Psalm 37:27-29

These verses form a little chiastic structure highlighting the word forever.  The beginning, middle, and end all emphasize the eternal nature of God’s blessings toward His people. God describes His people in three different ways in these verses as well: those who do good, saints (holy ones), and the righteous. These three phrases are all ways that God refers to His chosen people.  

In the face of the wicked thriving, His saints are to depart from evil and do good.  “Depart from evil” means we are not to give in to the temptation that inevitably arises to use any means necessary to stop the wicked. We cannot defeat wickedness with wickedness.  Even if you are successful, you’ve just traded one form of wickedness for another. Wickedness still wins and God hates wickedness. We can only defeat wickedness by doing good.  

And we can do good, even in the face of evil and injustice because we are assured that God loves justice, and that God does not forsake His people. He will bring the wicked to justice. We must always be committed to justice and not to revenge. Justice will prevail in the end. Wickedness has an end, but goodness is eternal. This is the reason these verses have us fix our attention on eternity. Justice means that those who do good, His saints, the righteous, will live forever, are preserved forever, and will dwell in the land forever. But the wicked will be cut off. Their judgment is coming.  

Psalm 37 repeats this truth over and over.  The repetition is likely because in our fallen human nature it is so hard for us to believe this truth when the wicked are getting away with wickedness. Psalm 37 calls us to see the world through the eyes of faith and to have that faith determine our actions; do good. The Lord loves justice and hates wickedness.  As His saints, we should make sure that we are doing what God loves. 

Glory to the Lord of hosts! 

His mercy endures forever! 

Pastor Flynn