Psa 37:29 | KingComments | STEP | David – in fact the Holy Spirit – shows the righteous in detail what their real blessings and features are. Once again he points out to the righteous that they will inherit the land and dwell in it forever ( ). As so often, this is about the fulfillment of the promise of the land as promised in the covenant with Abraham. The fulfillment takes place when the Messiah has come and reigns. All the enemy powers have been judged. There is no longer any threat that they will be chased out of their land again. There is no threat around them or in them, for in their heart is the law of God, as says. That perspective will guide the righteous in his life now, while he is still living in the midst of evil. His “mouth … utters wisdom” ( ). The wisdom of the righteous is that he looks to the end of the wicked ( ). Therefore, he does not become envious of his short-lived prosperity. This is expressed in the following verses. The wise man knows what to say. It is worthwhile to listen carefully to what he says, because it helps to choose the right path. In what he says, nothing is twisted or crooked, for “his tongue speaks justice”. He tells what is just to God and to men. The righteous speaks this way because “the law of his God is in his heart” ( ). Only when the heart is full of the law – the Word of God – can a person open his mouth and utter wisdom and justice ( ). The heart is the center of existence, from which everything he does flows ( ). God’s law governs him in all his thinking and deliberations and in all his speaking and acting. Here we think immediately of the Lord Jesus, Who says: “Your law is within My heart” ( ). He is the Righteous par excellence. We see here that this is true of every righteous person. To us, New Testament believers, it is said: “Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you” ( ). The “steps” of him in whom the law i.e. the Word of Christ or of God is in the heart, “do not slip”. He who is guided by God’s Word, walks with steady step the way God says he should go. He may still experience so many difficulties and hostility, but he will not be shaken, because he is held up by God’s Word that is in his heart. The wicked are guided by very different principles ( ). He is, under the inspiration of the devil, who is “a murderer from the beginning” ( ), out to kill the righteous. To that end, he lurks on him and brings a lawsuit against him. We see this in Judas, who is out to deliver up the Lord Jesus, and the false religious court that makes use of Judas. Thus, many have been inspired by the devil to kill believers through false charges (cf. ). This is still happening today and will certainly also happen in all its intensity during the time of the great tribulation. Then David says: “The LORD will not leave him in his hand or let him be condemned when he is judged” ( ). We need to see this from God’s perspective. He will never hand over a righteous person into the hand of wicked people who will do anything with him that they want. The fact that it may look like this has to do with the fact that the world is now satan’s sphere of power. He controls his subjects and sets them up against the righteous. This is not done without the permission of God, but not with His consent. He allows it because it is in accordance with His plan. To see that plan we must look at the end of the righteous. What man does and thereby fulfills God’s plan is a problem for our thinking, but not for God. We find this problem summed up in one sentence in Peter’s speech in Jerusalem when the church was formed. In it he says the following about what happened to the Lord Jesus: “This [Man], delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put [Him] to death “ ( ). This cannot be explained by us. It is understandable by us only if we let these two truths stand side by side and consider each one separately. We must realize that our knowing is “in part” ( ) or ‘piecewise’. It is not possible for us to see the whole truth of God at once. It is only possible for us to get to know God’s Word by examining one piece of the truth at a time. We then begin to see more and more connections, but there are also things that remain hidden from us. One of those things is that the counsel of God is partly fulfilled by man’s sin. It is nonsense to say that God did not foresee the Fall. It is just as nonsensical to say that He wanted the Fall. We must let God be Who He is: God. If we do that, we will realize that we are puny little creatures who cannot judge God, but must bow to Him and His counsel. That will be our wisdom and it will also lead us to worship ( ).

‏ Psalms 37:29

Features of the Righteous

David – in fact the Holy Spirit – shows the righteous in detail what their real blessings and features are. Once again he points out to the righteous that they will inherit the land and dwell in it forever (Psa 37:29). As so often, this is about the fulfillment of the promise of the land as promised in the covenant with Abraham.

The fulfillment takes place when the Messiah has come and reigns. All the enemy powers have been judged. There is no longer any threat that they will be chased out of their land again. There is no threat around them or in them, for in their heart is the law of God, as Psa 37:31 says.

That perspective will guide the righteous in his life now, while he is still living in the midst of evil. His “mouth … utters wisdom” (Psa 37:30). The wisdom of the righteous is that he looks to the end of the wicked (Psa 73:17b). Therefore, he does not become envious of his short-lived prosperity. This is expressed in the following verses. The wise man knows what to say. It is worthwhile to listen carefully to what he says, because it helps to choose the right path. In what he says, nothing is twisted or crooked, for “his tongue speaks justice”. He tells what is just to God and to men.

The righteous speaks this way because “the law of his God is in his heart” (Psa 37:31). Only when the heart is full of the law – the Word of God – can a person open his mouth and utter wisdom and justice (Psa 37:30). The heart is the center of existence, from which everything he does flows (Pro 4:23). God’s law governs him in all his thinking and deliberations and in all his speaking and acting.

Here we think immediately of the Lord Jesus, Who says: “Your law is within My heart” (Psa 40:8). He is the Righteous par excellence. We see here that this is true of every righteous person. To us, New Testament believers, it is said: “Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you” (Col 3:16).

The “steps” of him in whom the law i.e. the Word of Christ or of God is in the heart, “do not slip”. He who is guided by God’s Word, walks with steady step the way God says he should go. He may still experience so many difficulties and hostility, but he will not be shaken, because he is held up by God’s Word that is in his heart.

The wicked are guided by very different principles (Psa 37:32). He is, under the inspiration of the devil, who is “a murderer from the beginning” (Jn 8:44), out to kill the righteous. To that end, he lurks on him and brings a lawsuit against him. We see this in Judas, who is out to deliver up the Lord Jesus, and the false religious court that makes use of Judas. Thus, many have been inspired by the devil to kill believers through false charges (cf. 1Kgs 21:1-16). This is still happening today and will certainly also happen in all its intensity during the time of the great tribulation.

Then David says: “The LORD will not leave him in his hand or let him be condemned when he is judged” (Psa 37:33). We need to see this from God’s perspective. He will never hand over a righteous person into the hand of wicked people who will do anything with him that they want. The fact that it may look like this has to do with the fact that the world is now satan’s sphere of power. He controls his subjects and sets them up against the righteous. This is not done without the permission of God, but not with His consent. He allows it because it is in accordance with His plan. To see that plan we must look at the end of the righteous.

What man does and thereby fulfills God’s plan is a problem for our thinking, but not for God. We find this problem summed up in one sentence in Peter’s speech in Jerusalem when the church was formed. In it he says the following about what happened to the Lord Jesus: “This [Man], delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put [Him] to death “ (Acts 2:23).

This cannot be explained by us. It is understandable by us only if we let these two truths stand side by side and consider each one separately. We must realize that our knowing is “in part” (1Cor 13:9) or ‘piecewise’. It is not possible for us to see the whole truth of God at once. It is only possible for us to get to know God’s Word by examining one piece of the truth at a time.

We then begin to see more and more connections, but there are also things that remain hidden from us. One of those things is that the counsel of God is partly fulfilled by man’s sin. It is nonsense to say that God did not foresee the Fall. It is just as nonsensical to say that He wanted the Fall. We must let God be Who He is: God. If we do that, we will realize that we are puny little creatures who cannot judge God, but must bow to Him and His counsel. That will be our wisdom and it will also lead us to worship (Rom 11:33-36).