Part one can be found here: Psalm 139:1-18 – Part One

Part two can be found here: Psalm 139:1-18 – Part Two

“¹³ For thou hast possessed my reins:
thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
marvellous are thy works;
and that my soul knoweth right well.
¹⁵ My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret,
and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect;
and in thy book all my members were written,
which in continuance were fashioned,
when as yet there was none of them.
¹⁷ How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!
how great is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand:
when I awake, I am still with thee.” Psalm 139:13-18

“²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts:
²⁴ and see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24

In verse thirteen, King David describes the wonder of child birth.  Each human baby is essentially a divine creation of God (Jeremiah 1:5).  He “wove” us together in our mother’s womb, assembled our every part with painstaking precision.  There is nothing about us He is not intimately familiar with.  God created our bodies, He infused our immortal spirit within this tent, our physical body – the union of our parents was merely the beginning, the creation of each baby is a masterpiece of work, designed and implemented by God, who formed our very essence according to His divine direction.

In verse fourteen, the philosopher king praises the Lord, understanding that he was created by God, and set apart from the rest of Creation, from inanimate objects, and lesser forms.  The human body is a miracle of immense proportions, that we have yet to even begin to understand.  Humanity was set above all else, to have dominion and rule (Genesis 1:28).  Yet David acknowledges that we are but a miniscule part of Creation, that the works of God filled him with wonder and awe.  The God that created us also created the Earth and the heavens, as well as all that is within them (Colossians 1:16).

In verse fifteen, David again speaks of our very formation, when we were being formed in the womb (when I was made in secret), where the eyes of man cannot see.  This obviously does not any longer apply, however, we are still made in a dark and hidden environment (in the lowest parts of the earth), one that is still not fully understood, despite our vast knowledge.  We were “curiously” formed – meaning the amazing connection of our organs, tissues, bones, muscles etc., all woven together into an extremely complex, highly efficient being, one that functions amazingly well.

In verse sixteen, David’s thoughts form some pretty amazing conclusions, nothing that is outside the bounds of Scripture, but quite amazing nonetheless.  While we are yet a formless blob of human substance encased within our mother’s womb, God knows exactly how we will be formed, how our bodies will turn out, how tall we will be, our musculature, eye color, skin color, nothing is hidden from Him.  God’s “book,” or blueprint if you will, contains all the details.  There is nothing that is hidden from God where we are concerned (1 Corinthians 6:19).  This applies not only to our physical bodies, but to all things pertaining to us.  God knows the span of our days, He knows of all that we will do and say, what we will accomplish, whether or not we will accept Him or turn away.  Every conceivable thing about each and every one of us is known to God, even before we were “formed” in our mother’s womb.

In verse seventeen, God’s thoughts about David are precious to him, and endless.  The God of all Creation has many thoughts where we are concerned, attempting to count them would be as fruitless as counting the grains of sand on the beach.

In verse eighteen, the theme of verse seventeen is continued, God’s thoughts toward us are limitless, we rest and sleep, and still, God is with us, watching over us (2 Chronicles 16:9a).  Always there, always willing to guide and forgive, if we come to Him.

In verse twenty-three, David invites God to “search” him, to look into his innermost thoughts.  David invites a thorough examination of his thoughts, his heart, of his every intention, his purpose behind every thought and action.  God looks to the heart, and not such useless things as appearance and stature, as we tend to do (1 Samuel 16:7).

In verse twenty-four, this idea is carried forward yet more.  David asks God to see if there are any idols within David, if he is deviating from the one true religion – the worship of, and obedience to the one true God.  That the Lord would continue to direct his steps, and keep him on the path to eternal life with God, that David would forever be a faithful follower of God, never straying to illegitimate gods and idol worship (Matthew 7:13-14).