Psalm 92 9 Do the Wicked Really Prosper?

Transcription

1 Psalm 92 9 Do the Wicked Really Prosper? An Overview The message of Psalm 92 addresses an ageold question: What about the prosperity of the wicked? The early part of the psalm reflects the tension that arises between the rewards of righteousness and the results of wickedness. In the second division of the psalm, a clear resolution is advocated. The writer admitted that the wicked may seem to prosper; however, he cut through the way things look to the realization that their success is hollow and temporary. God, he argued, allows the disobedient to experience prosperity in order that they may provide a setting for Him to display His condemnation of evil. The psalm ends with an announcement that the certain triumph of justice is an important cause for the continual praise of God. Those who join in the writer s quest for a better understanding of this theme will be constrained to rejoice with him over the answer God gives for the problem. Selected Applications Case Resolved This psalm takes the reader on a walk through one of the corridors of righteous living. It does not paint the sky with rosy colors, glossing over the conflicts and the seeming contradictions that the godly person must often confront. No, it works through the disparities and comes to the sacred truth of what godly living is like. Everyone should see God s works and praise Him. The psalmist acknowledged that the foolish and the wicked do not recognize or praise God. He addressed the great divide between the attitudes of reverence and foolishness, concluding that the wicked are temporary and will eventually destroy themselves. When that occurs, God s glory will be reflected in His justice. The unrighteous may be prosperous for a season, but their success is deceptive. Like flowers, they flourish briefly, only to be cut off forever. The wise will see through their façade, trusting in God s right eousness and the judgment that will surely come (92:7). The person who genuinely prospers is one who is planted in Yahweh and His house. He worships Him and sees His works (92:4). His life is fruitful, even into old age (92:14a). His prosperity is not to be found in this fleeting world; it is found in knowing the living God and being His faithful servant. The righteous person has an enduring prosperity that does not fade with time, deteriorate with use, or fall apart before the judgment of God. Considering Wickedness As we think about the wonderful works of God, a jarring realization comes to our minds: Not everyone sees them! In fact, we must confess with this psalmist, A senseless man has no knowledge, nor does a stupid man understand this (92:6). No, the unbeliever does not see or understand the works of God, and he does not grasp the destiny of the wicked. He is oblivious to the fact that when the wicked sprouted up like grass... [i]t was only that they might be destroyed forevermore (92:7). These thoughts about the wicked demand consideration as we look at life. We do not think long about our situation until we recognize, as did this psalmist, that the wicked will be part of our lives. Their presence and their prosperity, as well as other aspects of their existence, must be put into the mix of our thoughts about God. The human race has been granted 1

2 freedom of choice by a gracious God. We, like the angels, can decide between good and evil. Some have abused this sacred privilege also like some angels and have chosen to rebel against God. They have been consumed by their quest for riches, pleasures, or other selfish ends. These people are in our communities; they may be among our friends or families. Any study of life must acknowledge their existence. However, with further thought about them, we must conclude that they are foolish. The psalmist called them senseless. They are brutish and animal-like in the ways they think. This writer referred to them as people devoid of understanding. They have chosen to be ignorant of God and His ways. Verse 6 says, A senseless man has no knowledge, nor does a stupid man understand this. This statement pictures a person who never thinks about God, never considers His works, and never looks up in gratitude for what He has done. Anyone who does not see what God has done and is doing must be labeled stupid. An additional thought comes to us about the senseless: They may have life, but they do not have full lives. They sprout up like grass and thrive for a while. We are tempted to look at them and say, Evil pays dividends. The best way to prosper is to live solely for oneself. Then, with soberness and deeper thinking, we look more closely at these people and remember that we have a flaw in our calculations: We have failed to acknowledge their end, their destiny. Viewing the climax to life, the psalmist observed that God allows them to go to the top only that they might be destroyed forever (92:7c). Yes, God tolerates their prosperity and permits them to succeed for a time, but He does so for a reason. The wicked, at the end, will be an example of the justice of God. They will serve God, whether they are aware of it or not, by providing the setting for Him to bring His wrath upon wickedness and reward righteousness. Our thought-journey, then, leads us to a fourth truth: the realization that the wicked man will have a woeful end. Only his repentance and return to God can prevent it. The words of this psalmist are apropos: For, behold, Your enemies, O Lor d, for, behold, Your enemies will perish; all who do iniquity will be scattered (92:9). This is the truth about life. Sooner or later, the wicked person will perish. He will be scattered. God has announced the end at the very beginning, and we need to look at that end from where we are. What, then, have we learned about life? Under the guidance of this psalm, we have been led to look again at the landscape of life. We have seen that wickedness is here. We may not have all the answers for the questions that could be raised about evil, but we can know this fundamental truth: God has chosen to let it exist in the world for a while. We will have to live the righteous life around wickedness. The testimonies of life and God s Word declare that the one who turns to wickedness is stupid or animal-like. Whoever pursues it has chosen to be senseless about two truths: He will not find true happiness or fulfillment in life, and he is headed toward a tragic end at death. We must love righteousness and pursue it, and we must remember that God will handle the wicked in His own way, in His own time. With wisdom from God we can look with confidence on righteousness and, with equal confidence, anticipate the ultimate demise of the wicked. Like a Tree A favorite Old Testament metaphor for the righteous person is the strong, healthy tree. The first psalm says, He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water (1:3a). Psalm 92 compares him to a palm tree and to a cedar in Lebanon: The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon (92:12; see 128:3). Like a tree, the righteous are stately and strong. The first psalm says of the wicked, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away... [T]he wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous (1:4b, 5). Here, we read that the righteous grow like a cedar in Lebanon (92:12b). The cedars of Lebanon were the highest grade of trees. When special building was being done, lumber from these the finest of trees was brought in for the project. These cedars were tall and strong, the epitome of life. This, the writer was saying, is an illustration of the righteous. They have strong, enduring lives, which the wicked do not have. Like a tree, the righteous are vibrant and productive. Psalm 1 says that the righteous are like a tree... planted by streams of water (1:3a). They have an immediate source of energy and pro- 2

3 ductivity which makes them full of life and full of fruit. This psalmist said, The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree (92:12a). Such a person is metaphorically described as forever green, a picture to behold, and a producer of tasty dates. The wicked cannot bring forth any lasting fruit, but the righteous produce fruit both now and forevermore. Like a tree, the righteous have a longevity that the wicked do not have. The first psalm speaks vividly of the passing of the wicked. They leave quickly, like chaff, and are scattered forever (1:4). This psalm says the righteous, like good and wholesome trees, will be productive even in old age. Drawing their strength from God, they blossom with life: Planted in the house of the Lor d, they will flourish in the courts of our God (92:13). The passing of time does not affect them: They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green (92:14). The palm and the cedar of Lebanon are the choicest types of trees. They have beauty and strength with long and productive lives. They stand as sentinels which herald that they have received God s goodness and enjoy the blessings of good life. The righteous man possesses all of these traits and more. He flourishes and grows; and at the end of life he is able to declare the goodness of God. The Gold of the Golden Years Youth has advantages, but so does age. In fact, there is gold to be found in the golden years. We must make sure that we find it. The youthful have energy, but godly old folk have abundant life. Young people have a promising future, but the aged have a glorious past with God. While the young may have bright minds, those who have grown old with God have wisdom and a keen understanding of His ways. When we look into the faces of old saints, what do we see? People who can testify to God s faithfulness. They have walked with God in all kinds of situations the enjoyable ones, the humdrum ones, and the difficult ones and have seen God keeping His promises and watching over His own in each circumstance of life. The long walk with God can give the greatest and highest testimony to His faithfulness because it declares that He is steadfast and sure. People who have experienced changes and stresses but have lived in God s strength. In life s journey, they have descended into dark valleys, walked in the midnight, and come out to the sunshine through His grace. They know that God has sustained them, bringing them over the rocks to the quiet pastures. They may not be able to describe how God has done it all, but they know that He has done it. People who have been fruitful and are now bringing forth a special and meaningful fruit. They have served God faithfully and have done some good, probably wishing they could have done more. As twilight comes, they are still serving. Maybe they are not doing what they once could do; but they are still serving by bringing forth a new kind of fruit, the kind that only the aged servant can produce. They show the young what a godly elderly person is like. People who have a unique message that no one else can give. The youth of the church can speak from teenage lips and serve with strong, energetic teenage bodies. This is a service that only youth can give to the world. The aged also have a special message that only they can share. They can declare that the Lor d [has been] upright all through the years, that He has always been faithful to His own (92:15a). They can say that the Lord is a shelter to protect us from all storms, for they have seen and experienced it. Out of their long experience, they can proclaim that the Lord s righteousness is firm and never wavers. People who sing a song that no one else can sing. Youth sing that God s grace has appeared, but the aged sing that God s grace has sustained them through the years, through trials and hardships. Youth can tell what the beginning is like, but the elderly can tell what the journey has been like. Young Christians begin to understand God s grace as they reflect on their baptism; the aged can reflect on how that grace will soon take them home to glory. Together we sing the same song, but the words bring different vistas of spiritual life to our minds to the youth, a happy and contented beginning; and to the old soldiers, a happy and contented conclusion. Yes, when we look into the faces of aged saints, we can say with the psalmist, They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green, to declare that the Lor d is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him (92:14, 15). Eddie Cloer Copyright, 2011 by Truth for Today. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 3

4 The Sermon 9 The Wonderful Works of God (92:4, 5) The servant of the Lord can say with deep emotion and thoughtful intelligence, For You, O Lor d, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands. How great are Your works, O Lor d! Your thoughts are very deep (92:4, 5). As people of this earth, we are made glad by events and relationships around us. We re joice in our children and grandchildren. We enjoy food and personal health. We find satisfaction in our success at work. We experience good things in many other ways. These good experiences are the works of God (James 1:17). As the servant of God looks around him and sees God s works, he marvels at them, rejoices in them, and praises Him for them. HIS Creation We are continually awestruck by His works of creation. The sun, moon, and stars; the earth and its seasons; night and day; the human race: All these capture our attention and provide topics of praise again and again. We can say with the psalmist, The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge (19:1, 2). In our reading and meditation, we find His works filling our minds and giving us encouragement. What God has done in the past serves as a pledge of His faith fulness for the future. In prayer we can say with the psalmist, O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us the work that You did in their days, in the days of old (44:1). Nothing should be more thrilling to us than listening to what God has done in the past. My dad would often tell me of evangelistic efforts that were made many years ago in Northwest Arkansas, resulting in the establishment of several congre gations of the Lord s church. He was telling me of the works of God in his day. His recounting of these events is deeply etched in my mind. As we look back, we see His miraculous works that tell of His power and provide a testimony to the nations about His greatness and uniqueness. For the Israelites, He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and He made the waters stand up like a heap (Psalm 78:13). As they journeyed, He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths ; He rained down manna upon them to eat and gave them food from heaven (Psalm 78:15, 24). God s miracles of the past are signs, billboards, that declare His supernatural strength and provide a basis for our confident walk with Him now. HIS CONTINUAL CARE As we contemplate God s continual care for His people, our minds turn to His works of providence. In our lives with Him, we are constantly confronted with His daily works. Like this psalmist, we can say, How great are Your works, O Lor d! Your thoughts are very deep (92:5). His providential care is beyond our ability to understand and to explain. We cannot always interpret it, but we can inscribe it upon our hearts. We do not expect Him to work miracles for us, like the parting of the Red Sea, but we believe that He will watch over us with gracious care, fulfilling His promise to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Wherever He leads, He empowers us to follow Him. Every moment of happiness, every taste of good water, every smile from a friend, and every morsel of bread is an expression of His lovingkindness. HIS PROVISION OF SALVATION Paramount in our thinking is His work of salvation. We know that we have been redeemed and sustained by His great hand. Our very words 4

5 are these: Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul (54:4). With an understanding that the Old Testament servants did not have, we must testify, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). CONCLUSION God s mighty works surround us. They fill the past, sustain the present, and promise us an everlasting future. They are praiseworthy, gracious, continual, and ever-present. They filled yesterday and anticipate tomorrow. They bring us His salvation, remove our cares, and serve as the wings that will bear us to everlasting life. If we listen carefully, we can hear God s servants saying in prayer again and again if not in literal words, then in the same spirit How great are Your works, O Lor d! Your thoughts are very deep (92:5). May all of us, as God s servants, join together and look at His works, rejoice in them, and allow them to encourage us to trust in the faithfulness of our God. Eddie Cloer Copyright, 2011 by Truth for Today. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 5