Copyright Ó
2015 J. Neely
Psalm 36:5
5 Thy mercy [checed], O LORD [Y@hovah], is in the heavens [shamayim]; and thy faithfulness ['emuwnah]
reacheth unto the clouds [shachaq]. KJV-Interlinear
5
Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the
clouds. ESV
Now, the mood changes from
the evil character of the wicked, to the wonderful character of God.
Mercy is grace in
action. It is the first of several
characteristics displayed by God toward man.
The second, is faithfulness. This is the steadfast reliability, security,
stability that is within God, on which man can place his complete trust.
As high as the heavens,
is a reference to the highest of the high.
In other words, as high as high goes, however far that is, that is the
extent of Gods mercy. Into the sky, into
the heavens, into the far reaches beyond sight.
Whether you look with the unaided eye, or through some powerful
telescope or device, Gods mercy exists far beyond the distance that can be
seen.
This is the highest of
the high. This is the exaltation to the
maximum degree. This is the greatest
that man can conceive and far beyond that.
As high as the clouds,
refers the same sentiment. The clouds are much nearer and can be seen with far
greater accuracy, but they are still beyond the heights of the trees, beyond
the heights of the hills, beyond the heights of the mountains. And yet, the clouds provide a form of
interaction with man, through their beauty, through their shade, through their
weather patterns and so forth.
So, Gods mercy, or the
active provision of blessings, and Gods reliability, provide humanity the
greatest of assurances for life and in death and in the beyond, both directly
in the personal relationship and indirectly in the general sense of history and
life.
And to this we can look
and learn and understand, that we are in the very best of possible hands and
care, regardless of our circumstances.
