A Psalm of Wisdom
Notes
Transcript
A wise person plays the long game.
They don’t get distracted by the latest fad or fashion.
They know what it is they are chasing and they are willing to work very hard to achieve it.
They are willing to take risks, they are willing to sieze opportunities that come along, but only if those risks and opportunities align with and contribute to achieving their ultimate goal.
When you look at the Olympic Games you see this truth at work.
Especially with athletes who have steadfastly worked towards their goal,
For many they don’t succeeed at their first attempt, they come back a second time.
For others it takes a third time before they reach their goal.
They have trained throughout their childhood and youth.
They have faced numerous setbacks.
Failure, injury and discouragement.
But they come back and eventually they reach that elusive prize.
Now it is an illustration, because we know not everyone gets a medal.
But if you make it to the Olympics then in reality you have already won.
You have reached the peak of your sport for your country, it is simply a question that if on the day of competition you reach the peak in the world.
The desire, the passion, the willingness to put everything you have, and then some more, into your chosen discipline sets you apart from everyone else.
The question of life is, “what are you willing to play the long game for?”
God or Something else?
Psalm 37 was written by King David, probably later in his life, when his Kingdom is established and he has time to reflect on the long term.
The Psalm is classical wisdom literature of the Old Testament.
It is intended to teach people why they should follow God and do what is right, especially in the face of the frustration at seeing the wicked prosper.
Psalm 37 is actually a giant acrostic.
And while we can’t see it in English it is very evident in Hebrew that each stanza starts with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Hence it wanders a bit dealing with different issues but it always comes back to this central theme.
Trust in the Lord and do good, fulfill his purposes, have a heart for him for he is the source of hope.
The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Hope in the OT) expresses this well when it says,
Fundamentally, Yahweh himself is the theological ground of human hope in the OT (*e.g. Pss. 25:3; 31:24; 71:5; 131:3; Lam. 3:21–26), just as Christ is in the NT (esp. 1 Tim. 1:1).
More accurately, hope is ‘in Yahweh’ (*e.g. Ps. 37:9).
Whenever hope is mentioned in the Psalms there is always a strong element of dependent relationship.
Hope is not found in things, or other nations or even in our own efforts but always in Yahweh.
Hope in Yahweh is seen as a state or place of security.
Our confidence is in the person of God, this is what makes it possible to be patient, even in the face of adverstiy.
Having this hope is like having a safety capsual in which to exist whilst the storm rages around us.
And even if death befalls us the Old Testament presents this belief that those who have a positive relationship with God in this life will continue to enjoy that relationship in the next.
For this reason, confidence in Yahweh provides hope for every OT believer regardless of personal circumstances.
But Psalm 37 faces the same problem that befalls every teacher throughout history.
It is especially difficult when trying to pass on wisdom to the younger generations to convince them that morality is worthwhile.
When they look around them they see that wicked prosper and the righteous often suffer.
Why would they adopt the morality contained in this Psalm, no matter how easy it would be to memorise it because of the clever use of the acrostic formate?
“Because God said so,” is certainly true but it doesn’t convince many people.
This is where this Psalm paints a realistic picture.
Life is about the long game.
Ultimate victory comes to those whose hope is in Yahweh.
Look at the last line of Psalm 37:9 “ For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.”
Psalm 37:11 “11 The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.”
Psalm 37:13 “13 But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment coming.”
Psalm 37:15 “15 But their swords will stab their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.”
And Psalm 37:16-20
16 It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich. 17 For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the Lord takes care of the godly. 18 Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. 19 They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough. 20 But the wicked will die. The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field— they will disappear like smoke.
As the Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 19: Psalms 1–50 (Revised Edition)
it is the longer run that counts, and in the long run the only true satisfaction is to be found in the righteousness which is the hallmark of the one who lives in relationship with the living God. The motive is not entirely self-interest, though that may be a part of it. Rather, it is a question of determining the God-given purpose in human life and then living in accord with it; that is the essence of life and the essence of morality
Just as an Olympic athlete has to play the long game if they are to achieve their goals, so to does the Christian and the church.
Success doesn’t come over night.
Even the bubbly and bright 14 year old from the Gold Coast by the name of Arisa Trew who won the Olympic Gold medal in the skateboard park event didn’t just achieve success overnight.
She may be the most naturally talented 14 year old in her discipline in the world right now.
She may be the first female to sucessfully perform the hardest tricks that only a handful of grown men have ever achieved.
But she has been training since she was a young child as an elite athlete, firstly in surfing but then moving across to skateboarding.
She attends a specialised school, purpose built for skateboarders to complete their education and skate.
Success didn’t come overnight.
Incidently our other 14 year old female skateboarder who made the finals but not the medals in the other skateboarding discipline was beaten by a 14 year old Japanese girl.
It appears that to win in skateboarding as a female you need to be a teenage girl.
Young, flexible, athletically highly talented and teachable, but not old enough to worry to much about getting hurt.
But in the men’s competitions it is the grown men who win.
Power, experience and years to hone the skills to land the moves with a lot more weight and speed.
And believe it or not the legends in the sport who are still actively competing and doing demonstration tours are all in their 50s.
These men have played the long game and made a living out of doing what they love.
It is this idea that is central to all of the wisdom literature in the Bible.
Play the long game, your hearts desire is what counts.
Jesus’ perspective was based on this truth.
The desire of the heart is what really counts in the long run.
We see this so well expressed in Matthew’s Gospel, firstly in the Beatitudes and especially in Matthew 5:5 which draws from Psalm 37.
5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.
Again in Matthew 6:25-34 we see this same truth expressed
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Wisdom is to focus on God and his agenda.
This leads to humility because you do not feel the need to exhault yourself and it results in trust because you are genuinely playing the long game.
You know that no matter the twists and turns of life, no matter how things look, if you seek God, no matter how things look now, ultimately you win.