Depart from Evil and Do Good

Call to Worship

Good Evening everyone, it may have been a long and strenuous week for some of you all, but I hope you can find some rest tonight. I want to announce that I am moving from weekly sermons to biweekly, where I will be preaching next on the 20th of August rather than the 13th. This will hopefully mean that I get some time to rest myself but also that the sermons can increase in quality and simplicity. But for today, we are finishing the third Wisdom Psalm of our series on the Wisdom Psalms—Psalm 37—covering vv. 23-40. Because of its length, compared to the number of verses I would typically cover, I hope to try a different preaching style, evolving as I have been. Rather than cover verses one after another to grasp some chronological narrative—while important—I want to read tonight’s pericope all at once (and only the Psalm) then preach on its thematic meaning and symbolism—comparing these verses to the first half of the Psalm, the Wisdom Psalms, the Psalms writ large, Wisdom Literature, and the Scriptural story in general. So,

Scripture Reading

Let us begin this evening with an exploration of Holy Scripture...

Old Testament

A reading from the Old Testament, the Book of Psalms, the thirty-seventh Chapter, the 23rd to 40th verses,

Psalm 37:23–40 NASB95

The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand. I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread. All day long he is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing. Depart from evil and do good, So you will abide forever. For the Lord loves justice And does not forsake His godly ones; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. The righteous will inherit the land And dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, And his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip. The wicked spies upon the righteous And seeks to kill him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand Or let him be condemned when he is judged. Wait for the Lord and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. I have seen a wicked, violent man Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil. Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more; I sought for him, but he could not be found. Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright; For the man of peace will have a posterity. But transgressors will be altogether destroyed; The posterity of the wicked will be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.

This is the word of God.

Lord’s Prayer / Prayer of Divine Invocation

Let this be a reminder that the Lord be with you. And with your Spirit. Let us pray.

Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

Almighty God, to You all hearts are open, all desires known, and from You no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. We say this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon

Let us begin with that simple moral teaching from the twenty-seventh verse: Depart from evil and do good, so you will abide forever. A simple, even almost childishly unnecessary statement, yet one that draws together the message of this Psalm, as we will come to see.

So, Psalm 37 is not just simply a song of comfort against the tyranny of the unjust, the wicked—but a countercultural manifesto. In a world that rewards the cunning, the self-promoting, and the power-hungry, David lays out a vision for life that is humble, generous, rooted in trust, and eschatologically hopeful. In view that it is so often forgotten that theological virtue: faith, love, and hope. Why is it virtuous for us to have hope and not despair? In Paul’s letter to the Roman church he writes, Romans 8:24–25 “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” Thus, let us follow the gospel, forsake the temporal world and seek the eternal world, the eternal kingdom to come, as we pray in the Lord’s prayer.

So we find that this Psalm urges us not only to resist evil but to do so by cultivating a life that is committed to God's justice and enduring mercy. And this is not mere individual morality—it is a way of being in the world. A way that speaks against the empires of exploitation, the idols of wealth, and the anxious striving that marks so much of human life. In Ecclesiastes, all these are marked as futility, doing nothing for the soul. And in the opening verse of this section, we are not just invited to personal reform, but to enter into the eternal way of God's kingdom. This is not just a proverb or moral saying; it is a pathway. It summarizes the way of the righteous as a departure, a journey, a new direction. To depart from evil is not simply about external behaviors, but about internal reformation—sanctification. And the promise? "So you will abide forever." There’s something everlasting at stake. This final section of Psalm 37 is filled with such assurances—not shallow optimism, but deep, covenant-rooted promises for those who walk with God. It’s about permanence in a world obsessed with the temporary.

Let us begin with the first of the five sections, that mark ways of living and divine truths set from the reflections of David throughout the Psalm. As we’ve covered, this Psalm was written after he had had power for some time, so we can consider it a wise work in that it reflects David’s reflections. His reformation, his sanctification, all from God.

I. He Establishes Our Steps (vv. 23–26)

The Psalmist begins with a comforting image: “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way” (v. 23). Every movement, every path, every decision taken by the righteous man is overseen and grounded by God Himself. This isn't divine micromanagement but divine intimacy. God's delight in the steps of the righteous shows not only His sovereignty but also His care. And we are reminded, “When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand” (v. 24). This is not the promise of a life without stumbling, but a life where every stumble is caught. In the gospels, when Peter sank beneath the waves, Jesus grasped him (Matt. 14:31). Likewise, we are not held because of our ability to stay upright but because of God's steadfast grip.

David continues: “I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging for bread” (v. 25). David speaks from experience. This is a testimony of provision. The righteous may struggle, but God provides. The word "forsaken" is key. God may permit hardship, but He never abandons. In the next verse, David paints a life of generosity: “All day long he is gracious and lends, and his descendants are a blessing” (v. 26). The righteous man is not a hoarder but a giver. Because he trusts in God’s provision, he can afford to be open-handed.

Jesus echoed this theme of divine care in the Sermon on the Mount, where He said, "Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?" (Matt. 6:26). To live generously is not reckless; it is faithful. It means believing that your worth is not in what you can store up, but in who holds your life. It means not letting fear of scarcity rob you of the joy of giving. The righteous man in Psalm 37 gives not because he has surplus, but because he has security—not the kind provided by wealth, but by the unfailing covenant love of God. This posture of gracious lending points to a deeper trust in the economy of heaven, where the measure we use is the measure returned to us (Luke 6:38).

II. Depart from Evil and Do Good (vv. 27–28)

Now we arrive at the moral command central to this sermon: “Depart from evil and do good, so you will abide forever” (v. 27). This is a fundamental summary of the righteous life. It implies repentance—a turning away—and active virtue—a turning toward. The Christian life is not merely about avoiding sin but pursuing righteousness. As Paul tells Timothy, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness… it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:7–8). Godliness is not an ethereal concept—it is practiced in everyday decisions: in what we say, what we give, what we seek.

The church father Origen does a great job in honing in what this “turning away” means, as expressed in my introductions, he writes, “That is, if one departs from this world and carries with him the image of the earthly, he will, on account of such an image, be reduced to nothing in that city of God; no one who does not bear the marks of the image of the heavenly will have a share among the citizens of that heavenly city.”

Verse 28 explains the rationale: “For the Lord loves justice and does not abandon His godly ones; they are protected forever, but the descendants of the wicked will be eliminated.” The righteous are not preserved because they are perfect, but because they are aligned with the God who loves justice. God is not neutral in moral matters. He is personally invested in the cause of the upright—wants them to share in that heavenly community described by Paul in Philippians 3. He does not abandon those who belong to Him because their lives reflect His very heart. In contrast, the wicked may seem to thrive for a moment, but their legacy will not last. Their children will inherit only futility.

Justice, then, is not simply an abstract ideal—it is God’s character revealed in action. The prophet Isaiah tells us that the Lord “loves justice, and hates robbery and wrongdoing” (Isa. 61:8). And in the cross of Christ we see the ultimate convergence of mercy and justice, as the Son bears the penalty of sin to justify the ungodly (Rom. 3:26). That the Lord “does not abandon His godly ones” is no small promise; it is the assurance that justice has an advocate in heaven. The early church lived by this hope, facing persecution and poverty with joy, knowing that God had not forgotten them (Heb. 10:34). This Psalm, therefore, isn’t just instruction—it’s prophecy. A revelation of what God is doing, and will do, on behalf of those who align their lives with His righteousness.

III. The Righteous Shall Dwell Forever, His Steps Do Not Slip (vv. 29–31)

We hear once again: “The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever” (v. 29). This is not simply a promise of real estate—it is a covenantal assurance. It ties into the Abrahamic promise and finds its fulfillment in Christ’s beatitude: “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). This is the eschatological vision of permanence, of rootedness, in contrast to the fleeting prosperity of the wicked. The righteous are not transients; they are heirs.

The next verse shows how this permanence is cultivated: “The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice” (v. 30). This is not accidental speech but purposeful communication that flows from a heart shaped by the Word. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). The righteous do not just act justly—they speak justly. They reflect the wisdom of Proverbs and the Spirit-filled speech of the apostles.

And verse 31 gives the source: “The Law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.” Here we see the fulfillment of the covenant language in the book of the Prophet Jeremiah—the law written on the heart. This isn’t legalism. This is love for the law, a heart that treasures God's Word. The result? Steady steps. The righteous may not always feel strong, but they walk on firm ground.

IV. Wait for the Lord and Keep His Way (vv. 32–34)

“The wicked spies upon the righteous and seeks to kill him” (v. 32). Here the Psalm reintroduces the tension of injustice. The righteous are not always applauded; they are often hunted. From Cain and Abel to Stephen before the Sanhedrin, those who walk uprightly provoke hostility. Yet verse 33 reassures: “The Lord will not leave him in his hand or let him be condemned when he is judged.” This brings us back to Romans 8:33–34, in which I quoted earlier as embodying righteous hope, where Paul asks, “Who will bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.” There may be accusation, but no lasting condemnation.

And so, David exhorts: “Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are eliminated, you will see it” (v. 34). This is the climax. Wait, keep, inherit. The reward is not seized but bestowed. The inheritance is not claimed by force but received through faithfulness. This echoes Hebrews 10:36, “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”

V. Psalm Summarized (vv. 35–40)

David now reflects from a place of aged wisdom: “I have seen a wicked, violent person spreading himself like a luxuriant tree… Then he passed away… I searched for him but he could not be found” (vv. 35–36). This is a sobering commentary on the vanity of worldly success. Like smoke, the wicked vanish. Like grass, they wither. The righteous are tempted to envy their prosperity, but in time, the false strength of evil is exposed as brittle. Here we see again this continued theme throughout Scripture’s Wisdom Literature. As if expressing the book of Ecclesiastes as succinctly as possible, David writes from a stance of “having it all,” yet still choosing and recognizing that which is above Him.

And so David offers this instruction: “Observe the blameless one… for the person of peace will have a future” (v. 37). This is the call to imitation. Find the ones who walk with integrity—follow them. The “person of peace” echoes Christ’s blessing in Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” To be a peacemaker is not passivity—it is active trust in divine justice. And think that imitation of the divine is just the calling to depart from evil and do good. If we, as believers, are able to do good and evil, and God is all good (omnibenevolent), then to strive to be good is to desire union with our Creator.

The Psalm ends on a crescendo of assurance: “But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and rescues them… because they take refuge in Him” (vv. 39–40). Every verb in these verses belongs to God—He saves, He strengthens, He helps, He rescues. The only human action is taking refuge. This is the gospel distilled. Our salvation is not in our strength, but in God's steadfast covenantal mercy.

To take refuge is to do more than believe intellectually. It is to hide ourselves in Him, to entrust our very life to His keeping. Like the Psalmist in Psalm 46, who my friend Anthony preached on in the video from last week, we say, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” And like Peter, we cry out as we sink, “Lord, save me!”—only to find His hand already extended.

Conclusion

Psalm 37 concludes as a portrait of the righteous life: not easy, but enduring. Not prosperous by the world’s standards, but overflowing with God’s provision. Not always vindicated in the present, but certain in the end. We are called to depart from evil, to do good, to wait for the Lord, and to take refuge in Him. These are not just moral imperatives—they are the lived experience of a person rooted in the eternal character of God.

And we see in Christ the fulfillment of every line. He is the one whose steps were established, who never slipped. He departed from evil in every temptation, doing good even to the point of death. He waited for the Lord, entrusting Himself to the Father. And now He reigns, the true Inheritor of the earth.

Such a vision compels us to consider whose hands we are truly in. In a culture obsessed with self-determination and autonomy, this Psalm insists that we are safest not when we are in control, but when we relinquish control. When we say with David, “My times are in Your hands” (Ps. 31:15), we affirm that our refuge is not a place or a policy—it is a Person. Consider the early martyrs, who were marched into arenas and fed to beasts—not because they lacked strength, but because they had a greater one. Or think of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who wrote from prison, "I am in God’s hands." The Psalm reminds us that every generation has seen the righteous tested, but never ultimately defeated. Their salvation was never from the state or from wealth or even from fellow man—but from the Lord alone. In Him, we too become righteous. Not by our strength, but by His. And so we walk. We fall. We are upheld. We wait. We see. We endure.

Let us then, in the words of verse 27, depart from evil and do good. So that we may abide forever—united with our Creator, who we confess from the ancient and universal creed of the Apostles’, that

Apostles’ Creed

We believe in God, the Father almighty,       creator of heaven and earth.

We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,       who was conceived by the Holy Spirit       and born of the virgin Mary.       He suffered under Pontius Pilate,       was crucified, died, and was buried;       he descended to hell.       The third day he rose again from the dead.       He ascended to heaven       and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.       From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,       the holy catholic church,       the communion of saints,       the forgiveness of sins,       the resurrection of the body,       and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayer of Absolution

Now let us end in community by receiving absolution and leaving blessed,

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. Grant to your faithful people, merciful Lord, pardon and peace; that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and serve you with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In the name of the Father, who creates, and of the Son, who redeems, and of the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies and purifies us before You, Amen.

Benediction

Let us end tonight in a benediction, from the words of St. Paul,

Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”