It seems like the fact that God is all seeing/all knowing/impossible to hide from, and yet still perfectly loving and merciful, is actually the very thing that gives the psalmist the freedom to present himself in full honesty to him, even expressing intense hatred and desire for vengeance, rather than an anxious, cleaned up, performance of piety. The psalmist is free to express himself in full honesty knowing that his merciful God will search him and find any grievous way in him and lead him in the way everlasting.
In one sense, Psalm 139 demonstrates the limitations of human introspection in relation to Divine Justice. The rationalization of verses 21 & 22 of - “Hating those who hate You”, feels like a dark appeal to God’s punishing power. This is the same mindset of the Disciples who had wanted fire to rain down from heaven to consume the rude Samaritan village. Or the desire by many at the time, to crush the Romans and usher in the Messianic Kingdom, etc.. The Psalmist attitude is set in contrast to the nonselective, nonpartisan Grace of Jesus who demonstrated ubiquitous redemption for even his enemies who nailed him to The Cross – “Father forgive them for they know not what they do….” It’s a chiastic hourglass kind of structure where the Psalmist reveals the all too human propensity for retribution, once we declare the deck of intimacy with God is stacked in our favor. I’m not so sure with God, there ultimately are any “lines” that we need to stand on either side of (?) Just as the Psalmist can claim God’s intimate knowledge and presence in his own life, he seems to forget that God also deeply knows his supposed enemies intimately, personally and efficaciously and the limited temporal evil they do, although satanically reproachable, cannot ultimately separate them from His Love in the end.
Attending to the final lines, for me, is the key to understanding this psalm. Contrast the ending "Search me, God, and know my heart" with the opening "You have searched me, God, and you know me". The opening verses speak to me of desperation, of panic, of trying and failing to hide from God and to flee from God. And then, half way through, there is a turning round (as happens in many psalms, especially imprecatory ones) with v13 launching the note of wonder and praise. So there is a glorious transition, culminating in submission - and, I would suggest, that the psalmist is exposing his anger in v19-22 to God's correction.
I was tracking with you until the words “it stands to reason.” I was expecting you to go in one direction and then you went in another: “it stands to reason that the poet would adopt a posture of hatred toward the enemies of God. “
I’m not suggesting I disagree, I’m just not seeing the logic of the connection that you are seeing. I was more expecting something a long the lines of what the other commenter here (L Allen) is suggesting. That is, not that “God knows my heart, so I better be found on the right side of God,” but rather, “God knows my heart, and here’s what’s in it.”
It seems like the fact that God is all seeing/all knowing/impossible to hide from, and yet still perfectly loving and merciful, is actually the very thing that gives the psalmist the freedom to present himself in full honesty to him, even expressing intense hatred and desire for vengeance, rather than an anxious, cleaned up, performance of piety. The psalmist is free to express himself in full honesty knowing that his merciful God will search him and find any grievous way in him and lead him in the way everlasting.
In one sense, Psalm 139 demonstrates the limitations of human introspection in relation to Divine Justice. The rationalization of verses 21 & 22 of - “Hating those who hate You”, feels like a dark appeal to God’s punishing power. This is the same mindset of the Disciples who had wanted fire to rain down from heaven to consume the rude Samaritan village. Or the desire by many at the time, to crush the Romans and usher in the Messianic Kingdom, etc.. The Psalmist attitude is set in contrast to the nonselective, nonpartisan Grace of Jesus who demonstrated ubiquitous redemption for even his enemies who nailed him to The Cross – “Father forgive them for they know not what they do….” It’s a chiastic hourglass kind of structure where the Psalmist reveals the all too human propensity for retribution, once we declare the deck of intimacy with God is stacked in our favor. I’m not so sure with God, there ultimately are any “lines” that we need to stand on either side of (?) Just as the Psalmist can claim God’s intimate knowledge and presence in his own life, he seems to forget that God also deeply knows his supposed enemies intimately, personally and efficaciously and the limited temporal evil they do, although satanically reproachable, cannot ultimately separate them from His Love in the end.
💗🕊💗
Attending to the final lines, for me, is the key to understanding this psalm. Contrast the ending "Search me, God, and know my heart" with the opening "You have searched me, God, and you know me". The opening verses speak to me of desperation, of panic, of trying and failing to hide from God and to flee from God. And then, half way through, there is a turning round (as happens in many psalms, especially imprecatory ones) with v13 launching the note of wonder and praise. So there is a glorious transition, culminating in submission - and, I would suggest, that the psalmist is exposing his anger in v19-22 to God's correction.
I was tracking with you until the words “it stands to reason.” I was expecting you to go in one direction and then you went in another: “it stands to reason that the poet would adopt a posture of hatred toward the enemies of God. “
I’m not suggesting I disagree, I’m just not seeing the logic of the connection that you are seeing. I was more expecting something a long the lines of what the other commenter here (L Allen) is suggesting. That is, not that “God knows my heart, so I better be found on the right side of God,” but rather, “God knows my heart, and here’s what’s in it.”
Fair point.