Thursday, June 10, 2010

Psalm 36

The wicked (vs. 1-4)—These first four verses certainly provide us with a good overall perspective of a wicked person: no fear of God, self-importance, no humility, an evil and deceitful mouth, lack of wisdom, he plots iniquity at night in his bed, and does not hate sin. Not every wicked person will manifest all of these qualities, but you can be sure that he will possess too many of them.

Contrast: the goodness of God (vs. 5-9)—We see some palilogical parallelism in verses 3 and 4 (“he…he…he…he…”), and some more in verses 5 and 6 (“Your…Your…Your…Your…”), a very nice poetic touch. David writes of God’s mercy, faithfulness, righteousness, and judgments, and the figures he uses indicates that all of them are boundless and eternal. Because God’s “lovingkindness” is so “precious,” “the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings” (v. 7). Men are satisfied—“abundantly—with “the fullness of Your house” (v. 8). David is probably not speaking here of God’s religious house. Just as our houses are full of food and provisions, God provides His blessings from His “house” as well. And part of that satisfaction is because in the Lord we have life and light (v. 9). How much more beautiful is the life God provides than that of the wicked!

A prayer for continued blessings (vs. 10-12)—Because that life is so wonderful, David asks for continued lovingkindness and righteousness (v. 10). The king wishes to be protected from pride and the wicked, the places where “the workers of iniquity have fallen…and are not able to rise” (v. 12). Acknowledging our need for God is one of the great evidences of an attempt to serve Him, and the exact opposite of the wicked who, as verse 1 says, has “no fear of God before his eyes.”

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