Search Me, O God

The Sapphire Review Vol. 1 | No. 27 • November 22, 2024

Nov 22, 2024

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.
Psalm 139:23–24, KJV

PSALM 139

David begins this psalm by establishing that God has searched him and has known him.1 He builds upon this by detailing the omniscience of God, who knows his every move and every word that he has spoken.2

He describes the omnipresence of God by professing that there is no place he can go where the spirit of God is not there. There is no circumstance that he can find himself in where God cannot lead him.3

He praises God for His loving care in how He fashioned him within his mother’s womb. He considers God’s care even further by pondering that God’s thoughts toward him are more in number than the sand!4

He speaks of his hatred for the wicked and of them that hate God. In type, this reflects the Christian’s hatred toward sin and all manner of unrighteousness.5 Our Savior, who loved righteousness and hated wickedness, is our example in these things.6

Truly, how wonderful is the God whom we serve. What a blessing it is for us to be called the children of God.7

After all this, David asks the God who has searched him, to search him. He asks the God who has known him to know his heart.8 He asks God to try him and to know his thoughts to see if there be any wicked way in him. Lastly, he concludes with this earnest desire, that regardless of what God may find in this search, that He would lead him in the way everlasting.

SEARCHING, TRYING, KNOWING, SHOWING, LEADING

After 22 verses of hating wickedness, praising God, and reflecting on His goodness, love, care, and a knowledge too wonderful for him to attain,9 David concludes that there is still yet more.

Searching

“Search me, O God”

So desirous is David to be in the perfect will of God,10 that despite the many evidences of God’s hand in his life, he questions if perhaps there may be things which are holding him back.11 He makes no assumptions, no justifications, and desires that nothing be ignored within the depths of his heart.

He appeals to the Most High who sees all and knows all to search. Certainly, though there are things which others cannot see and things which even he himself cannot see, all is clear and evident to the Almighty.12 Even words which are spoken in private are not lost from His ear.13 Consider the following from our Savior:

“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.” (Luke 12:2–3)

God has a way of uncovering our activities, our words, and the things of our hearts that are not right with Him. He does this in love, that we might come more fully into the light. Far better is it that we have the attitude of David, and privately seek God now to search us, that we may repent of any wrongs, and set them right before we are forced to address those things in a more public setting.

Trying

“Try me”

This word for “try” paints a picture of how a metal is tried and purified in a smelting pot.14 When metals are tried in such a way, all impurities are brought to the surface so they can be discarded.

The one who desires to be fully surrendered, sanctified, and useful unto God must be willing to go through trials and difficulties, as needed, to bring the soot of their heart to the surface. They will ask God to try them and to use all necessary means to make them like Jesus, that they may walk as He walked.15

Isaiah writes the following:

“Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: For how should my name be polluted? And I will not give my glory unto another.” (Isaiah 48:10–11)

Knowing

“know my heart… know my thoughts”

David already established in v1 that God has searched him, and that God has known him. In the following verses he reinforces that nothing can be hidden from Him. David’s request to know his heart and his thoughts is not only about God, for God already knows them. Rather, this is a humble profession that God would make these things known unto David. David desires that there would be nothing in his heart or even in his thoughts that does not bring glory to God.

When we humble ourselves in this same manner and ask God to search the depths of our hearts, to try us and bring all sins and unreconciled actions to the surface, He will make these things known to us. Such prayers, when done sincerely, are amongst those that are a delight unto Him.

“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: But the prayer of the upright is his delight.” (Proverbs 15:8)

The contrast in the above verse also shows us that all our Christian service and religious works can be of little regard if our hearts are not right with Him.

Showing

“see if there be any wicked way in me”

When we read this verse in English, it seems to be a request to know of the greatest and most obvious sins. In modern English, one definition for wicked describes it as being “morally very bad.”

However, the word in Hebrew is one that denotes hardship, pain, grief, and sorrow. Consider the following, from one lexicon which renders the use of this word in Psalm 139:24 as an “offensive act”:

עֹ֫צֶב (ʿōṣeb 2), n. anxious toil, hardship; agony. Greek equiv. fr. LXX: ἀνομία (1), γαβης (1), ὀδύνη (1).
2. offensive act^† — an act that causes offense toward another.
Ps 139:24 אִם־דֶּֽרֶךְ־עֹ֥צֶב בִּ֑י
Rick Brannan, ed., Lexham Research Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible, Lexham Research Lexicons (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020).

When we consider this definition, the nature of this verse takes on a much greater depth of meaning. There is certainly an obvious application for any act that causes an offense toward God. However, for the pure in heart who desire to see God,16 there is another layer which includes even offenses toward others, for in loving our neighbor as ourselves we fulfill the law.17

Here, David is not interested in just being made aware of gross sins. No, here he is interested in knowing about even things that he may have done in his past that served as an offensive act toward another. Whether intentional or not, David recognizes that such things could be a hindrance to the development of his faith. More than just his own sins directly against the law, he is inquiring of God to show him anything and everything that he has done to cause pain or grief to another person. He understands that he may not even realize what all these could be, but desiring to have a pure and upright heart, he thus appeals to his God to reveal them all.

Though it may be a process that develops over time, when we earnestly seek Him with humble hearts, God will reveal to us all things that we need to set right. Once revealed, it then becomes a matter of great importance to repent and reconcile, and not to make excuses.

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)

Leading

“lead me in the way everlasting”

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.18 Every day, we are called to deny ourselves and take up our crosses to follow Him.19 We are to be imitators of God, walking in love.20 This way is narrow, and only a few find it.21

David leaves us with an example, in the closing words of Psalm 139, of a man who has more than just belief. This is more than just a partial surrender. These are words spoken by someone who is all in, fully surrendered, and desiring that nothing be a hindrance to his ability to walk in God’s way.

This way, God’s way, the way everlasting, is not always easy. This way requires death to self.22 This way requires that we lie not one to another.23 This way requires us to present ourselves as living sacrifices.24 And, as we see in this week’s verse, this way requires us to even reconcile all the ways that we have hurt others in our past.25

Once light has been given, there is then a process that follows of making things right. Consider Zacchaeus who, after surrendering to Jesus, exclaimed that he would restore four-fold to those whom he had done wrong (prior to having light).26 For Zacchaeus, following Jesus was more than just walking forward, it was also about correcting past mistakes. Notice that Jesus did not even need to ask Zacchaeus to do these things. Once Zacchaeus was fully surrendered, and his heart was changed, the spirit of God manifested these godly principles directly to his heart, and with great joy he set out to follow those convictions.

Blessings follow the man or woman who walks upon this way rather than standing in the way of sinners:

“Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” (Psalm 1:1)
“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD.” (Psalm 119:1)
“Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; That walketh in his ways.” (Psalm 128:1)
“Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: For blessed are they that keep my ways.” (Proverbs 8:32)

CONCLUSION

Once we have surrendered to Jesus, the work that He performs upon our hearts is not simply about making our future steps firm.27 He is also interested in repairing the road of the steps where we have traveled, and setting right our past offenses. These hard steps reflect our devotion to Him and ensure that there are no opportunities for us to be ensnared or hindered by the past.28

If we truly desire to be like Jesus and to be useful for God’s work, we cannot simply ignore the past, in hopes that it will go away with time. We must ask God to search us, to try us by every means necessary, and to reveal to us all sins and offensive acts toward others. We must then lean upon Him to lead us in making all these things right, and for grace to help us carry out the required steps of reconciliation to the uttermost.29

Not setting all things right could even be a hindrance to our prayers, our labors, and our usefulness unto God.30 It is therefore of the utmost importance that we appeal unto God to search us, to try us, to know our hearts and our thoughts, and to see if there be any wicked way (or offensive act) in us, that He may then lead us in the way everlasting.

PRAYER

May God help us to follow David’s model of being fully surrendered in this psalm. As we each appeal to God in this way, may He give us the light, grace, strength, and courage that we need to set all things right, that we may be useful vessels unto Him and for His glory.