 Vol. 17, No. 5, Sep. - Oct. 1988 |
DAVID'S WORSHIP
Psalm 139
Harry Foster
Such understanding is a real feature of this intensely individual psalm which records the heart outpouring of a man who is quite alone with his God. In its 24 verses there are 46 references to David himself and 35 to the Lord. The only outside reference is to his hatred of the Lord's enemies; apart from them, this is a song sung to the Lord alone and offered to Him in heartfelt devotion. Perhaps it may help us to gain a better understanding of how we may bring acceptable adoration to our Saviour. The Lord Jesus told the woman of Samaria that the Father desires and appreciates true worshippers. Naturally we who are His children want to satisfy our Father's desires, so a study of this psalm may perhaps help us to identify some of the elements of the true spiritual worship which we may bring Him. They are:
1. WONDER
True faith is never self assured. It always finds itself confronted by that which seems too good to be believed. When captive Israel was released from Babylon, they confessed that it all seemed like a delicious dream (Psalm 126:1). When Peter was brought out of Herod's prison, he could not believe that it was really happening and expected to wake out of a dream at any moment (Acts 12:9). Such wonder makes for genuine worship. People who think that they know and can predict in detail how God is going to work, seldom do more than give God credit for what they always expected of Him, and can even take some satisfaction in their own perspicacity. They will doubtless be thankful, but they will not be brought low in wondering worship. It is when we are surprised by the Lord's unexpected goodness that our hearts are melted in wondering worship. I truly believe that at times God finds pleasure in giving us surprises, and the Gospel stories bear out this idea.
See here what David says about the greatness of his God: "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it" (v.6). Look, as he considers how to get away from God [98/99] and finds it quite impossible: "If I ascend to heaven" he argues, or "If I take the wings of the morning", or "If I try to hide in the dark", there is no way. I have to give it up. His own being and history are quite beyond him. "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" he says of God's wonderful skill, and "all my days are written in Your book even before they have ever happened" (v.16). And of all wonders, the greatest is the wonder of God's love: "Your thoughts about me cannot be counted" he sings, "You are with me while I sleep and still with me when I wake up".
It is all summed up in David's words, "Too wonderful!" Like the rest of us, David longed to do some great work for God. He even planned to build a magnificent temple. However the prophet Nathan came and told him not to do it but just to listen to God's promises to him. So David went and sat before the Lord and worshipped. "Who am I to be so blessed?" he asked, and then added, "Thou art great, O Lord God, for there is none like Thee" (2 Samuel 7:22). Perhaps that was David's finest hour; not when he was doing mighty public deeds, but when in the secret place with God he was pouring out his heart in worship. God has a lot of people working for Him. It is true that there are not nearly enough, but there are many. Alas, He has only a few who will sit quietly in His presence and wonder at His greatness.
A friend can give you presents or work hard on your behalf and so give you great pleasure. If, however, you have ever had a loved one look straight in your eyes and murmur, "I think you are wonderful", you will agree that this is the greatest joy a person can ever experience. And what about our God? Can we not give Him that joy? Yes, and supremely so when we look into His face and tell Him that we find Him most wonderful. That was what David did as he sat in God's presence alone. He had many faults, but he was a true worshipper. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why God described David as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).
2. DISCOVERY
We cannot know God unless and until He reveals Himself to us. David's glowing and eloquent words of worship came, in a sense, from what he had been taught about God, but his method of describing the divine wonders suggests that his knowledge came also from personal experience. From God's side it was revelation but from David's it can best be described as discovery.
