Psalms 37

Psalms 37:1-40

The manifestation of God for the righteous in their possession of the earth. [A psalm] of David. The thirty-seventh psalm, the third and middle one of the series, has already been noted as the hinge or pivot upon which the rest turn, the full blessing brought in for the righteous in Israel, in their possession of the land. And in this Jehovah manifests Himself, and glorifies Himself upon the earth. The structure has been noted also as alphabetic; and it is almost perfect in this respect, not quite, if the present division of the verses is correct, as, after all, I believe it is, though I had doubted it. This will be examined in its place (verse 28). The letters, with three exceptions only, have each a couplet of verses attached, in which we are intended perhaps to realize the markedly antithetical character of the psalm -present and future, righteous and wicked, being thus put in contrast. Contrary to the general character of the psalms of this series also, there is no prayer heard throughout the present one. All is definitely assured, predictive, and admonitory, -prophetic, that is, all the way through, though couched in general terms only, and in this way more suited to the admonitory purpose.

1. The first section insists on the perpetuity of the blessing of the righteous, in contrast with the speedy and perfect end of the wicked: and makes this an argument for entire rest of heart in committing oneself to God. The present apparent success of wickedness naturally excites to fretfulness and envy of him who seems thus to have so much the best of it as to the things here. But this is to forget that faith’s part is necessarily in the unseen: “they shall soon be cut down like grass, and wither like the green herb.” Faith is next exhorted to, in view of Jehovah’s faithfulness. The soul may be pastured upon this, and dwell secure; -the peaceable fruits of righteousness being thus encouraged. Let the heart cleave to the Lord in love, and love will be sure to respond, and the requests of the heart so purified be fulfilled. Let the way too be committed to Him, and difficulties will disappear before Jehovah’s sufficiency. Not only will one’s purposes thus be realized, but thy righteousness too will be made plain as the light, and thy right as the noon-day. But patience will be needed also; and one may be patient when the end is certain. Let the wicked prosper as he is permitted, and even his mischief prosper. Rest in Jehovah Himself: He is still Jehovah. The government of God is active still, and sure in the end toward which it works. Cease then from anger and forsake wrath, the only result of which is to make one copy the evil he resents. Evil-doers shall be cut off at last and the quiet waiters upon Jehovah, these shall inherit the earth (or land). The last couplet simply develops this, -the end of the wicked, completely rooted out of the land, and the meek inheriting the land at last, satisfied with abundant prosperity.
2. The second section, which is a short one, occupies itself only with the wicked His enmity against the righteous is noted, his plots, with still their limit. The Lord derides his folly, and foresees his end. His sword, already drawn, enters his own heart; his bent bow snaps, instead of discharging itself. It is an illustration of the Lord’s words, that they that take the sword shall perish with it, and, of course, a pregnant example of divine government.
3. The third section contrasts the portion of the righteous and the wicked. If the righteous have but little, it is better than the abundance of many wicked: one is for a time the other has the enduring support of Jehovah. Jehovah marks and knows the days of the perfect, and even in the evil time they shall not be ashamed, and in famine they shall be satisfied. As for the wicked, they shall be consecrated to the Lord in their death, who would not be in life, and consume away like animals under the ban, consumed by the fire of wrath and not accepted.
4. We have now, contrasted as before, the ways of each, -a longer detail. First, the bounty and grace of the righteous is contrasted with the greed and injustice of the wicked. But those blessed of Jehovah are those in due time to possess the land, while the wicked, grasp as he may, shall be cut off under His curse. This seems to me the evident meaning of the verse, although I may be, perhaps, alone in thinking so. To make the cause of the wicked man’s not repaying to be his poverty, and that under the curse of God, while the righteous gives as already possessing the earth, seems an entire inversion of the facts as the psalm presents them, as well as a justification of the “wicked,” such as in no wise commends itself. Next we have the steps of a man (like Psalms 34:8, gebher, implying strength), his firm and prosperous steps are “established of Jehovah.” It is from Him they get their strength. “And He delighteth in his way” -a way so blessed and strengthened. Thus, if such a man falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the hand that he lifts to Jehovah is upheld by Him. He “affords it,” as Delitzsch puts it, “a firm point of support or fulcrum, so that he can rise up again.” The psalmist adds to this the realization of it in his own experience. From the days of his youth to his present old age he had not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. The character of the righteous is again given as that of one showing grace and ministering -little righteousness has he who can forget the claims of the needy when his own needs are so many -and this the Lord delights to maintain: his seed is," not merely blessed, but “for blessing,” -the blessing of others his ministry is perpetuated in those who spring from him, and learn his ways. Thereupon the psalmist, naturally enough, turns from this encouraging assurance to admonition: “Depart from evil and do good: and dwell forevermore. For,” he adds, “Jehovah is a lover of judgment, and forsaketh not his godly ones: they are preserved forever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall possess the earth (or land), and dwell therein forever.” * With this the fourth section of the psalm ends. \
5. The last section, as a deuteronomic one, sums up these ways of God, whether with the righteous or the wicked. They are simple enough, while requiring for the present faith to realize them: for still, in the government of God, “clouds and darkness are round about Him.” But the day comes, to which the psalm looks on, in which all will come out fully. In that day “the righteous shall be recompensed on the earth, much more the wicked and the sinner” (Proverbs 11:31). This is the Old Testament side of the truth, let us remember; and we shall fall into great error, if we take it as the whole truth. So taken, it has been used, and is quite competent to prove, that there is no heavenly portion for the saints of the present and the past, and only annihilation of personal existence for the wicked.

I do not imply that this would be a light penalty, however light man may be disposed to make of it; but it is not what such texts mean. If “the future of the wicked is, to be cut off,” this does not mean that he is to have no future, -that his portion is extinction; but simply that the earth is to be freed from his presence, and thus from the misery caused by that presence. Even the Old Testament shows us, as we have seen in the Psalms themselves, a Sheol which man passes into out of the bodily condition; and the New Testament clearly reveals the Gehenna of the lost on the one hand, the paradise of God for the saved on the other.* I cannot enter into this here, of course: but the “cutting off” and destruction of the wicked are distinctly stated to be “from the earth” (Psalms 104:35; Proverbs 2:22; etc.). All application of these earthly judgments to that judgment which is “after” death (Hebrews 9:27) involves a necessarily materialistic use of terms which is foreign to Scripture.
We have six subsections here. First, we are given to see the righteous in that obedience of heart to God which makes his mouth meditate wisdom -that is, utter what his heart has meditated. His tongue, therefore, speaketh judgment -practical discernment of things in their moral or spiritual difference. It is the law of his God in his heart that has thus enlightened him; and walking in the light, he walks securely: his steps do not slide. But just because he is thus obedient to God, he has his enemies in the wicked, who watch him, and even seek his death. They may even go through the form of trial, and encompass themselves with the similitude of justice, to accomplish their cruel ends; but Jehovah is against them, and, spite of all that may seem to be the case, cannot abandon the righteous to their hand, nor condemn him because they do this. Nay, He will surely justify him. But the way to the inheritance is in a path of patience; yet the righteous shall possess the land, and see the wicked cut off out of it. In the meanwhile, a partial experience will leave the wicked in power, flourishing like a green tree in its own congenial soil. But this is not the end; and every one can furnish examples of the rapid uprooting and passing away of all this show of strength. Presently he is not; and the ends of the two -the wicked and the upright -how different! The end of the one is peace -or prosperity; and of the other, as rebels against God, to be cut off. Victory is for the righteous; their salvation is of One who cannot fail them.

Even in the time of strait He is their stronghold; and what a fortress to be beleaguered by the enemy! He shall help and rescue them as surely as they have fled to Him for refuge.