Our Lord has instructed me, brothers, and in their words, the Master of all has directed me to share this psalm with you, as much as it aligns with God's will. May He guide your prayers so that I can express what is right, that you might listen, and that the Word of God may benefit all of us, though not all find it beneficial, for not everyone possesses faith. 1 Thessalonians 3:2.
I believe you grasp the essence of this psalm when you sang it; there, the Church of Christ, amid the unholy, groans and sighs, lifting a prayer to God. In every prophecy, her voice resonates as that of one in need, yearning for righteousness (Matthew 5:6) and anticipating a promised fullness that will be fulfilled at the end.
At the conclusion of this psalm, which is addressed to David, the Apostle provides the conclusion you should expect, for Christ is the culmination (Romans 10:4). He was of David's lineage, not in His divine nature as the Creator of David, but in His humanity; hence, He willingly accepts the title of David in prophecy. This psalm is sung to David Himself, to hear the voice of His Body and to dwell within it. Let the voice you have heard resonate within you as you pray and speak the following.
Rescue me, O Lord, from the wicked person (Psalm 139:1). Not merely from an individual but from a category; not just from a few vessels but from their very prince, the devil himself. Why refer to man when the devil is the target? Because he is figuratively called a man (Matthew 13:24-28). Thus, enlightened not by ourselves but by the Lord (Ephesians 5:8), let us pray not only against darkness—that is, sinners still ensnared by the devil—but also against their ruler, the devil himself, who operates in the disobedient. Rescue me from the unrighteous man, the same as from the wicked man. He is labeled wicked because he is unrighteous, so you should not conclude that any unrighteous individual might be good. Many unrighteous people may seem benign; they aren't fierce or savage, nor do they actively persecute or oppress; yet they are unrighteous, engaging in profligacy, drunkenness, and indulgence in carnal pleasures.
Thus, every unrighteous man is wicked and poses a potential threat, whether he appears mild or aggressive. Those entangled in his ways, falling into his net, will soon realize the danger hidden in what they assumed was innocent. For, brothers, thorns do not prick without a root. Dig them from the soil, touch their roots, and see if you feel pain. However, the source of your pain springs from that very root. Hence, do not let those who appear gentle and kind, yet revel in worldly pleasures and pursue defiled desires, deceive you. Though they may seem mild-mannered, they can still be thorns at heart.
Therefore, my brethren, Body of Christ, members of Christ, as you groan among such wicked individuals, those who rush toward sinful lusts and deadly pleasures, rebuke them at once, punish them swiftly, burn them out. Let the root be consumed, so no thorns may sprout. If you fail to act, know that they will become your adversaries. They may seem silent, concealing their animosity, but genuine love will not flow from them. And since they cannot harbor love for you, and those who oppose you will surely seek your harm, let neither your tongue nor heart hesitate to cry out to God: Deliver me, O Lord, from the unrighteous man.
He who harbors wickedness in his heart (Psalm 139:2). Deliver me from them; let Your mighty hand grant me the mightiest deliverance. It is easy to avoid brazen enmity, to steer clear of an open foe, yet iniquity resides both in their speech and their heart; that covert adversary is difficult to evade, and he cloaks his malice under the guise of amiable words. Throughout the day, they conspire against me. What is this turmoil? Their actions compel me to battle incessantly. For from hearts like these arise the very conflicts a Christian must face: rebellion, schism, heresy, vehement opposition—all emerge from hidden malice, while they speak benign words outwardly, their hearts are filled with strife.
Behold, their tongues are sharpened like serpents (Psalm 139:3). If you desire an illustration of such a person, consider the serpent, noted among all creatures for its cunning and capacity for harm; it slithers quietly without limbs, so as to remain undetected. It moves languidly, appearing smooth, but not in a straight path. Thus, they maneuver to inflict harm while disguising their poison under the slightest touch. Their venom lies concealed beneath their lips, presenting one reality beneath the surface, while another lurks within.
Guard me, O Lord, from the hand of the sinner, from the unjust deliver me (Psalm 139:4). Here, their true nature is made clear; discernment is unnecessary; we must simply offer our prayers, without delving into who they are. Many pray ineffectively against evildoers, questioning who leads them astray. This can easily be approached in a worldly manner. Everyone faces enemies who seek to deceive them in business, attempting to rob their wealth through betrayal; everyone knows a neighbor who plots to bring distress to their family or harm their property using wicked schemes.
Yet, it is not this deceit that you must be wary of; rather, beware of their allure that might lure you away from the Body of Christ, drawing you into their way. Just as Christ is the head of the righteous, so too is the devil their leader. What does it mean to lead me astray? It is not merely about being deceived in dealings; such a person leads you astray if they hinder your walk with God, causing what you have rightly directed to stumble or fall off the path. Whoever does this to you leads you off course, deceives you. Pray earnestly against these snares, for you must not forfeit your heavenly inheritance, nor forsake Christ, your co-heir, for you are destined to dwell forever with the One who made you an heir.
The proud have laid a trap for me (Psalm 139:5). He encapsulated the malice of the devil when he declared ‘proud’. They frequently regard themselves as righteous, even while being unjust. Therefore, nothing vexes them more than the admission of their sins. Being falsely righteous, they inevitably envy those who are genuinely just. No one envies what they do not wish to attain or appear to embody. This is the source of temptation and deception, as it was when the devil first envied the upright.
Thus, the proud have concealed a trap for me; they sought to mislead me. How did they attempt this? They cast out cords like snares. What sort of cords are these? The term is well-established in Scripture, as we see in Proverbs 5:22: "For every one is bound by the bonds of his sins." Isaiah makes it clear that "Woe to those who pull sin like a long rope" (Isaiah 5:18). Why is it termed a rope? Because each sinner, persisting in sin, layers sin upon sin. When confronted with their sins, rather than repenting, they often amplify their transgressions by defensively entangling themselves further.
These sinners cast their snares for the righteous, persuading them to partake in their deeds. Thus, by spreading their cords and snares, they sought to ensnare me, laying stumbling blocks in my paths; they don’t set traps on the way, but pull me from it. Your paths are the commands of God. They embed stumbling blocks along your journey; you must not stray nor succumb to them.
What remains? What is the remedy amid such afflictions, temptations, and dangers? I cried to the Lord, "You are my God" (Psalm 139:6). This declaration of prayer is powerful; it reinforces faith. Is He not the God of others? What is He not, who is the true God? Yet He belongs solely to those who embrace Him, who serve Him, and who willingly obey Him. Even the wicked, though begrudgingly, submit to Him.
Listen to the voice of my prayer with Thy ears. He did not merely request, "Hear my prayer"; rather, he emphasized the essence of his heart: the voice of my prayer, my earnestness, my soul's plea—not just a reverberation of words but the very life behind them. Other empty sounds can simply be noises; only those enriched by the soul produce words. Many pray to God without truly grasping who He is, lacking right understanding. They may audibly pray, but their prayers lack substance; for without life within, there is no true voice. This was the voice of life—a plea from one who understood that God was indeed his God, recognizing by whom and from whom he had been rescued.
Let him proclaim to God: “Lord, Lord. You are the Lord God”—the true Master, unlike the lords of humanity who purchase with mere riches. He is the Lord who redeems with His blood. O Lord, Lord, you are my salvation's strength (Psalm 139:7)—the one who empowers my redemption. What does it mean that He is the strength of my salvation? He lamented over the stumbling blocks and snares set by sinners, the wicked, the tools of the devil surrounding him. And yet he found consolations: “Whoever endures to the end will be saved." Observing this and fearing the weight of iniquity, he turned toward hope. Indeed, I will be saved if I persevere. However, perseverance in seeking salvation entails strength; You are that strength, You grant endurance for salvation.
Therefore, laboring in this spiritual conflict, he recalls God's grace, and during his trials, he discovers a shade to shield him. You have covered my head in the day of battle, that is, amidst the heat, to prevent me from becoming frail and withering.
Do not deliver me, O Lord, according to my desire for the sinner (Psalm 139:8). Behold the good that comes from Your shade, protecting me from my own longings. What harm can a sinner, however infuriated, truly cause me? The wicked raged against the martyrs, dragged them away, shackled them with chains, imprisoned them in dungeons, executed them, exposed them to wild beasts, and consumed them with fire. They did all these things; nevertheless, God did not forsake them because they were not delivered by their own desires. Now, thus, pray fervently that God does not relinquish you to a sinner because of your own desires. For by your desires, you often give a foothold to the devil.
The devil presents you with tempting rewards and calls you toward evil; you face a choice where gaining requires delving into wickedness. The reward is merely bait, while the evil is the snare. Be watchful of the bait so as to recognize the snare; for you cannot reap gain without engaging in wrongdoing. If you commit a sinful act, you become ensnared. Hence, your head shall become clouded in the day of your battle. Desire stirs intense longing, yet the Lord's overshadowing softens that longing, ensuring we don’t ignite desires that lead us into nets. They thought to scheme against me; forsake me not, lest they be exalted. You know, oppression will rejoice if they see me falter. For such individuals reflect the essence of the devil himself.
The burden of their deeds and the fruits of their speech shall cover them (Psalm 139:9). I, on the other hand, shall remain under the shadow of Your wings, for You shield me during the conflict. What will cover them? Their head strolls in pride. What do they pursue? They wander in circles, failing to find resolution. A person who walks a straight path begins and concludes somewhere, while one who travels in circles remains eternally lost. The ongoing endeavors of the wicked are mirrored in another psalm: "The wicked go round and round." Yet the guiding force behind their endeavors is pride, as pride begets all sin.
How is pride woven into their speech? Every proud person is deceitful, and every deceitful individual is a liar. People labor to spin falsehoods; often, they may speak effortlessly. But a person who works genuinely does what they profess; one who seeks true words does not labor, for the truth speaks effortlessly.
THEOSIS