IN N ER R OOM The chaplain’s bulletin

For internal circulation only

8 FEB 2011

IN-REACHING AND UP-LIFTING: A REFLECTION THROUGH PSALM 36 (PART 2)

From verse 4 to 5, one finds a gap. Even if we read verses exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion
one to four as David being attacked, there exists a transition of through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our
mood. If we assume that this psalm is the psalmist’s self reflection, Lord.” And Rom 1:17 says, “For in it (the gospel) the righteousness
what we could probably find within this gap perhaps is a moment or of God is revealed”. In 3:22, it further says, “the righteousness of
a period of time of self-desertion and self-detest as what we may as God through faith in (or through the faith/faithfulness of) Jesus
well experience as the result of transgression and rebellion against Christ for all who believe” (cf. Ps 36:5, 6).
God. Once trapped in sin, we are caught in the ritual of sin that Because of the hΩesed love of God, the psalmist finds the
starts in thought but has to finish in act. There is as if no way out.
shadow of his wings to be his shelter. It is because God is fountain
Verse five reveals the turning point the psalmist has experienced,
of life that he regains life (Ps. 3:7). “For the wages of sin is death,
which is as well the core and essence of faith.
but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom
Self-detest and self-desertion are the very result and 6:23). In him, we shall have life and have it abundantly (John
manifestation of death, which is the opposition of a truly alive life; 10:10; cf. Ps 36:8).
and to live as such is to live death. How can we be rescued from
If to practice IN-Reaching means to gaze upon our sin, it
death and liberated from the thought of sinning? For the psalmist,
also implies a painful process especially at the beginning of which.
the way out is turning to God and to remember who He is.
However, at the finishing line we shall see Him, Jesus Christ where
In verses five to nine we find four very significant words: the gazing is returned with the shower of grace by which our heart
mercy (hΩesed), faithfulness (}e∑mu®na®), righteousness (sΩaddˆîq), and shall be uplifted. It is what we mean by having an UP-lifting
judgment (mishpaœt)√ , These four words form a four in one and one in experience.
four cluster. To put it briefly, they talk about God the Lord of hΩesed The final lesson the psalmist learns is to “not let the foot of
who is also faithful for this is what hΩesed implies. He who is hΩesed the arrogant tread on” him. In original text, the word for “tread”
will keep his promise according to the covenant he has made with simply means “come”. Thus we may say do not let the foot of the
his people, which testifies his righteousness according to what arrogant, or some may like to say the spirit of arrogance, come to
covenant itself implies: one who keeps what the covenant has me. Likewise, the psalmist also does not want himself to follow the
demanded is the one who is righteous. The one who is righteous is way of the wicked, which is symbolized by “the hand of the wicked”
also one whose judgment is just. to cause his heart to wander in the self-deserted land, away from
This is what God is, for “The Lord is merciful and God. As is said in Ps 1:1, “do not follow the advice of the wicked,
gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” “He does or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers”. For
not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our he knows if he does, he will be “thrust down, unable to rise.”
iniquities” (Ps 103:8-10). By this we who always fell prey to sin Yes. The righteous ones shall be “like trees   planted by
can our deliverance. To appreciate Augustine’s doctrine of the streams of water” (Ps 1:3a) while the wicked ones “will not
original sin, one has to know his emphasis in the doctrine of grace stand” (3:5a). Thus, the psalmist advices, be delight “in the law of
and vice versa. Thus in Rom 5:21 it says, “so that, just as sin the Lord, and on his law ...... meditate day and night” (3:2).
SPIRITUAL QUOTE
「Of all the Spiritual Disciplines none has been more abused than the Discipline of submission.”
「Our aim is the freedom, not the Discipline. The moment we make the Discipline our central focus we will turn it
into law and lose the corresponding freedom.”
Excerpted from Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth (San Francisco: Harper & Row,
1978), 96.