Psalm 36:12

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Psalm 36:12

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

12 There are the workers [pa`al] of iniquity ['aven] fallen [naphal]: they are cast down [dachah], and shall not be able [yakol] to rise [quwm].   KJV-Interlinear

12 There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.   ESV

Workers of iniquity, regardless of their flavor of iniquity, will fall, never try to change, and thus they remain down for good and forever.  And it is all because they refuse to learn through instruction, refuse to comply with Gods mandates, or are simply bound to their own faulty beliefs.

Iniquity covers a wide range of transgressions, not the least of which is indifference toward Bible doctrine, or anything having to do with Christ or truth.  It matters not whether you are a hardened criminal, or some wild promiscuous floozy, or the nicest person in town. 

If you do not pursue you spiritual life as God has defined and designed it, then you are a person of iniquity.  And your destiny is fallen, cast down, unable to rise, a total loss.

Believers who pursue their spiritual lives, fall all of the time.  But they recover and continue moving forward as they should.

But, workers of iniquity, regardless of their flavor of iniquity, will fall, never try to change, and thus they remain down for good and forever.  And it is all because they refuse to learn through instruction, refuse to comply with Gods mandates, or are simply bound to their own faulty beliefs.

Psalm 36:11

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Psalm 36:11

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11 Let not the foot [regel] of pride [ga`avah] come [bow'] against me, and let not the hand [yad] of the wicked [rasha`] remove [nuwd] me.   KJV-Interlinear

11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.   ESV

Just a quick note.  The Sunday through Friday, May 31 to June 5, studies will be Psalm 23.  I have to travel and will not be online for those days.  Posts on Facebook have already been scheduled, so there will not be a lapse in those study posts.

The foot is symbolized as the instrument of travel, or of ones daily activities, or pattern of life. 

The hand is the instrument of ones efforts, or by which we do things in life.

Here the foot of pride not coming against me, is a reference to the efforts of others, in arrogance and sin, not coming against me, and certainly not trampling me.  So says David, and so says the spiritually advancing believer.

The prayer is directed to God the Father, as all prayers are directed.

And, as we look to God, for His grace and mercy, so too, we look to God for protection from the evils of this world.

Whether by the patterns, philosophies, or opinions of the world, within the environment that we live, or by the actions of the world, there is no shortage of wickedness, no shortage of the influences, no shortage of the distractions, no shortage of the peer pressures that are out there just waiting to derail our spiritual life.

Your only protection in all things, whether good or bad, is from the Lord Jesus Christ who does all of the work of deity. 

Your only access to Gods protections comes through prayer directed to the Father, who in turn grants, or not, the prayer which Christ  acts upon.  And of course it is all performed while within fellowship, where the Holy Spirit controls the spiritual environment.

Psalm 36:10

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Psalm 36:10

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10 O continue [mashak] thy lovingkindness [checed] unto them that know [yada`] thee; and thy righteousness [ts@daqah] to the upright [yashar] in heart [leb].   KJV-Interlinear

10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart!   ESV

Uprightness in heart is determined by what is in your soul. What is in your soul is determined by what you learn or choose to learn.  And if you choose to learn nothing then your soul will be terribly lacking in spiritual resources.

Gods loving-kindness is grace in action, or Gods mercy.

This is the application of grace, or Gods favor, from Him, to each person.

There are three types of grace.

There is common grace which applies to every human being.  God provides air and water and establishment principles and an environment in which to live and function in life in this world.  This everyone has.

Then there is salvation grace, in which God provides a higher level of grace to those who believe in Christ and are therefore saved.

Unbelievers do not have access to this grace as they have rejected it, by rejecting Christ.

Then there is greater grace, which applies to those who advance in their spiritual life, not as they have defined it, but as God has defined it.  This is the best of all the grace that is available, and it only increases as the individual advances toward, and closes in on spiritual maturity.  A person advances to spiritual maturity by means of a daily study, within fellowship, and using what he has learned, within his daily life.  This builds a spiritual structure within the soul, spiritual production within ones life, and spiritual muscle forming ones faith.

And in grace, God continues common grace to all of humanity until the end of human history, and God continues grace to all believers, and greater grace to those who genuinely pursue spiritual growth.

Psalm 36:9

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Psalm 36:9

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9 For with thee is the fountain [maqowr] of life [chay]: in thy light ['owr] shall we see [ra'ah] light ['owr].   KJV-Interlinear

9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.   ESV

Christ is God, and God is the original fountain, from which all life flows.  If you choose to reject Christ, then you in effect choose non-existence.  If you choose to ignore Christ, then you in effect choose to know nothing, because Christ is truth and refusing to learn truth means learning nothing.  

If anything exists, then it came from God originally.  Where God is not involved, then the false, the lies, the non-existence is.

Thus, a relationship with God is the pre-requisite for having a life after this life, in eternity.  And Gods rules are, access to Him is through faith in Christ, and by no other means.

Thus knowledge of doctrine is a pre-requisite for having knowledge, understanding, orientation, wisdom for life.  And Gods rules are, that you must learn through instruction, which is a very simple task, while in fellowship, which is a very simple process, in order to grow up in your spiritual life.

Gods light is truth.

Our access to light is Bible doctrine.

And when we learn doctrine, then we see light, which simply means that we can see and understand what life is all about and why it is, what it is, and where it is going and how we fit in to everything.

Psalm 36:8

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Psalm 36:8

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8 They shall be abundantly satisfied [ravah] with the fatness [deshen] of thy house [bayith]; and thou shalt make them drink [shaqah] of the river [nachal] of thy pleasures [`eden].   KJV-Interlinear

8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.   ESV

To ignore the obvious question, of what is after this life, would be the decision of a fool.  You have only two choices in life, in which to place your trust in your future.  Do not look only to this life and this world.  Because there is overwhelming proof, that this life in this world, ends.

Cemeteries are the most obvious proof that life ends.  Old age, or just time itself, are proof that your end is nearing second by second.  And you cannot stop or even delay times progress.

Death certificates, memorial services and the like, support the end of life truth, as far as this world goes.

And so, to ignore the obvious question, of what is next, would be clearly the decision of a fool.  A real fool.

And that will be addressed in the final verses of this psalm.

But, to those who look to God, through Christ, there is not only eternal life for eternity, but a refuge for now.

And the refuge in this life comes complete with all that is needed to survive this life, for preparation into the next life.

This life is not your beginning and end, but only a very small preparation period, getting you ready for the big life that is ahead.

This life is full of tests, trials, troubles, and tribulations.  For some there will be more than for others.  Which does not mean that you have an unfair life, but only that the world is definitely unfair, but whatever your burdens, God has given you everything that you need in order to get through whatever ordeal that you will face.

You just have to look at life in that way, and not through a poor me window.

The feast and the drink, both come from the vast resources of God.

We consume these foods, through our intake of Bible doctrine.  Bible doctrine builds up a spiritual structure within our soul that forms the very core of our essence, and the completeness of our self, meaning, and purpose.

The word for abundance, means that there is far more than you will ever need.

The feast means the greatest and endless of varieties to choose from.

The drink, means to fill up to overflowing, to be thoroughly satisfied and contented.

And they all bring up a picture of leaving nothing out, nothing overlooked, nothing missed, everything is provided.

So, no matter what your situation is in life, God has provided for it.

The only possible way that you can miss out, is if you are indifferent and/or ignore all that God has provided, and/or spend all of your time in the poor me or I have a better way, attitude.

But, as for the person who sees through the fog of the world and sees the provision of God, and pursue it, by way of their daily study, then their needs will be met, without question.  And God, through doctrine, will bring you through this life, regardless of what the world throws at you. And then eternity will be phenomenal and beyond imagination.  And that is a lot to be sure.

Psalm 36:7

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Psalm 36:7

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

7 How excellent [yaqar] is thy lovingkindness [checed], O God ['elohiym]! therefore the children [ben] of men ['adam] put their trust [chacah] under the shadow [tsel] of thy wings [kanaph].   KJV-Interlinear

7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.   ESV

Once Gods righteousness and justice have been applied for the judgment of sin, and then Gods faithfulness applied for the assurance and security of the pardon or forgiveness obtained as a result of the judgment, then Gods loving-kindness or mercy is the next natural step for the grace blessings that God gives.

Mercy is grace in action.

Grace is the promise, and mercy is the action of fulfilling those promises of blessings.

Righteousness, justice, and faithfulness assure us of eternal security in eternal life.  And His mercy is what we may flee to, or look to, for our refuge in Him, from the demands and pressures of this world.

The shadow of the wings is the place where the young and helpless chicks go to for their refuge under the wings of the parent.  This is their ultimate safety from all predators and all problems.

And of course using that same symbolism, the wings of God offer the best and greatest protection from all problems and adversities. 

We find His wings in the Bible doctrine which we learn from our daily studies of the Bible.

Psalm 36:6

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Psalm 36:6

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

6 Thy righteousness [ts@daqah] is like the great ['el] mountains [harar]; thy judgments [mishpat] are a great [rab] deep [t@howm]: O LORD [Y@hovah], thou preservest [yasha`] man ['adam] and beast [b@hemah].   KJV-Interlinear

6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.   ESV

Righteousness refers to the very essence and nature of God.  The mountains, are in reference to a mountain of God, as opposed to the mountains of this earth. 

Mountains are vast and considered to be eternal, always there, always stable, never moved from their place, and that is the concept being conveyed.

Gods essence, Gods righteousness, Gods justice, is the most stable thing in all of existence.

Just as God is eternal and everlasting, so too is His core nature, which should be obvious.

Too many religions try to deflate or water down the deities that they refer to.  That makes them more human and vulnerable and attainable, and certainly more convenient when it comes to inventing ones beliefs.

But God is eternal and His nature is eternal and it never changes.  God was truth in eternity past, is truth now and will always be truth forever.

His decisions, likewise are compared the vast depth of the oceans.  Man cannot conceive of all that is in the depths of the oceans.  Not even in our current technological society.  But the concept here is that God knows all things, and how all things fit together.  He has all of the facts and all of the answers, and His decisions are made accordingly.

His decisions are made based on fact and knowledge and wisdom, never on guesswork or conjecture.  And the vastness of truth is always at His immediate and instant disposal, for perfect decisions.

And finally, all of life, both man and animal, remain alive not because of their individual efforts or intellect or abilities, but all things remain alive and continue in history courtesy of God.

We are all alive for no other reason, but by the grace of God, who sustains life and perpetuates life by means of His authority and character and decisions.

Psalm 36:5

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Psalm 36:5

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

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.

Psalm 36:4

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Psalm 36:4

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

4 He deviseth [chashab] mischief ['aven] upon his bed [mishkab]; he setteth [yatsab] himself in a way [derek] that is not good [towb]; he abhorreth [ma'ac] not evil [ra`].   KJV-Interlinear

4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.   ESV

The summary of this verse, is that all wickedness, all disregard of truth, all indifference, all reluctance to learn, is not as a result of some spontaneous or emotional action, it arises out of a calm and deliberate process.  A pattern of intent, that spans across the life of the individual.

The bed here, is symbolized as the place of rest, of pondering, of peaceful methodical thinking and relaxation, and privacy.

Devising mischief, includes anything and everything that is not in compliance with truth, doctrine, or the spiritual life.  This can range in anything from indifference to a daily study, or indifference toward confession and spiritual function, to criminal activity, to lascivious activities, to asceticism.

Mischief is a broad spectrum of non-spiritual function and/or thinking.

He sets himself, refers to the pattern of life in which the person establishes themselves.  For example a king sets himself up in power, or a criminal sets himself in crime, or a person sets themselves in habitual drinking.

And so the wicked person establishes themselves in the pattern of thinking and activity, which is contrary to the spiritual life.

And what they pursue is not good.  Meaning they pursue the false or the lies of life, rather than the good or truth.

Legitimate good is correctly defined as, anything done while in fellowship.

If you are out of fellowship, then anything you do, is not good.  The difference being, that in fellowship, anything done is within the sphere of Gods will.  While when out of fellowship, then anything done is not in Gods will.

They do not reject evil, means just that.

Evil is anything and everything that exists outside of the divine sphere of the spiritual life.

And to reject evil means to confess and get into fellowship.  So, when evil is not rejected, then the expectations of the spiritual life are ignored.  So you do not confess, or you do not study, or you could care less about God or the Bible, or morals, and so forth.  Whatever it is that you appear to be doing, spirit-wise, is mere pretense.

These things are not spontaneous things.  People make conscious decisions either for or against the spiritual life.  And, they make them over and over, again and again, day after day, throughout their life.  Which simply means that no one has any excuse for making the mistake of evil, because evil is chosen, not accidental.

Psalm 36:2

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Psalm 36:2

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

2 For he flattereth [chalaq] himself in his own eyes [`ayin], until his iniquity [`avon] be found [matsa'] to be hateful [sane'].   KJV-Interlinear

2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.   ESV

The word for flatter, means to be smooth, to be self-absorbed.  The wicked disregards God, and therefore truth, for God is truth.

That leaves only the delusion of ones own importance, which is to elevate ones own importance to the level of the absurd.

Exalting oneself, ends up in rejecting or denying ones own sins and flaws.  This is an attempt to hide ones own sins even from God.  And that makes the delusion complete.

The wicked cannot see, and refuse to see, their own deficiencies, but others with wisdom can see the obvious.

And who is the wicked?

All unbelievers are wicked by definition.  All believers who disregard truth, live out of fellowship, and are therefore wicked.  Wickedness is life in the carnal realm.  Technically, when one is out of fellowship, one is wicked.  Confession and restoration are the only solution.

However, the overall pattern of ones life, determines wickedness or spirituality. 

Everyone sins and therefore subject to stumbling, but that does not make them wicked per se.  For truth serves to negate the confusion of the world.

However, if a person is constantly exposed to the world and maintains an indifference toward truth, then wickedness will eventually lay claim and build up a delusion that is difficult to escape.

Disregard for God, means disregard for truth.  Disrespect is supported by arrogance.  And arrogance is the biggest barrier, locking out humility and objectivity.

Psalm 36:1

Copyright Ó 2015 J. Neely

Psalm 36:1

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

1 To the chief Musician [natsach], A Psalm of David [David] the servant [`ebed] of the LORD [Y@hovah].

The transgression [pesha`] of the wicked [rasha`] saith [n@'um] within [qereb] my heart [leb], that there is no fear [pachad] of God ['elohiym] before his eyes [`ayin].   KJV-Interlinear

1 To the choirmaster. Of david, the servant of the lord.

Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.   ESV

The chief musician is the leader of the music.  Music is often used to describe the grace of God, which continues on and on, regardless of what else is going on in history or in life.  Grace is always there, unhindered, uninterrupted.

David is of course the person who is writing this psalm.  David is the King, the symbol of a dynasty that will never end, and thus his words will never end.

A servant of the Lord. Servant describes one who belongs to another, and in some cases it indicates total commitment and ownership, but it also carries the connotation of a close friend.

The wicked is one who has disregard for God, for Christ, for doctrine.

The wicked sees no value in God.

The wicked sees himself as equal to, or better than God.

And therefore the wicked holds contempt against God, which is a contradiction of attitude, because if one has no regard for something then you simply ignore it. But as to God, the disregard is accompanied with an attitude of hate, whether passive or active, as one goes out of their way to prove their superiority, and prove Gods worthlessness.

The wicked cannot find peace within himself, therefore the phrase, deep within his heart, because there is an underlying uncertainty.

Therefore in order for the wicked to justify himself, he has to destroy the other.  And as far as God goes, that is not possible.  The wicked is in effect, helpless and powerless when it comes to maintaining or proving his own beliefs.