Fret Not...Cease from anger, and forsake wrath...
Ps 37
1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Comments
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Thanks, GaoLu, for reminding us of this passage of survival and hope. If one were reading the Bible through chronologically, Psalms 37, would be second in the order of four readings. e.g. 1 Kings 1-2; Psalms 37; Psalms 71; Psalms 94. I highly recommend reading these passages in the order they appear above. Ps 37, make so much more sense when read as stated above than as a stand-alone.
- Job. 5:3 is quoted in Psalms 37: 35, 36.
- Job. 11:17 is quoted in Psalms 37:6
- Beatitudes of Matthew 5:5 rests on Psalm 37:11.
- Matt. 5:10 rests Psalms 37.
Psalms 37 mentions ―the congregation of his elect which will be "chiefs and princes", "sheep in the midst of their pastures", "the congregation of the poor", and "his holy people". The language in these texts refers to those who are inside the Qumran community. The Essenes was a group that honored and respected those who held their same views, held their rituals, and obeyed their law. They also dishonored and held in disrepute those who were outside of their community.
Psalms 37:4-- Delighting in the Lord is akin to submission to God’s will. The notion is to willingly and joyfully submit to what He desires. This scripture will be used when teaching about submission to God’s will.
Psalms 37:4,5. Every effectual prayer will eventually be answered, and every holy desire will someday be gratified. But the psalmist laid down three conditions which we must meet in order to make our prayers effectual:
- A person must delight himself in the Lord. To him, the gospel is indeed “good tidings of great joy.” The promise is not for those who find the Christian life a gloomy monotony, a restriction of pleasure.
- The life must also be fully committed to the Lord so that He can direct the steps in paths of righteousness.
- Trust must be placed in God rather than in self. Those who have such an experience will know the meaning of answered prayer.
The concept of flourishing God’s promise of flourishing is available to the wicked ‘like a green bay leaf’ (Psalm 37:35); but their flourishing is not maintained (Psalms 37:36) like God’s righteousness (Psalms 103:17). See Hosea 14: 3- 7, where God’s love is a promise of flourishing for Israel. Israel will ‘dwell beneath God’s shadow’ and will ‘flourish as a garden’ and ‘blossom as the vine’.
The dark side of Ps 37 addresses those who have rejected God will reap the consequences of their actions, “complete annihilation,” after the millennium (Psalms 37:10, 20, 38; Isa. 40:10; Isa. 62:11; Rev. 22: 12; Rev. 20: 7—9; Mai. 4:1).
Let's get reading. CM
SOURCES:
-- Wise, M., Martin, A. Jr., and Cook E. 1996, The Dead Sea Scrolls a New Translation. Translated and with Commentary. San Fransisco: Harper Publishers. pp 220-225
-- Morris, L. "The Dead Sea Scrolls and St. John‘s Gospel" The Cambell Morgan Memorial Bible Lectureship No. 12: Westminster Chapel, Buckingham Gate, London, S.W.1. Online Article: www.biblicalstudies.org.uk. 2007-11-11. See especially page 6. -
I believe all anger is against God because he underwrites and empowers all that happens. I think of the murmuring Israelites spending 40 years in the wilderness to make an eleven day journey. In view of this we can come to a place where we pity those who assail and test us.
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@Dave_L said:
I believe all anger is against God because he underwrites and empowers all that happens. I think of the murmuring Israelites spending 40 years in the wilderness to make an eleven day journey. In view of this we can come to a place where we pity those who assail and test us.We know that can't be true. The Bible even says be angry and sin not.
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It says a lot about anger. “And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26–27)
For one it rests in the bosom of fools. “Be not quick to anger, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.” (Ecclesiastes 7:9)
“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthew 5:22)
If God controls all, how can you not be angry with him when angry?
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Ps 37, in short, don't be dismay of upset, evildoers will have their day of consequences. It may be sooner rather than later. CM
