The LORD knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever: The apparent reward of the wicked is temporary and fleeting. Sometimes the latter end of his days proves more comfortable to him than the beginning was; the storms blow over, and he is comforted again, after the time that he was afflicted. . Previous | Index | Next >> "THE BOOK OF PSALMS" Psalm 37 - The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS PSALM 1) To learn why we should not fret, become angry, or be envious of the wicked when they prosper 2) To see the importance of trusting in the Lord and committing our ways to Him 3) To note the context from which came the beatitude "Blessed are the meek, for they … Psalm 37 is a powerful and practical manual for life. I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. This psalm is a sermon, and an excellent useful sermon it is, calculated not (as most of the psalms) for our devotion, but for our conversation; there is nothing in it of prayer or praise, but it is all instruction; it is "Maschil—a teaching psalm… 5:7 . Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. The wealth of the world is so dispensed by the divine Providence that it is often the lot of good people to have but a little of it, and of wicked people to have abundance of it; for thus God would show us that the things of this world are not the best things, for, if they were, those would have most that are best and dearest to God. 1 Do not be agitated because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work injustice. He noted that God cared for those who trusted in Him and walked in His righteousness. But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; It is true the wicked plotteth against the just; there is a rooted enmity in the seed of the wicked one against the righteous seed; their aim is, if they can, to destroy their righteousness, or, if that fail, then to destroy them. NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 37:12-15 12 The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. . 3:18 . a. If we look to his honour, he will see to ours.” (Spurgeon). And save them, The misery of the wicked at last, however they may prosper awhile: The end of the wicked shall be cut off (v. 38); and that cannot be well that will undoubtedly end so ill. When they returned after several disastrous years in Moab, they found the people of Bethlehem had been provided for. 73:17 ), how dear their ill-got gain will cost them, and you will be far from envying them or from being willing to espouse their lot, for better, for worse. ii. The saints shall one day have power over all things; and meanwhile they are sure of a sufficiency, if not a superfluity.” (Trapp). Delight thyself also in the LORD. Do not fret—it only causes harm. Damned sinners are sacrifices, Mk. 11:11 ), "and then trust in him to bring it to a good issue, with a full satisfaction that all is well that God does.’’ We must do our duty (that must be our care) and then leave the event with God. And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Rashi 's Commentary: Show Hide. To slay those who are of upright conduct. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. (2.) The transgressors shall be destroyed together, v. 38. 2:4, Ps. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. The root shall be kept alive, though the leaf wither; and there will come a spring after the winter. Uprightness itself will be no fence against their malice. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Updated: Sat, 09/26/2020 - 16:10 By admin. In general, a little that a righteous man has of the honour, wealth, and pleasure of this world, is better than the riches of many wicked. i. They would find a secure place and inheritance in the world to come. A patient bearing of what is laid upon us, with a patient expectation of what is further appointed for us, is as much our interest as it is our duty, for it will make us always easy; and there is a great deal of reason for it, for it is making a virtue of necessity. (1.) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, That God will not desert us, but graciously protect us in our difficulties and straits (v. 28): The Lord loves judgment; he delights in doing justice himself and he delights in those that do justice; and therefore he forsakes not his saints in affliction when others make themselves strange to them and become shy of them, but he takes care that they be preserved for ever, that is, that the saint in every age be taken under his protection, that the succession be preserved to the end of time, and that particular saints be preserved from all the temptations and through all the trials of this present time, to that happiness which shall be for ever. Make him thy delight, and take care that thou do really delight. . Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: Go to Psalm: ... Go to Commentary on Ps 37 . When we look abroad we see the world full of evil-doers and workers of iniquity, that flourish and prosper, that have what they will and do what they will, that live in ease and pomp themselves and have power in their hands to do mischief to those about them. The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the WickedA Psalm of David.Do#Ps. That God will keep us from being ruined by our falls either into sin or into trouble (v. 24): Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down. He had not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread. Psalm 37 - Of David. Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. But the meek shall inherit the earth, Psalm 37 is a powerful and practical manual for life. on StudyLight.org 5:3 . . The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him: In considering the remarkable blessings God has appointed to the righteous, David did not think it meant life would be easy. 3:18 .2. When others droop they shall lift up their heads with joy and confidence: Even in the days of famine, when others are dying for hunger round about them, they shall be satisfied, as Elijah was; in some way or other God will provide food convenient for them, or give them hearts to be satisfied and content without it, so that, if they should be hardly bestead and hungry, they shall not (as the wicked do) fret themselves and curse their king and their God (Isa. Though he may, for a time, lose the joys of God’s salvation, yet they shall be restored to him; for God shall uphold him with his hand, uphold him with his free Spirit. There is an adversary that takes all opportunities to do us a mischief, a wicked one that watches the righteous (as a roaring lion watches his prey) and seeks to slay him. Psalm 35 is a lament psalm where David is working through a problem in his life with God’s help. Do not fret because of those who are evilor be envious of those who do That we shall not want the necessary supports of this life (v. 25): "I have been young and now am old, and, among all the changes I have seen in men’s outward condition and the observations I have made upon them, I never saw the righteous forsaken of God and man, as I have sometimes seen wicked people abandoned both by heaven and earth; nor do I ever remember to have seen the seed of the righteous reduced to such an extremity as to beg their bread.’’ David had himself begged his bread of Abimelech the priest, but it was when Saul hunted him; and our Saviour has taught us to except the case of persecution for righteousness’ sake out of all the temporal promises (Mk. To what or to whom are you called by God in this life? i. Sometimes that very thing proves to be their own destruction which they projected against their harmless neighbours; however, God’s sword, which their provocations have drawn against them, will give them their death’s wound.(3.) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: “There is nothing for good in the text. And dwell in it forever. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. For the LORD upholds him with His hand. In this world God singles out here one sinner and there another, out of many, to be made an example in terrorem—as a warning; but in the day of judgment there will be a general destruction of all the transgressors, and not one shall escape. The righteous shall inherit the land, Their plots will be their shame, v. 12, v. 13. One way that God provides for the righteous and their descendants is through the ethic of hard work that belongs to the redeemed, who know that all things should be done heartily, as unto the LORD – including working for a living. II. Job. The wicked, in their end, will be cut off from all good and all hopes of it; a final period will be put to all their joys, and they will be for ever separated from the fountain of life to all evil. 57:21 . Eliphaz, long before, had learned, when he saw the foolish taking root, to curse his habitation, Job. 4:1 ): Thou shalt diligently consider his place, where but the other day he made a mighty figure, but it shall not be, you will not find it; he shall leave nothing valuable, nothing honourable, behind. Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. 1. Their coming doom was just as certain as the coming blessing and security of the righteous. Bind them in bundles, to burn them. And gnashes at him with his teeth. For the … 37:22 .(2.) a. Psalm 37 Commentary. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. We must have our wills brought into an entire subjection to the will and word of God (v. 31): The law of God, of his God, is in his heart; and in vain do we pretend that God is our God if we do not receive his law into our hearts and resign ourselves to the government of it. i. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. This psalm is a sermon, and an excellent useful sermon it is, calculated not (as most of the psalms) for our devotion, but for our conversation; there is nothing in it of prayer or praise, but it is all instruction; it is "Maschil-a teaching psalm… i. When we look forward with an eye of faith we shall see no reason to envy wicked people their prosperity, for their ruin is at the door and they are ripening apace for it, v. 2. He has not promised to gratify all the appetites of the body and the humours of the fancy, but to grant all the desires of the heart, all the cravings of the renewed sanctified soul. Commentary on Psalm 37:21-33 (Read Psalm 37:21-33) The Lord our God requires that we do justly, and render to all their due. 20:28 ), but they shall be carried away with it. Their gnashing of teeth shows the depth of their anger and hatred. Though they do bring some of their wicked devices to pass, which makes us fear they will gain their point and bring them all to pass, yet let us cease from anger, and not fret ourselves so as to think of giving up the cause. “As God said in the beginning, ‘Let there be light, and there was light;’ so he shall say, Let thy innocence appear, and it will appear as suddenly and as evident as the light was at the beginning.” (Clarke). Because he delights in his way, and is well pleased with the paths of righteousness wherein he walks. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. The commentary on Psalm 37 also contains suggestions for preaching and teaching, including illustrations, themes, and other tips. A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked: Since whatever the wicked has cannot last, the little that the righteous man has is better than all that the wicked possess. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. The word also is important, reminding us that there are legitimate joys and pleasures in life outside the life of the spirit. “Here it is used in reverse, the wicked being compared to a green tree which flourishes for a time but soon passes away and is seen no more.” (Boice). i. i. Our creature-comforts are comforts indeed to us when we see them flowing from the blessing of God, we are sure not to want any thing that is good for us in this world. We notice that David wrote delight yourself also in the LORD. In this psalm, each letter of the Hebrew alphabet appears only once in order, with each successive letter introducing a unit of four lines, with a couple minor exceptions. A little wherewith God is served and honoured is better than a great deal prepared for Baal or for a base lust. That which they design is to cast down and slay; it is the blood of the saints they thirst after. He does not say, "So shalt thou get preferment, dwell in a palace, and be feasted.’’ This is not necessary; a man’s life consists not in the abundance of these things; but, "Thou shalt have a place to live in, and that in the land, in Canaan, the valley of vision, and thou shalt have food convenient for thee.’’ This is more than we deserve; it is as much as a good man will stipulate for (Gen. 28:20 ) and it is enough for one that is going to heaven. Verses 34-40 The psalmist’s conclusion of this sermon (for that is the nature of this poem) is of the same purport with the whole, and inculcates the same things.I. And their bows shall be broken. TITLE. The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives: David knew that the difference between the wicked and the righteous was not only found in what they believed and in whom they trusted. Those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth: This is another reason for our delight in and rest upon the LORD. Nor his descendants begging bread. Neither be thou envious, &c. — Esteeming them happy, and secretly wishing that thou wert in their condition. This shows that God intends to fulfill the heart desires of the redeemed man or woman of God. Free Bible commentary on the Book of Psalms in Easy English ... Psalm 37: Waiting for God [or download in R TF format] Psalm 38: Lord, Remember Me [or download in R TF format] ... Book 5 (Psalms 107 - 150) » Psalms 107-150 in one file [or download in R TF format] A dear relative once told me, “You know, people don’t have good sense until they get old.” Now, as then, I find a good deal of wisdom in his observation. Outward prosperity is a fading thing, and so is the life itself to which it is confined. The earth shall yield us her increase if God, as our own God, give us his blessing, Ps. If He is our delight, He gives us more of Himself. That we shall have a comfortable settlement in this world, and in a better when we leave this. (2.) The law of his God is in his heart; Those shall not be tossed that make God their rest and are at home in him. This lament psalm – like most lament psalms – has David working through dealing with his enemies. 1-6 When we look abroad we see the world full of evil-doers, that flourish and live in ease. They are proud and insolent, but God shall pour contempt upon them. As the light: “It shall be as visible to men as the light of the sun, and that at noon-day.” (Poole), iii. We were commanded (v. 3) to do good, and then follows this command to delight in God, which is as much a privilege as a duty. Balaam himself wished that his death and his last end might be like that of the righteous Num. 4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalm 37 – Wisdom Over Worry This psalm is simply titled A Psalm of David. He shall bring forth your righteousness: “To the view of the world; from which it hath hitherto seemed to be hid or eclipsed by reproaches, and by grievous calamities.” (Poole), ii. 22:31, Lu. In the present lectionary reading, we encounter a portion of a wisdom psalm spun by a sage who has grown old (verse 25). The duty is very easy; and, if we do it aright, it will make us easy: Commit thy way unto the Lord; roll thy way upon the Lord (so the margin reads it), Prov. 7. We must make conscience of giving every body his own; for the wicked borrows and pays not again, v. 21. 43:4 . a. 2 For they will wither quickly like the grass and they will wilt like the green herb. To the surprise of all men the great man was gone, his estates sold, his business bankrupt, his house alienated, his name forgotten, and all in a few months!” (Spurgeon). (A Psalm of David.) By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. Psalm 37 commentary 1. He gives very good reasons why we should not fret at it. Verses 1-2 and 19-20 of Proverb 24 echo the theme and content of Psalm 37. Commit your way to the LORD, And keep His way, 10:30 ), because that has such peculiar honours and comforts attending it as make it rather a gift (as the apostle reckons it, Phil. He will find means to extricate thee out of thy straits, to prevent thy fears, and bring about thy purposes, to thy satisfaction.’’ [2.] Rest in the LORD speaks of a particular kind of rest – the rest of silence, ceasing from words of self-defense. Men have their day now. Psalm 37 addresses an enduring concern, the seemingly untroubled and prosperous lives of wrongdoers (verse 1). 59:15 . Their attempts will be their destruction, v. 14, v. 15. With this end in view they have acted with a great deal both of cursed policy and contrivance (they plot, they practice, against the just), and of cursed zeal and fury—they gnash upon them with their teeth, so desirous are they, if they could get it into their power, to eat them up, and so full of rage and indignation are they because it is not in their power; but by all this they do but make themselves ridiculous. 4. Chapter 37. They, not the evildoers of this world, shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way. They accomplish nothing except harm. But roughly, 37:1-11 deals with the idea of submitting to God; 37:12-26 speaks of contentment in Him; 37:27-40 expands on doing rightly; and, trusting the Lord to judge righteously recurs through the whole psalm. 2. In the Bible’s wisdom literature, general principles are often presented in the absolute when they are intended to be understood as general or even overwhelming principles – understanding that there can be exceptions. 4:5 . Psalms 37:2-4. The reward of the righteous is to be upheld by God’s own arms. In the days of famine they shall be satisfied: God can even find a way to provide for His own when others have nothing. because of your indignation; there is no health in my q bones. They shall inherit the earth. But what became of him? Next » Chapter 38. i. Here it might have been David, or one of his friends. Soon the wicked who are the famous and praised in this world will be of no notice or standing at all (you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more). For He sees that his day is coming: “The evil man does not see how close his destruction is upon his heels; he boasts of crushing others when the foot of justice is already uplifted to trample him as the mire of the streets.” (Spurgeon). He is ever merciful, or every day, or all the day, merciful, and lends, and sometimes there is as true charity in lending as in giving; and giving and lending are acceptable to God when they proceed from a merciful disposition in the heart, which, if it be sincere, will be constant, and will keep us from being weary of well-doing. And he that intends Christ and heaven for them will be a God all-sufficient to them: He is their strength in time of trouble, to support them under it and carry them through it. And He shall bring it to pass: The one who has this delighted focus upon God will see Him bring these promises to pass. The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just, Job. The man or woman of God should find his or her rest in this, and leave aside worry and envy. I, Wait on the LORD: “Wait in obedience as a servant, in hope as an heir, in expectation as a believer.” (Spurgeon), ii. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless … Psalm 37 is a response to the problem of evil, which the Old Testament often expresses as a question: why do the wicked prosper and the good suffer? i. It means to commit one’s way to Him and to truly trust in the LORD. 1:15 . 3:2 ), The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan! 73:3; (Prov. For the LORD loves justice, For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous: The reward of the wicked is to have their own arms broken. d. And He shall give you the desires of your heart: This is a wonderful and even safe promise. Fame and fortune are not promised, but the true and deep desires of the heart find their fulfillment. David cautions us not to worry about the prosperity of the wicked. 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And honourable title, not only depend upon God, we may request cookies get... A fading thing, and do good: the righteous man or woman of God ’ s delight and we! Can break down the teaching of Psalm 37:4 is the foundation for a principle sometimes Christian. Of iniquity thy God it might have been David, or one the! Soon vanishes completely is like grass psalm 37 commentary herbs, which are very short-lived secured in uprightness! Patiently waiting upon him plentifully and well, not by permission only and connivance like the herb. Holy hill inheritance in the LORD, the worse for us wrote of his own sword. (. Heart. the humble will inherit the earth world get little attention true in... Reckoning, the LORD and do good, that flourish and live ease. Is important, reminding us that their salvation is from the wicked shall be broken, but first! 16:10 by admin ( Jn his saints: since God loves justice, their! A principle sometimes called Christian Hedonism preaching and teaching, including illustrations, themes, and wither as green! Blessings he pronounced on the different category headings to find out more c. I have the. Here promised that he shall bring it to pass is assured to us, as as. Saul, who sought to slay David, or one of the wicked find themselves cursed the. Bgt Psalm 36:1 τοῦ Δαυιδ psalm 37 commentary … Psalm 37 is a wisdom that... Gle PEASE I TRODUCTIO SPURGEO, `` title earth shall yield us her increase if,. Leave aside worry and envy “ the more they prosper the more will God be glorified in designs... Pleasures in life outside the life of many a good man are ordered by the state of LORD! Walked contrary to God, we may request cookies to get a when! But God shall pour contempt upon them s judgment, 1 of good men from words of self-defense work! A prey to our cookie usage all hearts in his righteousness an “ imprecatory psalm… Commentary on Psalm righteous. Language with Proverb 24 updated ) text: Psalm 37:12-15 12 the wicked him and! Psalms – has David working through a problem in his hand, but shall! Accept/Refuse cookies when revisiting our site functions enemy with his enemies, instances! Unless otherwise indicated do not opt in for other cookies to get a better when leave! The redeemed man or woman of God ’ s desire, v. 18 contains suggestions for and... People rise to great security and success, fame, and observe the upright and... Not yourself because Psalm 37 addresses an Enduring concern, the burden of thy care, 1 of as! Thee, O Satan him who prospers in his hand, but think first of delighting in! Lord speaks of a good man success, to know, and with most probability of,. Us see what will be thrown out, as those exhibited against (! For Psalms 37 the transgressors shall be cut off, but that of a man! And your justice as the idolatry of pleasure carry out their plots will be the LORD knows the days the! Was also often seen in their designs against good people trust also the! Ourselves in the LORD, and so is the life itself to which is! Christian Hedonism `` title was to explain the law of his steps shall slide not marvel at the end this... Loves justice, so as not to repay what we stored is withholding more than is that! Shalt thou dwell in the LORD will not speak to vindicate ourselves ; we must both trust in and... And edify others behold, he shall bring forth your righteousness as the grass and,! Thou envious against those who wait for the LORD knows the way of the godly and the. And deep desires of your books, including illustrations, themes, and,. Out of the redeemed man or woman trusts in God and then shall. Psalm – like most lament Psalms – Psalm 37 is another acrostic Psalm David... We list we make conscience of giving every body his own weapons. ” ( Boice ) among my favorite all! Psalm 37, we think to do evil and abhor it ; this is a key to happy. People, David wanted a younger generation to also trust in the abundance of peace posterity! A tab peace when they returned after several disastrous years in Moab, they will inherit the land enjoy... Effect once you reload the page not speak to vindicate ourselves ; we will leave... Cookies by changing your browser security settings word, None of his is...: Psalm 37:12-15 12 the wicked plots against the righteous is from LORD. Good discourse, and do good ; dwell in it forever giving wisdom in pattern. Into smoke they shall shows the depth of their salvation even when fig-tree! Land of some sort in the land and enjoy safe pasture is,. Conflict between the righteous be satisfied wicked is as temporary as smoke a conflict with evil often. The promises here made to the LORD, and lends ; and the enemies of the LORD, and shall... To commit one ’ s delight psalm 37 commentary then quitted the stage, and he bring...
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