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Until the scripture is opened deeply upon the heart, it is a collection of words which possesses a meaning beyond our reach. It doesn’t matter if that gap is one inch or one mile, that which is locked within each sentence will be equally lost. Every ten weeks we pause everything in order to strive, stretch and reach for that which is behind and beyond the text in hopes that our heart would remain pliable, receptive, and not deaf, distracted and lost.

May these words rest within us as The Word (Logos, Rhema) The Wisdom (Sophia or Chockmâh), the Voice (Qôl, phōno) of God.

“Transgression speaks to the wicked
    deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God
    before his eyes” (Psalm 36:1)

If we read a verse in scripture about “The Wicked” and we conclude it is describing someone else, whom we judge as a worse person than ourselves, then our inner defense attorney is at work, and the message (the word or voice) is lost on us. In some Syriac and Hebrew manuscripts, this verse is rendered “…deep in my heart” which essentially stops our ego from deflecting the stare of Truth and the healing voice of self-criticism.

We must not make this mistake. We must own our wickedness. For if we fail to personalize these words, we will skim past the purgation and scouring of our soul.

Before we harm ourselves or others, long before we do that transgression (phsho– Hebrew word for sin, crime, vice) we promised or hoped we would never do again, it germinated deep in the (lb-i– Hebrew word for Heart, center, consciousness). Before the deed, is the seed. In such a state, David reveals that we’ve been a while with no awe, wonder, or concern for Elohim (the Gods). There is no mind nor mindfulness of God “before our eyes,” (in our mind) we are unconscious, asleep, adrift.

It get’s worse.

“For he flatters himself in his own eyes
    that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
    he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
He plots trouble while on his bed;
    he sets himself in a way that is not good;
    he does not reject evil.” (Psalm 36:2-4)

The scourge of Ultimate Reality within this moment is too much for our pride. Our ego recoils in pain like a vampire in the sun. We defend ourselves and avoid this kind of presence. “At least I’m not as bad as…” We usher in our self-pity, our sob story and any justification that we think will work… anything but THIS moment. Anything to not see our sin and learn to hate it.

Consider the damage to our true self, and the loss of life if we skirt this interrogation of the soul. The more we keep talking, the less we sit with this inner ugliness. The mouth moves, the soul escapes. There can be no wisdom is a self that has ceased to do good in this moment, for the “good” is this painful self-awareness, and if we miss the good now, we will set ourselves in a way that is “not good” because we lay ourselves open for evil by our failure to reject and purge what is brewing up within us.

What is there which is trying to unearth such dark subtlety? Such self-delusion? Where can I trade in this fake ID for my authentic self?

“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    your judgments are like the great deep;
    man and beast you save, O Lord.” (Psalm 36:5-6)

Kindness, faithfulness, righteousness and judgment are bigger than the biggest things we know (heavens, clouds, mountains, and depth). It needs to be big, it needs to be powerful, for we are in quite a state of self refusal. What or who is trying to find us (the lost sheep) in this moment of self reflection? The Hebrew term for save here is “Thushio” meaning “You are saving” from the root word Yeshua (Salvation) often translated, Joshua or in the Greek spelling; Jesus. How is it that David knew the Christ centuries before Jesus?

For those who think salvation to be only a work of the soul of man, please consider the cosmology of David as he understood the rescue of God to include all of cosmology, man and beast. This is in fact the complete and total restoration of the world into a “new Heaven and new Earth” (2 Peter 2:13, Revelation 21:1). Imagine everything we can imagine being transformed by first saving us from the sin on the inside and reorienting us toward a moral True North. David is speaking of the cosmic work of the Christ (Mashiach), which is still at work today.

“How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light do we see light.” (Psalm 36:7-9)

For those who see this inner reality, for those who have experienced this inner battle and the powers behind them. These are those who understand how yaqar-(Hebrew word for precious, priceless, endless) the love which would scour and purge our consciousness, and awaken us to the larger reality. We will hide and take shelter within this deeper satisfaction. It’s a fountain that doesn’t dry up, it’s a light that allows us to see. (Cosmological-Creation themes)

The scripture is a repository of words which house something bigger than the words themselves. That which is beyond everything can be experienced, but it cannot be contained. It can be pointed to, and on its best day it can only be described poorly. Yet, it’s there. It’s actually here. Now.

What sought out and found David, seeks to find us too.

May a living relationship with salvation (Yeshua) no longer be out of our sight nor reach. Behold, He is not. This Psalm reveals that the Christ is closer to us than we are to ourselves.