Psalm 139—God’s Omniscience (3)

Job was taught the greatness of his God by way of questioning. Read it in Job 38 and 39: “Who provideth for the raven his food, when his young ones cry unto God? Knowest thou—Job—the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth. Hast thou loosed the wild ass? Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee? Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? Hast thou given the horse strength? Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom? Doth the eagle mount up at thy command?”

“Then Job answered the LORD, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer Thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth” (Job 40:3&4).

A ram, a lion, a big fish

Wondering, Isaac asked his father Abraham, “Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” What answer did he receive? “My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” Oh, what great faith that was! How it was then tried to the utmost, to the praise, honor, and glory of God. The outcome was perfect: “And behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son” (Genesis 22:7-13).

The man of God who had so earnestly warned King Jeroboam at the golden-calf altar at Bethel was dragged from his ass and killed by a lion on the way back to Judah, but the predator left his body alone and did his riding animal no harm. Miraculously, it did not run away either; neither did the ass. Both animals stood by the dead body like faithful watchmen as if there had never been anything but good peace between a lion and an ass. Who had ever seen such a thing? This was the Lord’s doing as a visible preaching so that all Israel might know how much indignation He had with the prophet who had not done what he was commanded. Behold, Israel, and hear; thus saith the LORD, remove the calf service far from thee! Also, was this prophet disobedient to Me? The word which he spake unto you is only truth—he spoke it in My name (1 Kings 13:24-26). If I did not spare him, would I spare you if you persist in trampling on My holy law?

Jonah had come to terms with God; he could bow under an angry God. “Take me up,” he said to the mariners, “and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you” (Jonah 1:12). This Jonah said but not because he knew that God had prepared a great fish that would swallow him up.

When the sea was calm, the mariners feared exceedingly and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows. Meanwhile, from the belly of the fish Jonah’s prayer climbed up to the all-knowing God—LORD, Thou knowest! It was taken over and, cleansed by the great High Priest, was a sweet smell before the face of the Father. Therefore, Jonah, deep under the water, could rejoice by faith: “Yet I will look again toward Thy holy temple…Salvation is of the LORD.” After three days and three nights, the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out on dry land.

Ye are of more value than many sparrows (Luke 12:7)

The sparrows sold in the market were worth very little, so little that they were not traded individually but in pairs— two for just a penny and five for two pennies. Only the poorest bought them because they had little money and much hunger. What shall we eat? As long as we have something to eat… For the rest, no one paid any attention to those dead sparrows or to the fluttering and hopping birds around them. However, God continually has His eye on every living sparrow; not one falls to the earth without His will. People pass by dead sparrows, but not one of them is forgotten before God (Luke 12:6). People count sparrows by twos or by fives, but God counts them individually.

“Fear ye not therefore,” said the Lord Jesus to His disciples, “ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31). Though men have no interest in sparrows, though they attach no value to them, God knows them and cares for them—how much more for you. Not one of them has been forgotten by God—how much less you. Does He count the sparrows individually? Does He know how many there are? Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Not one sparrow falls to the ground without the Father, nor will one hair fall from your head without His will (Matthew 10:30). Why, then, are you anxious for your lives, anxious for what you shall eat and drink and with what you shall clothe yourselves? Why do you fear those who persecute you for My sake? Will they be able to do anything without thy Father? Will they be able to harm or kill you without Him? Fear not; you are of more value than every sparrow; you are of more value than many sparrows; you are of more value than all the birds (Luke 12:7&24)!

Those are wonderful words, are they not? Have you ever watched those little birds like that? Lord, am I of more value than one sparrow, many sparrows? They have not broken Thy law and are not guilty of any of Thy commandments, while ignorantly chirping to Thy glory every day. I envy them because they have no soul, because they do not have to appear before Thee. They accuse me because they are subject to vanity for my sake (Romans 8:20). Dost Thou, who hast searched and known me, say that I am of more value than many sparrows? Dost Thou put this word in my heart as a word of life? Have I been forgotten of Thee much less than they? Does a sparrow find a house in Thy dwellings, and do I find a place with Thee?

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising—the mud track that lies behind me. Thou understandest my thought afar off and the depths of my corrupt heart. Dost Thou say that I am of more value than many sparrows? Oh, then, after Thy good pleasure, I am of far more value than they. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising— teach me Thy way. Teach me to hope in Thee alone. Thou knowest that our frame is weak and humble. Thou also understandest my thought afar off:

I pray that my words and my thoughts

May all with Thy precepts accord,

And ever be pleasing to Thee,

My rock, my Redeemer, my Lord.

—Psalter 40:6

(To be continued)

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