Psalm 37 is an intriguing poem. In Hebrew it is an alphabetic acrostic, with each new stanza beginning with the next letter of the alphabet. Of course, this is very difficult to represent in English, so most translations do not bother trying. It also means that the song does not have much formal internal structure, but rather returns to a set of key themes throughout the entire psalm. One of the psalmist’s concerns is that his listeners are focusing too much on the things of this world and not enough on the life to come.
In v.16-17 David writes, “A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Yahweh upholds the righteous.” The righteous man is singled out, alone, and apparently without anyone to come to his aid. He looks like an easy target for the wicked and has very few resources on which he can rely. By all accounts, the righteous man is weak, insignificant, and poor, while the wicked are gathered together and pooling great resources. By any measure we choose, they are in the superior position, having greater wealth, numbers, and influence, yet all is not as it appears, for he says that the little is better than the much.
Why is this so? Because the Lord is on the side of the righteous and against the wicked. By his hand, the ungodly will have their strength broken, that is, it will be disabled and rendered ineffective. The righteous man, though he appears to be alone, is actually being supported by the strength of the Lord, and so he will not fall, though an army come against him. To be righteous with little is undoubtedly better than to be rich but stand in opposition to God!
And David continues to build on this thought in the next two stanzas: “Yahweh knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of Yahweh, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away” (v.18-20).
Here the Lord’s omniscience is brought forward so that his people might trust in him throughout any and all circumstances of life, whether good or bad. Not only does the Lord know the days of the upright, but he also sees past their days into the eternal future and can secure their inheritance forever. When he promises eternal life and eternal joy, he has the means by which to keep his word.
But what about when times of affliction and adversity come? In the evil time, doesn’t it seem like God is not keeping his promise when we suffer through trial and famine? It may appear that way, but it is only an appearance, not reality. What is real is that the righteous man will not be disappointed, even though the days are evil, and though famine comes he will be filled. True contentment is not found in having a life free from adversity and suffering but in being full even in times of famine.
When judgment does come, the wicked will perish, that is, they will simply cease to be. And it is no wonder, because they are the enemies of God, his opponents who have set themselves against him and will find him to be more than a match for their strength. David compares their strength to two things: the splendor of the meadows and smoke. Both of these are short-lived things which are here one moment and gone the next. The wicked, like them, will be here in his apparent strength and beauty, and the next thing he knows he will simply fade away into nothingness and it will be as though he had never been.
While we can’t be certain, it is possible that the apostle Paul had this psalm in mind when he wrote to Timothy and the believers at Ephesus these words: “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
To be righteous with little is undoubtedly better than to be rich but stand in opposition to God! This was true in David’s time and for the apostle Paul, and it continues to prove true in the 21st century, as well. Let us learn to be content.