Providence Church (CREC)
Second Sunday After the Epiphany
January, 18, 2009
Second Official Sermon, Psalm 139:1-6; 13-24
Prayer: Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
In the 18th century, the English Philosopher John Locke wrote an interesting essay entitled “Concerning Human Understanding.” The problem with Locke was that he denied the Augustinian view that humans are originally sinful, so his perspective on understanding is by nature flawed. Nevertheless, Locke understood the limits of understanding. He wrote that we are to “sit down in a quiet ignorance of those things which, upon examination, are found to be beyond the reach of our capacities.”[1]
As we approach the 139th Psalm this morning, we are called to sit down in silence, because God’s wisdom, God’s power and God’s presence are beyond the reach of our capacities.
Psalm 139 will re-shape our understanding of the God we worship. Our passage is going to invade our privacy and leave us spiritually naked in the eyes of God. As the author of Hebrews tells us, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”[2]
Every secret of the heart, every thought and intent, and every word you have ever uttered is subject to the eyes of God.
This Psalm of David is a prayer; a deeply sincere and transparent prayer. David has nowhere to go; nowhere to hide. David has seen the brutalities of his enemies. His enemies are men of blood, according to verse 19. David has every human reason to be angry at the violence before him, but rather, He prays to His God. Continue reading “Psalm 139:1-6; 13-24: Search Me, O God! Second Sunday After Epiphany”
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