April 2, 2015 │River of Delights │Psalm 36:7-8

April 2, 2015

The River of Delights

Psalm 36:8

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Eternal Life

      This morning I was hungering to know Jesus better and love Him more. Over the last few days, I have been talking with friends who have been going through both good and difficult spiritual times. One friend in particular read to me Psalm 36, and we really enjoyed going over it together. So, I thought I would share some highlights with you today.

Drink Your Fill

      In Psalm 36:8, David recorded that the children of men drink their fill of the abundance of God’s house. ¹The Hebrew term for “children of men” (“וּבְנֵי אָדָם”), sometimes translated as the “sons of men” includes both believers and unbelievers (see Psalm 14:2–He looks upon the “sons of men” to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God; God concludes they have all turned aside and not even one does good). God describes His house as filled with abundance. While many houses do not have an abundance, Jesus described an overflowing measure in His house. ²The Hebrew term for “abundance” (“מִדֶּשֶׁן”) means literally “fatness” or “luxuriance”.  The concept suggests an abundance to meet the needs. Living in abundance reminds me on John 10:10, where Jesus proclaimed that He came to bring life to His sheep, and that life would be abundant.

They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights.

Psalm 36:8

      Jesus also reiterated the house theme in the John 14:2-3, where Jesus promised His disciples, and especially Peter who had just received a devastating prophecy, that Jesus would prepare a dwelling place in His Father’s heavenly house for each of them. Likewise, the Psalmist David, a king in his own right, promised that believers of his age that God would certainly provide for them in His house.

The River of Delights

      King David, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, also promised that God would give believers “to drink of the river of Your delights.” Have you ever considered that God has a river filled with delights? ³The Hebrew term “delights” (“עֲדָנֶיךָ”) again brings with it the idea of luxury and happiness. The Hebrew term for “river” (“נַחַל”) means torrent, narrow rushing mountain channel, or a spring from a rock. Of course we understand the symbolism here, but in Revelation 22:1-2, God has a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, which waters the tree of life, producing fruit for the healing of the nations. Jesus pictured heaven for us as a place of great and powerful water. Please notice that King David described the blessings of Psalm 36:8 as the present blessing for every believer. We drink of the river of His delights today. God gives us to drink of His river every day of our lives. He will always provide a river of delights for every day of our lives. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6).