Psalm 139:1-18 – Part Two

By Greg Holt on February 28, 2026 • ( 0 )

By Greg Holt

“⁷Whither shall I go from thy spirit?
or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
⁸If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:
if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
⁹If I take the wings of the morning,
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
¹⁰even there shall thy hand lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me.
¹¹If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me;
even the night shall be light about me.
¹²Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day:
the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”

In verse seven, the philosopher king describes how there is nowhere in the entire universe that one can flee to, and God is not present. The Spirit (In this case God), is everywhere, and at all times. God literally surrounds us with His presence, and whether or not we know it, makes no difference. God created it all, and He encompasses it all, there is nowhere known, or unknown that does not reflect the Almighty God and His glory (Romans 1:19-20).

In verse eight, it is again stated that, there is nowhere that God is not. If we were to ascend into the heavens, to any star, moon, or other celestial body, God is there. In the grave, our death, he is there; under the Earth, upon it, or above it, all things and places are the domain of the Creator God.

In verse nine, “wings of the morning,” refers to the light, specifically in this case the morning sunrise. The light penetrates and chases away the darkness, quickly lighting up the sky, the speed of light is almost incomprehensible. If we were able to fly away at the speed of light – to the uttermost distant side of the earth, or even the galaxy, we still would not succeed in removing ourselves from the presence of God.

In verse ten, the Psalmist states that regardless of where we end up, even if we foolishly attempt to flee from God, be it physically, (Jonah 1:3), or in a mental way (Luke 15:11-32), as is suggested in verse nine, God will be there, to watch over us, to lead us down the path back to Him where we belong – offering forgiveness, reconciliation and healing. The guilty cannot hope to flee from God, He will always be there, attempting to turn us around, to return to Him, where we belong, where we find healing and peace not known anywhere else. He will lead us, showing all the way, His hand will be and is upon us at all times.

In verse eleven, David says that even the night itself has no power to hide us. If we seek to commit sin in the darkness, or those who habitually commit crimes in the dark, our doings may be hidden to human eyes, but we ourselves will be, though in the middle of the blackest night, as if we were surrounded by the brightest of lights. The dark, be it actual darkness, or the dark, as in evil – is no barrier to God, it does not stop Him from witnessing all that happens, without exception. Nothing has been done, or will be done that is not revealed to God.

In verse twelve, the theme of the “dark” is reiterated, with an emphasis on there being absolutely no darkness of any kind within God, as John stated in 1 John 1:5. The dark, is quite obviously dark to us, there is an absence of light, and things are difficult to see, objects can be mistaken for what they are not. Not so for our Lord, God can see just fine in the dark, with complete clarity, no different than if the light of the sun was shining at it’s brightest. It is the same concerning good vs. evil, or morality, or its lack thereof within us. We may struggle at times with what is moral and/or right, but God has no such issues, all is crystal clear before Him.

“For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.” Proverbs 5:21

“The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.” Psalm 11:4