Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

36:5-9 God's Precious Steadfast Love. This stanza has two descriptions of God's steadfast love: it extends to the heavens, so that God can save man and beast; and it is precious to those who know it from the children of mankind. The pairing of steadfast love and faithfulness evokes Ex. 34:6, describing God's benevolence; this helps readers to see that the other terms, righteousness and judgments, also express God's enduring commitment to act kindly toward his creatures and to save them. In view of this, people can take refuge under his wings and find themselves welcome guests at his table. Although the psalm is a hymn for Israel, it looks beyond Israel to the rest of mankind (Ps. 36:6, 7); Israel's calling was to live in their land in a way that displayed the true image of God, with a view toward bringing its blessing to the whole world.