Wisdom Psalms

Lecture Notes, Summer 2000 (Chuck Pitts)

è Psalm 1

--The Two ways: Righteous & Wicked

--The righteous delight in the Law of the Lord & avoid wicked counsel (& the way & seat of sinners). This is a recurrent theme in wisdom literature: seeking good counsel. For the psalmist, that good counsel is found in the Law of the Lord.

--Prosperity comes to the righteous: he is a firmly planted tree that bears fruit at the proper time. He prospers at what he does & never lacks for provisions.

--The wicked faces instability & destruction. They will amount to nothing like the chaff that blows away in the wind. They cannot stand before true justice (or could this be a reference to final judgment? Probably not, but it is possible.)

--Note the nature metaphors, which also appeared frequently in other wisdom literature, i.e. river, tree, fruit, chaff, & wind.

è Psalm 37

--Righteous vs. Wicked

--37:1-2—The ultimate destination of the wicked is destruction, so the righteous should not worry about the apparent inequities of life. God will work all things out in justice.

--37:8-11—The righteous will be patient & humble, not seeking wrathful revenge. They will trust God to take up the case of the righteous against the wicked. He will ultimately punish the wicked, while the “meek will inherit the land” (cf. Mt 5:5).

--37:16-17—As we saw in Proverbs, righteous poverty is more desirable than wicked wealth. God will break the power of the wicked, so the wise man will live a righteous life without worrying about the prosperity of the wicked.

--37:39-40—The righteous ones find salvation, deliverance, and help from the Yahweh when they take refuge in Him. He takes up the case of the righteous and judges the wicked.

--The blameless & upright are mentioned several times, i.e. 37:18, 37. They will find an eternal inheritance and peace.

--Note the emphasis on speech in 37:30-31. The Law of God produces wise speech in the mouth of the righteous. Therefore, “his feet do not slip.”

è Psalm 127

--Psalm 127:1-2 speak of Yahweh’s providence & sovereignty. Even if a person builds a great house with seeming peace & prosperity, unless Yahweh is the ultimate builder, that person will not know “sleep,” i.e. peace. God alone can bring peace & true prosperity.

--Psalm 127:3-5 speak of the importance of an inheritance. This is a beautiful metaphor of sons as arrows in a quiver. Children (esp. sons) are a righteous man’s reward & heritage & keep him from shame. Obviously, this would only be true if these were wise, righteous children to bring pride to their parents.

è Psalm 128

This is a traditional blessing upon those who “fear the Lord.” Those who fear the Lord can count on:

--Blessings on their labor, i.e. prosperity.

--Fruitful wife & children, i.e. his family will also prosper, bringing honor to the wise, righteous man.