Psalm 37:1-11 - The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

Psalm 37 is a mini book of Proverbs within the Psalms. It reads like the book of Proverbs, but it is less encompassing. It is wisdom centered around a particular theme--that of comparing and contrasting the righteous with the wicked.

All biblical wisdom starts with the fear of God. Being wise, according to the Bible, is coming to terms with God as he is revealed in the word and ordering one's life accordingly. We begin by acknowledging God and fearing him, then everything else builds on that.

Psalm 37 begins by reminding us that although the wicked often prosper in the short-term, it is the righteous who will prevail in the long run, for God is on their side. We look around us and we see that nice guys often finish last. We see that unscrupulous people often prosper. We see that ungodliness is often great gain in this world. And we are tempted to be frustrated by that. We are tempted to be envious of those who wantonly violate God's laws and unabashedly live wicked lives and seem, from our vantage point, to be enjoying themselves immensely, while we pine away on the straight and narrow. "So long, suckers!" they say as they pass us by on their way to some Bible-forbidden enjoyment. But, David says,

Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!

For they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb.

We need to keep eternity in our perspective. If this life were all there were, it would make sense to "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." But for the Christian this life is not all there is and the only life that makes any sense is the one lived with eternity and God'S promises in view. We don't have to fight for what is already promised us. We don't have to fret over people who are soon to be judged. We long for liberty and justice and rights and human welfare and a world without war and poverty and on and on and on. And none of these things can be brought about through the politics of Babylon. But all of these will be set in place by the King when he arrives. And he will be arriving soon. And that is when the meek, you and I, shall inherit the earth . . .

In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;

though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.

But the meek shall inherit the land

and delight themselves in abundant peace.

At the link below you will find an audio recording of the sermon I preached from these first eleven verses of Psalm 37. Just click and a new window will open in your browser taking you to the page where this and other sermons are stored. I hope you will listen and be blessed.

Click here:  Psalm 37:1-11 - The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth


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