Psalm 139:19-24, "Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
I do not believe there is a teacher or preacher who can adequately bring out the greatness of Psalm 139. The Jews considered Psalm 119 the greatest Psalm in entire book of Psalms.
No where else in Scripture does the Holy Spirit give us such a detailed exposition of God's omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.
In verses 1-6 we see that God is all-knowing.
In verses 7-12 we see that God is ever-present.
In verses 13-18 we see that God is all-powerful.
These facts about our God had a powerful effect upon David, the penman of this Psalm (of course, God being the Author) and prompted him to take a personal, spiritual inventory.
He determines that...
He Needs to be Separate from the Wicked. "Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain." (vs.19-20) Separation is likely the most overlooked principle in our churches today, yet it is clearly taught throughout Scripture. In Genesis 13 we find Abraham separating from worldly Lot. In Exodus we find God separating His people from the wicked Egyptians. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 we're given clear teaching on the necessity of Scriptural separation, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." David states three reasons to separate from the wicked: a. Because of their doom. "Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God:" (v.19a) Our God sees all evil and will deal with all evil. We must separate from the wicked because of their doom. b. Because of their disposition. "...depart from me therefore, ye bloody men." (v.19b)
Their disposition was "bloody," suggesting they were violent people who inflicted harm on themselves and others.
Sin hurts not only those who indulge in it , but also those in whom they are around.
c. Because of their dialogue.
"For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain." (v.20) These were not people who were ignorant of God, but rather rejected God and His Word. There are people who say incorrect things about God out of ignorance. We can help them, however that was not the case with these wicked men. We must keep in mind that, as believers, we are not superior to those who are unsaved, yet we are distinct from them. Additionally, separating ourselves from the wicked does not mean isolating from the world. We exist in the world, but we are not part of it. Our Lord Jesus has given us the mission to preach the Gospel to those who are unsaved.
He Needs to be Serious in His Attitude. "Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies." (vs.21-22) It is obvious that David's relationship with the Lord was not simply a casual relationship, it was the most serious and important thing in his life. I am afraid that a major problem in our churches today is that our Christianity has become a casual and convenient relationship. There seems to be so little serious commitment. a. David's opposition to the enemies of God was passionate. "Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee?" (22a) The word "hate" here is a strong, passionate, and intense word.
David was not indifferent toward those who hated God. He felt strongly toward those who opposed the Lord and the truth of God's Word. He was passionate in his love for the Lord and his hatred toward evil.
b. David's opposition to the enemies of God was personal.
"...and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies." (vs.21b, 22b)
These wicked individuals caused him personal grief. He took no delight in those who despised God and saw nothing attractive in them. No matter how gifted they were, if they stood against God, he grieved with them. David considered the enemies of God his own personal enemies even though they did David no ill directly, they hated and opposed the One he loved supremely. This is called loyalty. c. David's opposition to the enemies of God was perfect. "...I hate them with perfect hatred:" (vs. 22a)
The term "perfect" in this context means "without flaw; complete; consistent." Imperfect hatred involves malice, targeting both the sinner and the sin. David's hatred was a profound grief over another's wrongdoing, not a dislike for the individual; it wasn't a disdain for the person God created, but for what they had become. While our stance against those who "hate" our Lord should never be malicious or "in the flesh," it must be strong and clear. There was no question as to where David stood in this issue.
He Needs to be Sincere in His Heart. "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (vs.23-24) It is clear from both Scripture and experience that we cannot rely on our own hearts, as we do not truly understand them. (see: Proverbs 28:6; Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21-23).
We frequently focus more on the spiritual state of others' hearts than our own.
This is the heartfelt prayer of a man seeking to be completely right with God, judged not by others or even himself, but by God's standards. While some might view David's prayer as risky, it is, in fact, both brave and secure.
David wants to know that God, who is all-knowing, ever-present, and all-powerful is satisfied with the purity of his heart. David's spiritual inventory serves as a valuable model for us as believers today.
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