Psalm 36:6

Psalm 36:6

The vastness of God

Don’t you love Bible verses that try to give us some appreciation of the immensity of our God? It’s the sheer vastness of His character, His attributes, His abilities that make us gasp with wonder. In this verse we are told that His righteousness is like the highest mountains. Picturesque language, I know, but David is striving to use a picture that will help us to see just how amazing is the holiness and perfection of the Lord our God. Mount Everest, K2, Kilimanjaro, Fuji, Jungfrau you name them, they are mighty peaks but as we stand and stare in awe we should be reminded of the mighty peak of the righteousness of God. It towers over the sinful morality of earth, it stands out against the heavens with its immensity, it is a solid foundation. It puts into the shade all the attempts of men and their religions to create standards of truth and morality. Our God is a great big mountain and His laws and rules are the very best footing we can ever build upon. And when we do, our buildings will soar!

Searching for metaphors David turns his eyes away from the mountain peaks to the ocean depths. How do you describe the justice of our Lord? Why, it is as deep as the oceans. An ocean is vast, a great conglomeration of drops of water that come together to form an unimaginable expanse that is both deep and wide. When the Lord God seeks to judge rightly, He takes every drop of evidence, every fact, every thought, word and deed and He puts them together to reach a verdict. No human mind can do this, we are incapable of gathering all the evidence and then judging without prejudice. That is why it is best to leave ultimate justice to the Lord for He alone knows all the facts as well as the intentions of the heart. He cannot be deceived.

Finally, this verse comes up with a surprise. We know that the Lord preserves mankind, but to find animals included in the same statement is unusual. We should not be surprised; the Lord God made all living things. He is the author of life, life that includes every creature on the earth. Who is it that makes the grass grow, that enriches the natural streams and rivers, that fills the oceans with plankton, that feeds the insects, that feed the birds that fill the air? All life is in His hands, even those creatures that we describe as pests! And our God is a preservationist! He did not plan for His world to be polluted, to be ravaged, to be de-forested or to be exploited. Only mankind does that. God created a paradise where humans and animals lived side by side in harmony. His ultimate plan for the earth is to restore that harmony, to restore paradise but to allow those who are His chosen to inhabit that world. What a day that will be. Hallelujah! 

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