Psalm 36 offers two ways of
life. The way of the wicked (36:1–4) and one rooted in the love of God
(36:5–9). These pathways stand in stark contrast. These contrasting portraits
of life exist side–by–side in our prayer without any transition between the
two. We’ve encountered the two ways in a couple of ways already during our
study. Pss 1 and 146 described the ways of the righteous and the ways of the
wicked. We’ve also see the voice of the psalmist through the lament psalms
claiming personal innocence and connection with God. Ps 36 enriches and deepens
these previous black and white modes of thinking. Ps 36 invites those who will
learn to pray it to take a look inside and decide whether to align with a life
rooted in self or with the expansive love of the LORD.
1 I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
There is no fear of God
before their eyes.
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
There is no fear of God
before their eyes.
2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.
3 The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;
they fail to act wisely or do good.
4 Even on their beds they plot evil;
they commit themselves to a sinful course
and do not reject what is wrong.
too much to detect or hate their sin.
3 The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;
they fail to act wisely or do good.
4 Even on their beds they plot evil;
they commit themselves to a sinful course
and do not reject what is wrong.
5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
your faithfulness to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
10 Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
thrown down, not able to rise! (NIV)
your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
thrown down, not able to rise! (NIV)
Verse 1 announces that the
psalmist has received a message from God. The psalmist shares the content of
this message in vv. 1–4. It is a description of what drives a persons to commit
sin. The vocabulary of sin and evil is rich in vv. 1–4. English translations
struggle to capture the nuances. The psalmist uses just about every Hebrew word
for sin available to paint a broad and jarring picture of life apart from
faithfulness and love.
Verse 1b roots sin in a lack of
fear or dread of God. What is lacking in the a person who
embraces the way of wickedness and rebellion is a sense of one’s place in
creation. We might say that the person needs a “reality check.” God does not
desire us to be terrified of him. Instead, we are to show a respect and
submission to God as ruler and judge of creation. The wicked live without
regard for any force, person, or power outside of themselves.
Verse 2 continues the
description. We find the second occurrence of “eyes.” This points to the cause
of sin. The wicked justify their actions apart from any external reference
point. We would call this being self-centered. The heart of sin is
living out of our own thoughts, plans, will, and talents. When we set our own
standards and are accountable only to ourselves, we lose the ability and
self-awareness to detect our brokenness and sinful desires. When this reality
manifests itself in the masses, chaos ensues as every individual act only out
of self-interest rather than in a way of life shaped by a love for God and
others.
Verses
3–4 focus on the mess created by unfiltered and unbridled self-will and
self-centeredness. There is a loss of wise living and speaking. A sense of the
common good is nowhere to be found. Their plans and intentions flow out of
their selfishness. This makes it impossible for them to walk in a good pathway.
If there is a choice for good or evil, they gravitate toward the way of
wickedness.
If verses 1–4 paint picture of
self-centered human ugliness, the portrait found in vv. 5–9 is stunning in its
description of the beauty and majesty of God. There are two ways of living
described in Psalm 36, but there is really no choice. Read through verses 5–9
again. The imagery is breath-taking. When we close our eyes and imagine how we
would describe a good and kind God, it would be a challenge to exceed the
wondrous description in these five verses.
First, the psalmist addresses
God personally as “LORD” for the initial time in this psalm. The
psalmist does not want us to forget that he is not talking some generic god. He
is talking about the LORD.
Then, the psalmist voices four
core attributes of God (vv. 5-6a): love, faithfulness, righteousness, and
justice. The stress is on the breadth and immensity of these. The LORD
possesses an immeasurable and limitless quantity of them. The God to whom we pray
acts out of a loyal love that is faithful to all of God’s commitments and
relationships. God always does the right thing at the right time every time.
These virtues and attributes describe the world that God is bringing about
through his mission. Notice the focus on relational qualities. Love,
faithfulness, righteousness, and justice all manifest themselves in
relationships between God and others. This is the exact opposite of the mode of
life of the wicked. Their focus is on self; the LORD’s focus is on good of
creation.
Verse 6b declares the full
implication of the LORD’s love, faithfulness, righteousness, and justice. Our
translation reads, “You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.” The word preserve
is more often translated save or deliver. The LORD is a god who
preserves and/or saves people and animals. God’s commitment to relational
wholeness means that God cares about people and animals.
This truth is life-giving.
“Unfailing love” is the same word as “love” in v. 5. This is the core dimension
of the God of Scripture. It is affirmed in both Old and New Testaments that God
is love (cf. Exod 34:6 and 1 John 4:16). Humanity can find true refuge and
protection in the “shadow of your wings.” This is a reference to the Jerusalem
temple. This does not mean that God’s protection is confined to one place. The
temple is a symbol of God’s refuge that is universally available to all who
know him.
Verses
8–9 emphasize the extravagant abundance available to those who seek refuge in
the LORD. The vocabulary invites us to imagine that we are feasting and
drinking at God’s table. The portions are endless and the very best that are
available. If the portrait of wickedness is dark and pointless, the abundance
of God is about life and light. The LORD is love. Life as God
intends is beautiful and rich. In John 10:10 Jesus puts it this way, “I have
come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
The psalmist now reaches the
point of decision. Up to this point, Ps 36 has described two distinct and
contrasting ways of living.
Vv. 1–4 center life on
decisions and whims of each individual. In the world of verses 1–4, there is a
temptation to believe falsely that each man or woman can cut his or her own
path through the world as he or she pleases. This is the root of idolatry and
injustice. The biblical vision for authentic living flows out of a love for
God, people and all creation. In other words, life moves away from self to
focus on relationships. Sin and wickedness results from attempting to shape the
world to serve and please us. This is what self-centeredness mean. We attempt
to live as God. To work out of this framework is to work against the beautiful
and just world that God desires and is working to create.
Vv. 5–9 offer a robust and stunning counter-cultural alternative to the way of the wicked. This way of life centers on the one true God–the LORD. The LORD embodies and models relational wholeness by acting in love, faithfulness, righteousness, and justice. God’s mission involves saving and preserving all life. God offers all creation security in the present and for all eternity.
This
is a counter-cultural choice and remains so today. It is risky to live freely
for the sake of others. To privilege a love for God and neighbor over the
self-centeredness of the modern (and ancient) world puts us into a position
where we can be hurt, used, or manipulated by those who choose the pathway of
self-will (vv. 1–4). This is the reason that Ps 36 shifts to a pray for
protection from the wicked in vv. 11–12. This is not a prayer against the
world as much as it is a prayer for those who desires to live a
self-giving life of love and justice in alignment with the character of God
(vv. 5–9) and modeled by Jesus in the Gospels. The goal of our witness is to invite
the world to experience this truest expression of human life.
©
2015 Brian D. Russell
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