Psalm 139 - The Wisdom and the Mystery of God

    [New International Version] Psalm 139 belongs to Book V of the Book of Psalms. Total trust and surrender to God's plans as the key to happiness and life in harmony.

    The  PS 139  belong to Book V  Book of Ps , which is composed of a collection of texts 150 arranged by 5 poetry books. The Book of Psalms, for its  wisdom  and  basic principles  of human action , is considered the heart of the Old Testament. Book V encompasses  Psalms 107  to  150 . Psalm 139 is divided into 24 Verses. The Psalms are poems-prayers addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. These prayers represent human experiences and religious conscience . They portray the common man , with his faults, insecurities, fears and hopes and, even today, we can identify with the Psalmist and draw inspiration from these texts to pray and plead with God when we feel lost and anguished or to express our gratitude for some blessing received. "There are enemies or friends, there is life or death, health or illness, pain or joy and, most of the time, there are no changes or gradations. Words are like stones and poetry like boulders carved by chisel"; "The Psalms are a bit like mountain paths, simple, especially when walking on snow, but they lead to the peaks; they are paths toward the peaks of meeting the Lord." - Carlo Maria Martini, Cardinal of Milan

    Psalm 139 - The Wisdom of God

    1  To the director. From David. Psalm . You have examined me, Lord, and you know me. 2  You know when I sit and when I get up; from afar, you perceive my thoughts. 3 You  distinguish my path and my rest, you are attentive to my every step. 4  For the word is not yet on my tongue, as You, Lord, know it fully. 5  You enfold me from behind and from the front and place your hand upon me. 6  It is a wisdom too deep for me, so sublime that I have no capacity for it. 7  Where could I go away from your spirit? Where could I flee from your presence? 8  If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I lie down in the world of the dead, there you are. 9  If I rise on the wings of dawn and go to live beyond the sea, 10  There also your hand would come down on me, and your right hand would hold me. 11  If I ask darkness to hide me or light to be night around me, 12  for you darkness is not dark, and the night will shine like the day; darkness is like light. 13  For You formed my entrails, you wove me in my mother's womb. 14  I thank you, O Most High, who impress me with so many wonders; your works are wonderful. You know my soul deeply. 15  None of my bones were hidden from you, when it was being formed in secret, woven into the depths of the earth. 16  Your eyes have seen me still in embryo; my days were described in your book. All of them were modeled, even before one of them existed. 17  How precious are your designs to me! How profound is its meaning, O God! 18  If I counted them, they would be more numerous than the sand. I woke up and I'm still with you! 19  O God, would that ye have given death to the evildoer, and bloodthirsty men departed from me! 20  For they accuse you without reason and rise up against you without reason. 21  Shall I not hate them that hate Thee, O Lord? Shall I not annoy those who rise up against you? 22  I have an implacable hatred for them, and they have become my enemies. 23  Examine me, O God, to know my heart; put me to the test to discover my concerns. 24  See if there is any trace of idols in me and lead me along the path of eternity.

    Meaning and interpretation

    The PS 139 is a prayer of petition. However, it is built on the well-known model of a wise reflection on the way God governs and intervenes in the conduct of human life. The Psalmist is particularly sensitive to the mysterious paths and stages that human life goes through , as well as to the dramas and evils that plague it. The attitude suggested is, once again, in line with what wisdom suggests, that is, one of total trust and surrender , despite the inaccessible character of the mysteries involved. The Psalms of Supplication are very present in the Book of Psalms. They speak of human frailty and the most basic feelings of your mortal condition. Times of peace and plenty contrast with war and individual or community destruction. The Psalmist pleads for God's help and asks him to end his situation of affliction , ending with the certainty of having been heard . In spiritual practice, the supplication and request to God reflects a lot the meaning of prayer, being the privileged way to establish contact and raise the voice to the Divine. In numerous Psalms, supplication seems to be the most immediate motivation and the greatest concern. When turning to God, the speaker/Psalmist finds tenderness, justice, compassion, reconciliation, purification, in short, peace itself. The narratives and feelings involved in these prayers are varied and basic; affect humanity over the millennia, and are still current today. They reflect multiple interior , individual and collective experiences, and the relationship between people and peoples. They address topics such as the deadly threat of disease, persecution, aging, violence, war, betrayal, loneliness, enemy aggression and how these feelings alter consciousness we have of ourselves, of our relationship with others and with God. Situations that prompt supplication can be bitter and desperate , but the Psalms generally express a state of mind of trust and end in thanksgiving . The Psalmist cries out to God for his help and forgiveness in a profound expression of limitless trust in divine compassion and justice. Even the cry of the Psalmist is already a fighting speech, change will, of inner transformation, confidence and hope for a free future evil, the suffering and the wicked . The Psalms of Supplication they are classified as individual supplication and collective supplication. Those of Individual Supplication comprise Psalm 3; 5-7; 13; 17; 22; 26; 27; 28; 31; 35; 39; 42-43; 51; 54-57; 59; 61; 63; 64; 69-71; 88; 102; 109; 120; 130; 140-143. and those of  Collective Supplication Ps 12; 44; 58; 60; 74; 80; 83; 85; 90; 94; 108; 123; 127.

    The Book of Psalms

    The Joy and Happiness of the Righteous in Communion with God

    The Psalms are prayer-poems addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. Depicting the common man , with his failures, insecurities, fears and hopes, we can still identify with the Psalmist and be inspired today in Psalms to make prayers and supplications to God in times of trouble or express our gratitude for some blessing received. The Psalms, despite being written in Antiquity, still move , sensitize , awaken feelings , inspire and enchant . In them, we can identify anguish and joy , deeply human feelings, praises, supplications, teachings of reflection on spiritual wisdom and prophetic words. Written for different situations , some Psalms are intimate, revealing the author's personal relationship with God; others provide guidelines and advice for life, others are compositions for specific liturgical events such as rituals and pilgrimages. The Book of Psalms is composed of a collection of 150 poetic texts and is divided into five parts, called Psalm Books or Booklets. Each Book closes with short hymns of praise to God . The division into five parts was considered to correspond to the five books of Moses and it is assumed that each passage in the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible, called Torah by the Jews) was read in parallel with the corresponding Psalm. Its main forms are lamentation , supplication , praise and gratitude .

    The Power of Prayer in Dialogue with the Divine

    The Psalms elevate our thoughts to the Divine and prayer is the power of the word . Prayer is the language of faith. Any thought, word or image addressed to God is called prayer . It is through it that we come into contact with our God within and, therefore, it is so powerful in transforming life . Prayer can produce miracles , turn dreams into reality, give us hope for change , harmony and peace with ourselves and the world. Each Psalm has an intention that helps us meditate and walk with our God . For many theologians, the Book of Psalms has a prophetic or messianic tone as its verses refer to the coming of Christ into the world of men to guide them through the uncertainty and doubts of Human existence. The prayer has the power to call the Spiritual Universe full mode, honest, sincere, conscious, for the purpose of spiritual self-protection, family protection and those who are dear to us, to have peace of mind, spiritual and physical, for prosperity and success, to protect health and relationships, to ward off negative energies and, above all, to connect us to something bigger than ourselves. From this peace , well-being, hope and goodness in front of everyone and everything result. The faith can change our lives. It gives us tranquility and spiritual strength to face challenges. It helps us to meditate on our mission in life and to create a balanced and healthy environment for ourselves and those we love. When you pray, fill your heart with love and determination . The Psalms will guide you on a path of peace and communion with the higher energy.