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It may be, beloved friends, that there is a word of comfort for some of you in this “Psalm of David.” If any of you have been perplexed and worried, and there has been a stern conflict within your spirit, here are some cheering words which will bring a message from God to you.It may be worth your while to remember that the 37th Psalm and the 73rd are upon the same subject. They are the same figures reversed, but they both deal with the great mystery which has vexed the hearts of godly men in all generations.
Psa_37:1-2. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
What a contrast there is between the grass before the mower comes with his scythe, and that same grass when it is cut down; and there is the same kind of difference between the glory of ungodly men at one moment and their destruction the next. How beautiful the fertile mead appears before you with its many-colored flowers, yet in how short a time all its beauties are cut down, and withered in the sun!
Psa_37:3-4. 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.
The psalmist begins with “Fret not thyself, . . . neither be thou envious;” but he advances to something higher. He seeks to lead his hearer or reader up to “trust in the Lord,” and then still further up to “delight in the Lord.” A Christian should constantly be on the rising scale; though he is ever in the way of change, it should be a change for the better. Take care, dear friends, that you are people of simple trust: “Trust in the Lord;” and then you shall advance to delight in him: “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
Psa_37:5-6. 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.
It may be very dark with you just now, but God will turn your midnight into noonday. It is only he who can do it, therefore be sure to commit your way unto him; “trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”
Psa_37:7. Rest in the LORD, —
Not only rest on him, but rest in him, get into such close fellowship with him that you do really “rest in the Lord,” —
Psa_37:7-8. 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.
It is fretting that leads to anger and all manner of evil; but when the heart truly rests in God, it forsakes wrath. When we get away from resting in the Lord, we soon drift out upon a very stormy sea, where our poor little skiffs are not able to hold their own; therefore is it most needful for us to obey the injunction, “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”
Psa_37:9-10. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
The very house he inhabited, the grand estate which he called his own, shall be called by the name of another owner, and he shall be blotted out of remembrance.
Psa_37:11-15. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 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. 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.
They were so eager “to cast down the poor and needy” that they used both sword and bow against them, yet they could not succeed in their evil designs; for God took care of his own people, and therefore the psalmist was able to say concerning their enemies, “Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.”
Psa_37:16. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
“Many wicked.” That is a strong expression; the psalmist does not merely mention the riches of one wicked man, but he says, “A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.”
Psa_37:17. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
He keeps on upholding them. He holds them up, and in another sense he lifts them up on high, and holds them up near to himself in the glorious sunshine of fellowship with him.
Psa_37:18. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright:
He is well acquainted with their bright days and their dark days. He keeps a diary of all their ever-changing experiences: “The Lord knoweth the days of the upright”: —
Psa_37:18. And their inheritance shall be for ever.
There is a necessity upon covenant blessings, which ensures their enjoyment by all the chosen seed, and they shall never be taken from them: “Their inheritance shall be for ever.”
Psa_37:19. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
They shall not only get, as we say, “a sup and a bite,” but “they shall be satisfied,” and that even “in the days of famine,” when other people starve. They are well fed whom God feeds; there is no table like the one furnished and supplied by Omnipotence. He who is infinite in resources can readily supply all our necessities.
Psa_37:20-21. 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 wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth.
He prefers to do that rather than to lend; it generally comes to the same thing in the long run, and he may as well know from the first what he is really doing: “The righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.”
Psa_37:22-23. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
What a beautiful expression that is, “the steps of a good man” — the very steps, the little things, the daily actions, the ordinary progress of a good man, — “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” Our way is sometimes rough, but if God takes a delight in it, it must be right. It is a joy to us to know that the lives of godly men are delightful to the Most High.
Psa_37:24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
There may be a stumble, or even a fall, and he will grieve over it; he may suffer great losses, and he may think that there is an end to his mercies, but it shall not be so. God’s servants are like the sheep; they may fall many times, but they are soon up again. Hypocrites are like the swine; when they fall, they wallow in the mire, which is their congenial element.
Psa_37:25. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
David had not seen the seed of the righteous begging bread, but we have often seen it; for, when the seed of the righteous do not behave themselves aright, they have to suffer poverty as well as other people. But, under the old covenant, David could truly say that he had not seen this grievous sight. Yet many of us could go as far as David did in the first part of the verse: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken.” No, that shall never be the case; and it is a very singular circumstance, which they who have to distribute charity have often noticed, how seldom, comparatively, do they find godly people very greatly reduced. Somehow or other, God does provide for them. The trouble we have with our Orphanages is to find the orphans of godly men and women, for they are very few compared with those of other people, You may look over any list you like, and you shall find that very seldom are the saints reduced to absolute poverty. Yet, when poverty does come, and it does come to some of the very best of men and women, then God blesses it to them, and bears them up beneath it, so that they do not really lack any good thing. As for the gracious man, —
Psa_37:26-37. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. 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. 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. 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.
When you come to sum up the whole of his life, the total of it amounts to this, — “peace.” After all his varied experiences, God did give him rest; and with all the turmoil and tossing which came upon him occasionally, still he was a man to be envied. It is the end to which we must always look, after all; and concerning the perfect and upright man the psalmist says, “the end of that man is peace.”
Psa_37:38-39. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD:
It is not the result of their own goodness or merit; but it is wholly “of the Lord.” Righteous men are saved men because the Lord saves them by his grace, and that is where they put their confidence.
Psa_37:39. He is their strength in the time of trouble.
Dwell on that sweet short sentence. Not only does the Lord give them strength, but he himself “is their strength in the time of trouble.” He is so near to his people that all the omnipotence of his Godhead is theirs. Are you in trouble just now, dear child of God? Well, you have strength enough to carry you through it all if this be true, as it is “He is their strength in the time of trouble.” If God himself is your strength, do not talk about being weak; of course you are weakness itself apart from him, do not expect to be anything other than that; but then remember the psalmist’s declaration, “He is their strength in the time of trouble.”
Psa_37:40. And the LORD shall help them, —
Do you want anything more than this great promise? You have a heavy load to carry, but it is nothing to him who is omnipotent: “The Lord shall help them,” —
Psa_37:40. And deliver them:
He shall help them while they are in the trouble, and bring them out of it in due time.
Psa_37:40. He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
O dear friends, lean hard upon God! Lay down all your burdens at your Saviour’s feet, and rest there in holy and happy confidence in him. May the Lord give to all of us the grace to enjoy this sweet rest, for his dear Son’s sake. Amen.
This is one of the Psalms of David which have often cheered the saints of God when they have been perplexed because of the prosperity of the wicked and their own troubles.
Psa_37:1-2. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
What if their lot be sweet? Yet consider how short it is. No wise man envies the bullock which is being fattened, for he knows that it is being fattened for the slaughter. None will envy the ungodly their pleasures when they remember how transient they must be. Let them have them and I would urge all Christians to do their best to make the ungodly happy. This is the only happy time they can ever have unless they repent, and turn to the Lord so do not make them unhappy, but contribute all you can to the little bliss they ever will know, for it will soon be over. Certainly, if you are a child of God, you have no chance to envy them.
Psa_37:3-4. 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 like desires of thine heart.
Here is a duty which is as much a pleasure as it is a duty, nay, it is even more a pleasure than a duty: “Delight thyself also in the Lord.” Here is a commandment to be happy in the safest conceivable way. Of all delights, the most delicious is delight in God, and to this we are commended. But what a privilege is that which is annexed to it: “He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Why is this? Because, when you delight in God, your desires will be such as he can safely grant. Delighting in him, you will only desire that which is for this glory; and then, without any restrictions he may promise to you, and give to you the desires of your heart.
Psa_37:5. Commit thy way unto the LORD;
Blindly, yet believingly, put your hand into his hand, and follow wherever he may lead you.
Psa_37:5-7. 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, —
Oh, what sweet precepts these are! — easier to read and to hear than they are to practice; yet, if grace be given to us, we shall find them blessedly easy to practice. Surely, if it is easy to rest anywhere, it must be easy to “rest in the Lord.” There is no such resting place anywhere else, like that where omnipotence and eternal love are sweetly joined together: “Rest in the Lord,” —
Psa_37:7-9. 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. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
I do believe that, in a right sense, the child of God does get the best of both worlds. He may not get, in this world, what ungodly men think the best; and as far as worldly good is concerned, he often gets the worst there; but God makes his dinner of herbs to be sweeter to him than the stalled ox is to the wicked. If I knew that I should die like a dog, I would still wish to be a Christian. If there were no hereafter, no world to come, and even if my lot, judged after the manner of men, should be of all men’s most miserable, yet, to have had God to be my Friend here would have turned even that misery into happiness.
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Thy presence guides them all the day And cheers them all the night.”
How often even the place where he lived — his house, — becomes a ruin. The very palace where the tyrant dwelt is burnt down, or destroyed in some other way.
Psa_37:11. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
There is a great fulfillment of that prophecy yet to come in the latter days, but it is fulfilled even now. Who does not see that the man who really enjoys life, and enjoys the world, is, after all, the meek, humble-minded Christian man? That shepherd of Salisbury Plain, of whom we used to read in our childhood, when he was asked what he thought of the weather, said it was good weather, for God sent it; and any sort of weather pleased him if it pleased God. Anybody can see that a man of that kind is in a healthy state, and that he inherits the earth, and possesses far more of what is worth having — namely, ease and peace of mind, — than the owner of broad acres who has no true rest of heart in the Lord.
Psa_37:12-19. 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. 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. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall he broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
Let me read that nineteenth verse again, so that any child of God here, who is in great straits, may be able to lay hold upon it: “They shall not be ashamed in the evil time; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.”
Psa_37:20-25. 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 wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. 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. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
We have often remarked here that we also, though we are not old, have never seen the righteous forsaken, and we do not think that the oldest man or woman here has ever seen the righteous forsaken. David says that he had not seen the seed of the righteous begging bread. Well, he was a king, so he was not likely to see very many poor people; but we have several times seen the seed of the righteous begging bread. It is not a common thing, but we have seen it; and when the seed of the righteous misbehave themselves, — when they disgrace their father’s name, — they will have to beg bread the same as other people’s children do. They will come to poverty through idleness and drink just as other people do. And it has been my unhappy lot, within these very walls, to have to minister relief to the unworthy and reprobate sons of Christian ministers, about whose piety I could entertain no doubt, and some of whom, are now in heaven. These good men’s children have walked contrary to God, so God has walked contrary to them. I have often hoped that the poverty I saw might be the means of bringing them to seek the God of their fathers! You, who fear the Lord may depend upon this, — if the Lord helps you to train up your children aright, he will take care of them. If they are truly the seed of the righteous by being themselves righteous, your children shall not beg bread, for the Lord will provide for them; and you will find that God always takes care of the children of those who faithfully serve him. He seems to say to then, “You mind my business, and I will mind your business. If you look after my children, I will look after yours.” If we serve the Lord with all our hearts, we may fairly reckon that the God of the fathers will be the God of the children.
Psa_37:26-40. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Psa_37:1. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
They often seem to have the best of it in this life; but if it really is so, we must never forget that there is another life after this, in which there will be no reason for the righteous to be envious of evildoers and workers of iniquity.
Psa_37:2. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
It is very easy to cut down the grass with a sharp scythe; and when death takes down his scythe, and cuts down men as the mower cuts down the grass of the field, they fall, rank upon rank, to “wither as the green herb.”
Psa_37:3. Trust in the LORD, and do good; —
These are two good things to go together, faith and good works: “Trust in the Lord, and do good;” —
Psa_37:3. So shalt thou dwell in the land,
Not merely on earth, but in the land of promise, the land which God has promised to his people. We dwell there by faith even now. Everywhere we find our God; and wherever we find him, it is Emmanuel’s land to us.
Psa_37:3 And verily thou shalt be fed.
“Verily, verily,” is Christ’s most solemn affirmation. David here says “verily” because the statement he makes is absolutely true: “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”
Psa_37:4. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
When all thine heart’s desires are fixed upon him because he is thine heart’s delight, then thou mayest give a loose rein to those desires without any fear that they will run away. When thine heart’s desires are of this sort, thou shalt have them, be they what they may. It is not every man who shall have the desires of his heart given to him, but only that man whose heart’s delight is in his God. There is much in connection with the person praying which will help to decide whether he shall or shall not have his desires granted. What is the condition of the heart out of which the desires come? When the heart is full of delight in the Lord, its desires shall be pleasing in his sight, and shall be granted.
Psa_37:5. Commit thy way unto the LORD;
You who are just now in trouble, you who are walking in a rough way, commit that trouble and that way to the Lord. You who are in difficulty as to what is your right way, commit that difficulty to the Lord. Then, of course, you will not need to keep it yourself, nor to trouble your own head about it. It does not need two to “care” when God is one of the two, so cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you. His grace is amply sufficient for every emergency that can possibly arise, so “commit thy way unto the Lord.” You have committed your soul to him; then you can surely commit your business to him, for that is a far inferior thing to your immortal soul.
Psa_37:5. Trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Thy desire shall be brought to pass. Thy safety shall be brought to pass. Thine everlasting advantage shall be brought to pass. Thy way shall be made passable to thee; thou shalt find thy way to heaven.
Psa_37:6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Are you misunderstood, misrepresented, slandered, calumniated? Leave it all with your God. Are you now walking in darkness? Trust in him, and he will bring you out into the light in due time. We do not have morning light in the evening; morning light comes when the morning comes, and your deliverance shall come when it is the right time for you to have it.
Psa_37:7. Rest in the LORD, —
That is a blessed state to reach. Notice the various stages that the psalmist has mentioned. There was first, “Trust and do.” Then there was “Delight and have.” Then there was “Commit, and have it brought to pass;” and now there is “Rest in the Lord,” —
Psa_37:7-8. 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, —
That comes of fretting, and of being in a hurry, and not resting and being patient; for when the mind is restful, we can bear injuries: “Cease from anger,” —
Psa_37:8. And forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Very often, our proverb is true, “The more haste, the less speed;” and he who is in a hurry often does evil under the notion that it is the shortest way to get good, which it never is, for evil brings forth evil, and that perpetually.
Psa_37:9-10. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
The very place wherein he stood so high has utterly perished. How many instances there have been of men who have taken great pains to perpetuate their own names, yet their names are forgotten in the very place where they dwelt. God has a way of stamping out evil, and putting an end to it; and when there has been great wickedness in the land, he knows how to make the very name of the wicked to rot.
Psa_37:11-13. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 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.
“His day is coming,” and what a day it will be! When the day of the wicked shall come, the day of God’s righteous vengeance, woe unto him; woe unto him!
Psa_37:14-16. 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. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
Not of one wicked man only, but of “many wicked.” Fortunes heaped upon fortunes as the result of evil-doing cannot equal the portion of the poorest of God’s saints. A little with a blessing resting upon it is vastly better than much accompanied by a curse.
Psa_37:17. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.
They would soon fall if they were not upheld; but they shall not fall, for God will make them to stand.
Psa_37:18. The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: —
He knows our dark days and our bright days, and all our days that are yet to be as well as all our days that have been. The Lord knows all about all our days.
Psa_37:18. And their inheritance shall be for ever.
What they have, if it be really worth having, they shall keep for ever. What God has given them in Christ, because they are his children, shall never be taken away from them, nor shall they be taken away from it: “their inheritance shall be for ever.” Men try to entail their estates, but it is often an unsatisfactory system. Our estates are entailed by God; upon the inheritance of every one of his people there is an inalienable entail.
Psa_37:19. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time:
If any shall say to them, “How is it that you are a child of God, and yet you live in such an evil time?” they shall not be ashamed, but they will have an answer ready for them. They will tell them that many righteous men have lived in evil times, but they themselves have not been evil because of that. Where should bright lights be but in a dark place: Where should the salt be but where everything is going to corruption? “They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,” for their God will be their God still; and though everyone else may fail them, their God will not fail them.
Psa_37:19-23. 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 wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut of. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:
Oh, what comfort there is in this blessed assurance! Sometimes we know not which way to move, but we need not lack divine guidance, for there is a special providence which watches over every step of a gracious man. When we are right with God, everything is right with us. If our heart’s desire is that we may walk in God’s way, then God will take care that the way of his providence shall be made plain to us, and shall be full of love to us.
Psa_37:23. And he delighteth in his way.
God delights to watch the way that his children walk, even though their steps may falter and totter, for they are often like little children learning to walk, and usually they are very weak and feeble. Yet, if it is a good man who is walking as he should walk, God “delighteth in his way.”
Psa_37:24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
He is like a little child who does not yet know how to stand alone, so his mother or nurse holds him up, or picks him up if he falls. God’s arms are under his children’s arms, as he says by the mouth of the prophet Hosea, “I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms.” This is how he teaches us also to go, in wondrous condescension taking us by our arms.
Psa_37:25. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
I have been young, and though I am not yet old, I can truly say that I have never seen the righteous forsaken. I have, however, seen the seed of the righteous begging bread. David never saw that sad sight, but then he was a king, so he was not likely to see so many beggars as some of us do; yet, still as a general rule, it remains true that the God of the fathers does provide for their children. Of course, if the seed of the righteous become vicious and profligate, as they sometimes do, drunkenness will clothe them with rags and set them among the beggars of the street just as it would if they were the children of ungodly parents; and it may be mercy on the part of God that it should be so, as it was in the case of the prodigal, who never came to himself until he was in want, and his begging of bread was a blessing to him, for it brought him at last to beg to be received again into his father’s household. Still, there are blessings that are meant for us and for our seed also, as Paul and Silas said to the jailor at Philippi, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
Psa_37:26-27. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Depart from evil, —
Do not remain near it, do not even look at it, do not parley with it; run away from it: “Depart from evil,” —
Psa_37:27. And do good; —
For you must do something, either good or evil. If you became an idler, even though you had departed from evil, you would not have become what God would have you to be. Negatives must be backed up with positives: “Depart from evil, and do good;” —
Psa_37:27-28. 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.
Not, of course, if they themselves become righteous, for then they come under the covenant of grace, and shall never be cut off.
Psa_37:29-37. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. 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. 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, 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.
He does not wither and vanish, like a gourd of the night. He passeth not away like that phantom baytree which seemed so substantial, but really was not. His end is peace, and “all is well that ends well,” so all is well with him, and blessed is that man’s life which cometh to such a blessed conclusion as this: “the end of that man is peace.”
Psa_37:38-39. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD:
That is why they are not cut off like the wicked, because God’s salvation is in them. They would pass away, they would be but the mere dream and phantom that the prosperous wicked ones are; but God himself is in them, and therefore are they solid and substantial, and their salvation is an everlasting salvation.
Psa_37:39-40 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.
That is the main point: “they trust in him.” One of the descriptions of Abraham is this, “Abraham believed God,” and therefore he had God for his shield and his exceeding great reward. Are you trusting in God dear friends? Are you living a life of faith? Then the walk of faith will be followed, in due time, by the triumph of faith. Blessed are all they that put their trust in the Lord, and blessed for ever shall they be.
May the Spirit of God graciously apply this Psalm to our hearts, comforting us as no one else can! Is he not the Comforter, and what better cordial has he for our spirits than his own Word?
Psa_37:1-2. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Evil cannot last. It is a feeble plant, like the grass and weeds which the mower’s scythe soon cuts down, and leaves to wither in the blazing sunshine.
Psa_37:3-4. 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.
This is a most precious verse, its sweetness who can tell? Do not think first of the desires of thy heart, but think first of delighting thyself in thy God. If thou hast accepted him as thy Lord, he is thine; so delight in him, and then he will give thee the desires of thy heart.
Psa_37:5. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Give it over into God’s hands, and then confide in him as completely as a little child confides in its mother. “He shall bring it to pass.” It is quite certain that you cannot “bring it to pass,” so you will be wise if you leave it with him who can do what you cannot.
Psa_37:6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Thou canst not make the light and the noonday; that is a work that is far beyond thy power; but thy God can give thee both light and noonday. He can clear thy character from any slander that may have befouled it, and he can crown thee with honour and glory in place of the contempt that is now cast upon thee.
Psa_37:7. Rest in the LORD,-
That is the sweetest word of all: “Rest.” Go no further. Fret no more. Bear thy burdens no longer. Make this day a Sabbath to thy soul: “Rest in the Lord,”-And wait patiently for him:-Do not be in a hurry. The Lord has infinite leisure, so partake of it as far as thou canst: “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:”-
Psa_37:7-8. Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger,-
You cannot do that unless you “rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.” Angry passions fail upon the fire of fretfulness; therefore, “cease from anger,”-
Psa_37:8-9. And forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evil doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
Their turn will come in due time. It comes last, but then it comes to last, for there is nothing to come after the last.
Psa_37:10. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
The house in which he lived, or the place that was called by his name, is often destroyed.
Psa_37:11-12, But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. ‘The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.-
That has been the style of things from the beginning, and the old serpent’s seed will be like the old serpent, and he “was more subtle than any beast of the field.” “The wicked plotteth against the just,”-He plots against the Lord’s people, but--
Psa_37:13-18. The Lord shall laugh at him,”For he seeth that his day is coming. 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. 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 upholdest the righteous. The LORD knoweth the day of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
He gives them an eternal portion by an everlasting covenant.
Psa_37:19. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
There is nothing that they can get, but God will give them what they cannot get themselves. He will ransack heaven and earth to find food for his people: “In the days of famine they shall be satisfied.”
Psa_37:20-23. 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 wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth, and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:-Even his “steps”-the little movements of his life,-not only his “rest plans and his ambitious projects, but “the steps of a good man are ordered by Jehovah;”-
Psa_37:23.And he delighteth in his way.
He loves to see him walk, even as parents delight to watch the first tottering steps of their little children, so that he, who “taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man,” taketh pleasure in the ways of his people.
Psa_37:24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down:-
For a while, it may seem as if he had been finally defeated; things may seem to go altogether wrong with him; but, “though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;”-
Psa_37:24-25. For the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
And we also can still speak of the faithfulness of Jehovah. He who took care of his people in David’s day has not changed since then. We have not seen the righteous forsaken.
Psa_37:26. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
God has a special regard for the children of believers. Grace does not run in the blood, but it often runs side by side with it. The God of Abraham is the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and the God of Joseph, and the God of Manasseh and Ephraim.
Psa_37:27-29. 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.
I have frequently remarked to you that, although the wolf is very strong and fierce, and the sheep is very weak and timid, yet there are more sheep in the world than there are wolves; and the day will come when the last wolf will be dead, and then the sheep shall cover the plains and feed upon the hills. Weak as the righteous often are, they “shall inherit the land” when the wicked shall have been out off from the earth.
Psa_37:30. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
That which is down in the heart will come up into the mouth, and you may rest assured that men are fairly judged by the common current of their conversation.
Psa_37:31-33. The law of his God is in his heart, none of his steps shall slide. 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.
How dreadful it would be for the godly man if the Lord were to leave him in the hand of the wicked! You remember how David sought to avoid that calamity when he had to choose famine, pestilence, or the sword of his enemies. “Let me fall,” said he “into the hand of the Lord, for very great are his mercies; but let me not fall into the hand of man.” Let us thank God that, even if we should get into the hand of the ungodly, the Lord will not leave us there, nor condemn us when we are judged.
Psa_37:34-37. 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.
There is no end to that man, for he is to endure world without end. In any sense in which there is an end to him, his end is everlasting peace
Psa_37:38-39. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
Have you not proved it so, dear brethren and sisters in Christ? I know that you have had times of trouble, but has not God been your strength in a very peculiar way in all such times?
Psa_37:40. And the LORD shall help them,-
He is and he shall ever be their Helper: “The Lord shall help them,”-
Psa_37:40. And deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
That is the point,-not because of any merit of theirs, nor because of any skill of theirs, but “he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.” So, Lord, help us to trust in thee! Amen