Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach

The Omniscient of God 

ESV

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
³ You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
⁵ You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.

RVR 1960

Oh Jehová, tú me has examinado y conocido. 

² Tú has conocido mi sentarme y mi levantarme;
Has entendido desde lejos mis pensamientos.

     There can be no doubt that David is asking the Lord to search his heart in its inner most depths of our soul. Only the true God, Jehovah is capable of such a task and David is honoring and worshiping Him in this request. He also makes a great Doctrinal declaration here in this first verse that I think many miss. By saying O Lord, you have searched me and known me, and in declaring that only the true God is capable of such an act David declares God’s Omniscience. 

 The rest of the entire Psalm is akin to verses 2-4 where David declares God’s Omniscience by stating:

²You know…and my 
You understand my 
³ You ^[a]comprehend my…
And are acquainted…all my ways.
⁴ you know it altogether

     In our text today we find the following:

You hem me in, some version use hedged, encircled enclosed, etc. The idea is that God’s knowledge has surrounded David (us) 

behind and before, before us is our chosen path (the way we think we have determined to go) and behind us is God who has witnessed everything we have done. All the while God has been in control of all things.

and lay your hand upon me. What a privileged, what a comfort to know that the all-knowing God of the universe will lay {His} your hand upon me whether for correction or for help God always knows what I need and will be there to help. BUT just like David God has some expectations of us. They are not hard, all He asks is a little communication, like David we need to call out to God in prayer. Not just in times of trouble but daily in praise and adoration as well as for our needs and the needs of others. 

I encourage you to read all of  Psalm 139

The Treasury of David by C.H. Spurgeon Psalm 139:5