Psalm 37:5-6

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Toasty

Puritan Board Sophomore
Psalm 37:5-6 says, "Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday." What is meant by "He will bring forth your righteousness as the light"?
 
The light is something that virtually everyone in the vicinity sees or recognizes, almost of necessity. The use of this faculty is reflexive, involuntary.

The righteous man's life, his obedience, his honor, etc., the Lord will display in full view on account of excellence. All our eyes will be drawn to it, to admire, to glorify God, etc. The sun is the nearest created thing we know to the refulgence of glory itself, glorious glory. The noonday is the moment of the sun's fullest glory.

So, poetically, the two feet of the stanza stand in parallel; the second foot advances the first: light to maximum light.

Prv.4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

Dan.12:3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Mt.13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.​
 
notice the ending The Lord gets the credit.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.


As applied to believers, it means the fruit of salvation will be evident contrasted with the unsaved The wicked coming to an end in this life
As applied to the Messiah, similar but ratcheted up more. it means his righteousness will be even moreso evident as well. The wicked coming to an end even beyond this life.

I think when taken of as speaking of believers, Psalms can use hyperbole in pushing a description applied to a believer but may be stronger when applied to Christ. Most Psalms or almost all psalms in my view can be taken both for believers or for the Messiah, dual use.

In this case it is a Psalm of David and the New Testament often takes ordinary phrases from Psalms of David applying directly to Christ. One explanation is that the law is a foreshadow of heavenly things and the law allows for a king, David representing Christ.
 
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