This Psalm offers quite the contrast of two themes.
“I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong. Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” (v1-9)
There is a stark contrast between the first and second halves of this Psalm. First, David describes those who are under the influence of Satan – every thought, every word, every deed are sinful and wrong. Now, that may sound extreme, because I think most of us know some unbelievers who are pretty “nice” or “decent” people. David however, describes them in a pretty grim way, probably because any “righteousness” they may display, if it does not come from the Lord, is still viewed by God as “filthy rags”. “How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins.” (Isa 64:5b-7)
Then, in the second half of the Psalm, the plot twist happens. God is revealed in His glory offering salvation and refuge to all those who need it (ie. all of us). God’s infinite righteousness, unfailing love, preservation and provision are abundant for those who turn to Him. He is the fountain of life and the light of the world if we would only turn to Him. He longs to restore us. “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people.” (Isa 64:8-9)
My takeaway from this is by no means a new concept, though it is a strong refresher on just how much we have been forgiven, and how precious the blood of Christ really is – He bought us back when we sold ourselves into slavery to sin. He rescued us from our own sinful nature, from the enemy to whom we chose to bow. (insert praise song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OBRvxrzhqs)
Father God, I will lift my voice and worship You my King. How else can I be saved, except by your love that reaches to the heavens? Like a leaf in the wind my sin was sweeping me away, yet through your righteousness and justice You sheltered and delivered me. Father, You are the Potter, I am the clay, I am the work of Your hands, fashioned as You see fit. Mold me and make me into an extension of You, so I may be a beacon in this world of darkness, guiding people to You and Your abundant house, where we may drink from the fountain of life. (Psa 36, Isa 64 par)
~ Conqueror in Training