in heaven, and I find you in the depths of hell! I find you in the person of your Son, identified with every layer of flesh, even a flesh that was corrupting in hell. But God sent His Holy One into that realm where corruption was reigning, and God saw to it that His Holy One would not see corruption. Hallelujah! And so we see, as it were, a light coming out of the bright heavens into the dark earth. All the way to where man was in full bondage: hell. And you can imagine the elation in the heart of God when God begins to perceive the flickers of that light coming up out of hell — hallelujah! — the Word of God being returned to Him, not just with Himself this time, but gathered by those who would be willing to be His body. Hallelujah! The Dayspring from on high! (Lu. 1.78)
“The path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” (Pr. 4.18) Do you know what God is looking for? He’s all light, but he’s looking for there to come forth from the earth a light of such intensity that will match the light that went out from heaven. And what will be born back to God will be the “children of the day” (1 Th. 5.5), shot through with the very light of God’s presence. Oh, it’s wonderful, absolutely wonderful! My, I can’t think of it! David had nothing on me — it’s “too wonderful” for me!
“If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” Aren’t you glad for that? We who live, for the most part, in opposites, in states of opposing situations… As far as God is concerned, He identified with everything in us that is contrary. The darkness that would seek to hide God’s Adam all of a sudden begins to blaze with the light of the presence of the Word of God; and He’s saying, “Father, I’m coming home. This time not alone! I’m coming, bringing many sons with me.” What a splash of glory! What a splash of light!
But unless we really lay hold of this, people, we’re going to go on living just like everybody else is living, and prefer our stupid darkness, and think that’s our situation. Our selfishness, our self-centeredness… God help us! There’s a light that wants to break through from you today. We’re always saying, “O God, let your life break into me.” I want to tell you, if God the Father isn’t beholding the light in the clarity that He would like, it’s not God’s fault. We’re the people who are keeping the cloaks of darkness around us, because we’re off-center. But as we get centered, the light of the Center, who is Jesus, begins to break through our flesh; and God, looking from His heaven, sees the world all aglow with His presence. But every time we deviate — and I think I need to say this, people — every time we deviate — oh, I’m speaking this to myself — every time I deviate and in some way turn in on myself, I am basically creating a shadow, and the light of God cannot come forth.
“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.” And I thank God that there has been the possession of the reins. I thank God that the reins, or the kidneys, which are those organs which purify the body of all of the impurities, have been possessed by God. “My ransomed soul,” we say, “my ransomed soul possessing…” It’s one thing for God to have ransomed our soul, and He did that — Jesus paid the price on Calvary. But we can resist now the work that goes beyond the ransoming, and that is the possessing by God of our reins. God has ransomed us, the price has been paid, but we can resist being possessed by God. And so we wander in darkness, and we’re no good for anybody, we’re no good for ourselves, we’re no good for one another, and we’re no good for God.
And going on in that condition, we soon begin to serve again the enemy. It’s a choice all our own, because the price has been paid. But if we neglect so great a salvation, God can’t do anything more with us, and into hell we go — and this time hell is not going to provide that kind of light which leads us out. This time it’s going to be a hell that is ever permeated with the life of God in such a way that we will be eternally ashamed. He came once, to lead a people out of darkness, and people who prefer the darkness now are condemned. Herein is the condemnation, that though the light is come, men prefer the darkness because their deeds are evil. (Jn 3.19)
You see, it’s an awful thing to be involved in evil deeds, because every evil deed we perform puts a preference within us. Do you know that? Every evil thing we do begins to work a state of preference in us, and the more evil I am, the more evil things I do, the less I prefer God. I wish it were the other way around, but it’s not. It really isn’t. And this time, there is a hell that those who have chosen the darkness will have a right to inhabit.
“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” God brings the world into existence, looking out over it: waiting, waiting, waiting for the formation of His Son in the earth. I can envisage the Father and the Son enjoined in an embrace that has to take place because the earth is coming up with something of equality with God Himself — that which the earth is bringing forth has the quality of God, and God must take it to Himself. That was the thought God was entertaining for His creation, and He never gave up on that thought, even though it meant that He Himself had to experience tremendous suffering in allowing His Son to be identified, closed off, shut up from the land of the living, separated from Him, in order that we can be joined to God.
“My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” Let me tell you, people, it’s in the final stay of degradation, which is death — for the wages of sin is death; sin is dark, but death is darker, and so Jesus could not just come to forgive sins. Jesus had to taste death for every man, because that is where man was — and there was the curious work being wrought of the new creation! Hallelujah! Somewhere in that — I don’t want to say time span, because it’s so concentrated with eternity, those events of Calvary, and the tomb and the resurrection, that you almost can’t talk about it as an event in time. Though it is an event in time, it’s packed full of life and eternity! — and there was the arena for a new race. The new creation was being born, with Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, at its head, coming out of darkness, bringing with Him a train. “I see the Lord, I see the Lord, He is high and lifted up, and His train fills the temple…” We’re His train.
“Thine eyes did see my substance, being yet unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.” What does that mean? What does it mean to take the name of God in vain? It means to say, “I am of God, I am a Christian, I am born again,” but never allowing the Lord to possess the reins. And so we take the name in vain. We take the name in vain! We must recognize that the vast majority is only nominal. It doesn’t do us one bit of good to say that we’ve taken the name of Jesus, because, for the most part, we draw nigh with our lips, but our hearts are far removed. (Is. 13.13) And so we take the name in vain. In fact, we take the name unto our destruction if we’re not willing to let God do His work in us.
“Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.” I used to read this psalm and never want to read to the end; I just didn’t like it. It speaks of a perfect hatred. There is a perfect hatred; it’s a hatred against the total enemy of God, who is duping so many in this hour, holding out the allurements of darkness.
And then, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Hallelujah!
Clothe me now with linen bright and shining
Anoint my head with precious healing oil
Take my hands and use them for Your service
Take my hands for Thy dear kingdom’s toil
Cleanse my lips with coals from off the altar
Wash me now with water by Thy Word
Purge away my dross, blessed Holy Spirit
Prepare me for the coming of the Lord
That’s the idea: the preparation that will be of value to the degree that we’re serious about the coming of the Lord.
Our lives, O Lord, are not our own
You have purchased them with the shed blood of Your Son
Who laid down His life so willingly for us
Now we lay our lives down for You
With singleness of heart one purpose burns within
Our only desire: to magnify Your name
Possess our reins and purify our hearts
We abandon ourselves to You
Bethlehem Christian Work 