Right now we are in a time of asking, ‘what fear dominates?’ The fear of the pestilence that stalks the land? Or the fear of the medicine that is supposed to mitigate that pestilence? What you fear most will lead to what you choose. Perhaps there is a fear of the LORD in this that should be brought to the table as well.
Fear is a primal instinct and what we fear/respect most is how we will lead our lives.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 1:7).
This psalm opens with the people who are practicing wickedness. The problem is that there is no fear of God in their eyes. Therefore they do what they think is right. The root is his pride, that he knows best.
“for in his eyes he flatters himself too much to discover and hate his sin” (Ps 36:2).
Perhaps he has no fear of God as he has a distorted image of God. Who knows. But in this case it is clearly the arrogance of man that he think he knows best (Ps 36:2; Ps 36:11).
But in comparing a man that thinks he knows best and God who does know best, God wins (Ps 36:5-9).
Lord, Your faithful love reaches to heaven,
Your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains;
Your judgments, like the deepest sea.
Lord, You preserve man and beast.
God, Your faithful love is so valuable
that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They are filled from the abundance of Your house;
You let them drink from Your refreshing stream,
for with You is life’s fountain.
In Your light we will see light.
This is actually a song that we sing (below). And when the arrogant choose to trust themselves, we choose to trust the Lord our God (Ps 36:9).
Spread Your faithful love over those who know You,
and Your righteousness over the upright in heart.
