Although David sought more thoughts of God in his life than the number of grains of sand on the earth, he was by no means “so heavenly minded that he was of no earthly good”.
The final third of Psalm 139 (i.e. vv. 17-24) records David’s response to the incomparable God. His deep and diligent meditation upon Jehovah’s omniscience (vv. 1-6), omnipresence (vv. 7-12), and omnipotence (vv. 13-16) resulted in three practical, earthly actions. These are:
- An intense love for God. “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You” (vv. 17-18).
- An equally intense hatred for God’s enemies. “Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies” (vv. 19-22). - Utter transparency with God. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (vv. 23-24).
What a challenging example to follow!
