This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Psalms” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, November 29, 1987.

Trust not yourself because of evildoers. Be not envious toward wrongdoers, for they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green earth. Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him, and He will do it, and He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

Fret not yourself because of Him who prospers in His way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath. Threaten not yourself, it leads only to evil doing, for evil doers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while, and the wicked man will be no more, and you will look carefully for his place, and he will not be there. but the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for he sees his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow to cast down the afflicted and the needy, to slay those who are upright in conduct. their sword will enter their own heart, and their bows will be broken. Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many wicked, for the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord sustains the righteous.

The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will be forever. They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, and in the days of famine they will have abundance. But the wicked will perish, and the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastors. They vanish like smoke, they vanish away. The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives.

For those blessed by him will inherit the land, but those cursed by him will be cut off. The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and he delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, but the Lord is the one who holds his hand. I have been young, and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.

All day long he is gracious and lends, and his descendants are a blessing.” Depart from evil and do good, so you will abide forever, for the Lord loves justice and does not forsake his godly ones. They are preserved forever, and the seed of the wicked will be cut off. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.”

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart. His steps do not slip. the wicked spies upon the righteous and seeks to kill him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand or let him be condemned when he is judged. Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land.

When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. I have seen a violent, wicked man spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more. I sought for him, but he could not be found. Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright. For the man of peace will have a posterity, but transgressors will be altogether destroyed.

The posterity of the wicked will be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord. He is their strength in time of trouble. and the Lord helps them and delivers them. He delivers them from the wicked and save them, because they take refuge in.

Let’s play together. Lord, you have sent forth your word. and great was the company of the preachers. Surely your servants called of you this day have arisen, and they have spoken, Lord, your word, so that your people would be refreshed, so that your church would take heart. To the ends of the earth your word goes out, not only for the sake of those that are gathered already, but for the sake of those who are being gathered still. Lord, you are the one who oversees the harvest.

We, as your servants, would pray for laborers in that harvest. that truly they would be faithful servants of yours. May the ministry of this Church always be faithful to your word. We pray it in Jesus’ name, amen. This is an ambitious undertaking, Psalm 37.

At first glance, you will note two major hurdles. The psalm’s length, forty verses long, longer than any other psalm we have considered thus far. But then, in addition to the length, is the tone. The tone of this psalm also is unlike that of the psalms we have considered previously.

For this psalm contains no cry of distress, nor does it offer any prayer to God. This psalm, somewhat reflective of Psalm 1, seems to operate on a man-to-man level. The psalmist, possibly David, speaking to others with regard to their faith and confidence. So instead of the customary man to God, prayer or hymn, we have, as it were, something of a monologue, or a man speaking towards others who then are asked to listen and take his advice.

This psalm has been classified with the wisdom literature of Scripture. We aren’t strangers to the wisdom theme even in the psalms, since it could be contended that Psalm 1, after all, is also of the wisdom variety. But even more recently, We have been studying Psalm 32, and you will note the conclusion of that psalm, specifically verses 8 through 10. Those verses certainly introduced us to this dimension, the dimension of wisdom as it appears in the soul. Now, adding weight to this connection with the wisdom literature, is the fact that this psalm evidences many parallels to the Book of Proverbs. And as we go through this psalm, we will be taking note of those parallels. Beyond the general similarities in thought, there are at least five passages where the language of this psalm closely approximates passages in Proverbs.

Even more interesting in this regard is the style and organization of this particular psalm. There have been many attempts at organizing it, yet it seems, after those many attempts, the psalm remains impervious to outline. Actually, if we understood Hebrew, Or, if we had a Hebrew Bible in front of us, we would immediately perceive the difficulty in organizing and outlining this psalm. You see, Psalm 37 is what we call an acrostic psalm. Now, it isn’t the first acrostic psalm in the Psalter. Psalm 10, Psalm 25, Psalm 34. All of these psalms as well are acrostic psalms.

The organization of this psalm, therefore, first of all, isn’t in keeping with a definite outline, a grouping of verses, as you find, for instance, in the New American Standard Version. And if you have that standard open in front of you, You note the divisions that have been made in an attempt to outline the psalm for you. If you’re into comparing Bible versions, you might want to compare the outline as it appears in the New American Standard with the one that appears in the New English Bible. That is, if you’d like some in-depth study or some reasons to argue between versions. So, as we come to this matter of organization of the psalm, we come face-to-face with a particular difficulty. The flow of the psalm may well lend weight to the fact that there is overriding considerations with regard to a form or structure to the psalm, or even a development for it, but a definite outline, maybe we couldn’t go that far. Nevertheless, the primary literary ordering of this psalm is in terms of its acrostic pattern.

What it does is this. Each thought in the psalm appears as a unit. These units each begin with the various letters of the Hebrew alphabet in turn. Therefore, if you had a Hebrew Bible, you would see that the psalm is divided into twenty-two parts, each part beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Now, in this regard, you may want to recall the pattern of the 119th Psalm. It also progresses acrostically, so that the first letter of each line of each section of that Psalm begins with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. If you have a New American Standard, you might want to look at the 119th Psalm. and note how that psalm is divided. If you don’t know the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, a good way to learn them is to turn to that 119th psalm, and there they are for you.

But note, each section of that psalm begins with the letter. Each section of that psalm has as its first letter of each line the letter that heads each section. So as with Psalm 119, so with Psalm 37. But we have, as well in each, a theme which is developed throughout the twenty-two sections. You know what it is for the hundred and nineteen.

It is the law of God. The theme may well be expressed like this. The destruction of the wicked, despite their prosperity. The blessing of the righteous, despite their privation. Let me say it once more. The destruction of the wicked, despite their the blessing of the righteous, despite their private.

Now, this thing is expressed in twenty two different ways. So that each of the expressions could, in fact, stand. Stand on their own merit. These expressions in the word of one expositor, hang together not unlike many precious stones or pearls, which are strung in one string in one necklace.” There you have it, the acoustic form of the psalm. You sensed a bit of that as I read the psalm, because you see, I tried to read it in terms of those units of expression, twenty-two of them, pausing as I went.

But what about the setting of the psalm? In looking at this psalm, can we come to any conclusions with regard to its setting? There have been many attempts to set the psalm in the life of David, for instance, and many attempts to set the psalm in the life of Israel as a nation in a much broader consideration. with regard to David. Some have argued that David did compose the psalm, and the focus of his words, namely the evildoers mentioned in verse one, the focus of his words were alien figures or forces that threatened him and his life. So, the background of the psalm suggests some has to do with the threat of Gentile invaders.

The threat from the outside, which David experienced. But others have concluded that The psalm plays itself out a little closer to the vest. David, they say, is reflecting here on the hostility he experiences from fellow Israelites, even members of his own family. Folks like Saul, or even Absalom.

There have been those who have been dismissed David’s authorship of this psalm, but maintained the debate over whether it was the Jewish enemy or the non-Jewish enemy that was in view. By and large, the greater part of the debate, however, has centered upon whether this psalm is a piece of Jewish dogmatism. A piece of Jewish dogmatism hardly squaring with reality. I think that you can hear the liberal footsteps behind that suggestion. The suggestion made by these people is that this psalm sounds a bit shrill and unconvincing in light of the harsh truth of life itself. The psalm, they say, says this.

Just be good and everything will turn out. You’ll get what you want. All the prosperity that you have set your eye upon will be yours. Indeed, the wicked, however, despite the sentiment of this psalm, seem quite persistent. They never are exhausted. They are impervious to misfortune, as Psalm 73 says. There are no pains in their death, their body is fat, they are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like the rest of mankind, namely the righteous.

So it is suggested that the psalm sounds a bit shrill and unconvincing. bent on a line which states, just be good and everything will turn out okay in the end. You’ll get your hopes and your desires, the land that you set your eye upon, and prosperity will be yours. Jewish dogmatism a sort of blind assertion with regard to the principles of the covenant, but hardly squaring with reality. For we all know, we all know, do we not, that the righteous do not trust it?

Instead, the wicked do, and there doesn’t seem to be any end to the prosperity of the wicked. The wicked seem quite persistent, never exhausted, impervious to misfortune. They are the ones that triumph. They always have the upper hand, and the land truly, prosperity truly, is theirs.

And look what happened to him. What shall we say of Solomon? Certainly it wasn’t all because of sin that he said, Vanity of vanities all is vanity. Was he not making a comprehensive statement with regards to the character of life in its entirety? Solomon then, in Ecclesiastes, this bearing of life, even lived in the lap of justice.

Therefore, Psalm 37, well known, you have oftentimes yourself rehearsed the opening lines. I know that. Psalm 37, well known, much read at least with regard to his opening lines. Nothing more than a piece of authoritarian propaganda by some Jewish priests intent upon keeping the herd of Jews under control and in their place. but then they also facing opposition from many within Israel who rejected their dogmatism and their propaganda, renouncing it in favor of the philosophy that we find in Psalm 73. which seems to suggest that the only inheritance left to the people of God is God himself.

Forget the land!” And despite the concluding chapters of Job, do we ourselves conclude that if we suffer in this world, If we suffer while righteous, we have the right to expect, before our death, a reprieve. When all of our children are restored to us, all that we have lost is gained again. Or how do we answer? Ecclesiastes. You die and you cannot guarantee what will happen to your property after you are gone. And it doesn’t matter how righteous you are. Vanity of vanity. Life is evasive.

Well, It seems as if the liberals have picked up on one side. They contended for us that, yes, here is an assertion of Jewish dogmatism in Psalm 37, and it is countered by other statements in the Old Testament. Equally compelling, if not more compelling, because at least the opposite side seems to be squaring better with the realities of life, at least as we know it. Is there then, in the end, a conflict here before us? Is there any adequacy? Are we to think less of Psalm 37 because of the way in which it expresses itself? Well, believe it or not, though I am not a liberal, you know that. I, too, contend that there is a conflict here. There is a strain between what we read in Psalm 37 and in the psalm that reverses the number 73. There is a conflict that is at work here, and it is expressive of that conflict that is abroad amongst the people of God as they yet stand short of the revelation of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

There are then strains here that cannot be avoided, strains which will be resolved only when Christ appears, only when he comes and he makes things plain, when he rips away the shroud And he tears apart the veil, and your eye sees, as if for the first time, the glories of the true man that is beyond.

That, in fact, being promised to you, and prosperity in it being guaranteed to all who believe and embrace it. And those strains erupt here in the word of God. But the eruption of that strain in the word of God is no indication of a deficiency with regard to that word. Rather, it is a testimony of the incompleteness of the history of salvation thus far in its Old Testament sense. It is calculated to make you wish for something better.

And further, the eruption of that strain within the word of God is a testimony to God’s love, believe it or not, for you see, Psalm 37 is God’s word. No, not David’s word, but God’s word. You see what God is doing? If there is a strain between Psalm 37 and 73, it is a strain which God himself is expressing.

He has taken the strain to himself, and he will resolve it in himself. That strain that appears is a testimony to the condescending love of God which he expresses finally fully by taking to himself our flesh and all our strains and resolving them to the full. the nature of the strain once more, do the righteous always end up prospering in this world? Or do they have to face a future where there seems to be no prosperity and no resolution of their privation in this world at all? It would seem that the modern-day prosperity gospel doesn’t even have half the story correct. So while I am here this evening contending with you, yes, there is a strain, a strain which needs our attention and light of the resolution of that strain brought in Christ, I conclude by saying that in the end, because of God, because of Jesus Christ, there is no strain at all. Psalm 37 and 73 will be seen as perfectly coalesced.

In the end, it will all be clear that we have here a single swath of cloth, variously patterned, variously colored, but of one piece, of God’s nakedness, to His glory, and for our benefit. ahead, we’ll move through the sand and consider it piece by piece.

Let’s see if we can hang in there for all twenty-two pieces. Let’s pray. Our Father, we ask that wherever the difficulties arise from out of the pages of the Old Testament, that we would not despair, that we would realize that your program of salvation is as yet midstream, and you will bring us to the other side in Jesus Christ. And in so doing, all the difficulties and every strain will be resolved. Prod us along, Lord. May we not become complacent.

May we not blind ourselves to the strains For in facing them full, we gain greater insight into the wondrous glory that has been unveiled for us in the face of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Encourage us then, Lord, with regard to your word, that we might be built up unto that day when Christ himself will come.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.