Psalm 36
Psalm 36
An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God
before his eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong. Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. See how the evildoers lie fallen — thrown down, not able to rise!
Psalm 36 has three main sections but really two ideas that are pitted against each other. There is the character of the wicked which stands in stark contrast to the character of God. The three main sections are: 1. The character of the wicked (vss. 1-4); 2. The character of God (vss. 5-8); 3. Petitions for deliverance from the wicked (vss. 9-12).
In the title of this Psalm we see David describing himself as “the servant of the Lord.” This is only the second time he does this. He also described himself this way in the title of Psalm 18. This designation is used most frequently in our Bible to describe Moses. So, it is significant that David uses this title for himself. Some believe it gives this Psalm a Messianic importance.
Ultimately, that is the goal of our life, to become God’s servant. Like the angels who find utter freedom in only doing His bidding. That should be our heart. But our wills fight against our desire and we find ourselves serving ourselves more often than not.
Many scholars think that this Psalm was composed much later in David’s life. Which, in an of itself, is a beautiful thing. That David would be an old man doing what he did as a young man, composing songs and making music to praise the God he served. And in his aged wisdom, this man that God said was a man after his own heart, he realized he was at his best when he stooped low to serve the Lord Almighty.
The same is true for you, my friend. There is not greater or higher position you can attain to than that of servant for the Lord Jesus!
PRAY
Heavenly Father, help me strive to serve myself less and to honor you in all that I do!