Psa 37:37 | KingComments | STEP | The righteous will possess the land as inheritance ( ), but that time is not yet. Therefore, they are called to wait for God (cf. ) and keep His way ( ). They need patience. They are waiting for Someone for Whom time and haste play no role. He knows the right time to act and will do so at that time. The earth is His ( ) and He is therefore the One Who can give the inheritance. He will then “exalt” the righteous “to inherit the land”. At that time, the righteous will also be eyewitnesses to the fact that “the wicked are cut off”. In , David relates another experience he has had in his life concerning “a wicked, violent man” ( ). He has seen how this wicked has prospered. In poetic language, he describes this man’s prosperity, comparing him to “a luxuriant tree”, spreading himself “in its native soil”. It all seems great and impressive. But the life of that man “passed away, and lo, he was no more” ( ). It ended abruptly and radically with him. David still sought for him, “but he could not be found”. This is how it goes with the wicked. They have prosperity, but they will soon disappear untraceable. They do not endure in the judgment ( ). This is a great contrast to “the blameless man” and “the upright” ( ). David advises the listeners to pay attention to that blameless man. They can learn from his example, take courage from it. They should also behold “the upright”. How different is the end of that man. As with the wicked ( ), we must also watch the end of the righteous. His end “will have prosperity”. He will die in peace, enter the realm of peace in peace in the resurrection, and live a thousand years in peace. Thus we can look at who lead the believers, consider the result of their conduct, and imitate their faith ( ). In contrast to this, once again he points to the end of the transgressors and the wicked ( ). “The transgressors will be altogether destroyed”, nothing remains of them. As for the wicked, their “posterity … will be cut off”. Cutting off is done by a knife, the knife of judgment. “Posterity” is literally “end”. That means here that the descendants of the wicked are also cut off. As a final conclusion, David says what the portion of the righteous will be ( ). Their “salvation … is from the LORD” ( ). Since salvation is from the LORD, there can be no doubt that it is sure and certain to come. And when the righteous, while waiting for salvation, are in time of trouble, He is “their strength” during that time. This refers to the believing remnant in the time of the great tribulation, which is called “the time of Jacob’s distress” ( ). He will assist them in that distress with His strength. The LORD will “help” them in that time of trouble and eventually “deliver” them from it ( ). One more time David says that the LORD will “deliver them from the wicked and save them”. They can surely count on that “because they take refuge in Him”. This means that they trust in Him, which removes all despair and doubt. Thus, this psalm makes clear how the LORD will purify the people during the great tribulation ( ). Can there be an even more powerful guarantee of the ultimate blessing of the righteous? Has not all fret and envy of the prosperity of the ungodly now disappeared? Who wants to change places with the wicked when he considers all of this?

‏ Psalms 37:37

The End of the Righteous

The righteous will possess the land as inheritance (Psa 37:9 ; 11), but that time is not yet. Therefore, they are called to wait for God (cf. Psa 37:7 ; 9) and keep His way (Psa 37:34). They need patience. They are waiting for Someone for Whom time and haste play no role. He knows the right time to act and will do so at that time. The earth is His (Psa 24:1) and He is therefore the One Who can give the inheritance. He will then “exalt” the righteous “to inherit the land”. At that time, the righteous will also be eyewitnesses to the fact that “the wicked are cut off”.

In Psa 37:35-36, David relates another experience he has had in his life concerning “a wicked, violent man” (Psa 37:35). He has seen how this wicked has prospered. In poetic language, he describes this man’s prosperity, comparing him to “a luxuriant tree”, spreading himself “in its native soil”. It all seems great and impressive.

But the life of that man “passed away, and lo, he was no more” (Psa 37:36). It ended abruptly and radically with him. David still sought for him, “but he could not be found”. This is how it goes with the wicked. They have prosperity, but they will soon disappear untraceable. They do not endure in the judgment (Psa 1:5).

This is a great contrast to “the blameless man” and “the upright” (Psa 37:37). David advises the listeners to pay attention to that blameless man. They can learn from his example, take courage from it. They should also behold “the upright”. How different is the end of that man. As with the wicked (Psa 73:17), we must also watch the end of the righteous. His end “will have prosperity”. He will die in peace, enter the realm of peace in peace in the resurrection, and live a thousand years in peace. Thus we can look at who lead the believers, consider the result of their conduct, and imitate their faith (Heb 13:7).

In contrast to this, once again he points to the end of the transgressors and the wicked (Psa 37:38). “The transgressors will be altogether destroyed”, nothing remains of them. As for the wicked, their “posterity … will be cut off”. Cutting off is done by a knife, the knife of judgment. “Posterity” is literally “end”. That means here that the descendants of the wicked are also cut off.

As a final conclusion, David says what the portion of the righteous will be (Psa 37:39-40). Their “salvation … is from the LORD” (Psa 37:39). Since salvation is from the LORD, there can be no doubt that it is sure and certain to come. And when the righteous, while waiting for salvation, are in time of trouble, He is “their strength” during that time. This refers to the believing remnant in the time of the great tribulation, which is called “the time of Jacob’s distress” (Jer 30:7). He will assist them in that distress with His strength.

The LORD will “help” them in that time of trouble and eventually “deliver” them from it (Psa 37:40). One more time David says that the LORD will “deliver them from the wicked and save them”. They can surely count on that “because they take refuge in Him”. This means that they trust in Him, which removes all despair and doubt.

Thus, this psalm makes clear how the LORD will purify the people during the great tribulation (Mal 3:2-3). Can there be an even more powerful guarantee of the ultimate blessing of the righteous? Has not all fret and envy of the prosperity of the ungodly now disappeared? Who wants to change places with the wicked when he considers all of this?