Fountain Of Life Or Youth?

Psalm 36: 1 – 12

The Fountain of Life or Youth

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD.

1 An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes, when he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. 3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. 4 He devises wickedness on his bed; He sets himself in a way that is not good; He does not abhor evil. 5 Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O LORD, You preserve man and beast. 7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore, the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. 8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. 9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. 10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 Let not the foot of pride come against me and let not the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 There the workers of iniquity have fallen; They have been cast down and are not able to rise.

In today’s study we are going to look at the Fountain of Life. You might be thinking right now, ‘Hey Tom I think you mean the fountain of youth.’. Well in a way today’s interest involves both.

Proverbs 16:22 says “Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly.”

For centuries people diligently sought a fountain of youth, a spring that offered eternal life and vitality. Their thought was that they wanted this regeneration while desiring to live here on earth. Still today people look for lotions, powders and potions that promise youthfulness, optimum health and anti-aging. And yet the Bible offers something more substantial and lasting. God’s wisdom is a fountain of life that can make a person happy, healthy, and alive forever.

When we live by God’s Word, he washes away the deadly effects of sin. Titus 3:5-7 says that ‘He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.’

The hope of eternal life with Him gives us a joyful perspective on our present life. This fountain of life not only keeps and preserves us from all evil in this life but offers the promise of wholeness and health into eternity.

The fountain of youth is a fallacy, but the fountain of life is a reality, that is attainable for all who desire to put their trust in Jesus Christ. This fountain of life is a vivid image that gives us the impression of fresh, cool, life-giving water for all who are spiritually thirsty. Our Precious Lord Jesus Himself Is this fountain of life who can quench our thirst forever and offer us eternal life (John 4:14).

‘For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of YHWH.’

This Psalm might be called ‘the Ode to the Covenant Love of YHWH’. For after its initial grim beginning it expands into a threefold expression of YHWH’s covenant love as it is revealed towards His own.

In it the Psalmist contrasts ‘the oracle of the transgression of the wicked’ (verses 1-4), which reveals the whole truth about man’s sinfulness spelled out in detail, with the truth of the covenant love of YHWH, the latter being emphasized in a threefold way. Thus, he stresses first His attributes of love, faithfulness, righteousness and justness (verses 5-6); then His wonderful benefits provided to men (verses 7-9); and finally, his own confidence that through YHWH’s love he will be delivered from the kind of men described in the initial verses (verses 10 – 12).

1 An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes, when he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. 3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. 4 He devises wickedness on his bed; He sets himself in a way that is not good; He does not abhor evil.

In these first four verses ‘the Transgression (rebellion) of the wicked’ speaks like a prophet to the Psalmist’s heart concerning the wicked. It declares that there is no ‘fear’ of God before the eyes of the wicked. In other words, the wicked are not moved by YHWH’s covenant requirements, or the need to obey Him, or the fear of judgment, because they dismiss Him from their thoughts. They treat His desires lightly. The wicked man convinces himself that his iniquity will not be found out. He convinces himself that, even though God hates his iniquity, it will not receive its deserts, for he has no recognition of a living God who sees and knows all things.