We call a person that sings while playing an instrument is called a "psalmist". But according to Merriam Webster, a Psalmist is the author or composer of a psalm, esp. of any of the biblical Psalms.
Psalm 37 is an alphabet psalm. Verse 1 begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, verse 3 with the second letter, and so on. Other alphabet psalms are 9, 10, 25, 34, 111, 112, 119 and 145.
According to Barton Bouchier (1794–1865), an English religious writer, Psalm 37 was written by David in his old age as in Ps 37:25 and this was recorded about his various experiences.
It does not contain any prayer, or any direct mention to David's own circumstances of persecution or distress. But rather it is the utterance of sound practical wisdom and godliness from the lips of an experienced old man.
The psalmist saw that during his time, many evil people had everything that they wanted. He added as well that they did what they liked. Nobody could stop them. They hurt poor people that did not have very much.
So...the psalmist began to feel very angry. Then he thought that if he was angry it would not give him any help. But then he remembered that one day God would put things right. The psalmist just had to wait for that day.
A.Waiting for God to do something
How do you wait for God to do something? How do you stop yourself getting angry because godless people have everything that they want? The psalmist tells us how:
1. Do not fret (be angry) Upset or frustrated when bad people prosper.
2. We should not be envious when we see other people even brothers and sisters in the Lord succeeding and moving ahead of life. But instead we should rejoice for we know our time will also come when we are ready.
To keep us from angry: You need to do something more!
1. We must trust in the LORD, or ask God for help (Love God)
2. We must do good things, or give help to people around us (Do good, build relationship)
3. We should enjoy what the land gives, even if it is not much (thankful always)
4. Be joyful in the Lord.
Only then you can... 7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; when you do the above.
To rest in God is a Christian's special privilege. We feel calm and confident that he will make some good outcome of the situation. This means we let God take charge of the situation.
In verse 7 says, we must wait for God to do something. The time will come that God will show people what we are like. The time will come that he will show to all our honesty and integrity. God will soon bring justice to us.
We must not become angry if we do not see it. We must be still and wait! The Hebrew word for "be still" in verse 7 means "do not make a noise" as well as "do not move".
How about if still you feel angry? Verse 8 Cease (stop) from anger, and forsake (renounce) wrath;
We should not get angry with anyone. Another way to say "get angry" in English is "get heated (hot)" about something. As you can see in verse 8, it is the same in Hebrew. When we get angry with someone it usually leads to trouble.Example: Uprising of the Arab Nations
B. Waiting for God while obeying
We are happy with the LORD if we obey him.When we obey the Lord the Psalmist said:
1. We will dwell in the land.
2. Be fed in God’s faithfulness
3. Desires of the heart will be fulfilled and God will bring it to pass.
4. Receive an abundance of peace
Then there will be peace. There are 3 sorts of peace:
· No fighting wars with other people
· No fighting against yourself
· No fighting between us and God
5. When we are meek we will Inherit (take over) the earth
The reward of the righteous:
For those who wait on the Lord will inherit the earth or the land. Twice was mentioned in the Psalm 37: 9 & 11. Beatitudes Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”
Meek person- sees himself under God and the meek people do not think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. Meek people live in submission before God.
C. Waiting for God for the reward of the wicked
The Psalmist says about the future of the wicked:
v The wicked is referred to like a grass that will be soon to be cut down
v The wicked is referred to like a green herb be soon to be withered.
v The wicked plans or idea will pass and prosper but only for a moment.
The word "cut off" in verse 9 means "destroyed". When the Jews came from Egypt to Israel with Moses, God cut off or destroyed their enemies. Then the Jews received their land. The enemies were the Canaanites that lived in the land before the Jews. This verse tells us that what God did in the past he can do it again. This time it is not the Canaanites that God will destroy. It will be all the evil people that make life hard for God's people.
Consider today how much of our fretting in its many forms is a result of evil men or how we may tend to envy those who do wrong and yet prosper. We are soberly reminded of their temporality in verse 2, "like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away."
Conclusion:
The psalmist thought that "waiting for God" “meant that one day things would change, perhaps for his children.
We must remember that when we live righteously and have gentle and submissive lives, when we wait patiently, that one day Jesus, our King, will give the earth to us. We must live with a sacred optimism. That day will be, when Jesus comes back to earth.
So ... everybody must wait for God: because He is doing something now!
If the meek will inherit the earth, then do you think it is true that the arrogant and the power seekers won’t inherit anything?
Adolph Hitler followed Napoleon and countless others who set out to dominate the world, or the Assyria, Babylonia, and Rome seemed invincible, these are the powerful ancient civilization that most worldly people admired but if we examine them by years we discover that the arrogant and power-mad do not inherit the earth.
So now that, we have learned that we should not fret (be angry) upset or frustrated when bad people prosper or be envious because when we see that the evildoers, arrogant and powerful seem to win, we know that in the end they will lose!
Psalm 37: 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more ; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.11But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
