Psalm 36 - God and Man Contrasted

Psalm 36 is instructional. It teaches us about ourselves, our human nature, and then contrasts our nature with God's nature. Then it concludes with a prayer. Thus David shows us that orthopraxy only comes from orthodoxy. Or, in other words, sound Christian conduct and practice--in this case prayer and worship--only comes from sound theology.

Our problem is a heart problem. It is a desire problem. We desire sin in our hearts. We desire our own way. We desire autonomy and independence from God. While truth may speak to our minds, as human beings our reaction is to push away the truth because in our hearts we desire transgression. We desire our own way. I'm speaking, of course, of human beings in our natural state.

There is no political solution to this problem. Law, for example, cannot change it. What law does is expose it and what the state or government does is help keep it in check. So laws are good, assuming those laws are just and right. But laws at best can only curb human behavior by threat of force. They cannot cure what is wrong with us. We human beings are wicked to the core and that wickedness is what is wrong with the world. We love transgression.

David phrases it this way:

Transgression speaks to the wicked

deep in his heart;

there is no fear of God

before his eyes.--Psalm 36:1

And so David goes on describing the character of man until we are left feeling helpless and hopeless. 

Then he begins the contrasting picture of the great character of God. In verses 6-9 he says:

Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;

your judgments are like the great deep;

man and beast you save, O LORD.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!

The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house,

and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

For with you is the fountain of life;

in your light do we see light.

And it is in this latter portion of the psalm where we begin to see the cross. At the cross God's providential hand is seen working in a way we would never have thought. Israel's promised messiah came and was rejected? How does that make sense? And through that rejection comes the deliverance of all God's people.

Think of the story. God becomes man. Creator becomes creation and creation kills him. Through death comes an end to death. Through cursing comes an end to the curse. Through pain and suffering come an end to all pain and suffering.

At the cross God's righteousness and salvation meet and become one. It is at the cross where God is shown to be both righteous and merciful at the same time. And here's the beautiful thing. God becomes a refuge for all who run to him.

Below you will find a link to the sermon I preached from this psalm. The link takes you to SoundCloud where you will find an MP3 recording of that sermon and many more. I hope you will take the time to listen and be blessed.

Click here:  Psalm 36 - God and Man Contrasted

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