Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. Psalm 139:4 NASB Even before– We are fond of claiming that God created out of nothing. The theological term is creation ex nihilo. Although the first verse of Genesis is often read as a proof text for this doctrine[1], theologians also employ…
You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Psalm 139:3 NASB Intimately acquainted with– Actually, the text doesn’t really say this. The last word in the sentence, hiskanet-tah, comes from the verb sākan. The translator has added “intimately” in order to capture the tone of this psalm. The verb…
Yes, I know it’s Shabbat, but these two items are well-worth the exception. Ellen Jones is out of ICU and home. Recovery will take time, but she is on the mend. Thank you for your prayers. Now we have another woman who needs support. Pam’s youngest son died and then her husband. Her other son…
You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Psalm 139:3 NASB Scrutinize– Been winnowed lately? When necessary, God takes us down to the threshing floor. The Hebrew verb, zārâ, is a product of the Israelite agrarian culture. It means, “fan, scatter, cast away, winnow; disperse, compass, spread, be scattered, dispersed.”[1] …
Bob and Ellen Jones of the Sarasota community have been faithful supporters and hosts for us many times. A few days ago Ellen was admitted to the hospital after collapsing. She has been in ICU since. Please pray for her recovery. She and Bob are wonderful people and a great example of a Torah observant…
You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. Psalm 139:2 NASB Understand– If God “knows” everything about me, then why do we also read, “You understand”? Isn’t knowing and understanding pretty much the same thing? As it turns out, in Hebrew these two ideas are different, and the difference is precisely…
You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. Psalm 139:2 NASB Thought– God knows it all, right? He knows every thought you have, every fleeting desire, every inclination, every unvoiced declaration. We all agree. God knows us—perhaps better than we know ourselves. After all, He is the omniscient external observer in…
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. Psalm 139:1 NASB Searched– Does anyone really know you? Do you really know yourself? If the research into personality and identity formation is correct, we would be inclined to answer both of these questions with, “No.” There are some really good reasons why this is the case. First, really being…
