1-26-25 (Barrett Coffman) The Unfairness of Prosperous Wickedness

PSALM 37

1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!

8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
    though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
    and delight themselves in abundant peace.

12 The wicked plots against the righteous
    and gnashes his teeth at him,
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he sees that his day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
    to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose way is upright;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart,
    and their bows shall be broken.

16 Better is the little that the righteous has
    than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
    and their heritage will remain forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times;
    in the days of famine they have abundance.

20 But the wicked will perish;
    the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
    they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
    but the righteous is generous and gives;
22 for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
    but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
    when he delights in his way;
24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
    for the Lord upholds his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old,
    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
    or his children begging for bread.
26 He is ever lending generously,
    and his children become a blessing.

27 Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land
    and dwell upon it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
    and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
    his steps do not slip.

32 The wicked watches for the righteous
    and seeks to put him to death.
33 The Lord will not abandon him to his power
    or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
    you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
    spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
36 But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
    though I sought him, he could not be found.

37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
    for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
    the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

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FROM THE LESSON

Psalm 37 is an instructional psalm in the Wisdom Literature genre, concerning itself with passing on advice that will help someone live in a way that leads to wisdom, righteousness, and life, rather than foolishness, wickedness, and death.

"Fret not" is a phrase that occurs several times in the psalm. It carries a strong meaning, literally translated as "do not let your anger burn".

Verse 1 - the WHAT
Do not be overwhelmed by your anger over the wicked and prosperous actions of others.

Verse 2 - the WHY
The prosperity of the wicked is fleeting, and evil brings its own terrible consequences.
 
Verse 3 - the HOW
Trust God, do good, dwell in the land, and befriend faithfulness.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

ICE BREAKER: Jeremy shared some observations about "unfairness" that children make. What are some things you've observed that are "unfair" in a similar way?

1. David composes this psalm to address the challenge that followers of God face when they watch people who seem to profit from wickedness. What does "profitable wickedness" look like today?
2. David writes about how the tools of the wicked will be turned against them. How does evil bring its own terrible consequences? What might this look like?
3. Instead of repaying evil with evil, David encourages us to trust God, do good, dwell in the land, and befriend faithfulness.
   • What do you think is intended by the phrase "dwell in the land"?
   • Do these seem like adequate responses to egregious injustice and wickedness?
4. Jeremy contrasted two responses to perceived injustice - that of the United Healthcare shooter and that of MLK Jr. and the civil rights movement. Which sort of response do you see our culture moving more towards? Which response do you see Christians moving toward? How can we make sure we respond in the way David instructs in Psalm 37?