Psalm 37, “Wise Living in the Land of the Wicked”

A. Structure Exhortation to hope in the Lord’s Deliverance (1-6) Comfort of Divine Retribution (7-11) Contrastive Ways of the Righteous and Wicked (12-26) Call for Wise Living in view of Belief in Divine Retribution (27-33) Exhortation to Hope in the Lord’s Deliverance (vv. 34-40) B. Principles (vv. 1-6) 1. Do Not Worry or Envy (vv. 1-2) 2. Do Good (vv. 3-4) 3. Wait on the Lord (vv. 5-6) 4. Application: Be obsessed with God. C. Practicalities (vv. 7-34) 1. Divine Judgment (vv. 7-11) 2. The Wicked Plots (vv. 12-15) 3. The Godly Vindicated (vv. 16-19) 4. The Wicked Destroyed (vv. 20-22) 5. The Godly Sustained (vv. 23-29) 6. Contrasting Obsessions (vv. 30-33) D. Principles Vindicated (vv. 34-40) 1. Judgment (v. 34) 2. Specific Example (vv. 35-36) 3. Exhortation to Observation (vv. 37-38) 4. Take Refuge in God (vv. 39-40)