Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-14
O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought
afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted
with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but,
lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
God knows everything about us. He knows how we sit down and how we stand up. He understands our thoughts even before we think them! He surrounds our path and protects us as we sleep. He is acquainted with ALL our ways. He understands every word we speak. He knows what we mean no matter how we say it. God knows us better than we know ourselves.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid
thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
God has us continually in His care. He has His arms about
us protecting us. He has laid His hand upon us to guide us and to
claim us as His own. Such knowledge is TOO WONDERFUL for me!
. . . For thou hast possessed [created or setup] my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
The word "reins" is used as a figure of speech meaning "the mind." Just as the reins on a bridle are used to guide a horse, our mind is the organ of thought that guides our body. God's Word declares here that God setup the system. He designed the mind of man. He knows our thoughts. He knows how the mind works because He designed it.
He covered [or protected] us in our mother's womb. He knew
we would believe His Word. He designed the way in which a baby develops
in the womb. He designed the system so that our bodies and our minds
are awesomely and wonderfully made. The great care of God went into
everything God formed, made, and created. Yet, the most marvelous
of His works is man. Truly God knows us better than we know
ourselves.
Motherhood is an unforgettable human experience. Yet, God says that a woman could forget her child (although unlikely) - but He will NEVER forget us.
The "palms of God's hands" is the figure of speech condesensio. When God is given human characteristics (hands for example) and made to condescend to the level of man the Word of God is using the figure of speech condesensio. God's uses figures of speech to mark that which is to be emphasized in the Word.
In the Bible lands one way of expressing great love and continual remembrance is by tattooing on your body the names of those you dearly love. Tattoos are usually placed on the arms and sometimes on the back or chest. You would never see a tattoo on the palms of the hand because the pain of tattooing would be too great to bear on this sensitive part of the body. Yet God says, "Behold I have graven thee on the palms of my hands."
God's Word declares that God is figuratively willing to bear the excruciating pain of having us tattooed on the palms of His hands so that He can easily see us continuously. He does not have to look under a shirt or in a mirror - He has us right before Him on the palms of His hands. That is great love.
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Luke 12:6-7
Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. |
I John 4:9-10
In this was manifested the love of God toward
us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we
might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation [payment]
for our sins.