|
This Psalm reads almost as if it were a series of proverbs or cameos contrasting many virtues of the righteous with that of the wicked. The Psalm especially speaks of the insecurity of the wicked. The noteworthy lessons for life are portrayed in how God deals with the wicked and the righteous. There is a bit of repetition richly interwoven in these dealings which signifies the importance of the issues at hand. The message to wait patiently upon the LORD and not to fret when evildoers prosper is likewise discussed in similar manner in Psalms 44 and 73. The oppressed who seek deliverance from the LORD, will according to God's good timetable be helped.
[1] Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Here is instruction not to be anxious, especially anxiety caused by the envy of wrongdoers. Quite often doers of evil seem to do well and justice appears overdue:
"But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." - Psalm 73:2,3.
As the Psalm continues, comparisons are drawn between the upright and the wicked to validate the opening statement not to be envious or worried about evildoers as their eventual destiny must be taken into view in the overall picture of things. The Hebrew verb for the word translated fret is "hrx", the transliterated word: "charah" and is most often translated in the KJV as "kindled". King James Word Usage - Total: 90 kindled 44, wroth 13, hot 10, angry 9, displease 4, fret 4, incensed 2, burn 1, earnestly 1, grieved 1, very 1. Verse 1 is similar to Proverbs 23:17 and almost identical to Proverbs 24:19.
[2] For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. The triumphs of evil are but for a short while. Evil will fade and good will win the continually ongoing but eventually ending battle over evil.
[3-8] Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. These verses contain a litany of exhortations to Christians for instruction. They are not limited to Old covenant theology. This will lead to the question by many as to how do we know what instructions from the Old Testament we are to observe today and which no longer apply. The answer being that ceremonial laws and worship pointed to the New covenant and Christ, so no longer do we observe new moons, dietary restrictions, feast days, Saturday worship, etc. These are the ceremonial aspects of the Old Testament. The instructions such as not to kill, honor your father and mother and others of the non ceremonial, non legalistic nature are still valid for our teaching, instruction, etc today. cf. 2 Timothy 3:16,17.
Since the instructions are lumped together fairly well, let's dissect verses 3-8 and look at each individually:
I.) Trust in the LORD
So here we have ten exhortations for those who trust in the LORD to follow through on. The importance of these instructions should be noted because they are repeated elsewhere in scripture. I believe God often repeats instructions in the Bible to emphasize their importance, so let's take a few minutes to look at a few of these commands.
Trust in the LORD. - Trust, like many of these teachings, is a subject that is a study in itself; but briefly looking at it shows that the Godhead is whom the Christian must place their trust (Psalm 33:21; 119:42; Matthew 12:17-21). Some of the benefits of trusting in Jehovah God are: joy (Psalm 5:11); deliverance (Psalm 22:4,5); triumph (Psalm 25:2,3); lovingkindness (Psalm 32:10); blessedness (Psalm 40:4); safety (Psalm 56:4,11) and guidance (Proverbs 3:5,6). To eloquently sum it up:
"Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah." - Psalm 62:8.
Do good. - The Bible gives its own divine definition of doing good:
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." - Galatians 6:9,10.
As Christians, doing good and benevolence begins with other believers first and foremost.
Cultivate Faithfulness. - This we must strive to do by example, as we live to let others see the light of Christ in our lives and serve as an encouragement to "cultivate" faithfulness in others.
"And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel." - Ezekiel 34:13,14.
Delight in the LORD. - As was Job exhorted.:
"Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God." - Job 22:21-26.
Commit thy way unto the LORD. - I would select verse 5 as the "key verse" of Psalm 37, this sums alot up, likewise we read in Proverbs.:
"Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established." - Proverbs 16:3.
Rest in the LORD. - Rest is from the Hebrew verb: "~md", transliterated as "Damam" meaning literally: Be still. The same verb is used in Psalm 131:
"Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child." - Psalm 131:2.
wait patiently for Him. - Patience endured with joy will not go unrewarded, cf. Colossians 1:11; Romans 2:7. Spiritual patience comes from a variety of products, such as: a good heart (Luke 8:15); tribulation (Romans 5:3,4); testing of faith (James 1:3) and hope (Romans 8:25). That is why it is important for Christians to stay close to the Holy Bible, cf. Romans 15:4; surely "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17). As we see so many of these virtues here in Psalm 37 discussed in other places in the Bible, it no doubt brings to light the importance of the Psalm.:
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31.
fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way. - Verse 7 gives counsel, namely patience to the situation mentioned at the beginning of the Psalm, to not fret because of evildoers. We must be always careful to remind ourselves that everything is in God's hands as we read in verse 5 of Psalm 37. This however, is often not easy when things are not going the right way.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. - Again, not always easy given our human nature and the fact that anger is often a by-product of anxiety. Nevertheless, we are to strive to depart from such evils and do good.
do not fret. - All tying in with trust. Do not fear when the wicked prosper, it is only momentary, but patiently trust in God's goodness.
The word "wicked" seems to be the "keyword" in this Psalm, appearing 14 times in the King James Version.
[9] For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
For evildoers shall be cut off. An illusion to the glorified Zion which we read of in Isaiah 60.:
" "Then all your people {will be} righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified. "The smallest one will become a clan, And the least one a mighty nation. I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time." " - Isaiah 60:21,22 nas.
Also.:
"When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain; And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made." - Isaiah 57:13-16.
[10,11] For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Again we see the interwoven subject of the Psalm, a plea to patiently wait for God's infinite justice and mercy. Peace in verse 11 is a much better and more literal translation of the Hebrew noun "Shalowm" translated as prosperity" in versions such as the nas and rsv. The meek are those doing the waiting. Matthew 5:3 quotes verse 11 from the LXX.
[12,13] The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. From here thru the entire 40 verses of the Psalm a mention is made in almost every verse between the righteous and the wicked. It is often natural for even the most meek man, who when his upright mind sees oppression and problems to become angry and worried. But in the end God is God and God is good and it is He who will judge in goodness. Make no mistake about it, the day of the evildoer will come just as surely as God speaks about His judgement. On the LORD Laughs, see Psalm 2:4.
he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked, as spoken of in Job 18:
"Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet. His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side. It shall devour the strength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength. His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors. It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation. His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off. His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street. He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world. He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings. They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted. Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God." - Job 18:11-21.
[14,15] The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. Affliction, poverty and need are all likewise products of anxiety. But strangely enough, the eventual fall of the wicked is caused by their own wrongdoing.:
"The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken." - Psalm 9:15.
[16,17] A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. Poverty should not worry the Christian provided they have the basic essentials of food, shelter and clothing, cf. 1 Timothy 6:8. Poverty can actually be a blessing in some ways. Christians can expect better things either in this life and/or the next as God's power will sustain His people. Goodness will ultimately triumph over evil.
[18] The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. The LORD is in control from everlasting to everlasting. The LORD has prepared heaven for His people. He knows the troubles of their souls:
"I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities; And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room." - Psalm 31:7,8.
[19,20] They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. The word "consume" in verse 20 is repeated to show its intensity. "smoke" points to something pining away.:
"Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread." - Psalm 102:1-4.
[21] The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. God's chosen nation was not to be a borrowing, but a lending people, cf. Deuteronomy 15:6; 28:12. In ancient times, the borrower was viewed as a "slave" to the lender. cf. Proverbs 27:7. It is dishonest not to repay borrowed money, so when the ability to repay has come, repayment should be made. The righteous are not selfish, but give according to the ability by which they have been blessed. Being a miser is a tragic sin, should one have more than a lifetime of resources, yet not be willing to help his fellow human in suffering.
[22] For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. "Him" in verse 22 refers to the LORD. Not to be confused with the "righteous man" mentioned in verse 21. The blessing spoken of here is spiritual, not physical.:
"The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just." - Proverbs 3:33.
[23,24] The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. Verse 23 speaks of the divine providence of God. Again we see an exhortation that is similar to what we find elsewhere in scripture. In 1 Samuel 2:9, Hannah sang:
"He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail." - 1 Samuel 2:9.
Although afflictions and even martyrdom can befall Christ's saints, in due time they will rise.:
"For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief." - Proverbs 24:16.
"Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me." - Micah 7:7,8.
[25,26] I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. We read in these verses of experience spanning a lifetime. A true Christian who is prosperous will also be generous. Lending to the household of faith is to be without interest.:
"If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury." - Exodus 22:25.
The theme here in these verses goes to the heart of loving others and teaching children likewise. God will not forsake His children, therefore greed has no place in the Christian life.:
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." - Hebrews 13:5,6.
[27-29] Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
Verse 27a is identical to what we read in Psalm 34. :
"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." - Psalm 34:14.
they are preserved for ever: (v.28); likewise:
"O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." - Psalm 31:23,24.
but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off (v.28b); this is also spoken of in Isaiah 14.:
"'11 Your pomp {and} the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out {as your bed} beneath you And worms are your covering.'
12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!
13 "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.
14 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'
15 "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.
16 "Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, {saying,} 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,
17 Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to {go} home?'
18 "All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb.
19 "But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit Like a trampled corpse.
20 "You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever."
[30,31] The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
Note the four traits of a righteous individual portrayed here:
a.) The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom
Wisdom is founded upon fear of the LORD, cf. Proverbs 1:7; 10:31,32.
[32-38] The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. Again the importance of patience is stressed here. The portrait here is that something once high and mighty has now fallen. Not only fallen, but no longer found. Just as a tree can disappear by being removed or cut down, so can the wicked. Verses 37 and 38 again speak of the ultimate victory of good over evil.
cut off, (v.38b); likewise spoken of in Psalm 73:
"Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end." - Psalm 73:17.
[39,40] But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. This lovely Psalm ends by giving all thanks and praise to Jehovah God. The word delivers in verse 40 is another word that is repeated twice most likely to show its importance. The anxiety spoken of in verse 1 of Psalm 37 is finalized with the quiet trust noted in verse 40.
deliver them from the wicked, and save them, (v.40); comparing:
8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
|