WISDOM PSALMS (PS. 36-37)

“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!” -Psalm 37:7

CHAPTER OF THE WEEK: Psalm 37 You can read it every day or just once, pray it, meditate on it, talk about it, or find other resources about it.

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Psalm 37:7 You can memorize it, read it every day or just once, pray it, meditate on it, talk about it, or find other resources about it.

ON THE LOOKOUT: Over the next few months, we’ll be taking a look at the different categories of the Psalms. There are all sorts of categories and themes in Psalms. Keep looking for attributes of God, prophecies and allusions to Jesus, things we can trust God with, verses of lament right next to verses of praise or trust, thanksgiving, verses that have patterns, and add to your list looking for the theme of the week.

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK: Mike Mazzalongo teaches on Wisdom Psalms.

SONG OF THE WEEK: “Your Love Oh Lord (Psalm 36)” by Third Day YouTube link, Spotify link.

PLAYLIST FOR THE WEEK: Here is a playlist with songs from Psalms 36-37 YouTube link, Spotify link.

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: As you read Scripture this week, see if you can categorize or find themes in the passages. Especially look for verses that show differences between the lives of the wicked and the righteous.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I suppose there is hardly a place in all the Bible better suited than these verses to teach us how to live godly lives and grow in the love and knowledge of God, which is what the godly life is about” – from Psalms Volume 1 by James Montgomery Boice

THOUGHTS on Psalms 36-37

We have explored a lot of different categories and themes in the Psalms: Messianic, trust, lament, thanksgiving, and acrostic. If you’ve been doing one of the Psalms reading plans, you might have noticed that a lot of the Psalms from chapters 1-35 are from an individual perspective and directed at God. But then there are a few that seem to be written to an audience of people instead of as a worship song to God. For example, Psalm 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” The whole psalm continues that Proverbs-like teaching method. These are often categorized as wisdom psalms and have a unique and interesting purpose.

What is a Wisdom Psalm? There is no agreed upon list or even indicators of wisdom psalms. Some people don’t even view it as a category and just label them “miscellaneous”. In my reading of Psalms and research, I’ve found a few things that seem to fit. 

As I’ve already mentioned, wisdom psalms are generally written to people instead of to God. But I would consider Psalm 73 a wisdom psalm even though in it, Asaph switches between addressing people and then God like in verses 27-28, “For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” 

Wisdom psalms also contain contrasts of the life of the wicked and the life of the righteous, very similar to the book of Proverbs. We see this all throughout Psalm 37 as demonstrated in verses 10-11, “In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”

Why Are Wisdom Psalms in the Book of Psalms? At first glance, these do seem a bit out of place in the book of Psalms. But remember how a large majority of Psalms are laments? In the laments, the Psalmist cries to God for the injustice around him, especially the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous. Wisdom psalms seem to be the calm logical response to laments. The lives of the wicked and the righteous are contrasted and even though they both end in death, it is clear that in this life and the next the wicked never really prosper or benefit from the things that actually matter in this life and the next. The wicked will perish. The righteous will gain an inheritance. The wicked look rich, but the righteous are rich in God who will take care of them. Take a look at the things in Psalm 37 that the wicked earn in life compared to what the righteous get:

So even when the wicked look like they’re prospering, they are really failing. They might look like they’re not suffering in this life, but they will suffer forever in the next.

How Can We Use the Wisdom Psalms? These wisdom Psalms should bring us great peace in times of suffering. It’s a reminder that God is just and punishment will come in His time. It should also prompt a time of reflection on our own lives. Do our lives line up with the characteristics of the wicked or the righteous? Take a look at this list of commands for the righteous in Psalm 37 and ask yourself how you’re doing in these areas:

Yes, the Psalms are emotional, but these wisdom psalms remind us that we are reasonable and logical beings as well. On top of it all, we have a choice. We can choose to follow God, or follow our own way. We can choose to be mad at God, or to submit to His authority and timing. We can choose to seek and delight in Him and prosper in eternal things or follow the world and seek after our own pleasures. What will you choose this week?