Day 139: June 26
Psalms 119:1-88
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Psalms 37 and its wording, I would like to point out, is one of many reasons from Scripture why I am a conditionalist Christian (also called annihilationists, but, that misses the point in my opinion). The clear end of the wicked is destruction in Gehenna when prose such as this from Psalms 37 is used to describe their end - the opposite of eternal life.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it leads only to evil.
9
For evil men will
be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
10
A little while, and the
wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
11
The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;
13
but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.
14
The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.
15
But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.
16
Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;
17
for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18
The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever.
19
In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20
But the
wicked will perish: The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish--vanish like smoke.
21
The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;
22
those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.
23
If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;
24
though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
25
I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
26
They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.
27
Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.
28
For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the
offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
29
the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
30
The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.
31
The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.
32
The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives;
33
but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
34
Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. (perhaps this phrase alludes to Isaiah 66:24, where it says they will look upon the corpses of the rebellious against the Lord)
35
I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
36
but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37
Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
there is a future for the man of peace.
38
But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.
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Whew. I remember copying all of Psalms 119 by hand at the suggestion of a fellow church member in 2012 when I began to suffer from scrupulosity. It took several days in which I spent maybe half an hour or so progressing in it. I am sure I still have that little blank book for writing down Psalms 119 either in my drawer of my sealed up boxes out in the garage.
In fact I had used it instead of the Bible I copied it from in the first version of this thread, I believe.