I want you to open your Bibles
again now to the book of Psalms, the psalm which Tom read to us
a moment ago, number 37. I hope in a reasonable amount
of time tonight that I can at least bring you to some appreciation
for this great psalm. The author of the psalm is David. All the psalms were not written
by David, but this is one of the ones that was written by
David. And we know that the time of
the writing of this psalm was his latter years. In verse 25,
he said, I have been young, and now am old. So this is the psalm,
these are the writings of an elderly Christian, an elderly
believer. I have been young, I am now old. And the subject of this psalm,
now this will help us a little bit, the subject of this psalm
has to do practically all the way through with the problem
of the prosperity of the wicked. the prosperity of the unbeliever
as opposed to the afflictions and trials of God's people. And
this question has perplexed and disturbed and troubled a lot
of people. David not only wrote this psalm
having to do with that subject, but he wrote another psalm, number
73, which has to do with that subject, the seemingly blessed
state of the unbeliever in this world, how they prosper and grow
fat and are free from worries and cares, and while many true
servants of God are afflicted and troubled and go through great
heavy trials, but this is a psalm in which the Lord sweetly and
kindly hushes the complaints of his people, deals with the
complaints of his people, and calms their spirits concerning
his present dealings with them and his dealings with the unbelievers. Several questions are raised.
I want you to take your Bible now and just look at it while
I answer these questions. Several questions are raised. The first is this, the wicked
seem to prosper and flourish. What about that? Well, in verse
2 he answers, they soon shall be cut off. They soon shall be
cut down like grass and withers the green herb. What difference
whether it's a wild tear that blooms or one that is withered
and brown, it's going to be cut down. Whatever kind of tear it
is, it's got to go. They soon shall be cut down.
Well, another question comes. The true believer is unrecognized
and unknown in society. Usually the wicked is well-known,
well-known everywhere, while the believer is unrecognized,
unknown, and receives no recognition at all. Well, look at verse 6.
Verse 5 says, Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, He'll
bring it to pass, in verse 6, and he'll bring forth your righteousness
as the light, it'll shine someday, and your judgment as the noonday. Your righteousness and your judgment
will be brought forth and known and recognized like the sun shining
at high noon. Well, around here in verse 12,
he said, the wicked plotteth against the just, Nasheth upon
him with his teeth, the wicked are enemies of the just. They
cause them so much difficulty and heartache and problems. Verse
13 answers, so will the Lord laugh at him. The Lord will laugh
at him. The Lord sees that his day is
coming. Back here in Psalm 2, if you'll take just a moment
to turn back there, almost the same words are given. The wicked plotteth against the
just." Well, the kings of this earth, Psalm 2, verse 2, "...the
kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together
against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let's break
their bands asunder, let's cast away their cords from us." And
look at verse 4, "...he that sitteth in the heaven shall laugh."
The Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak to them in
his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Here's another
statement, verse 14. The wicked have drawn out their
sword. They not only plotteth against
the just, but they actually act against God's people. They act
against them. They'll do what they can to hurt
them. They'll do what they can to make
their lives miserable. Actually have drawn out their
swords and a bit their bow to cast down the poor and needy
and to Slay such as be of an upright conversation. Well, what's
the answer to that verse 15? their sword shall enter into
their own heart and Their bow shall be broken Well, the the
wicked seem to have so much they seem to control the wealth of
the world they seem to control the politics of the world, and
they seem to control everything, and believers have so little.
The wicked have so much and believers have so little. Look at verse
16. Well, a little, a little that a righteous man hath is
better than the riches of many wicked. Much to be preferred. A little that a righteous man
hath is better than What should it profit a man if he gained
the whole world and lose his soul? Well, the unbeliever continues
to get fatter and fatter. He goes all the days of his life
and he continues to get fatter and fatter. He just, everything
he touches turns to prosperity. While the righteous just, they
buy something and sell it and lose money on it. Well, look
at verse 20. This kind of answers that. The
wicked, but the wicked shall perish. The enemies of the Lord
shall be as the fat of lambs. They shall be consumed. In other
words, who envies the pig before pig-picking? They get him fat
as they can because they go barbecuing. Do you envy him? Who envies a
turkey two or three weeks before Thanksgiving? Give him all the
corning to eat, fatten him up, fattening him for the kills,
what they're doing. Who envies the cow? I went out
to visit a man one time and raised beef. He took me and showed me
a calf that he was raising. That calf's feet had never been
out in the pasture. Kept him in a barn. Kept him,
babied him, had the prettiest coat you've ever seen in your
life. Fed him the best food. Brought everything to him. He
didn't even have to go out like the rest of them been there and
bite it. He brought it to him. He said, that's my prize calf.
I didn't envy that calf. He's going to the market in a
very short time. Fattening him for the kill. And
that's what he's saying here. Next time you think about him
being an unrighteous man that seems to have everything he wants,
God says, I'm fattening him up for the kill. He'll be like the
fat of the lamb. They shall consume, and the smoke
shall they consume away. But the believer is not perfect. He fails and falls. That's right. Look at verse 23. God deals with
that too. 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 will uphold him
with his hand. The Lord will uphold it. But I've seen true
believers spend their whole lives in stress and difficulty and
trials and suffering and doing without and die poor. And I've
seen wicked men prosper until their dying day and leave this
world to the acclaim and the praise of men. And he departs,
and nobody knows the difference. Oh, wait a minute. God knows
the difference. Look down here at verse 23. Or
rather, verse 25. David said, I've been young,
and am now old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken.
Now, he comes to deal with somebody else here. Nor his seed. Nor
his seed. Who is his seed? My seed and
my children. my seed of my children's children,
and my seed of my children's children's children to the third
and fourth generation, my sick." Now watch these next verses.
You can't judge everything by how it happens in 30, 40, 50
years. David said, I've been young,
I'm now old, I've never seen the seed of a godly man who knows
the Lord begging bread, even his children. But now that's,
wait, let's go on to the next. Because that righteous man is
ever merciful. I'm not talking about God here,
I'm talking about that righteous man. He lended and his seed is
blessed. God blesses his children, his
children's children. Now you depart from evil and
do good and dwell forevermore. Now wait a minute, watch, stay
with me. For the Lord loveth judgment,
and forsaketh not his saints, they are preserved for ever.
But even the seed of the wicked will be cut off." Wait around a little while. Wait
around a little while. And let's see if he left here
in as good a shape as you thought he left here. When his sons grow
up, and his daughters, and his grandchildren grow up. That's
right, God deals with people through the third and fourth
generation. He said that over here in the Word. So it's not
over when you plant a man's body. Not over at all. Well, what's
the bottom line then? What is the bottom line? Where's
all this saddle? How are we to be comforted? Well,
look at verse 35. David says this again. He talks about...
Of course, I know he's writing under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit. But God, when He writes the Word, does not rule
out the personality nor the age or experience of the man who's
writing. Holy men of God spake as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit. But he uses that man's personality
and that man's present position. Like David, we believe, wrote
Psalm 51 when he was under great distress because of his great
sins. And another Psalm, we believe,
he wrote while he was fleeing from Saul. See, he wrote those
Psalms According to his condition and experience at that time you
follow me the Apostle Paul wrote from prison and he wrote as a
prisoner of Jesus Christ he had to experience what he wrote and
David many times is writing Messianic Psalms. He's talking about What
Christ is going through and David went through similar experiences
writing about himself under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
So here's the bottom line, verse 35, he says, he said, I have
to tell some more, some things he's seen. He said, I've been,
I'm old, I've been young. But I've seen, I've seen the
wicked in great power. I've seen him spreading himself
like a big green bay tree, his pomp and ceremony and power and
influence and bragging and all these things. I've seen like
a big Big green bay tree spreads itself. Yep, he passed away.
He died. And lo, he was not. He's dead
now. He's dead as the beggar that laid his door. Just as dead. Yeah, I sought him, but he couldn't
even be found. He couldn't be. But now you mark
that perfect man. We're perfect in Christ. Perfect
in Christ. perfected and He hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified." You mark that man. Behold the
upright. We are upright in Christ. We
are righteous in Christ. But we are also upright in true
faith and true love and true devotion to God. You mark Him. And you behold the upright. The
end, the death of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be
destroyed together. The end of the wicked shall be
cut off. Let's go to Psalm 73. Let me show you that again. Psalm
73. As I told you before, David's
dealing with the same subject over here in Psalm 73. Listen
to him in verse 16. Now this is what he's been talking
about all the way through Psalm 73. He said in verse 2, My feet
were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped, for I was
in this at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Their strength is firm, they're not in trouble. But thy people,
he said, down in verse 14, all the day long I've been plagued,
chastened. In verse 16 he said, when I thought
to know this and understand this, to comprehend this kind of dealings
of God with men, when the wicked, the unbelievers, the haters of
God seemed to prosper, But true believers are oppressed and afflicted. He said, when I thought to know
this, it was just too painful for me, until I went to the house
of God. And I understood, then I understood
their end, the end of this thing. Surely, thou didst set them in
slippery places, the wicked, thou castest them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation? In a moment. And they're utterly
consumed in terror. I tell you, a sight of sinners
in hell ought to certainly give us some understanding of the
results of unbelief. And deliver us from any envy
of the wicked. Any envy of the wicked. Go back
to Psalm 37 again. But the believer seems to, here's
another objection, the believer seems to be such a little flock,
such a handful, such a small flock in a vast wilderness of
trouble, trouble. Forces from the air, principalities
and powers and rulers of darkness are engaged against him, against
that little frail lamb. Hell is engaged against them. Yea, just to destroy one. Battles
within and without. Enemies within and without come
against them. Where shall they turn? Well,
verse 39, Psalm 37. The salvation of the righteous
is of the Lord. It's not your battle, it's His.
He has engaged to keep the weakest of His sheep. Battles the Lord's a righteous
salvation the righteousness of the Lord. He's their strength
He is our strength in time of trouble. We don't stand in our
own strength, but in him And old Tom pause when he read this.
I like the way read and the Lord shall help them He'll help them
and the Lord shall deliver them. I Have been delivered. I'm being
delivered. I shall be delivered and the Lord shall deliver them
from the wicked and he'll save them Why? Because they trust in Him. They
trust in Him. Now I'm going to give you eight
precepts in this psalm. Let's go back to the first verse.
In the light of all this, in the light of all this, David
lays down eight great precepts, eight great rules or directions
for those who trust in the Lord. And we'll give them to you briefly.
There are eight of them. I think they ought to be marked
in your Bible. I have mine underlined, and I have a number by each one. Here's the first one. It says
in verse 1, fret not. Fret not. Fret not thyself because
of evildoers. Don't burn with jealousy. Fretting
is a simmering within. You don't have to say anything.
You just be so smiley, but inside you're burning. Just burning. Simmering. Just nettled. You've been that way, I have.
I do. But we shouldn't. Don't burn. Don't simmer with
jealousy and envy and anger. These wicked that speak against
God, they're so arrogant. They're so arrogant. They're
so high and mighty and arrogant. curse God and use his name in
vain and laugh and make fun of the new birth of salvation. Well,
they have all they'll ever have. They have all they'll ever have.
Let him prance around in his best-dressed outfit of 1985.
He's got all he'll ever have. He's naked, miserable, and poor
in God's sight. Let Him prance around in His
recognition. Someday the angels will recognize
you. Were it not for God's grace,
that's where we'd be. So don't envy Him. They spend
their brief days in ease, but they're soon cut down. They said
in verse 2, they soon shall be cut down. Cut down. Cut down. Their foot will slide
into your time. In Spurgeon's Treasure of David,
he told about Queen Elizabeth, who was, I don't know much about
history, but it seems to me that Mary, bloody Mary, had put Elizabeth
in prison. Elizabeth was the rightful heir
to the throne, but Mary somehow got the throne. I believe that
she had her in prison. And she sat there in prison,
not knowing what was going to happen there. Mary was sitting
on the throne, and Elizabeth was in prison. And I just imagined
in her prison cell that Elizabeth really envied the little chambermaid
that was free sweeping the floors. Oh, she had just known in her
heart. that she would reign for 44 years. One of the greatest reigns that
England's ever known. Good Queen Bess. But she didn't
know that in that jail cell. And sometimes we who are prisoners
of a lot of things, we might even look out and envy the foolish
folks of this world. But oh, we're going to reign
with Christ forever and forever. Don't envy the folks that are
slopping with the hogs just cause you in jail for a little while.
Don't envy them. Fret not. Just be at peace. Now don't fret. Just cool it
like the kids say now. Just don't fret. All right. Secondly, look at verse 3. Trust
in the Lord. Trust in the Lord. That's the
second precept. Don't trust in riches. Riches
can't save. Don't trust in horses. Horses
can't deliver. Don't trust in men. You can put
no confidence in the flesh. Trust in the Lord. Just trust Him. Trust Him for
pardon. The blood of Christ cleanseth
us from all sin. Trust Him for protection. Trust
Him for His good providence. The steps of a good man are ordered
by the Lord. Now, we believe that in our creeds.
We need to get it in our hearts. What are we going to do? Some
of our young people were talking the other day about if things
are like they are now, what are they going to do when our kids
get in high school? What on earth will it be like?
What else? Trusting. Think you can trust it? The steps
of a good man are ordered by the law. Just trust Him. Trust Him for
daily provision. But my business, it just seems
like it's not doing too good. Trust Him. Well, I just don't
know what wife and I are going to do next year. Trust Him. Trust
Him. You know, very much of our outward
circumstances depends on our inward attitude. Somebody said,
when there's peace in the heart, there's peace in the home. Is
that right? That's what this book says. When
there's peace in the heart, peace in the home. When there's peace
in the heart, when I'm trusting God, simply trusting every day,
trusting through a stormy way, trusting Him whatever may fall,
trusting Jesus, I trust Him. He can be trusted. That's the
second precept. I'm not saying, I've not mastered
these by any means in the stretch of the imagination, I'm simply
saying, here they are. Here they are. Do with them what
you will. I know what they can do for us. Fret not. Trust Him. Thirdly, verse four,
delight thyself in the Lord. Delight thyself in the Lord.
Now watch this. He who is commanded not to fret,
not to fret, don't fret. He who is commanded to trust
in the Lord, is also exhorted to delight himself in the Lord. You know, I think we ought to
be serious and take seriously these matters. And I do. You know that. You
know me long enough that I don't joke about these things. I take
them most seriously. We need to cultivate this spirit
of joy, rejoicing in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord. Have a happy
countenance. You don't have to be dried up
and sour to prove your pious. In fact, I don't know that that
proves it. It might prove it to a warped
mind or a twisted mind. But you just drive people away
from the Lord. You really do. Enemies of the
cross. because of attitude. Brighten,
brighten your own day and somebody else's. I looked up this word,
delight. Let me just run through a few.
His delight is in the law of the Lord. Psalm 40, I delight
to do thy will, O God. Psalm 94, thy mercy and comfort
delight my soul. Psalm 119, thy word is my delight. Song of Solomon, I sat down under
his shadow with great delight. And then Isaiah said, I'll take
delight in approaching my God. Now what a privilege, what a
pleasure. Come on, delight thyself in the
Lord, and He'll give you the desires of your heart. All of you here are like your
children to be happy. In fact, I know you'll say to
your wife sometime, well, something's wrong. Our children don't seem
happy. They seem afraid. They seem to
be cowed. And that bothers you, doesn't
it? I wonder if the Lord is displeased when you and I are not happy.
My children in my household, and my sheep in my pasture, they're
questioning my goodness. They're questioning my provision,
my protection. I don't like that. Delight thyself
in the Lord. That's the reason Paul kept saying,
Rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord. Look at
verse 5. Here's the fifth one. Commit
thy way unto the Lord. Commit, commit. What are we saying
here? Commit thy way. Cast all your
care on Him. Cast it on Him. He cares for
you. Can you do it? Roll the whole
burden on His shoulders. Roll all of it. Take your burden
to the Lord and leave it there. If the world from you withholds
of its silver and its gold, you have to get along with meager
fare. Remember in His Word how He feeds a little bird, and roll
your burden on the Lord and leave it there. Like a man struggling
up a hill with a heavy load, and here comes a big friend,
big strong Two hundred and fifty pound, six foot five friend said,
give me that. Takes it off his back and puts
it on his head. The fella doesn't continue to
go along. He straightens up. Let's him have it. Thank you,
buddy. You know, he's both of us bending
over. Huh? He knew it was both of us struggling.
I'm going to let you carry it. I'm going to lie down here and
sleep and let you watch the place. Let you watch the store. I believe
he'll watch it. I believe he can watch it better
than you can. I really believe. Some of them go away on a trip
and say, boy, I'm worried to death about my wife and children
at home by themselves. You're a better watchman than
God. I just kind of believe he can protect that house better
than you can. He can hedge it about. That's what I'm talking
about. Commit it to him. Don't talk
about it now and not do it. Don't talk about it. You commit
your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He'll bring it to pass.
That's what He said. Commit it. Cast away your anxiety. Cast away your worry. Cast away
your fear. Resign your will. Submit your
judgment. Leave it with God. Trust Him. The farmer goes out, plows the
field, puts in the seed, covers it up, goes home, sits down,
Because I'll tell you this, he's got to leave the harvest to the
Lord. What else can he do? Well, you say he can walk the
floor. Well, will it bring up any corn? Well, he can wring
his hands. Will it bring up any corn? No
sir, he's the Lord of the harvest. And I tell you, I wish I could
learn this. I must learn it. For God's glory and my good.
Commit your way to the Lord. Now watch this, verse 7. And
rest, sweet rest, sweet rest in the Lord, rest in the Lord. Cease from your labors and find
complete rest in Him. Our gospel is it's done, not
do, it's done. One writer said this rest in
the Lord means hold still, hold still. Be still and know that I'm God. This is the opposite of today's
do-it-yourself. Get going. Get the wheels spinning. Well, what'll I do? Just spin
them. That's all. Look like you're doing something. Pray like it
all depends on God and work like it all depends on you. That's
today's religion. Here's another author who said
this. Be silent toward the Lord. Be silent. This, the Lord's in
His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence. This is the
pose to murmuring and complaining. Look over at Psalm 39 for a moment,
verse 9. David said this, Psalm 39, verse
9, I was dumb, I opened not my mouth because God did it. I didn't
open my mouth because God did it. I'm going to show you an
illustration of this now. Turn to Leviticus 10, and this
will be worthwhile to turn over here and look at. It'll be worth
your while to turn over and look at it, mark it, go back and look
at it again. Maybe someday you'll have to
use it. That's why God gives us all these things, for He'll
bring these things to your remembrance that I've said to you. Leviticus
10, 1. And Nadab and Abihu, the sons
of Aaron, two boys, both of them sons of Aaron, took either of
them, his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereof,
and thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he
commanded them not. And there went out fire from
the Lord, and devoured both of them, and they died before the
Lord, two sons of Aaron. Then Moses, God's man, said to
Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified
in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will
be glorified. And Aaron held his peace." Hold still. That's what he's
saying here in Psalm 37, in this fifth precept, Hold still. Now just hold still. Hold your peace. Just hold still. And be silent. It's the Lord's
doing. Just rest in Him. Now look at the next one in verse
8. Cease from anger. Just stop it. Just stop it now. Forsake wrath. I'm talking about
wrath against God, against His providence, or against anybody
else. Just lay her down. You know why? The wrath of man
will not work the righteousness of God. It just won't do it. Just cease from anger. Just forsake
wrath. Just altogether forsake it. Threaten
not thyself in any wise to do evil, for evildoers will be cut
off. Don't try to get even with anybody. Don't try to get revenge at any
time. Vengeance is mine, God said.
I'll repay, saith the Lord. Just cease from anger. Can it be done? I believe by
the grace of God and by the power of the Spirit of God, it can
be done. Cease from anger. Forsake wrath. And fret not yourself in any
way to do evil. You say, but I've been done evil
against. But that's what he says here.
Stop it. Let it in with you. Let it in right there. Let her
go. Verse 27, here's the seventh
precept. I told you these were delightful
precepts, and they're the way of the Lord that the natural
man does not understand. You can't be both natural and
spiritual. You can't be both. You can't walk in two directions.
You just can't do it. And this is God's way. And the
natural man doesn't understand this way. This is God's way.
And we've got a thousand buts. But, but, but, but. But this
is still God's way. And this is the way He's anointed
and appointed. And verse 27, depart from evil.
Depart from evil. Here's a double precept. Depart
from evil and do good. In other words, not only don't
get even, but do good to that man. Listen to what Paul said
over here in Romans 12. Turn to Romans 12. I know it's
just so natural of us to rejoice in the difficulties that our
enemies have and that somebody says serves them right. You know,
that's just normal for us. That's normal. That's natural. In Romans 12, 17, recompense
to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the
sight of all men if it be possible as much as life in you live peaceably
with all men dearly beloved Avenge not yourselves But rather give
place under wrath For God said it is written vengeance is mine
I'll repay saith the Lord therefore if you enemy hunger feed him
If he thirsts give him a drink For in so doing thou shalt heap
coals of fire on his head." Don't let evil overcome you. Be not overcome with evil. Don't
let them overcome you. Don't let them sucker you into
their ways. That's what happens, you see.
These folks come on you. We are believers. But you men who work, you who
are bosses, and you who are foremen, And you who are leaders of men
and all, don't let those fellas draw you into their way of doing
things. They come in all heated up and first thing you know you're
flying right just like they are. Evil has overcome you. Evil has instead of you overcoming
him. And that's what he's saying to
all of us about this thing like the neighbor has a complaint.
She comes in ranting and railing, don't rail back, let her cool
down. and let it in, right there. I believe that's what he's talking
about. Don't be overcome of evil. Don't let it overcome you and
draw you into its pattern and draw you into its way of doing
things. Just don't do it. But overcome that evil with good. It's impossible apart from the
grace of God. But now, by the grace of God,
all things are possible. I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me. Can I not? That's what the Scripture
says. Now here's the last one. Last
precept. Don't you think I've done good
on 40 verses? The last precept in verse 34,
perhaps one of the most difficult. Wait on the Lord. Wait on the
Lord and keep His way, and He'll exalt you to inherit the land. What is it to wait? I'll tell
you what it is. It's to stand right where you are on Christ
and have Him done all to stand. You might fall all around you,
but you just stand there and wait on the day when He'll reveal
His way. Stay on the rock Christ Jesus. Keep to the narrow way. Keep
to His way. Wait on the Lord and keep His
way. True faith believes and waits. True faith prays and waits. True faith preaches and waits. That's what I try to tell my
preacher brethren. You know, they get so anxious
to see things happen. They get so anxious to have a
13th Street Baptist Church in two and a half years. It takes
30 years. Just wait on God. preach and
wait. True faith works and wait. Don't
ever bind God to a time. Biggest mistake you'll ever make,
or me either. Don't bind God to a time. Wait
on the Lord. He has his own time. You know,
he was silent for 400 years. 400 years. God never spoke to
Israel. Kept them in Egypt 400 years. In the fullness of time, he sent
his deliverance. Here's a little, I think, a good old hymn, ancient
hymn. Wait, O my soul, thy Savior's
will. Impatient passions, be still. Nor let a murmuring thought arise. His ways are just. his counsel
wise. He in my thickest darkness dwells,
performs his work, his cause conceals. But though to me his
purpose unknown, mercy and truth support his throne. In heaven
and earth and sky and seas he executes his wise decree. And
all the saints can in him rest, for what he does I know is best. Wait then, my soul, patiently
wait. Prostrate before his mercy seat,
and through this dark and cloudy day, wait on the Lord and keep
his way. Eight great precepts. What do you pray about this?
You pray that by the grace of God you can fret not, trust in
the Lord, delight thyself in Him, commit thy way to Him, rest
in Him, cease from anger, depart from evil, do good, wait on God. Boy, what a way to walk, what
a life to live, what a joy.