Psalm 37:27-40

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading — Psalm 37:27-40
• Sermon
• Pastoral Prayer

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Sermon Title: The Meek Pilgrim's Long View

Scripture: Psalm 37:27-40

I. Meek Speech (Psalm 37:30-31)

A. The righteous speak wisdom and justice — their words flow from a heart shaped by God's law

B. Evidence of true meditation on God's word is seen in one's speech — venom and ugly talk reveal a heart that has not internalized Scripture

C. Alexander MacLaren: the word of God internalized is the foundation of all permanence — it produces wise words and stable deeds, planting firm footing even on slippery ground

D. The wicked are shaken by the smallest disruption because they live for present comfort; those who meditate on God's word stand firm

II. Meek Strength (Psalm 37:32-35)

A. The wicked exercise their own might to destroy the righteous — but the answer is not that godly people are stronger; the answer is that the Lord's strength stands with them

1. David before Goliath did not boast in his own skill but rested in the strength of the Lord
2. The meek man is stronger than armies of the wicked because he rests in the Lord who fights for him

B. The wicked man is described as a flourishing green tree (Psalm 37:35) — the same imagery used for the righteous in Psalm 1:3

1. James Montgomery Boice: at times the wicked flourish so visibly that they seem indistinguishable from the righteous
2. We are not to judge by appearances but by the word of God — Proverbs 3:5-6: trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding

C. The wicked tree passes away and is no more (Psalm 37:36) — the long view reveals what present appearances conceal

III. Meek Sight (Psalm 37:32, 37)

A. Two contrasting acts of beholding appear in this passage:

1. The wicked watches the righteous in order to destroy them (Psalm 37:32)
2. The meek are called to mark the blameless and behold the upright in order to imitate them (Psalm 37:37)

B. Two reasons the wicked hate the righteous:

1. Righteous, just people disrupt unjust schemes and get in the way of unjust gain
2. Wickedness looks more wicked when standing next to its opposite — true goodness exposes the false; Satan presents himself as an angel of light, and genuine righteousness unmasks him

C. The meek do not view the righteous as a threat — they behold them and seek to imitate them, as Paul says: imitate me as I imitate Christ

D. David as an old man calls us to look back across generations — to mark how God has cared for his people through persecution, martyrdom, and dark days

1. The church still stands after 2,000 years of blood and persecution
2. Christ promised the gates of hell shall not prevail against his church (Matthew 16:18)
3. In the end wickedness will be cut off and righteousness will reign — Psalm 37:38-40

E. Application: be meek, humble, and self-effacing; love your enemies; let your speech overflow with truth, grace, and mercy; wait on the Lord — he will exalt his faithful ones in due time