Meaning of Psalms 139:6

This verse, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain" (Psalms 139:6), expresses the profound awe and humility the Psalmist feels in contemplating the immeasurable attributes of God, specifically His omnipresence and omniscience. The "knowledge" referred to is not a human intellectual grasp but a divine understanding of God's pervasive presence and detailed awareness of human life. The Psalmist recognizes the vast chasm between his finite human capacity and the infinite nature of God, acknowledging that the depth of God's knowledge and presence is beyond his full comprehension or ability to reach. This is not a statement of despair or resignation, but rather an acknowledgment of divine transcendence, a recognition that God's being and actions operate on a plane far superior to human understanding.

Context and Background

Psalm 139 is a rich exploration of God's intimate knowledge and presence with humanity. The Psalmist, traditionally attributed to David, begins by marveling at how God knows his sitting down and rising up, his thoughts, and his ways (Psalm 139:1-4). This verse immediately follows the assertion of God's all-encompassing knowledge, particularly in the context of God's presence everywhere. The Psalmist is overwhelmed by the realization that there is no place one can go, physically or even mentally, where God is not already intimately aware and present. This context sets the stage for the expression of wonder and the admission of human limitation in fully grasping such divine reality.

Key Themes and Messages

• Divine Omnipresence: The verse underscores the truth that God is everywhere at all times. There is no hiding place from His gaze or His presence.
• Divine Omniscience: It highlights God's complete and perfect knowledge of all things, including our innermost thoughts and actions.
• Human Limitation: The Psalmist's admission reveals the inherent limitations of human understanding when confronted with the infinite nature of God.
• Awe and Wonder: The primary emotion expressed is one of profound awe and wonder at the majesty and incomprehensibility of God.
• Humility: The verse cultivates humility by recognizing that human wisdom and effort cannot fully encompass divine attributes.

Spiritual Significance and Application

Spiritually, Psalm 139:6 calls believers to a posture of humble reverence before God. It encourages us to acknowledge that our understanding of God will always be incomplete, fostering a reliance on faith rather than solely on intellectual assent. This realization can lead to a deeper trust in God's plans and purposes, even when they are not fully understood. It also serves as a comfort, knowing that even in our most isolated moments, we are never truly alone, as God's presence is constant and His knowledge of us is perfect. The verse prompts introspection, encouraging us to live with the awareness that our lives are fully known to God, which can inspire integrity and devotion.

Relation to the Broader Biblical Narrative

The theme of God's incomprehensible greatness is a recurring motif throughout Scripture. From the creation accounts where God speaks the universe into existence (Genesis 1) to the prophetic declarations of His sovereign power over history (Isaiah 40-46), the Bible consistently portrays God as vastly superior to human comprehension. The New Testament echoes this sentiment, as seen in the Apostle Paul's prayer for the Ephesians: "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:17-19). This verse in Psalms anticipates the later revelation of God's love in Christ, which, while intimately experienced, also surpasses full human understanding.

Analogies

• The Ocean and a Teacup: Imagine trying to hold the entire ocean in a teacup. The teacup represents human capacity, while the ocean represents the vastness of God's knowledge and presence. You can hold a small amount, but never the entirety.
• The Stars and a Candle: A single candle can illuminate a small space, but it cannot encompass the brilliance of the entire night sky filled with countless stars. Our understanding of God is like the candle's light, revealing glimpses of His glory, but His true magnitude is like the ungraspable expanse of the cosmos.
• A Map and the Territory: A detailed map can represent a region, but it is not the region itself. Human intellect can create models and doctrines about God, but these are mere representations, not the full reality of God's being.

Relation to Other Verses

• Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." This passage directly correlates, urging reliance on God rather than solely on human intellect, which aligns with the Psalmist's admission in Psalm 139:6.
• Isaiah 55:8-9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." This prophetic declaration from Isaiah powerfully echoes the sentiment of Psalm 139:6, emphasizing the immense disparity between divine and human perspectives.
• 1 Corinthians 13:12: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." This New Testament verse speaks to the progressive nature of knowing God, acknowledging that our current understanding is partial and imperfect, much like the Psalmist's confession.