Darkness is as light to you
Psalms 139:7-12 - We may sometimes feel as if God is distant from us, but He is really everywhere.
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”
Psalms 139:7-12 NIV
Today we continue diving into Psalm 139. Verse 7 starts with a somewhat odd set of questions — “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” My first thought when reading this was “Why would you want to get away from God?”.
This commentary from Enduring Word has some brilliant insights:
David considered the truth that God is present everywhere, and there is no corner or dimension of the universe hidden from Him. Heaven isn’t too high and hell isn’t too low; God is everywhere.
i. “Here he argueth God’s omniscience from his omnipresence.” (Trapp)
ii. “The psalmist is not trying to evade God, but he further amplifies that God’s knowledge is beyond the ability of humans to grasp. The knowledge or discernment of God can never be limited to any particular place, because God’s sovereignty extends to the whole created universe.” (VanGemeren)
iii. “The Psalmist speaks of God as a Person everywhere present in creation, yet distinct from creation. In these verses he says, ‘Thy spirit...thy presence...thou art there...thy hand...thy right hand...darkness hideth not from thee.’ God is everywhere, but he is not everything.” (Jones, cited in Spurgeon)
The explanation from Willem VanGemeren in section ii above is perfect. David isn’t trying to get away from God, he’s just pointing out that “God’s sovereignty extends to the whole created universe.”
David didn’t have the knowledge of the Trinity that we have, yet it is apparent in verse 7 that he had an inkling. He knows that God’s spirit is an essential part of Him. The ancient Hebrew word used for “from Your presence” is פָּנִים (pānîm) can be interpreted as “from Your faces” — a plural description, so we could see David taking God’s inspiration and writing in this psalm about the Spirit and the plural faces of the Father and the Son.
The King goes even further into his revelation of God’s omnipresence in the rest of these verses — “up to the heavens,” “make my bed in the depths,” “rise on the wings of the dawn,” “settle on the far side of the sea.” The original ancient Hebrew for “the depths” is actually שְׁאוֹל (šᵊ'ôl or Sheol), the Old Testament description of the abode of the dead. Basically, David is saying whether he was to ascend into God’s glory in heaven or descend into God’s justice in hell, God would be there.
What about that “rise on the wings of the dawn?” Perhaps David was alluding to how quickly light fills the sky in the dawn, and saying that even if he was to run from God with the speed of light, he could not escape His presence! Spurgeon said this beautifully:
“Light flies with inconceivable rapidity, and it flashes far afield beyond all human ken; it illuminates the great and wide sea, and sets its waves gleaming afar; but its speed would utterly fail if employed in flying from the Lord.”1
Even if David considered dashing away with the speed of light or moved far away to distant lands, God would still guide him. Distance would have no effect on God’s love, protection, and provision, nor would death or the grave. God would hold David with his right hand, the hand of skill and strength.
The last two verses deal with light or its absence. David felt that God’s presence was a constant light to him in the darkness of the world. Like the pillar of fire that led the people of Israel at night in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21), God’s presence made the night of David’s soul “shine like the day”.
We may sometimes feel as if God is distant from us, but He is really everywhere. That’s a comforting thought when we need Him, knowing that He is right beside us, holding us with His right hand.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for always being with us in good times or bad, in darkness or in light. We thank You for blessing David with the ability to express Your greatness and Your profound love for Your creation in a way that has resounded through the ages and enlightened each generation as they open their hearts and minds to You. AMEN.
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.
Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author
Spurgeon, Charles Haddon "The Treasury of David: Volume 3" (Psalms 111-150) (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 1988)