thinking bible.

You asked

how does the new testament echo or develop this psalm's idea of god's presence beyond physical locations?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Psalm 139:7-10

Where could I go from your Spirit? Or where could I flee from your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me.

This psalm is a personal meditation, likely by King David, expressing deep wonder at God's intimate knowledge and pervasive presence. The psalmist marvels that there is no place in creation, from the heights of heaven to the depths of the underworld or the farthest reaches of the earth, where God is not present.

What does it mean for you to consider a divine presence that transcends all physical boundaries and personal hiding places?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Acts 17:24, 27-28

    Paul speaks of God not dwelling in temples made by human hands, and being 'not far from each one of us,' for in him we live and move and have our being.

  • Jeremiah 23:23-24

    This prophetic passage asks, 'Am I a God at hand... and not a God far away?' emphasizing God's universal presence beyond local sanctuaries.

  • Matthew 28:20

    Jesus promises his disciples, 'I am with you always, even to the end of the age,' extending a personal, continuous presence beyond his physical ascension.

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