Bible Memory Verse – Psalm 37:7 Context (2/24/2019)
Psalm 37:7
“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
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Let’s begin with what this verse does not mean: It does not mean that we shouldn’t worry. That’s what I thought it meant until today. So what does it mean? Let’s begin with king David.
Psalm 37 is one of the many psalms that David wrote in his lifetime. He’s now an old man; his words, not mine (verse 25)! This is the same David that took down Goliath as a teenager. Some of us may remember that David grew up and eventually became the king over the whole nation of Israel. This is the same David that committed adultery with a woman and had her husband killed. And as awful as that sounds, this is the same David that never once wavered in his loyalty to Yahweh God (the God of the Bible).
Loyalty is a huge theme that runs throughout the entire Bible. The idea is that you are either for God, or against Him. David picks up on this theme in Psalm 37 by comparing people who are for God to those who are against God. Those who are for God are said to be blameless. Those who are against God are the wicked.
Who are the Blameless?
They will inherit the land (6x)
They hope in the LORD [Yahweh]
Their ways are upright and blameless
They can be poor and needy
They are upheld by the LORD
Their inheritance will last forever
The LORD will provide for them
The LORD blesses them
They are generous
They speak wisdom from God’s Word
Who are the Wicked?
They are described as evil
They do wrong
They are successful in their wicked ways
They plot against the blameless
They seek to destroy the blameless
They seek wealth
They seek selfish gain no matter the cost
They have power
The LORD [Yahweh] curses them
So who are the blameless and the wicked? The blameless are those that are loyal to Yahweh God. Specifically in this psalm, they are the nation of Israel that David is addressing. Is everyone in Israel blameless? No. Actually, this is why David is writing to them. His purpose was to encourage and motivate them to remain loyal to God, even during times when their enemies tried to destroy them.
Their enemies, whom David calls wicked, were the nations outside of Israel. These nations were bent on wiping Israel off the map. The thing is though, they weren’t just against the people of Israel. They were against Yahweh God. Because of this, David says several times throughout this psalm that the LORD will destroy the wicked. They have no future. However, for Israel, their salvation comes from the LORD. And by salvation, I mean “victory”!
What this means is that even though things seemed hopeless, God’s people will have a future (repeated several times); the LORD will deliver them from the wicked. They will inherit the land that was promised to them (David repeats this 6x) because God is faithful and keeps His promises!
So how does this impact our memory verse?
It stands to reason that David was writing a motivational speech because Israel was wavering in their loyalty to Yahweh God. The NIV says three times that they would “fret” when the wicked would come against them and succeed. While the English term “fret” makes it seem like Israel was worried, this is actually not the case. The Hebrew word here is never used for worry, but in fact, it is ususally used for someone who is burning with anger. David uses it with a slightly different nuance in this case. We could describe it as “getting all up in arms.” It still refers to anger, which is why David commands his people to refrain from anger and to turn from wrath, because it always leads to evil (verse 8).
The implication is that some of the Israelites were “getting all up in arms” because their enemies were coming against them and winning. They wanted to retaliate! With this in mind, David commands them to “be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.” Why? Because in the end, the LORD, Yahweh God, will give them victory. In other words, David was commanding them to not act like the nations around them. Rather than attaining their own retribution, they needed to remind themselves that Yahweh God is in control and that victory will come through His actions and His will, not theirs.
How does this apply to us today?
Jesus probably has psalm 37 in mind when He says, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Only this time Jesus is talking about the whole earth, and not just the promised land. The meek are among the blameless – those who are loyal followers of Jesus. This verse applies to us today because our victory was established during the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God. This victory is salvation for those who put their believing loyalty in Jesus! It’s Yahweh God delivering us from the Evil One who no longer holds power over us!
“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son,
how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” (Romans 5:10)
So when we are attacked because of our faith in Jesus, remember to be still and trust in Him. Rather than retaliate with anger, turn from evil. Commit yourself to the LORD because our hope is in Him. And if we don’t know how to do that, David even tells his readers to “observe the upright.” In other words, look to those around you who have been through tough times and yet still remain faithful to God. Ask them how they got through those times.
No matter how hopeless things seem, remember that you can “take refuge in the LORD.”