Psalm 36: steadfast love of God
a. v. 1-4, Wicked
b. v. 5-7, Steadfast
love and righteousness
c. v. 8, River
(of God)
c’. v.9, Fountain
of life
b’. v. 10, steadfast
love and righteousness
a’. v.11-12,
arrogance and evildoers
A. Look at a relatively long
description of a wicked guy:
v. 1: [wickedness is] deep in his heart – weeds were
not pulled at right time
No fear of God before his eyes. Eyes are “dangerous”
in the Bible – see Genesis 3:6, everything begins with seeing the fruit. Also,
the fear of God is a healthy respect and awe;
v. 2: He flatters himself – as a result he doesn’t
even see where he misses;
v. 3: The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
No wise actions and no good conduct;
v. 4: He
plots trouble – he plans ahead the evil things.
B. Four
elements of God’s involvements (vv. 5- 6):
Steadfast love – heavens
Faithfulness – clouds
Righteousness – mountains
Judgements –
great deep
vv. 7. All the aspects of different elements of
creation – examples of transcendence
At the same time, there are illustrations of His
immanence:
Children of
mankind – refuge in the shadow of your wings
C. v. 8, abundant feast in His house +
river. See Revelation 21 – New Jerusalem as the Temple and the River flows
through
C’. v. 9, the fountain of life – the
source of light, in a desert environment “a well” which is dug is a source of
life in a very literal sense.
His light
provides us with light – Psalm 119:105. So, the psalmist is not only alive but
understand the direction of his way by the light of God, the light of Christ
(John 8:12).
B’. v. 10-11, a plea that the steadfast
love will protect from the temptation. The Temptations are going to come, and
we ask that He keep us protected from the impact of the evil one (Matthew 6:13
– leads to Romans 12:21).
A’. v. 12, the ultimate fate of the evildoers is to fall, unable to rise (see Psalms 1:6 and 146:9).
