Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Psalm 37 is another Psalm that is “of David”.

This Psalm is written by David and is a different kind of Psalm.

It is an acrostic which that in itself does not make this Psalm unique but this Psalm is a wisdom Psalm and because of this some doubt David wrote it.

This wisdom Psalm is an acrostic as an acrostic while it doesnt have a linear flow of thought uses the alphabet to help make the Psalm easier to memorize and thus make the wisdom able to be hidden into the heart of the reader.

This Psalm deals with life during the triumph of wickedness.

This Psalm is instructional and we will be looking into it in parts.

Beginning with the first 11 verses we will deal with having Eyes of Faith - in this time of wickedness seeming to triumph in life - perhaps even against us.

David had certainly suffered plenty at the hands of the ungodly.

This Psalm is his writing as an old man sharing his wisdom from what he has learned.

Among other things, Psalm 37 recognizes the frustrating reality that the wicked often prosper, and the righteous often suffer.

This seems unfair.

The righteous try to live God’s way.The wicked reject God and live their own way.

And yet… the wicked often seem to have it better than the righteous.

If YOU have ever been punished for doing the right thing, if you’re a good guy who seems to always finish last… then Psalm 37 is for you.

Psalm 37 is also good spiritual medicine for just about any problem a person might have.

There is a story about a little boy who wanted to wash his cat.

The little boy went to the store and bought some Tide detergent.

The cashier said to the boy, “It’s nice of you to run errands for your parents.

Do you do the laundry at your house?”

The little boy said, “I’m not doing laundry.I’m washing my cat.”

The cashier explained to the boy that Tide was not good for washing cats… but the boy refused to listen.

The next time the boy came to the store, the cashier asked him, “How’s your cat?”

The boy hung his head in sadness.

He said, “My cat died.”

The cashier said, “I’m sorry to hear that your cat died.

Did it die from the Tide you washed it with?”

The boy said, “No.

I don’t think the Tide killed my cat.

I think it was the spin cycle.”

When life bombards us with problems… when life’s stress washes over us in waves… life can feel like a spin cycle.

The spin cycle killed the cat…and the spin cycle can kill people too.

The spin cycle can kill us quickly, like in a heart attack.Or the spin cycle can kill us slowly…by slowly sucking the life out of us,until we become joyless, defeated zombies.

When life seems like a “spin cycle”or when a specific, major crisis strikes, or evil seems to be triumphing Ps. 37 provides God-given and David battle-tested wisdom, a plan of action for Keeping Your Faith

Do Not Look Around

Psalm 37:7 (CSB)

7 do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the person who carries out evil plans.

David begins by writing to not be agitated by evildoers.

The word agitated can also be translated fret or worry.

Do not fret or worry because of evildoers.

The verb however has a much stronger meaning as in burning with anger.

Literally the admonition is to not become hot because of evildoers.

Do not get worked up and heated over them, instead remain cool.

David then delivers another admonishment alongside the first, do not envy those who do wrong.

Do not get agitated and worked up at evildoers but neither should you envy those who do wrong.

The wrongs done are those done with malice and injustice in mind.

Jump down to verse 7 and see again David admonishes to not be agitated.

This gives us a clue to this evildoers and those who do wrong and why it would be agitating to see them.

Do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the one who carries out evil plans.

This is where the agitation and the heated feelings come from and where envy could be a problem because they are not only doing wicked and evil but it seems to be prosperous for them.

This heated anger comes from envy toward the evildoers because of their apparent success and prospering in this world.

You cannot keep your faith by looking around you for things to work out right.

It isnt the time for all things to be worked out.

Instead you may be tempted to be envious of the evildoers and you may get angry and decide that nice guys (righteous) guys finish last.

How can we not fret when we see that evil seemingly triumphs around and goes unchecked.

David says refrain from anger and give up rage - do not be agitated it can only bring harm.

To refrain is to stop and discontinue from actively being angry.

Give up your rage - your fury and intense anger.

Do not be agitated for it can only bring harm - literally the word translates as an evil act.

If you do not give up your anger and rage and cease being agitated it will only lead to committing a morally wrong act.

Ephesians 4:26 (CSB)

26 Be angry and do not sin.

It is very hard to be angry without sinning.

Our anger will not accomplish the righteousness of God.

One suggests that this anger is almost certainly against God.

This is a possibility if we do not check our anger and stop the envy and agitation before it brings us to harm or committing an evil act.

Just a few evil things that Christians get angry and rage at.

Rights

Abortion

Sexual deviance

Trafficking

Politics/Policy

Movies and Programming

Schooling

CRT

BLM

How, how can we keep cool when evil is prospering, how do we not get agitated when we see that happening?

Instead Look Up

Psalm 37:7 (CSB)

7 Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him;

In order to keep cool, not be agitated while evil prospers is to get our eyes off the wicked, off of even our own self and lock them on the LORD.

David lists several ways to get your eyes on the LORD all of them encompass living a life for God - despite what happens around us or even to us.

The number one most important thing is to trust in the LORD.

Trust by believing and having faith in the LORD.

This trust is not some unfounded, easy breezy optimism.

This is an abiding reliance on God to trust Him and trust in Him.

Trust involves faith and faith involves action - do what is good.

You cannot separate trusting God from doing good.

When we are tempted to walk in the path of the wicked because they are prospering - it is because we do not trust God that He will work it out.

When we see evil and wickedness and we continue to do good - we have an abiding faith in God.

If you are losing your faith and trust in God because of evil prospering, look to see if you have stopped doing what is good?

David then adds to dwell in the land and live securely.

This is to dwell in the land and live securely with a steadiness being immovable or fixed upon your position.

Resolution One: I will live for God

Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.

The next thing David shares is to take delight in the LORD.

Have the highest degree of pleasure in the LORD.

When you do this David says that God will give you your heart’s desires.

Some read this and begin to think that God will give them whatever they want, but it is instead saying that God will give your heart’s its desires.

When we are delighting in God our heart’s desires are in line with His desires.