Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 37

The psalms speak a lot about the wicked of the world and the tension we have as Christians, in watching them seemingly prosper. David certainly had periods in his life when his faith wavered a bit, as he, like us, let his feelings override his intellect. Psalm 37 is another psalm that speaks to how we are to handle a life, where those who reject God, seem to do just fine. I am sure the devil likes to point this out to us, in the hopes that we will in turn, stop serving God and go the path of the wicked.

David begins this psalm with a good suggestion.

Psalm 37:1

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!

Why should we not fret over them?

Psalm 37:2
For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.

We need to trust that God knows what He is doing. If the wicked are prospering, then it is because God is allowing them to. He has good reason. Peter understood and explains this in 2 Peter 3:9 telling us that “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

But Peter also reminds us that God’s patience should not be toyed with.

2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Many people suggest that in the end, everyone will end up in heaven and that just isn’t true. It is an insult to the holiness and just nature of God to suggest this. David understood this, so in Psalm 37 he instructs us on how to live as God’s people, despite the wicked of the world. His instruction reminds us what to do, even when the wicked surround us and seemingly endanger our very lives.

Psalm 37:3-9
Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.  Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.  Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!  Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.  For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.

The literal promise of the land speaks to the Jews but for the Christian, there is a coming new heaven and new earth. As Christians, we need to be living with eternity in view. We need to trust that God is not overlooking evil. David explains.

Psalm 37:12-13
The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him,  but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.

Their day is coming.

Psalm 37:14-15
The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

Our work is to stand in faith, trusting in our God. Even if the wicked strike a blow against us, God will see us through, if it is in Him we find our delight.

Psalm 37:23-24
The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.

Read through Psalm 37 in its entirety. In it is a contrast of how the wicked end up and how those who trust in the Lord prosper for eternity.

Peter gave us the path to follow that goes right along with what David says here in this psalm.

2 Peter 3:11-18
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!  But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.  Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.  And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.  You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Wait in faith. Do not let the wicked carry you away and take away your stability. David knew that the Christian has a future. David knew that our salvation comes from the Lord Jesus. David knew to take refuge in Him.

Psalm 37:37-40
Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.  But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.  The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

Stand in faith. Leave the wicked to God and keep your eyes on Jesus.

Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 36

Psalm 36 is a contrast of the sinner and God. The worst mistake we, as Christians, can make, is to think ourselves righteous. This is one of the things we hear from those who oppose our faith. They see us as hypocrites. We talk like we are little Christs, (some people suggest the Greek word means that, but many say that just isn’t true), but we usually live like the rest of the world. We are called to be holy, we are called to separate from the world, and yet we behave pretty much as they do. The opening words of Psalm 36 give us a look at what the wicked look like.

Psalm 36:1-4

Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes.  For it flatters him in his own eyes Concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it.  The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good.  He plans wickedness upon his bed; He sets himself on a path that is not good; He does not despise evil.

Ah, you say, I certainly do not look like that. And maybe not, but what does an honest assessment of yourself look like? Let’s compare ourselves to God. His holiness must be the only standard we should be seeking to attain.

Psalm 36:5-9
Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like a great deep. O LORD, You preserve man and beast.  How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.  They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights.  For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

Does your lovingkindness extend to the heavens? How is your faithfulness? Does your righteousness look like the mountains of God? Are your judgments as deep as His? Not me. I fall way short in all of this. And according to the Bible; You do as well.

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that, "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”

You see we cannot even understand our own heart. But God sees who we are.

Jeremiah 17:10
"I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.

I am a blessed man. Despite my wicked heart, God has reached down, through Jesus, and given me a righteousness that is not my own. He has cloaked me in the blood of Christ and in Christ, God sees me as holy. Because of that, I can enter into the throne of grace, where I can, as David, pour out my prayers. So, I pray as David has in this psalm.

Psalm 36:10-12
O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.  Let not the foot of pride come upon me, And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.  There the doers of iniquity have fallen; They have been thrust down and cannot rise.

When Jesus comes back there will be judgment on all who do not have the holiness of Christ upon them. Until then we must live in a state of complete humility knowing we are sinners, saved only by the blood of Jesus Christ. That is the only difference between us and those David speaks of. The Book of Romans is a great place to start in self-examination. Romans 12:3 is a great reminder of what we must do each and every day, where we hear the commandment of Paul, who tells us, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”

The answer is Jesus. Let Him be your righteousness.

Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 35

Psalm 35 is one of the imprecatory psalms. Imprecatory psalms are psalms that contain prayers to God to bring disaster and ruin to an enemy. Some people believe these to be an embarrassment to our faith. To think that is to misunderstand the point of what is happening. It is critical to understand that David is a part of the lineage that will bring Christ into the world and the devil had made it is work to prevent that. When David’s life is threatened; the entire plan of salvation is threatened. Thus, David is not seeking personal revenge; he is praying for the plan of salvation to be protected. David had opportunity to kill Saul and chose to have mercy. David prayed for Saul and his men, and when Saul died, he grieved terribly over his death.

Maybe you are surrounded by your enemies. Maybe you are tempted to pray for their demise. Look over Psalm 35 first. See what David was praying for.

Psalm 35:1-3

Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!  Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for my help!  Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers! Say to my soul, “I am your salvation!”

We do have a God who will fight for us. Romans 8:31 asks this, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” No one can stand against God.

Psalm 35:10
All my bones shall say, “O LORD, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?”

No matter the situation, do as David, ask God to protect you.

David was about God’s work. Or you? If so, then you can know God is going to see His will through. Be patient. Wait on Him. In the meantime, spend time praising Him as David did.

Psalm 35:17-18
How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions!  I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.

The truth is, most of our problems are not from serving God, but are of our own making. We don’t live in obedience to God and then we want Him to fix our mess. Relationships are a classic example. The Bible warns us, yet we get involved with the world. Then we want God to bring judgment on others. This is not what David was praying for. Listen to the close of Psalm 35.

Psalm 35:27-28
Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore,

“Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”  Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.

Delight in God’s righteousness and live in it. Trust in Him to protect you, but when you stray from His will, don’t be surprised when He disciplines you.

As to our enemies? Let God handle them. I leave you with more from the letter to the Romans. Let it guide your prayers.

Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Romans 12:17-21
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.  Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”  To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Do this and God will be for you.