October 20
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DARKNESS AND LIGHT ARE ALIKE TO YOU
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.- Psalm 139:7-12
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According to many different commentaries on the internet, the following verses on Psalm 139 says that 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. Here David argues on God’s omniscience from his omnipresence. 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.” David speaks of God as a Person everywhere present in creation, yet distinct from creation. In verse 8, David did not describe what we normally think of as hell. The Hebrew word here is sheol, which normally has the sense of the grave or by implication the afterlife. Though David did not use the specific word for hell, the sense would be the same. Even in hell, God will be present because there is no place where God cannot be. Yet God’s presence in hell will radiate none of His love and grace – only His righteous judgment. David was so assured of the constant presence of God’s hand of love and care that not even death and the grave could separate him from God’s love. God’s presence with David was like a constant light in the darkness. With God’s presence the night shines as the day.
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REFLECTION
• How can darkness be light when you have God’s presence in you?