The Heritage of Righteousness and the Calamity of Wickedness

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 37

 

Psalm 37:9

For evildoers shall be ^[b]cut off;
But those who wait on the Lord,
They shall inherit the earth.

(NKJV)

 

A media-driven world promotes celebrities with charisma, good looks, and wealth. While these things are not inherently evil, if they become one’s objective, they can take on the status of an idol in our life, something forbidden in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:4-6). While the commandment implies bowing down to worship a statue, it also covers worshiping fame and fortune. Before you consider making fame and fortune your idol, consider the heritage of the righteous and the calamity of the wicked.

 

Psalm 37 begins with a warning not to fret when it appears the wicked prosper, reminding us that their prosperity is temporary and will wither like the grass (Psalm 37:1-2). Instead, David exhorts us to trust in the Lord and do good, feeding on His faithfulness, delighting in the Lord who gives us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:3-4). The righteous commit their way to the Lord, trusting in Him who shall cause our righteousness to shine (Psalm 37:5-6). The righteous find their rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him, not fretting about the temporary prosperity of the wicked (Psalm 37:7). This rest allows them not to have anger or respond with wrath because these cause harm (Psalm 37:8).

 

As we observe in Proverbs, David offers contrasts that tell us the wicked will be cut off, ceasing to exist (Psalm 37:9-11). The wicked plans of the wicked and their plots against the righteous shall not come to pass with the Lord laughing at them (Psalm 37:12-15). Better to have the little of the righteous than the riches of the wicked because the wicked shall be broken but the righteous upheld by the Lord (Psalm 37:16-17). The righteous have an eternal inheritance, and the Lord brings them through evil and times of famine with the wicked perishing (Psalm 37:18-20). The wicked borrows but does not repay, while the righteous is generous with those blessed by Him, inheriting the earth, and those cursed by Him are cut off (Psalm 37:21-22)

 

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord with the Lord delighting in his way, and if he falls the Lord upholds him, and he is not cast down (Psalm 37:23-24). David is now old and no longer young and has never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread with them forever merciful and lending (Psalm 37:25-26). David exhorts us to depart from evil and do good, enjoying an eternal inheritance (Psalm 37:27). The Lord loves justice and does not forsake his saints, preserving them forever, cutting off the wicked with the righteous inheriting the land and living there forever (Psalm 37:28-29).

 

The words of the righteous are words of wisdom and justice because the law of God is in his heart with none of his steps sliding (Psalm 37:30-31). The wicked seeks to destroy the righteous, but the Lord will not allow it (Psalm 37:32-33). We are to wait on the Lord and keep his way so we inherit the land, for when the wicked are cut off, the righteous shall see it (Psalm 37:34). David has seen the wicked rise in power only to be cut off and exist no more (Psalm 37:35-36). David encourages us to watch the blameless man because his future is peace and not the transgressors who shall be cut off (Psalm 37:37-38). The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, who is their strength in times of trouble and who shall deliver them from the wicked, saving them because they trust in Him (Psalm 37:39-40).

 

In a fallen world, the wicked seem to prosper and enjoy a good life while the righteous seem to struggle. Psalm 37 contrasts the heritage of the righteous with the calamity awaiting the wicked. The wicked enjoy a heritage of created things which soon wither away like the grass (Psalm 37:2). In contrast, the righteous have an eternal heritage and will inherit the earth, but the earth they will inherit is unlike the earth we currently live on for it will be changed into a world without sea or turmoil (Revelation 21:1). It will be a world much like the Garden of Eden with God dwelling with humanity for eternity (Revelation 21:2-3). A world without death, sorrow, crying, or pain because these things passed away with the old world (Revelation 21:4). Before fretting over the good the wicked seem to enjoy, consider the eternal future of those choosing righteousness.

 

The modern media-driven world praises attractive and charismatic individuals, creating the impression of success through fame and prosperity. While there is nothing wrong with wealth or even fame, if it becomes one’s idol, it will disappoint them because it is part of a fallen world and, as such, only temporary. While peer pressure through social media may entice us to seek wealth and fame, it is better to have an eternal and Godly focus on the heritage of those choosing righteousness. Jesus reminded us that in this world those choosing His righteousness will suffer trouble, but have the reward of eternity with the one who overcame the world (John 16:33). Jesus overcame death through His resurrection from the dead and sits at the right hand of God the Father waiting to come back and take those choosing righteousness home.

 

If you are reading this and unsure of your eternal home, Romans 10:9-10 tells us that if we confess with our heart our belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we will be saved. Please join me in prayer and make that confession if you truly believe it in your heart.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.