Ep. 105. Psalm 36-37 | Inherit the Land

EPISODE 105

INHERIT THE LAND: PSALM 36-37

We are not surprised to find in the opening statements of Psalm 36, that for the wicked, "There is no fear of God before his eyes." The wicked man, like the fool, says "there is no God." But the steadfast love of the Lord, his righteousness, and his judgments reach to the heavens and down to the great deeps. We who put our trust and confidence in God see that with him "Is the fountain of life, and in [his] light do we see light."

Many of the Psalms contrast the way of the wicked with the way of the righteous and how differently they regard God and the things of God. We know that the wicked are like chaff that the wind drives away, but those who find their delight in the Lord and trust in him remain steadfast, filled with the fullness of God. We faithful ones will "inherit the land."

I want to point out something I only learned in my late forties. In 37:12, the wicked "gnashes his teeth at [the righteous]." I used to read "that place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth" as "that place where there is weeping and severe pain." It is very interesting to see that "gnashing of teeth" in the Old Testament (it only occurs five times) always relates to the hatred someone feels for their perceived enemy. Roll that forward to the New Testament, and the reason the people are "gnashing their teeth" is because they still hate God. It isn't an action of deep pain but deep hatred. Once again, this proves the importance of seeing how the Old Testament is referenced in the New Testament.

But the wicked will ultimately be their own downfall since the weapons they wield against the righteous will be turned back against them in the end. And what of the righteous? We will "inherit the land" and the blessing of our God and Savior, our light of life.

ADDITIONAL READING: Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3; Psalm 20:7-8; Romans 8:16-18; Proverbs 1:17-19; Psalm 1; Matthew 5:5