Tag: psalm 37

David and Yeshua encourage faith in Yahweh

Trusting in God provides security and motivation for righteous actions.

Trusting in God provides security and motivation for righteous actions.

Psalm 37:3 – Trust in Yahweh and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

This entire psalm by David is devoted to reassuring those who trust in Yahweh, encouraging them not to be envious or overly concerned with the practices of the wicked. Trusting in Yahweh is illustrated as fostering behavior that results in his favor. By trusting in Yahweh, one is motivated to do good.

Psalm 37:26-27, 30-31 – All day long he [the faithful one] is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing. Depart from evil and do good, So you will abide forever. … The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, And his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.

The psalm also says the faithful will dwell in the land; a reference to the security of the position of the one who trusts in him. By contrast, the wicked are spoken of as disappearing, being cut off, and vanishing like smoke. This is illustrated repeatedly throughout the psalm.

  • Psalm 37:9-11 – For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for Yahweh, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
  • Psalm 37:20, 22, 35-36, 38 – But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of Yahweh will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish–like smoke they vanish away. … For those blessed by Him will inherit the land, But those cursed by Him will be cut off. … I have seen a wicked, violent man Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil. Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more; I sought for him, but he could not be found. … But transgressors will be altogether destroyed; The posterity of the wicked will be cut off.

In a similar fashion, Yeshua encourages faith in Yahweh and obedience to his commands by illustrating the two houses that are built on differing foundations.

  • Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
  • Matthew 7:24-27 – “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell–and great was its fall.”

Even though these passages were conveyed to their hearers a thousand years apart, we can see a consistent theme: by placing our faith in Yahweh, we can have an established security that can weather any storm, while those who instead choose their own ways will suffer the consequences of their own wickedness.

Returning to Psalm 37, it speaks of how the righteous actions of those who trust in Yahweh will become self-evident, as bright as the noonday sun.

Psalm 37:4-6 Delight yourself in Yahweh; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to Yahweh, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.

Trusting in Yahweh is just that: trust. But it is a trust that is demonstrated through righteous actions; the two cannot be separated. Additionally, the evidence provided over a millennium of tried-and-true experience in the fortunes of Israel should bolster our confidence to trust him, and not to trust in our own ways which only lead to wickedness. We can be established and secure in the land, or we can be cut off and vanish away like smoke. As followers of the Messiah, we should be strengthened to abide in his words that have been demonstrated as true since the times of David and will continue to do so throughout eternity.

If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Now also on YouTube, find us at: Core of the Bible on YouTube.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

Meekness provides stability and strength with integrity

Believers should be shining the light, not cursing the darkness.

Believers should be shining the light, not cursing the darkness.

Matthew 5:5 – Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Few are aware that this famous saying of Yeshua is actually a quote from the Psalms:

Psalm 37:10-11 – Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.

The depth of meaning provided by the reference in this psalm widens the scope to show the contrast between the wicked and the meek. The wicked, due to their unfaithfulness to Yahweh, were to be removed from the land. This is a principle borne out by the testimony of the prophets and the witness of history, as Israel was removed from its land due to its idolatrous practices; first by the Assyrians, and then by the Babylonians.

The wicked were those who were guilty of sin, criminal, hostile to God. But by contrast, those who were to be inheritors were those who were meek. The Hebrew meaning of this word is to be humble, lowly, poor, weak, and afflicted. When we overlay the Hebrew meaning with the Greek definition from Matthew 5 we get the idea of mildness and gentleness. Combined, the idea of humility, being lowly of mindset, fits well with the mild and gentle demeanor that should be a hallmark of all believers.

This same Greek word for meekness was a characteristic that was exemplified for us by Yeshua and encouraged by the apostles, most significantly in Peter’s epistle to the scattered believers.

Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. “Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 21:5 – Tell Daughter Zion, “See, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

1 Peter 3:3-4 – Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry, but rather what is inside the heart ​– ​the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

In our current generation of rampant criticism, politicization of fringe practices, and trampling of common sense and objectivity, many believers have been caught up in the swirl of sensationalism and self-promotion that continues to divide our society. However, our role in this world is to exemplify the qualities of mildness and gentleness, not as doormats for others to walk on, but as having great strength under control. We have a duty to speak out for what is right, but to do so with humility and reserve so that the reasonableness of truth can be shown for what it is.

1 Peter 3:15-16 – but in your hearts regard Messiah the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Messiah will be put to shame.

1 Peter 2:12, 15 – Conduct yourselves honorably among the nations, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God … For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

We need more of this.

If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Now also on YouTube, find us at: Core of the Bible on YouTube.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.