Psalm 37 (Part 14) – Psa 37:24-26 – The Righteous Will Fall But Won’t Be Utterly Cast Down

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Psa 37:24 – “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.”

1. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down.
2. A good man will sometimes fall, but he will not be utterly cast down.
3. Utterly – 1. Without reserve or extenuation; sincerely, truly, plainly; straight out, straightway. Obs. (last usage in 1559) In a complete or utter manner; to an absolute or extreme degree; altogether, entirely, absolutely; fully, thoroughly, out and out.

iii.    A just man will fall repeatedly and rise up again (Pro 24:16).

1. Christians will be cast down, but not destroyed (2Co 4:9).
2. Cast – 76. cast down. d. To deject in spirits, disappoint, dispirit. Chiefly in pa. pple. = downcast.
3. God exhorted Israel to get up and shake the dust off of themselves (Isa 52:2).

vii.  The righteous can confidently say “when I fall, I shall arise” because the Lord is with him (Mic 7:8).

viii.A good man will sometimes rebel against God, and He will allow him to fall; but when he calls upon the LORD, He will save him and not let him utterly fall (Psa 107:9-13).

1. If he turns away from God and defiles the temple of God (the church), God will destroy him (1Co 3:16-17 c/w 1Co 5:5).
2. If he turns from his wickedness and repents, he will not be utterly cast down (2Co 2:6-8).
3. The LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
4. The reason that a good man will not be entirely and fully cast down is because the LORD upholds him with His hand.
5. God will deliver the righteous from seven (the number of completeness) troubles (Job 5:19).

iii.    Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all (Psa 34:19).

1. God will not suffer him to be moved (Psa 55:22).
2. The enemies of the righteous will afflict him many a time, but the Lord will not allow them to prevail against him (Psa 129:1-2; Psa 118:13).
3. No weapon that is formed against him shall prosper (Isa 54:17).

vii.  God will not allow a man to be tempted beyond what he is able to endure, but will always leave him a way of escape (1Co 10:13).

viii.The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations (2Pe 2:9).

1. Paul experienced deliverance by God when he was in desperate straits and he was confident that the Lord would continue to deliver him (2Co 1:8-10).
2. God comforts those who are cast down (2Co 7:6).

Psa 37:25 – “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”

2. David had lived a good long life, throughout which he had not seen God forsake the righteous and not provide for his basic necessities.
3. God doesn’t promise to provide for all of our lusts, but He does promise to provide for all of our need (food, clothing, shelter) (Php 4:19).
4. See notes on Psa 37:19.

Psa 37:26 – “He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.”

3. He is ever merciful.
4. The righteous man is ever merciful.
5. Ever – I. Always, at all times; in all cases.
6. Merciful – Of persons, their actions, attributes, etc.: Having or exercising mercy; characterized by mercy.
7. Mercy – 1. a. Forbearance and compassion shown by one person to another who is in his power and who has no claim to receive kindness; kind and compassionate treatment in a case where severity is merited or expected.
8. In other words, a righteous man always, at all times, in all cases shows kind and compassionate treatment to a man in his power who deserves and expects severity.

iii.    This is a godly characteristic in that God is known for His mercifulness (Deu 4:31; Neh 9:17; Eph 2:4-5; Tit 3:3-5).

1. The merciful man can expect God to be merciful to him (2Sa 22:26; Mat 5:7).
2. …and lendeth.
3. A righteous man is ever merciful to the poor, in that they are the one’s who need a loan.
4. In the law of Moses, God required loans made to fellow Israelites to be forgiven every seven years (Deu 15:1-2).
5. If a man had a poor brother in Israel who was in need, he was to open his hand wide unto him and lend him sufficient for his need (Deu 15:7-8).
6. Even if the seventh year was right around the corner, they were still to lend to their poor brethren (Deu 15:9-11).
7. A righteous man is ever merciful and lends, even at times when he knows that he will not be paid back.

iii.    Jesus taught that we should lend hoping for nothing in return, which is being merciful (Luk 6:34-36).

1. When we do so, we will never lack (Pro 28:27; Pro 19:17).
2. The righteous lends and gives to the poor, but the wicked is stingy and will not (Pro 29:7; Jam 2:15-16; 1Jo 3:17).
3. And his seed is blessed.
4. The merciful man who lends to his poor brother will be blessed, and so will his seed after him (Pro 20:7).
5. His seed will not be begging bread (Psa 37:25).

iii.    A righteous man will be blessed abundantly and will have enough to leave an inheritance to his grandchildren (Pro 13:22).