TRUST IN THE LORD (PSALM 37)
An article titled “Are You Evil? Profiling That Which Is Truly Wicked” talks about Selmer Bringsjord, a logician, philosopher and chairman of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Department of Cognitive Science who has developed a sort of checklist for determining whether someone is demonic. This is his definition of evil:
“To be truly evil, someone must have sought to do harm by planning to commit some morally wrong action with no prompting from others (whether this person successfully executes his or her plan is beside the point). The evil person must have tried to carry out this plan with the hope of "causing considerable harm to others," Bringsjord says. Finally, "and most importantly," he adds, if this evil person were willing to analyze his or her reasons for wanting to commit this morally wrong action, these reasons would either prove to be incoherent, or they would reveal that the evil person knew he or she was doing something wrong and regarded the harm caused as a good thing.
On my way to deciding the 10 psalms to preach, I read a number of renowned websites to determine what psalms do others consider are the top ten psalms. Psalms 37 appears on half of the websites. What is distinct about Psalms 37. It is 40 verses long, the eight longest psalm in the Bible. It is an acrostic psalm, in that it follows the Hebrew alphabet to begin a sentence over two to four verses. As in real life, there is a lot of bad people in Psalms 37 – from evildoers and workers of iniquity (v 1), to the wicked (v 12) and sinners/transgressors (v 38).
So we ask these questions: Who on earth is in charge of the free world? What chance do good people have against bad people, wicked people or evil people? What is our attitude when the world is not right?
The Envious: Foresee Inequality
1 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret — it leads only to evil. 9 For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
Here are some quotes on bad men and good men:
“What is an evil man? The man is evil who coerces obedience to his private ends, destroys beauty, produces pain, extinguishes life.” Jack Vance
“One of the marks of a certain type of bad man is that he cannot give up a thing himself without wanting everyone else to give it up.” C. S. Lewis
“If fortune makes a wicked man prosperous and a good man poor, there is no need to wonder. For the wicked regard wealth as everything, the good as nothing. And the good fortune of the bad cannot take away their badness, while virtue alone will be enough for the good.” Sallust
“Wicked men obey for fear, but the good for love.” Aristotle
“A wicked man in prayer may lift up his hands, but he cannot lift up his face. Thomas Watson
“If you are suffering from a bad man's injustice, forgive him lest there be two bad men.” Augustine
“If a wicked man seems to have peace at death, it is not from the knowledge of his happiness, but from the ignorance of his danger. Thomas Watson
“You can't keep a good man down or a bad one up.”
The verbs “fret” (vv 1, 7, 8 of 11 times in the Bible) AND “envious” are indirect jussive commands because of the negation “not.” The first and most famous use of the word refers to Cain, who was very wroth/angry (Gen 4:5, 6), twice leading to Abel’s murder. The verb “envious” is a generational sin in Abraham’s family when Jacob’s wife Rachel was envious of her sister Leah (Gen 30:1), and then the two sisters’ sons were envious of Joseph to the point of plotting to murder their brother Joseph. Both fret and envy led to murder. Arthur Chapman wrote, “Envy is like a fly that passes all the body’s sounder parts, and dwells upon the sores.”
Evildoers are in verses 1 and 8. They are activating and accelerating the countdown to the days of God’s anger because they will soon wither and dry away (v 2). Soon (v 2) is never translated as “soon” in other occurrences except here, but quickly (Num 16:46), hastily (Judg 9:54), speedily (Ps 31:2) and swiftly (Ps 147:15), not sooner but soon enough. The imagery for “die away/cut down” includes a flower that is cut down (Job 14:2), a branch (Job 18:16) or the ears of corn cut off (Job 24:24). Evil men will be put to the sword, the sickle and the shears! Wither (v 2) is wear away, as in the case of Moses who was warned by his father-in-law of the danger of wear and tear, being worn out (Ex 18:18), and wearing out his outcome.
Verses 3 to 5 are a series of nine imperatives, with “trust” repeated twice. Trust occurs 120 times in the Bible, of which only 8 are imperatives (Ps 4:5, 37:3, 5, 62:8, 115:10-11, Prov 3:5, Isa 6:4), all in the Wisdom Books, two of them in this chapter (vv 3, 7). Trust in the imperative form in the Bible, however, is always been reserved for the Lord. Trust is the belief that somebody/something is good, sincere, honest, etc. and will not try to harm or trick you.
Dictionary.com - firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something.
Oxford Learners - reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.
Collins Dictionary - reliance on and confidence in the truth, worth, reliability, etc, of a person or thing.
V 3 Trust in the Lord Devotion
V 3 do good Deeds
V 3 dwell in the land Dwelling
V 3 enjoy safe pasture Diet
V 4 Delight yourself in the Lord Delight
V 5 Commit your way Destiny
V 8 Refrain from anger Discontinue
V 8 turn from wrath Departure
The Evil: Forsake Iniquity
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. 11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. 12 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; 13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. 14 The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. 15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. 16 Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; 17 for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. 18 The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever. 19 In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty. 20 But the wicked will perish: The Lord's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish — vanish like smoke. 21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; 22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off.
My spiritual son asked me last week, “Have you heard of a musical Man of La Mancha?”
I replied, “Of course, it’s my second most favorite Broadway musical other than Les Miserables!”
He said, “I’ll be singing a song from the musical in April!”
Don Quixote is a wannabe knight who set out to undo wrongs and bring justice to the world, giving hope to prostitutes, the defenseless and the underprivileged. On his track was an evil knight who wanted to send Don Quixote to the hospital. One of the songs is one of my all-time favorite:
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest to follow that star
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To fight for the right without question or pause
To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To fight the unbeatable foe
To reach the unreachable star
The wicked are mentioned 14 times in the chapter. No chapter in the Bible talks about the “wicked” (v 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 28, 32, 34, 35, 38, 40) as much as in Psalms 37. The chapter is 40 verses long, but I’ll try to capture the breath of its beauty by its three most repeated verbs: cut off (vv 9, 18, 24, 28, 38 of the unjust), inherit/possess (vv 9, 11, 22, 29, 34 of the upright) and “see” (vv 13, 25, 34, 37, 37 for the upset):
Cut off (catastrophe, casualty, condemnation) Inherit/possess (comfort, community, covenant) See (Certainty, confidence, credibility)
V 9 evil men will be cut off V 9 those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. V 13 He knows their day is coming
V 18 those he curses will be cut off V 11 the meek will inherit the land V 25 I have never seen the righteous forsaken
V 28 the offspring of the wicked will be cut off V 22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land V 34 the wicked are cut off, you will see it
V 34 the wicked are cut off V 29 the righteous will inherit the land Vv 35-36 I have seen …
but he soon passed away
V 38 the future of the wicked will be cut off V 34 He will exalt you to inherit the land V 37 observe the upright
The verb “cut off” (vv 9, 22, 28, 34, 38) is translated as cut off, cut down or cut out – sliced, severed, snapped. I read that it’s easier for flowers to just twist, pull and cut. And all you need is scissors, shares or a sharp knife. For beans it’s twisting, carrots for pulling and tomatoes for cutting.
Inherit refers to the livability of the land, the longevity of her inhabitants and, more importantly, the legitimacy of the righteous. The time “forever” is repeated three times in the chapter:
v 18 The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever.
v 28 For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever,
v 29 the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
The third verb “see” is independent, impartial and insightful. The righteous are mentioned nine times in the chapter and the wicked 13 times, but the Lord is mentioned 15 times in the chapter. He’s the leading actor, low-lying, little-noticed, life-long, the last man standing!
The Everlasting: Finish Intentionally
23 If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. 25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. 26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. 27 Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. 28 For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; 29 the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. 32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives; 33 but the Lord will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial. 34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. 35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, 36 but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. 37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. 38 But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. 39 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.
In his prime, Jet Li once starred as an a philosophically-, politically-, psychologically- and professionally-torn assassin who had the opportunity to kill the tyrannical king of China, the Emperor Shi of the state of Qin, renowned for crushing six other states to unite the country, burning books and sacrificing lives to build the Great Wall of China.
The question is, “Would you kill the greatest tyrant in the world if you were the only person alive who could do it?
Unfortunately I asked the wrong department coworkers to respond to my question – China Care department. One coworker said, “You asked us in the China Care department. What are we supposed to say?”
What was the ending? Jet Li stabbed the king at the back and but did not kill the king, and admitted in letting the king live: “Your Majesty, my task is completed now. My decision will cost the deaths of many.” Nameless’ reward was hundred of arrows killing him.
The wicked has all they cannot handle because they are tagged as “enemies of the Lord.” (v 20) Their collapse and capitulation is certain:
v 13 the Lord laughs at the wicked,
v 20 The Lord's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will VANISH — vanish like smoke
v 22 those he curses will be CUT OFF
v 34 the wicked are CUT OFF, you will see it.
v 38 all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be CUT OFF.
The chapter has nine “not,” of which seven of them refer to the righteous:
Wicked “2 Nots” Righteous “7 Nots”
V 21 The wicked borrow and do not repay v 19 In times of disaster they will not wither
V 36 but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. v 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
v 25 I have never seen the righteous forsaken
v 28 For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.
v 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.
v 33 but the Lord will NOT leave them in their power or (NOT) let them be condemned when brought to trial.
The contrast of the wicked and the righteous with the Lord is never more stark. Only twice the Lord is mentioned in the wicked’s lives:
Psalms 37 seems to be preoccupied with the wicked more than the righteous, but a closer look at the psalm knows that the Lord cares deeply and for the righteous. While the word “wicked” occurs much more than the wicked, but the name of the Lord occurs more with the righteous than the wicked:
V 13 the Lord laughs at the wicked,
V 20 The Lord's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
V 17 but the Lord upholds the righteous.
V 18 The days of the blameless are known to the Lord
V 22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land
V 23 the Lord delights in a man's way
V 24 though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
V 28 the Lord loves the just
V 31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.
V 33 the Lord will not leave them in their power
V 39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
V 40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
While the word “wicked” occurs more times than “righteous,” the Psalmist does an artistic turn few noticed. He mentioned “the Lord” favorably in reference to the righteous and seldom to the wicked.
Without the Lord, the future of the wicked dreary, dark, disastrous, doomed and deadly. The wicked will not evade, escape or elude judgment. Rather, their sins will be the proof, premise and promise of their judgment.
The chapter ends with four imperatives, two to look to the Lord (v 34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way) and two to learn from the upright (v 37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright).
Prayer:
O God, give us patience when those who are wicked hurt us. O how impatient and angry we are when we think ourselves unjustly slandered, reviled and hurt! Christ suffers blows upon his cheek, the innocent for the guilty; yet we may not abide one rough word for his sake.
O Lord, grant us virtue and patience, power and strength, that we may take all adversity with goodwill, and with a gentle mind overcome it. And if necessity and Thy honour require us to speak, grant that we may do so with meekness and patience, that the truth and Thy glory may be defended, and our patience and steadfast continuance perceived. Miles Coverdale
