The Psalmist laments the apparent success of the wicked, and how well their lives seem to go. But when he approaches God in worship, then he understands the imminent judgment that God has in store for them.
Toward the end of the psalm, a contrast is drawn between the wicked being far from God, and the Lord's people being close to Him. Even though the psalmist discovers how foolish he had been to envy the wicked, and had acted and thought like an ignorant beast toward God, yet he was with God, and God was with him! Indeed, God holds him by his right hand.
While God keeps him close by holding him, the wicked have gone whoring after other gods and left God far away.
The Psalmist concludes that it is good to draw nigh unto God, for then he will trust in God, and will be ready to glory in the good works of God.
Scripture teaches that God is far away from the wicked, but He is close by to hear the cries of His people. The Lord is exalted, yet He respects the poor and lowly, and rejects the proud.
God's closeness is related to His salvation - He is right at hand to save His people. Judgment falls upon those who are far away from Him.
God is very close to those with broken hearts, and saves those with contrite spirits. When God draws near to a person, that is when He redeems them.
But how can poor sinners draw near unto a holy and righteous God, when we are broken and defiled and disobedient? Indeed, it is our disobedience that separates us far off from God to begin with. This was the conundrum under the Old Covenant that said, do this and live.
Under the New Covenant, it is God that draws near unto us! We are brought near by the blood of Jesus.
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John Pittman Hey was born in 1961 in Jackson, Mississippi, to Godly parents who from the beginning raised him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. With child-like faith he came to Christ on his fourth birthday at his mother's knee. He received his education at church...
