The Bible Dept. Podcast — Day 264: Psalms 36–38

Host: Dr. Manny Arango (ARMA Courses)
Date: September 21, 2025

Overview of Main Theme

In this episode, Dr. Manny Arango explores Psalms 36, 37, and 38 as part of a year-long daily Bible reading plan. He provides context, insights, and practical applications, focusing on the distinctive characteristics and messages of each Psalm. The discussion highlights how these ancient texts speak to themes of love, righteousness, confession, and wisdom—culminating in an encouraging, gospel-centered perspective on faith and forgiveness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context Clues for Each Psalm

(03:12 - 08:30)

• Psalm 36: "Servant of Yahweh"

  • The heading "servant of Yahweh" is rare for David, appearing only twice in Psalms.
  • Other biblical figures, like the pagan king Cyrus, are also called "servant of Yahweh," signifying being used by God for His purposes (04:45).
  • Messianically, "servant of Yahweh" ultimately points to Jesus as the suffering servant.
  • Quote:

    "David is essentially saying, I'm a servant of Yahweh. I'm a pawn here. He never positions himself as king; he consistently positions Yahweh as king and he is a servant of Yahweh." — Dr. Manny Arango (05:10)

• Psalm 37: Super Long Acrostic & Wisdom Psalm

  • Features a unique structure: 22 stanzas of four lines each, with some stanzas even longer—much more elaborate than other acrostics (06:31).
  • Communicates the "full breadth" of its theme using the Hebrew alphabet.
  • This is a wisdom psalm, paralleling many themes from Proverbs, focusing especially on the contrast between the wicked and the righteous (07:15).

• Psalm 38: Penitential Psalm & Memorial Offering

  • Another penitential (confessional) psalm, similar to Psalm 32.

  • Heading specifies "for the memorial offering," meaning it was intended to be sung during ritual sacrifices (08:30).

  • Dr. Arango references Levitical passages for background on memorial offerings (Leviticus 2, 5, 6, 24; Numbers 5).

    "The idea of adding this grain or bread to your sacrifice is the concept that part of making restitution with God is eating with Him... Eating with people is a sign of peace." (09:00)

2. "Nerdy Nuggets" — In-Depth Literary and Theological Observations

(09:18 - 20:00)

• Psalm 36: Hebrew Parallelism Defines Love

  • Explains how synonymous and antithetical parallelism is used:
    • "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains; your judgments are like the great deep." (12:53)
    • Notes that "righteousness" and "judgments" are synonyms, while "mountains" and "deep" are opposites (antithetical).
  • Hebrew parallelism helps define the core terms ("steadfast love" = "faithfulness" = "righteousness" = "judgment").
    • Quote:

      "The way we know God has love is not because we got goosebumps; it's because He's faithful... So if you're not faithful, you can't really say that you've got love. Love's righteous. And then love is judgment. Love knows how to make good judgments." — Dr. Manny Arango (13:26)

  • Challenges modern understandings of love—affirming God's judgment as an aspect of divine love.

• Psalm 37:11 — Jesus’ Beatitude

  • Verse 11, "The meek shall inherit the land," is referenced by Jesus in the Beatitudes (Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:5).
    • Quote:

      "Anyone who thinks that Jesus is preaching against prosperity and is pro-poverty in the Sermon on the Mount, you may wanna come here and actually look at the context of the verse that Jesus actually quotes." (19:59)

3. Timeless Truths — Practical Application

(20:32 - 26:30)

• Penitence, Lament, and Confession in Psalm 38

  • Psalm 38 is a deeply personal lament; the psalmist (David) is transparent in his confession and sorrow for sin.
    • "I confess my iniquity. I am sorry for my sin." (21:12)
    • Contrasts David's pleas for miracles and rescue with his openness about his sin.
      • Quote:

        "I love the fact that David goes, no, no, no. I don't have confidence to make a bold request of God because my life is right. I have confidence to make bold requests of God even when I'm asking for the forgiveness of my sins; I'll still ask God for miracles." — Dr. Manny Arango (21:23)

  • Dr. Arango emphasizes that God does not require us to be perfect to pray bold prayers or experience blessings.
    • Quote:

      "God does not have unrealistic expectations of you. He doesn't need you to be on a streak of not sinning in order to bless you abundantly." (22:30)

  • The real issue with sin is not the sin itself, but the shame it produces, which keeps us distant from God.
    • Quote:

      "What I do earn is intimacy with God through confession. And when I confess... I'm eligible for all kinds of blessings in my life. And God wants me to pray bold prayers… even when I'm dealing with the guilt that comes with missing the mark." (23:20)

• Reconciliation & Meal-Sharing as Forgiveness

  • The memorial offering and its shared meal symbolize reconciliation between God and the worshiper (09:00, 26:00).
  • Parallels drawn between this and the Last Supper, where Judas—though sinful—shares a meal with Jesus:
    • Quote:

      "The only difference between Judas and Peter is not that one of their sin was greater than the other. It's that one of them knew that God was able to forgive." (26:10)

  • Encouragement that everyone—no matter their state—can receive forgiveness and restoration if they turn back to God.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Divine Love and Judgement:

  "If he wasn't loving, then he wouldn't judge the wicked... God's definition of love is that he's righteous." (13:26)

• On Shame, Confession, and Boldness:

  "The backbone of sin's power in your life is shame... When I confess and I get close to God, I'm eligible for all kinds of blessings in my life." (23:00)

• On Confessing Sin and Praying Big Prayers:

  "He doesn't just want me to pray bold prayers when I feel like I'm on a streak of holiness. He wants me to pray bold prayers even when I'm dealing with the guilt that comes with missing the mark." (23:45)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:12 — Introduction to the day’s Psalms & reading encouragement
• 04:45 — Explanation of “servant of Yahweh” (Psalm 36 heading)
• 06:31 — Details on Psalm 37’s acrostic and structure
• 08:30 — Context of Psalm 38 and memorial offerings
• 09:18 — Literary insights: parallelism in Psalm 36
• 13:26 — God’s steadfast love defined through parallelism
• 19:43 — Psalm 37:11 and the Beatitudes
• 20:32 — Psalm 38 as a penitential psalm and path to forgiveness
• 21:23 — Faith for miracles while confessing sin
• 23:00–26:30 — The role of shame, confession, and intimacy in our walk with God; parallel to the Last Supper

Tone and Language

Dr. Manny’s approach is conversational, energetic, and relatable, sprinkled with humor and self-aware moments (e.g., joking about the plural of "dive": "doved, diven, whatever..." at 06:31). He frequently uses personal anecdotes and rhetorical questions, making each point deeply practical and encouraging for listeners of all backgrounds.

Summary

Day 264 of The Bible Dept. Podcast gives a rich, context-driven exploration of Psalms 36–38. Dr. Manny Arango walks listeners through the unique literary features, theological depth, and enduring lessons found within these chapters, emphasizing God’s faithfulness, the biblical nature of love and judgment, and the bold, shame-breaking power of confession. The episode ends by drawing connections between Old Testament ritual, the Last Supper, and the ongoing invitation for believers to experience forgiveness and blessing—no matter where they find themselves.

Next Episode Preview:
Tomorrow: Psalms 39, 40, 41 — "If you're on a streak, I'm so proud of you. If you're not on a streak, I'm so proud of you. I love you. I'll see you right here tomorrow." (End)