Psalm 36 begins and ends with the wicked, those who have ‘no fear of God before their eyes’ (v1). David’s description of them is a description of each of us before the grace and mercy of God invaded:
- they flatter themselves in their own eyes so they are unable to see their own sin (v2)
- their speech is full of deceit and wickedness (v3)
- they fail to act wisely (v3)
- they fail to do good (v3)
- they plot evil, even as they go to sleep (v4)
- they resolve themselves to pursue sinful actions (v4)
- they do not reject what is wrong (v4).
When surrounded by such people who are committed to the pursuit and promotion of evil it is easy to fall into despair and feel overwhelmed. There is only one antidote, which David models to us so well in this psalm: he focuses on God. In four beautiful lines, which are well worth committing to memory, David describes four facets of God’s character which should provide strength and comfort to any of His children:
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens (v5)
The unrelenting, unwavering, steadfast love of God stretches to the farthest reaches of the created cosmos. Surely Paul is echoing this sentiment when he prays for the believers in Ephesus to have power to grasp ‘how high and wide and long and deep is the love of Christ’ (Ephesians 3:18). God’s love is truly without limit. It is immeasurable. His love goes beyond my locality, my town, my region, my nation, my continent. It reaches way beyond the globe I inhabit. His love extends all the way to the heavens. It stretches further than I can see or imagine. It is impossible for me to drift or wander outside of the boundaries of His love.
Your faithfulness to the skies (v5)
The skies surround the earth. The skies are what we see when we look up. They look different in different light but it’s the same sky. They bring rain in the clouds or warmth via the sun but it’s the same sky. Every day I look up and see the skies. So, too, His faithfulness. Every. Single. Day. Covering my steps and overseeing my movements, God’s faithful hand guides me. His faithful eyes watch me. His faithful presence goes with me. I cannot move beyond the reach of the skies and I cannot outrun or escape His faithfulness.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains (v6)
In Scripture the mountains are often the place where God meets His people – think of Moses on Mt Sinai, Elijah on Mt Carmel, or Peter, James and John with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Mountains are immovable. Mountains tower over and dominate the landscape. Mountains have always been there, and always will be. So too, the righteousness of God. It is His righteousness which determines God’s actions in history. It is His righteousness which is a characteristic of His kingdom. Towering over the sinfulness, selfishness and idolatry of mankind is His righteousness. An immovable rock. A solid foundation. His righteousness remains from all eternity past to all eternity future.
Your justice like the great deep (v6)
God’s justice cannot be plumbed. You cannot get to the bottom of His justice. It cannot be used up or exhausted or undermined. Underpinning everything He does is His justice. It means that there is no issue too large for the reserves of His justice. There is no circumstance that runs too deep for His justice to cover it. There is no injustice so significant that He is incapable of resolving it.
Deep justice and soaring righteousness are twin attributes in the character of God. Justice and righteousness. High and deep. The depth of God’s justice complements the height of His righteousness. And the vastness of God’s love partners with the stretch of His faithfulness.
Four precious attributes. Four beautiful images. No wonder the psalmist bursts into praise…
Salvation belongs to THIS God (v6), the One who is Love and Faithfulness and Righteousness and Justice. How precious is this love. And so, of course, His children would want to come and take refuge in the shadow of His wings (v7). Where else is it worth going when God is so good? And under His shadow comes feasting, abundance, and drinking from His river of delights (v8). In Him is the fountain of life and the light of light (v9).
Love. Faithfulness. Righteousness. Justice.
That’s What and Who we come to. And in Him we find salvation, delight, life and light.
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the skies;
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
Your justice like the great deep. (vv5-6)
NB: The Bible quotes are taken from the New International Version (NIV).
The Sharpened Sword 