Links: Print Version | Homepage | Rapture Letter | Verses of the Day | Site Map
“As Moses lifted up the serpent [the serpent made of bronze described in Numbers 21:8–9] in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [uniquely born] Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
“…for by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest any man should boast.”
Above is the content of John 3:14–16 and the content of Ephesians 2:8–9, respectively. Itʼs worthwhile to refrain from receiving the mark referenced in Revelation 13:11–18 and to instead receive eternal life for free by believing that Jesus is the Savior. Before doing any Bible studying and before praying to God the Father, it is useful for a person who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior to try to think of any sins that one might have committed since one last confessed oneʼs known post-salvation sins to God the Father, and if one has indeed committed any, to then silently confess those sins to God the Father—confessing only one time for each sin—in accordance with what is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
This webpage could be periodically updated. If there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, and if the original author of this webpage is amongst those people disappearing en masse, then it is possible that this webpage will no longer be updated. Also, if there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, it is worthwhile to consider the possibility that those people have exited from the earth on the occasion known as the Rapture instead of assuming that that mass disappearance involves extraterrestrials abducting those people or involves the annihilation of those people or involves anything else other than the Rapture.
Below are links related to archived copies of this webpage.
archive.is/John314-16.com/Psalm_139-13–14_and_the_Other_Verses_of_Psalm_139.html
archive.ph/John314-16.com/Psalm_139-13–14_and_the_Other_Verses_of_Psalm_139.html
web.archive.org/*/John314-16.com/Psalm_139-13–14_and_the_Other_Verses_of_Psalm_139.html
Also, it is possible that it is worthwhile to print this content in case of time periods involving lack of Internet connectivity.
When studying the Word of God, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Hebrews 4:12:
“Indeed, the Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit and of the joints and the marrow and is a critic of thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Note: The heart refers to the mind.
It is also beneficial to keep in mind the content of 2 Timothy 3:16–17 when studying the Word of God:
“All Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be mature, having been thoroughly furnished unto all good work.”
It is the responsibility of a pastor-teacher to endeavor to correctly understand the Word of God and then to accurately teach the Word of God, as per the content of 2 Timothy 2:15:
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of Truth.”
A pastor-teacher is a communicator rather than a crutch on which to be leaned. In that regard, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping a pastor-teacher. Likewise, a believer should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping anyone other than the Trinity [God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit], as per Joshua 24:15, the content of which references Joshua speaking to the Israelites:
If it is disagreeable/bad/evil/wrong/wretchedness/displeasing in your sight to serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, choose for yourselves today whom you serve/worship: whether the gods ['elohiym / false gods] which your fathers have served/worshiped which were beyond the river or the gods ['elohiym / false gods] of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.
Note: Joshua, the leader of the Israelites after Joshua had been serving as the assistant of Moses while Moses was the leader of the Israelites, set the example for the Israelites. Joshua chose to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship God the Father rather than Joshua choosing to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship the lesser of multiple evils amongst multiple choices of 'elohiym [el-oh-HEEM]. The word 'elohiym with a lowercase e can refer to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges. The word 'Elohiym with a capital E refers to the Trinity. The word 'elohiym can also be used to refer to might as in mightiness. In that regard, the use of the word 'elohiym in reference to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges involves the connotation of mightiness in comparison to an average human. When a person puts oneʼs trust in and thereby serves as a devoted follower of and thus worships an angel or human, that angel or human is that personʼs false god. Regarding the foregoing, the content of Joshua 24:15 involves Joshua calling attention to the choices that the Israelites had, and that content involves Joshua permitting the Israelites to make their choices while Joshua led by example with his choice.
The gift of pastor-teacher is for the purpose of each pastor-teacher functioning as a messenger who communicates the Word of God rather than functioning as a priest between the Trinity and mankind. In that regard, the time period that can be referred to as the Church Age started fifty days after the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected, and all Church Age believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are priests. The Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest of Church Age believers, and believers should be willing to acknowledge/confess/profess to people the believersʼ faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as per Hebrews 4:14–15:
Therefore, since we have a great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the acknowledgment/confession/profession. Indeed, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek [mel-KIZ-uh-dek], who was the ruler of Salem when Abraham was still named Abram. Melchizedek was both a king and a priest, as per Genesis 14:18, which references Melchizedek greeting Abram:
Then Melchizedek king of Salem has brought out bread and wine, and he is a priest of 'El [AYL] 'Elyown [el-YOHN] / God [focusing on God the Fatherʼs power] Most High.
The Lord Jesus Christ is also both a king and a priest because the Lord is the Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, as per Hebrews 7:14–17:
Indeed, it is evident that our Lord has arisen from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. Also, it is still much more evident: that according to the similarity of Melchizedek, Another of a different type of priest arises, Who has become such not on the basis of a law of fleshly command / physical requirement but according to the power of an indestructible life. Indeed, it is attested: “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER, ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”
Note: The Lord Jesus Christ is from the tribe of Judah. Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is qualified to be a priest because He was resurrected and therefore has an indestructible body. The above content in all capital letters is a reference to Psalm 110:4.
Because a king is royalty, a king who is a priest is a royal priest. In that regard, Church Age believers are royalty because they are members of the Lord Jesus Christʼs family. Therefore, all Church Age believers are royal priests, as per 1 Peter 2:9–10:
However, you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR ACQUISITION/PRESERVATION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are GODʼS PEOPLE. You had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
Note: Before the Church Age, Gentiles were not Godʼs people. In the Church Age, both Jewish and Gentile believers are Godʼs people. The content of 1 Peter 2:10 references Hosea 2:23. In that regard, Peter uses references involving Israel in the Old Testament to refer to Church Age believers.
Itʼs the message rather than the messenger that should be the focus of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Put succinctly: itʼs the message rather than the messenger. In that regard, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Revelation 22:8–9, which was written by the apostle John, who, in addition to writing The Revelation to John, wrote The Gospel According to John, The First Epistle of John, The Second Epistle of John, and The Third Epistle of John:
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things, and when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things, but he says* to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
*Note: The word says is in the Greek historical present tense. By means of the Greek historical present tense, past action or future action can be described from the perspective of someone seeing the action as it occurs.
Regarding messages, believers should use the Word of God to examine what is being communicated. That is what the Bereans who are mentioned in Acts 17:10–12 did:
The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, who, when they arrived, went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all eagerness / readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore, many of them believed, and not a few prominent Greek women and men.
Note: The phrase not a few means “quite a few.”
Today, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to meet believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds on the occasion of the Rapture is one day closer than it was yesterday. The Rapture involves both deceased and living believers in the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Lord in the clouds in the atmosphere of the earth, receiving glorified immortal resurrection bodies similar to the Lord Jesus Christʼs glorified resurrection body, and going to Heaven with those resurrection bodies. Before the Rapture occurs, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in Heaven without glorified bodies. While it is possible that the Rapture will occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh]—which is what some people call Rosh Hashanah and which some people celebrate for two days—the next occurrence of which will possibly be during August, September, or October of 2026, it is worthwhile for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to get into the habit of being prepared every day for the return of the Lord, just in case the Rapture will occur on a day other than the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah. Furthermore, it is worthwhile to be in the habit of being prepared for the Rapture so that if it does occur on the day of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah, one can be prepared for that day because of already being in the habit of being prepared. Examples of being prepared for the Rapture include applying the content of 1 John 1:9 whenever one sins, being unselfish, and whenever circumstances are such that an opportunity arises, sharing the gospel—the good news that believing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior Who was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity is the means by which a person is able to have eternal life. Regarding sharing the gospel, one could also have a written or printed message containing the gospel with that written or printed message located somewhere where it could be easily noticed so that if a person or people were to read or hear that written or printed message either before or after the Rapture occurs, that person or people would thereby read or hear the gospel by means of that written or printed message.
Regarding information about the Rapture, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52:
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again—and we do indeed believe that Jesus died and rose again—so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. Indeed, this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive who remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep, for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with a voice of an archangel and with a trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive who remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
1 Corinthians 15:51–52
Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
After the Rapture will be the seven-year Tribulation. The believers who will be alive on the earth when the Rapture occurs will escape the Tribulation. 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 covers that topic. In that regard, in the book 1 Thessalonians, the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 is immediately followed by the content of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11.
1 Thessalonians 5:1–11
Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you, for you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. However, you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; therefore, let us not sleep as others, but let us be alert and sober. Indeed, those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. However, since we are of day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and benevolence/goodwill, and as a helmet, the hope / absolute confidence of deliverance, for God has not destined us for wrath but for obtaining deliverance through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore, comfort one another and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
Note: In this context, the day of the Lord is the time period that consists of the Rapture, the seven years of the Tribulation, and the Second Advent. In that regard, deliverance from the Tribulation is the deliverance in this context. Also, unspecified is who will be saying “Peace and safety!” In this context, sleeping refers to a lack of alertness. The alertness in this context involves being ready for the Rapture. In order to be ready for the Rapture, a believer needs to be filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and to pay attention for historical trends such as people saying “Peace and safety!” and for historical trends that match the pattern of the world being on the brink of tremendous calamities like those that will occur during the Tribulation. Regarding being filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity. After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored. The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1. Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30. In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit. Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer. After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again.
The verses of the day for May 14th are Psalm 139:13–14. Because it is useful to study verses that share the same context, below is content related to Psalm 139.
Psalm 139:1
For/To the preeminent one / the overseer / the superintendent / the director / the chief: of David.
O Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, You have searched me and know.
Note: Unspecified in Psalm 139:1 is to whom the phrase the preeminent one / the overseer / the superintendent / the director / the chief refers.
Psalm 139:2
You have known / discerned / perceived / regarded / been acquainted with my sitting down and my rising up. You have understood/perceived/discerned/known/regarded my thought from afar.
Note: David is calling attention to the omniscience [ahm-NISH-uhns] [all-knowingness] of God the Father.
Psalm 139:3
You have winnowed my path and my lying down and have been familiar with / acquainted with all my ways
Note: The reference to winnowing in this verse is a metaphor that calls attention to the omniscience of God the Father. Literal winnowing involves separating grain from chaff. Metaphorical winnowing involves separating what is valuable from what lacks value. The reference to Davidʼs path refers to David going places. The combination of that reference and the reference to Davidʼs lying down metaphorically refers to all that David does and wherever David is located. Regarding the foregoing, David calls attention to God the Father thoroughly scrutinizing all aspects of Davidʼs life.
Psalm 139:4
Certainly, there is not a word on my tongue—behold, O Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, You have known it all.
Psalm 139:5
You have enclosed me behind and before, and You put/place/lay Your hand upon me
Note: Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding ones is what the phrase You have enclosed me behind and before references. Regardless of to what it references, David recognizes the power of God the Father. In that regard, the reference to a hand in Psalm 139:5 is an anthropomorphism [an-thruh-puh-MOR-fiz-uhm]. An anthropomorphism is a usage of terminology involving a physical characteristic to describe a characteristic of the Trinity. The anthropomorphism involving a hand in Psalm 139:5 is a metaphor that calls attention to God the Father powerfully taking care of David.
Psalm 139:6
Knowledge too wonderful for me—it has been set on high; I am not able to it.
Note: Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding ones is what the phrase I am not able to it references. Based on the context of the content of this verse, it is possible that that phrase refers to David being unable to attain the amount of knowledge that God the Father has. Regardless of what that phrase references, this verse indicates that David recognized the wonderfulness of the omniscience of God the Father, and David recognized that Davidʼs knowledge falls woefully short of omniscience. In that regard, the phrase set on high is a metaphor for God the Fatherʼs knowledge being far superior to Davidʼs knowledge.
Psalm 139:7
Where do I go from Your Spirit? Where do I flee from Your face/presence?
Note: The reference to a face in Psalm 139:7 is an anthropomorphism. As mentioned in the notes for verse 5, an anthropomorphism is a usage of terminology involving a physical characteristic to describe a characteristic of the Trinity. In that regard, the Members of the Trinity are omnipresent [They are everywhere]. In this verse, David is indicating that wherever David would go, God the Father would be there. Davidʼs use of the word Spirit in this verse might be a reference to God the Father being invisible while being omnipresent, or Davidʼs use of the word Spirit in this verse might be a reference to God the Holy Spirit. Regardless of whether Davidʼs use of the word Spirit in this verse refers to God the Father being invisible while being omnipresent or whether Davidʼs use of the word Spirit in this verse refers to God the Holy Spirit, David was indicating that David recognized that God the Father is omnipresent.
Psalm 139:8
If I ascend into the heavens, You are there, and if I make a bed in Sheol, behold, You!
Note: Unspecified in the context of verse 8 is whether the word heavens refers to the first heavens (the atmosphere of the earth), the second heavens (outer space), or the Third Heavens (also known as Third Heaven or simply as Heaven). The first heavens are also known as the first heaven. The second heavens are also known as the second heaven. The Third Heaven is where the throne room of God the Father is located.
The word Sheol [SHEE-ohl] comes from Hebrew. A synonym for the word Sheol is the word Hades [HAY-deez]. The word Hades comes from Greek. Sheol/Hades is somewhere under the surface of the earth in a location that is inaccessible to those humans who have not yet experienced physical death. Sheol/Hades is different from the Lake of Fire. The Lake of Fire is the place of judgment for the fallen angels and those who have had the mental capacity to make a decision about whether or not to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior but never believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior. For each person who at some time in that personʼs life has the mental capacity to make a decision about whether or not to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior, the age of that person when that person first had the mental capacity to make a decision about whether or not to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior can be referred to as the age of accountability of that person. The age of accountability varies for each individual person.
Content in 2 Samuel 12:23 indicates that a person who dies before that person has reached the age of accountability receives eternal life. The content of that verse references King David recognizing that when David died, he would be with his son who had died as a baby. Below is content related to 2 Samuel 12:22–23.
Note: In the below content of 2 Samuel 12:22, the pronoun he refers to David.
2 Samuel 12:22
Then he says, “While the child was still alive, I have fasted, and I weep, for I have said, ‘Who knows? Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One has been gracious to me, and the child has lived.’
Note: The uses of a present tense in the verb says and the verb weep reference what has occurred in the past. Such uses of a present tense have a rhetorical effect. In that regard, using a verb in a present tense to refer to the past can help a reader or hearer of the Word of God imagine past events as though the reader or hearer is watching those events as they occur.
2 Samuel 12:23
“However, now he has died; why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back again? I am going to him, but he does not return to me.”
Note: David indicated that he recognized that he would later be with his son who had died as a baby. In that regard, David indicated that he recognized that the means by which David would be with that deceased son involved David going to be with that deceased son when David would die rather than that deceased son coming back to be with David before David died. David is eternally saved; therefore, the content of this verse indicates that Davidʼs son who had died as a baby is also eternally saved.
Unspecified in the Bible is the location of the Lake of Fire. Sheol/Hades can also be referred to as the netherworld. Also, the phrase the netherworld can alternatively be spelled as the nether world. The word nether means “located down or below.”
Before the Lord Jesus Christʼs resurrection and ascension to Heaven, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ resided in a pleasant compartment of Hades called Paradise and also called Abrahamʼs Bosom. After the Lord was resurrected and He ascended to Heaven, the believers who were in Abrahamʼs Bosom were transferred to Heaven. Now that the Lord has been resurrected and has ascended to Heaven, deceased believers go to Heaven rather than going to Abrahamʼs Bosom. Unspecified in the Bible are details about how believers were transferred to Abrahamʼs Bosom other than the content of Luke 16:22 mentioning angels carrying the poverty-stricken believer named Lazarus to Abrahamʼs Bosom. Also, unspecified in the Bible are details about how believers were transferred from Abrahamʼs Bosom to Heaven or how believers are transferred to Heaven.
Deceased unbelievers resided and still reside in a compartment of Hades called Torments. They will reside there until the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers, which will occur after the Lordʼs 1,000-year Millennial reign on the earth. Another compartment of Hades is Tartarus, which is where those fallen angels who mated with human females—as mentioned in Genesis 6—are currently incarcerated.
Paradise / Abrahamʼs Bosom is referenced in Luke 16:19–22. The words of the Lord Jesus Christ are in red.
Luke 16:19–22
“Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. Also, a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores and longing to be fed with the things which were falling from the rich manʼs table. Nevertheless, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abrahamʼs bosom, and the rich man also died and was buried.”
Torments is referenced in Luke 16:23–26. The words of the Lord Jesus Christ are in red.
Luke 16:23–26
“In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and sees* Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue because I am in agony in this flame.’ Nevertheless, Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things and likewise Lazarus bad things. Nevertheless, now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. Also, in all these things, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and none may cross over from there to us.’”
*Note: The word sees is in the Greek historical present tense.
Tartarus and the context of the judgment of the angels who mated with human females are referenced in 2 Peter 2:4–5.
2 Peter 2:4–5
Indeed, if God did not spare—and He indeed did not spare—angels when they sinned but cast them into Tartarus and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment, and did not spare the ancient world but preserved Noah, a preacher [or herald] of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;
Note: In 2 Peter 2:4, the Koine [KOI-nay] Greek verb that is translated as “cast them into Tartarus” is ταρταρώσας [pronounced tar-tah-ROH-sahs and transliterated as tartarōsas]. That verb is an inflected form of the root word ταρταρόω [pronounced tar-tah-RAH-oh and transliterated as tartaroō]. The verb tartaroō is derived from the Greek noun Τάρταρος [pronounced TAHR-tah-rahs and transliterated as Tartaros], which can be translated as “Tartarus.” The English noun Tartarus is also derived from the Greek noun Tartaros.
Regarding terminology, when people use the word hell, they might be referring to Hades/Sheol, and they might be referring to the Lake of Fire. Also, it is possible that some people are unaware that Hades and the Lake of Fire are different locations. There are zero indications in the Bible that Satan has a headquarters located in Hades or in the Lake of Fire.
Psalm 139:9
I take / carry / lift / lift up the wings of dawn/morning. I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea.
Note: In this verse, David is referencing traveling far. The content of this verse is related to the content in the next verse.
Psalm 139:10
Even there, Your hand leads me, and Your right hand holds me.
Note: In this verse, the reference to a hand in the phrase Your hand leads me is an anthropomorphism. As mentioned in the notes for verse 5, an anthropomorphism is a usage of terminology involving a physical characteristic to describe a characteristic of the Trinity. The anthropomorphism involving a hand in Psalm 139:10 is a metaphor that calls attention to the power of God the Father. In this verse, the reference to a right hand in the phrase Your right hand holds me is also an anthropomorphism. The right-hand side of a ruler is a place of honor; therefore, Davidʼs usage of the phrase Your right hand holds me might be a reference to God the Father honoring David.
Psalm 139:11
I say, “Surely, darkness bruises/overwhelms me—night light about/for/over/upon me.”
Note: The usage of bruises in this verse is a metaphor. Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding ones is what the content after the em dash [—] references.
Psalm 139:12
Even darkness is not hidden from You, and night shines as day. As darkness, so light.
Note: This verse calls attention to the fact that God the Father is omniscient [ahm-NISH-uhnt] [all-knowing],
Psalm 139:13
Certainly, You have created my kidneys. You fence me about / hedge me in / screen me / cover me / protect me / weave me together in my mother’s womb.
Note: The kidneys refer to the emotions. Also, the second verb in this verse can be translated a variety of ways. That verb is either referring to the protection of David when he was in his mother’s womb or to the forming of David in his mother’s womb. Regardless of which of those this verse is referencing, this indicates that Davidʼs existence began at the moment of conception.
Psalm 139:14
I give thanks to You / I praise You because I am awesomely and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works, and my soul is knowing it very well.
Note: In this verse, David calls attention to the omniscience [all-knowingness] and omnipotence [all-powerfulness] of God the Father. Rather than David thinking that the forming of David occurred without the involvement of God the Father, David recognized that God the Father was responsible for the forming of David. In that regard, in order for things to be organized, an intelligent life form is needed because without an intelligent life form intervening, the natural world tends towards disorder. The tendency towards disorder is known as entropy [EN-truh-pee]. The fact that the natural world tends towards disorder without the intervention of an intelligent life form to organize things is a reflection of the condition of the world since the Fall of Adam and Ishshah [ish-SHAW] (the name of Eve before Adam renamed her Eve).
Psalm 139:15
My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth / lower parts of the earth.
Note: The phrases depths of the earth and lower parts of the earth metaphorically refer to the womb of Davidʼs mother. This verse indicates that God the Father knew all that was going on with regard to the development of David in the womb of his mother. Also, this verse calls attention to the skillfulness of God the Father regarding the making of human beings.
Psalm 139:16
Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your scroll/book all of them are written, the days they were formed—and there were not one among them.
Note: David recognized that God the Father had a plan for all of the days of Davidʼs life. Also, the reference to eyes in this verse is an anthropomorphism. As mentioned in the notes for verse 5, an anthropomorphism is a usage of terminology involving a physical characteristic to describe a characteristic of the Trinity. The anthropomorphism involving eyes in verse 16 is a metaphor that calls attention to the omniscience of God the Father.
In this verse, the phrase unformed substance refers to David in his motherʼs womb before David was formed into the shape that he had when he emerged from his motherʼs womb. In that regard, David existed before he was formed into the shape that he had when he emerged from his motherʼs womb. Regarding the foregoing, the phrase unformed substance indicates that Davidʼs existence began at the moment of conception.
In this verse, the reference to a scroll/book is a metaphorical reference to the God the Fatherʼs plan. In that regard, the phrase the days they were formed refers to the number of days that God the Father planned for Davidʼs life. Regarding the phrase there were in this verse, David wrote part of this verse elliptically, omitting a verb. Therefore, the phrase there were has been included in the above English translation for the sake of clarity. In the context of this verse, the phrase and there were not one among them refers to the days of Davidʼs life before David existed. In that regard, this verse indicates that God the Father knew all about the days of Davidʼs life before the conception of David.
Psalm 139:17
How precious also have been Your thoughts to me, O 'El [AYL] / God [focusing on God the Fatherʼs power]! How vast has been the sum of them!
Psalm 139:18
I count them. They outnumber the sand. I have awoken, and I am still with You.
Note: Unspecified in this verse and the surrounding ones is what David is referencing with the phrase I have awoken. Regardless of what David is referencing with that phrase, David appreciates the thinking of God the Father. Because the Word of God reveals aspects of the thinking of God the Father, David appreciates the Word of God.
Psalm 139:19
Do You slay the wicked, O 'Elowahh [el-OH-ah; also spelled as 'Eloah and 'Elohah] / God? Men of bloodshed, depart from me!
Note: In the middle of verse 19, David switches from communicating to God the Father to communicating to the men of bloodshed. Also, unspecified in this verse and the surrounding ones is why David asked the question that is in this verse.
Psalm 139:20
They speak against You with wicked intent. Your enemies lift up emptiness / vanity / falsehood / nothingness / emptiness of speech / lying / worthlessness of conduct.
Note: In this verse, David switches back to talking to God the Father. The Hebrew word translated as “lift up” in this verse is נָשֻׂא [pronounced nah-SOO and can be transliterated as nasu], which is an inflected form of the root word נָשָׂא [pronounced nah-SAH and can be transliterated as nasa']. (Hebrew is written and read from right to left.) In this verse, the verb nasa' involves a metaphorical usage of the phrase lift up. In that regard, there are some possibilities regarding what David was indicating in this verse. One possibility is that David was indicating that the selfish things that the enemies considered important were actually a waste of time. Another possibility is that David was indicating that the enemies condoned being deceitful for a selfish reason or selfish reasons. Being deceitful for a selfish reason or selfish reasons is a waste of time also, of course. Yet another possibility is that David was indicating that the enemies condoned selfish conduct. Selfish conduct is also, of course, a waste of time.
Regarding the possibility of deceptiveness being referenced in this verse, the focus of the content of this verse involves people being selfish. In contrast to the focus of the content of this verse, the content of Joshua 2 covers the matter of two Israelite spies in the land of Canaan being protected by the woman Rahab at Jericho. In order to protect those innocent Israelites, Rahab hid them and lied to people who were working for the king of Jericho. Rahab thereby deceived those people who were working for the king of Jericho. In that regard, absent from the Bible is any condemnation of Rahab for engaging in deception in order to try to protect the innocent.
The content of 2 Samuel 15:31–37 and the content of 2 Samuel 17:14–16 cover the matter of King Davidʼs friend Hushai deceiving Davidʼs evil son Absalom and people who supported Absalom in his revolution against David. The content of 2 Samuel 15:31–36 covers David requesting that Hushai engage in that deception. The content of 2 Samuel 15:37 and the content of 2 Samuel 17:14–15 cover Hushai engaging in that deception. The content of 2 Samuel 17:16 covers the matter of that deception being for the purpose of protecting the innocent. In that regard, absent from the Bible is any condemnation of Hushai for engaging in deception in order to try to protect the innocent. Likewise, absent from the Bible is any condemnation of David for requesting that Hushai engage in deception in order to try to protect the innocent.
The content of 2 Samuel 17:17–22 covers the matter of a woman protecting two men who were working for David in Davidʼs struggle against Davidʼs evil son Absalom and the people who supported Absalom in his revolution against David. In order to protect those innocent men, the woman hid them and lied to servants of Absalom. That woman thereby deceived those servants of Absalom. In that regard, absent from the Bible is any condemnation of that woman for engaging in deception in order to try to protect the innocent.
In contrast to the aforementioned examples of people attempting to deceive in order to try to protect the innocent, Satanʼs attempts to deceive are motivated by selfishness. Satan is a narcissist. Other narcissists are also motivated by selfishness.
Regarding believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and the matter of trying to deceive, if a believer who is trying to deceive is motivated by selfishness, then that believer is sinning. If one is unable to determine whether one is being selfish while engaging in deception, one can analyze whether one feels content or discontent. Another way to determine whether one is being selfish while engaging in deception is to analyze whether circumstances beyond oneʼs control are occurring and whether those circumstances are discipline from God the Son. God the Father does the planning, and God the Son carries out the plans of God the Father. If one is uncertain whether one is being selfish while engaging in deception, then one should refrain from engaging in that particular deception. Also, in such a case, one should—in accordance with 1 John 1:9—confess/acknowledge to God the Father that engaging in deception: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” While a believer might be uncertain about whether or not something that that believer thinks, says, or does is a sin, if that believer confesses/acknowledges to God the Father what that believer thought, said, or did, and if what that believer thought, said, or did was indeed a sin, God the Father will forgive that believer for what that believer confessed/acknowledged to God the Father, and God the Father will forgive that believer for all of those of the believerʼs unconfessed post-salvation sins that are unknown to that believer. The phrase and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness in 1 John 1:9 references God the Father forgiving a believerʼs unconfessed post-salvation sins that are unknown to that believer when that believer confesses/acknowledges to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins.
Regarding deception motivated by selfishness, below is a link to a list of deception-related words that are in the Bible. The list contains thirty-seven words. Twenty-four of those words are in the Old Testament, and thirteen of those words are in the New Testament.
https://www.BLBClassic.org/search/lexiconc.cfm?Criteria=decei&searchtype=any&x=4&y=9
The content of Psalm 139:20 is repeated below for reference.
Psalm 139:20
They speak against You with wicked intent. Your enemies lift up emptiness / vanity / falsehood / nothingness / emptiness of speech / lying / worthlessness of conduct.
Psalm 139:21
Do I not hate those hating You, O Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, and grieve myself regarding those who rise up against You?
Note: In this verse, David was indicating that he was very much opposed to those who are very much opposed to God the Father. Such an attitude is different from personal enmity. Personal enmity involves opposing someone for a selfish reason or selfish reasons.
Psalm 139:22
With complete hatred I have hated them. They have become my enemies.
Note: As with verse 21, in verse 22 David was indicating that he was very much opposed to those who are very much opposed to God the Father. As mentioned above, such an attitude is different from personal enmity. Personal enmity involves opposing someone for a selfish reason or selfish reasons.
Psalm 139:23
Search me, O 'El/God [focusing on God the Fatherʼs power], and know my heart. Try/Test/Prove/Examine me and know my thoughts.
Note: The heart refers to the mind.
Psalm 139:24
See if there is a grievous way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way!
Note: David wanted to become aware of any hidden areas of arrogance in Davidʼs thinking, and he wanted to learn how to live properly. A hidden area of arrogance can also be referred to as a hidden area of selfishness. A hidden area of arrogance is human viewpoint that a person fails to notice in that personʼs thinking. The term human viewpoint refers to any viewpoint that deviates from the Word of God. In contrast, the term divine viewpoint refers to the viewpoint of the Trinity. All three Members of the Trinity have the same viewpoint. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ can learn divine viewpoint by learning the Word of God. Therefore, the term divine viewpoint refers to the viewpoint that comes from a proper understanding of the Word of God. With human-viewpoint thinking, a person has unrealistic expectations regarding life. Such a person is divorced from reality.
Regarding hidden areas of arrogance in a believerʼs thinking, at the moment of salvation, a believer still has garbage in his or her subconscious. The garbage in the subconscious is the human viewpoint that has been metaphorically programmed into the thinking of a person. After salvation, a believer can also accumulate garbage in the subconscious of that believer. Because people express what they think, the saying “garbage in, garbage out” is applicable to an unbeliever, and it is also applicable to a believer to the extent that that believer has human viewpoint remaining in that believerʼs thinking. That saying can also be abbreviated as GIGO [pronounced GIGH-goh or GEE-goh or GIH-goh].
During time periods that involve information generated by computers, the expression “garbage in, garbage out” is applicable to information generated by those computers. In that regard, the abbreviation AI, which is used to represent the term artificial intelligence, ironically refers to artificial idiocy when those computers output garbage. The garbage output by computers referred to as AI can be referred to as AI slop. The content of AI slop involves misrepresentations, including, for example, images that do not represent reality, video content that does not represent reality, audio content that does not represent reality, and wording that involves falsehoods. The misrepresentations that are in AI slop can cause a personʼs thinking to be molded by human viewpoint that is in that AI slop.
People can deliberately input false information into computer systems that some people categorize as AI, thereby manipulating those computer systems. Such inputting of false information can be referred to as poisoning. For example, one type of computer system that some people categorize as AI is known as a large language model (LLM), which is a computer program into which a large quantity of data is inputted and which can be interacted with by means of giving commands that involve human language and which outputs information in a form that mimics human language. Because the data that goes into LLMs can come from content that is available on webpages, people can input false information into LLMs by putting false information on webpages that are used as data sources for those LLMs. The putting of false information on webpages for the purpose of inputting false information into LLMs is known as LLM grooming. The people who do LLM grooming can thereby try to mold peopleʼs thinking so as to influence them to think in terms of human viewpoint.
In order for a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ to discover hidden areas of arrogance in that believerʼs thinking, that believer needs to learn the Word of God. Also, learning the Word of God is the means by which a believer learns how to live properly. In order to learn the Word of God, a believer must be in fellowship with the Trinity and thereby filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit while the believer is studying the Word of God. In that regard, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity. After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored. The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1. Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30. In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit. Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer. After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again.
Sincerely,
John