The Wicked vs. The Righteous
[Psalm 37:12-22]
According to a psychologist, there are six types of prisons people can find themselves in: The first prison is the prison of narcissism. When someone is afflicted with “princess syndrome” or “prince syndrome,” it is truly hard to deal with. The second prison is the prison of criticism. This person always sees the flaws of others and enjoys criticizing them. The third prison is the prison of despair. This person always views the world negatively, complains, and falls into despair. The fourth prison is the prison of being fixated on the past. This person keeps saying, “The old days were better,” and wastes the present. The fifth prison is the prison of envy. This person doesn’t value what they have but only covets what others have. The sixth prison is the prison of jealousy. When they see others doing well, they inexplicably feel resentful and have the urge to tear them down.
Out of these six prisons, I personally believe that many of us, as believers, often live in the sixth prison, which is the “prison of jealousy.” Especially as the psalmist Asaph mentioned in Psalm 73, many of us tend to be envious when we see the prosperity of the wicked (v. 3). That is why in the first verse of today’s text, Psalm 37, David says: “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.” However, Satan tries by any means to put us, the believers, into this prison of jealousy. Furthermore, Satan, like a roaring lion, uses his servants, the wicked, to torment, persecute, lead us into sin, and cause us to fall away from the faith.
In Psalm 37:12-22, we also see how Satan, through his servants, the wicked, tries to harm the righteous, specifically David. Today, I want to reflect on the topic of “The Wicked vs. The Righteous” based on today’s passage and receive the grace that God has for us.
The Wicked are those under the curse of the Lord.
Look at the second half of Psalm 37:22: “…those who are cursed by the Lord will be cut off.” The wicked, who are under the curse of the Lord, try to harm the righteous. How do they do this? There are at least two ways we can consider.
(1) The wicked plot to strike the righteous with anger.
Look at Psalm 37:12: "The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes his teeth at him." The psalmist David refers to these wicked people as "those who carry out evil plans" (v. 7). One of the wicked's plans is to "borrow and not pay back" (v. 21). Even though they have a great deal of wealth, the wicked always feel it's insufficient, and in their greed and covetousness, they take what belongs to others and never return it. In this way, the wicked can live in abundance (v. 16). These are the wicked who will even strike the righteous in order to accumulate their wealth. The image of the wicked gnashing their teeth (vv. 7, 12) is also seen in Acts 7, where the Jews, enraged by Stephen’s words, gnash their teeth at him: “When they heard this, they were cut to the heart and gnashed their teeth at him” (Acts 7:54). The wicked listen to the righteous preach, and their conscience convicts them, leading them to anger toward the righteous. However, this anger ultimately leads them to evil deeds (Psalm 37:8).
(2) The wicked try to kill the righteous.
Now, look at Psalm 37:14: "The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to slay those who are of upright conduct." Here, we see that the wicked not only plot to strike the righteous, but they take action, drawing their weapons like "the sword" and "the bow" to attempt to kill the righteous. In contrast to these violent, bloodthirsty wicked people, the Bible describes the righteous as "the poor and needy" (v. 14). This image of the righteous refers to the saints who have no one to help them (Park Yun-Seon). How different this is from the wicked! The righteous appear weak, powerless, and with no place to turn for help — a perfect target for the vicious, bloodthirsty wicked. This stark contrast between the wicked and the righteous is also seen in Acts 9: "Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest" (v. 1) and requested letters to bring any followers of Jesus, men or women, bound to Jerusalem (v. 2).
So, how should we, as believers, respond when encountering the wicked who commit evil against us? We should not mourn, but instead, look to God and see Him smiling. Look at Psalm 37:13: "The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming." This vision of God laughing is also seen in Psalm 2:4: "He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision" when the kings of the earth take counsel against the Messiah (vv. 2-4). So, even if the wicked plot against us, we should not be sorrowful but instead partake in God's joy, because the day of judgment (destruction) for the wicked is near. If God is laughing, we, as His people, have no need to weep. When the people of God do weep in the face of God's laughter, it is because they have become spiritually darkened (Park Yun-Seon). Therefore, we must pray. When we pray, our eyes will be opened to see God's laughter and we will be able to participate in His joy even amidst sorrow (Calvin).
Why should we not fear the wicked, but instead, partake in God’s joy? David explains this in Psalm 37:15: "Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken." When the wicked, filled with fury, make their final desperate attempt, that is when their destruction will come (Park Yun-Seon). In Psalm 37:20, David says: "But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish; into smoke they shall vanish away." Imagine the oil burning and turning to smoke — in the same way, the destruction of the wicked will be total and swift. In the end, the wicked, under the curse of the Lord, will be cut off (v. 22, cf. vv. 9-10).
The righteous are those who have received the Lord's blessing.
Look at the first half of Psalm 37:22: "Those blessed by the Lord will inherit the land..."
What is the blessing that the righteous receive from the Lord? In today’s passage, there are two main blessings mentioned:
(1) The blessing the righteous receive is that God holds them fast.
Look at verse 17 of Psalm 37: “For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.” This verse explains the reason for the earlier verse 16, which says, "Better is the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked" (Park Yun-Seon). In other words, the "arms of the wicked," which represent the strength they rely on, such as material wealth, will be broken by God. However, even though the righteous may have little, God holds them fast, and that in itself becomes a blessing. How is it that the little the righteous have actually becomes a blessing for them? There are two reasons for this (Park Yun-Seon):
(a) First, even the small possessions of the righteous are given by the all-powerful God. And when they are lacking, God will provide again, which makes it a blessing.
(b) Second, the small possessions of the righteous are not gained unjustly, so they lead to a pleasant and happy life, making them a blessing for the righteous. Additionally, having few possessions can prevent us from becoming greedy. While material abundance may become a small spiritual blessing for us, even small material possessions can be a great spiritual blessing. We should listen to Dr. Park Yun-Seon’s words: “True life is not in the abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15), but in possessing righteousness.” As believers, have we not been declared righteous through the work of Jesus on the cross? Therefore, God has declared us righteous. What a great blessing this is! This possession of righteousness cannot be compared to the abundance of material wealth.
(2) The blessing the righteous receive is that God has promised our inheritance will be eternal.
Look at verse 18 of Psalm 37: "The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance will be forever." Here, the "upright" does not refer to those who are completely innocent but to those who are pure, meaning those who live according to their faith and conscience before God. God knows the "days" of such people, meaning He knows their entire lives (Park Yun-Seon). Therefore, the inheritance of those whom God knows, the possessions He gives them to live and enjoy, will never run out. Since God is their Savior and Protector, their inheritance will not disappear (Park Yun-Seon). In fact, the inheritance of the righteous will never fail, even in times of affliction, and God will provide enough grace (v. 19). Therefore, the righteous, even in times of famine, will show grace to others through the sufficient grace that God gives them (v. 21). The righteous live simply with few possessions, yet they still have something left to help others. Even though poor, they live a life of abundance. In the end, although the wicked may be wealthy, they are heading towards destruction, while the righteous, though they scatter and give, will inherit the land, and their descendants will prosper (Park Yun-Seon).
The wicked, under God’s curse, will scheme to harm us and even attempt to kill us with their last efforts. Yet, we must look at God with faith and see Him laughing. The wicked will surely perish in the blink of an eye. They will be cut off without a trace. Therefore, even in sorrow, we can participate in God’s joy. Let us remember, and let our souls cry out: "I am one of the blessed by the Lord," and let us proclaim it in faith. Being held fast by God is the true blessing. Let us not be discouraged if our possessions are small compared to the abundance of the wicked. God is the one who breaks the material wealth in which the wicked trust. And even if the righteous have little, the fact that God holds them fast is itself a blessing. The God who holds us will be our eternal inheritance. Our Lord, who is the source of all blessing, will be our blessing. Therefore, whether in times of affliction or famine, we can give grace to others through the sufficient grace God gives us. May we all live such a blessed life.
Blessed ones,
Pastor James
(Hoping that we may look at God’s joy with faith)