Psalm 36
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.
David, having escaped the wickedness of Saul and then that of the Philistines, paused to take note of some general truths concerning the wicked of the world. The innermost workings of evil in the soul is a
remarkable contrast to that which goes on in the heart of any true believer. Whereas the saint is motivated by a love and fear of God, it is not so for the unbeliever.
1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
Among the high scholars there is much debate concerning the peculiar structure of the language here. Consider the various renderings by the translators.
Ps 36:1
Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart;
There is no fear of God before his eyes. NAS
Ps 36:1
An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:
There is no fear of God before his eyes. NKJV
Ps 36:1
An oracle is within my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God
before his eyes. (from New International Version)
Ps 36:1
Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God before his eyes. RSV
It appears to be a difficulty to correctly parse the language even for them but the thrust is clear nonetheless, “concerning the violations of God’s Law, the wicked have no fear of God.” This is what Paul gleaned from it to pass on.
Rom 3:18
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. KJV
What a frightening thing! The absence of fear of God is the height of all insanity! That which should strike abject terror into the soul, “I have transgressed against the Living God,” is dismissed as if irrelevant and unworthy of consideration. May God deliver us all from such profound error.
2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
Narcissism, love of self beyond all others, is at the root of all departure from God and it is like a knot in a rope which tightens and twists itself ever more powerfully around the soul until it erupts in the life so hatefully that others, even other wicked ones, cannot bear it. Sometimes hidden behind religion,
morality and pretended kindness, it cannot remain a secret forever.
3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
Paul, if you will recall, quoted David from another place saying similar things.
Rom 3:13-14
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: KJV
Ps 5:9
9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; KJV
It is not possible for the wicked to forever keep his evil secret. He is not wise and he flatters himself overmuch. He ultimately reveals his sinful disposition.
4 He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
“He lays awake at night to plot mischief,” we might say. Just as the righteous is commanded to set his mind on things above, the wicked man does the opposite. He loves evil and has no revulsion to it such as the repentant man, so he sets himself in a way that is not good.
What a contrasting picture this paints to that which is available to the one who turns from evil to see the Lord!
5 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. 6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. 7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. 9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
It is only in the Kindness and Mercy of God that such spiritual delights are available to any of the sons of Adam, but there they are. That which the unbeliever despises and refuses has been often found by those who seek after God. What is available challenges the pen to describe with any sort of real depth. That satisfaction which the soul of every man longs for is found in Him.
10 O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me. 12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
It is seemingly a profound injustice when the prideful prevail over the saint, and those who are in places of influence to the rest of the world, as David was, grieve over that possibility and the widespread damage that can happen to the cause of God in the world.
“Let Righteousness Prevail, O God,” David seems to say, “Do Not Allow the Wicked to Be Victorious!” A valid prayer for every time and place.
— May 31, 2020