Psalm 36:1-12 NKJV
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord.
36 An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.
3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
4 He devises wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself in a way that is not good;
He does not abhor evil.
5 Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
Your judgments are a great deep;
O Lord, You preserve man and beast.
7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
9 For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the workers of iniquity have fallen;
They have been cast down and are not able to rise.
David prophesies about man’s wickedness when there is no faith in the Lord. The wicked man does not keep the fear of God before his eyes, that is, constantly on his mind. Instead, he sets his sinful passions and desires before his eyes so that they direct his steps. He takes comfort in his sins and plots wickedness while lying in bed. The wickedness and self-flattery of his heart lead him to deceive others and himself.
Despite the wicked, God’s mercy is in the heavens. His faithfulness reaches to the clouds. His righteousness is unmovable like the mountains. His judgments are as deep as a great ocean. It is out of mercy that He preserves man and beast, even those men who do not fear Him and acknowledge His mercy. “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt 5:45).
The children of men are the faithful. They acknowledge God’s lovingkindness to them, put their trust in the Lord, and dwell under His protection. Those who trust in the Lord enjoy more than the temporal blessings which the wicked also enjoy. The sons of men enjoy the fullness of the Lord’s house and drink from the river of God’s pleasures. These are the spiritual blessings God freely bestows on all who believe: forgiveness of sins, the promise of everlasting life, and the Holy Spirit to lead a new life. The sons of men see God’s mercy in His Son, Jesus Christ. “In Your light we see light” (9). Christ Jesus is “the brightness of [God’s] glory and the express image of His person” (Heb 1:3). In Christ Jesus we see God the Father and the great lovingkindness which He has toward humanity, especially of those who believe in His Son and put their trust under the shadow of His wings. No matter how the wicked prosper in the things of this life because they refuse to see God’s mercy and light in Christ Jesus, they are cast down, and the wrath of God abides on them (John 3:36).
Let us pray: We give You thanks, Lord Jesus, that in Your light we see the light of God the Father. Keep the fear of God before our eyes each day, that we may recognize Your mercies, live upright lives, and enjoy the fullness of Your house. Amen.