Dig Two Ditches

Don't Take Matters Into Your Own Hands • Sermon • Submitted a month ago • Presented a month ago

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This sermon illustrates the boomerang principle: wicked actions targeting others often backfire and the initiative receives the intent of their own plots.

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Don’t Take Matters Into Your Own Hands

Psalm 37:10-22 10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. 11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. 12 The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, 13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. 14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; 15 their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. 16 Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. 17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. 18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; 19 they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance. 20 But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. 21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; 22 for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

The Organization of Psalm 37 9 (The sermons begins below, not here. This section is an explanation of how David organizes the Psalm. I point this out when I read the text prior to preaching the sermon).

Psalm 37 is divided into sections by the phrase "the righteous shall inherit the earth":

Verses 1-11: Dividing Verse: Verse 9 - "For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land." Summary: This section emphasizes the contrast between the fate of the wicked and the righteous. It encourages trust in the Lord, patience, and a commitment to righteousness despite the apparent success of the wicked.

Verses 12-22: Dividing Verse: Verse 22 - "For those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off." Summary: Here, the focus shifts to the blessings that come to the righteous. It highlights the provision, protection, and guidance that God offers to those who follow Him faithfully.

Verses 23-29: Dividing Verse: Verse 29 - "The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever." Summary: This section reinforces the promise of inheritance for the righteous. It emphasizes the security and stability that come from walking in God's ways and contrasts it with the temporary nature of the wicked's prosperity.

Verses 30-40: Dividing Verse: Verse 34 - "Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off." Summary: The final section urges perseverance in righteousness and trust in the Lord's justice. It assures that ultimately, the righteous will be vindicated and rewarded, while the wicked will face judgment. The psalmist encourages patience, integrity, and reliance on God's timing and provision.

INTRODUCTION Growing up I often heard the older members of the community say, "If you dig one ditch, you had better dig two because the one you dig for me is the one meant for you." What they were saying is the harm you plan for others often backfires on the one doing planning.

It's a cautionary tale to warn against the pitfalls of malicious intentions and actions. When I got older, much to my delight, I discovered that scripture said the same thing.

Proverbs 26:27: "Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him."

Psalm 7:15: "He made a pit and dug it out, and has fallen into the ditch which he made."

Understanding the Text

Psalm 37 is for anyone who has experienced injustice and wickedness. It lets you know that prosperity of the wicked is temporary but the blessings of the righteous are eternal. Wickedness will fade away like the flowers in the field, but what you do in the name of righteousness and for God will last forever.

Exploring Psalm 37:10-22 In verses 10 through 22, the Psalmist, David, presents contrasts the wicked and the righteous. The wicked, despite their apparent prosperity, are on borrowed time. They plot against the righteous, weaponize their schemes, and would have you believe that they are invincibility. But the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Their downfall is inevitable.

WICKEDNESS But what does it mean to be wicked? The word in our text for wicked is the Hebrew word "רָשָׁע" (rasha`). It means being wicked, guilty, or in the wrong. But it means more than that. A wicked person actively and intentionally lives in opposition to God and the word of God. They persist in doing wrong and committing injustice towards others. Now there is a difference in committing a wrong action incidentally or occasionally and living and staying in a state of wrongness and wickedness. We all have done wrong at some point. But the wicked live in wrong.

RIGHTEOUSNESS Righteousness, on the other hand, comes from the Hebrew word "צַדִּיק" (tzaddik). A righteous person adheres to divine laws, acts justly towards others, and lives a life trying to uphold the word and the principles of God.

But don’t let the wicked trouble you. Our text suggests that when the wicked act wrongly towards the righteous, it results in their own downfall, they are repaid in kind for their actions.

Actions of the Wicked and the Response of God Actions of the Wicked

In Psalm 37:12, David points out the actions of the wicked, then he tells us how God responds.

First, our text says in verse 12, the wicked plot against the righteous. They deliberately intend to harm those who live by God’s law. It's not a spontaneous or thoughtless action but a calculated effort to undermine or destroy the well-being and the integrity of the righteous. The text also says the wicked gnash their teeth.

Gnashing the teeth means anger, hostility, and intense animosity and aggression towards others. It is an outward display of their inward frustration because they see you standing strong and moving.

"But I am also glad that we serve a God who is sovereign, a God who oversees every aspect of our lives, a God whose omnipotent hand maneuvers through the actions of the wicked. A God is strong and mighty, a God whose power is unbeatable, whose wisdom is unerring, and whose justice is undeniable.

Never forget that no matter how active the wicked, they are no match for God. God will assure that righteousness prevails and His will is accomplished. In fact, God uses the tricks of the wicked to accomplish His will.

But how does God respond to the wicked’s schemes and their plots? Look at the text: Psalm 37:13 says He laughs at it. Years ago I joined the Marines and went to boot camp. The summer after boot camp, I pledged Phi Beta Sigma.

After going through boot camp, pledging was a breeze. So inwardly, I laughed. I didn’t laugh because it was funny. I laughed because the experience of getting through boot camp gave me an assurance that if God got me through that, he could get me through anything.

The notion of God laughing at the wicked might initially seem puzzling or as unloving and unmerciful. However, God’s laugh is not the laugh of amusement. God’s laugh is based upon divine knowledge. God knows the fate of the wicked. He knows how the story ends. He sees the future, so he is not phased by the present. God knows that the wicked’s plots are ultimately inconsequential, temporary, and fleeting. God laughs at the schemes of the wicked because He sees that their day is coming. God is omniscient and knows that the wicked's time of reckoning is inevitable. He has an appointed time when they will face consequences for their actions. This is not a God’s gonna get them kind of sermon. That is not what I am saying. What I am saying is there are divine principles at play. I am not preaching about punishing the wicked, I am talking about restoring justice. I am not preaching at the wicked, I am preaching about a God whose timing is perfect and whose ways are mysterious.

Saints of God, be comforted, don’t despair in the face of evil but trust God. The wicked’s actions, though threatening and harmful in the moment, are limited in time. So if the God God that we serve is patiently waiting and knows that there is an appointed time for the reckoning of the wicked, then we too, as God’s people can stop fretting and be troubled by their actions. God sees the end of things.

The Action of the Wicked The text also says that the wicked draw their swords and bend the bow in verse 14. So the wicked act with aggression and intent to harm those who are vulnerable and upright. The targets of these actions are described as "the poor and needy" and "those whose way is upright," indicating that the wicked not only seek to harm but specifically target the vulnerable. They are predators who deliberately attempt to destroy those who they think or feel are less powerful than them.

Swords and bows are instruments of war and violence. Don’t be deceived, the wicked will seek to hurt or destroy if you get in their way. According to the text, their goal is To Bring Down the Poor and Needy, to Slay Those Whose Way is Upright:

The Response of God But once again, there is always a Godly response to the action of the wicked. Verse 15 reveals that their sword will enter their own heart and their bows will be broken. God will thwart their plans, neutralize their powers, and spoil their plot.

RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE Retributive justice says the wicked will receive punishment or reward for their actions. We are all held accountable for our deeds.

Romans 2:6-8 (NIV):"God 'will repay each person according to what they have done.' To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger."

Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV):"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."

God will reward those who do good and deal with those who do evil.

WHOOP/CELEBRATION When you do wrong and try to hurt others, it will come back to you.

If you don’t believe me, read your Bible. Ask Haman about it. In the Book of Esther, Haman erected gallows to hang Mordecai but in the end, Haman was hung on the gallows he constructed for Mordecai.

If you dig one ditch, you had better dig 2, because the one you dig for me, will be the one intended for you.

Don’t believe me, read your Bible. Ask Joseph about it. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, intending evil against him, tried to destroy him, but God turned their evil into good, elevating Joseph and in the end, using Joseph to save the people and the brothers that tried to hurt him.

If you dig one ditch, you had better dig 2, because the one you dig for me, will be the one intended for you.

Ask Daniel about it. Daniel was thrown into the lions' den due to a plot by the King’s jealous officials. However, Daniel was saved by God, and those who plotted against him were thrown into the den to face the lions intended for Daniel.

If you dig one ditch, you had better dig 2, because the one you dig for me, will be the one intended for you.

As David about it. Saul sought to kill David out of jealousy. However, David had opportunities to kill Saul but did not. David's mercy towards Saul shone bright, and Saul’s wickedness towards David was brought out in the light.

If you dig one ditch, you had better dig 2, because the one you dig for me, will be the one intended for you.

YOU GONNA GET YOURS Gospel Singer Norman Hutchins sings a song entitled, “You Gonna Get It.” At the beginning of the song he tells this story: A boy about 7 years old was reading his favorite cowboy book. And the father says, son what are you doing and the son says, I’m reading my favorite cowboy book. The father says but son as I walk past your room all I hear you saying over and over is ,”You gonna get it.” And the son says, “Daddy, the good cowboy is always getting beat up by the bad cowboy. It frightens me, so I went to the end of the book to see how it ended and finally in the end the good cowboys beats the bad cowboy. I went back to where I left off and every time the bad guy hits the good guy, I remind him, “You gonna get yours.”

If they have lied on you, don’t worry, they gonna get theirs.

If they have plotted against, trust God, they are gonna get theirs. If they have lied on you, don’t worry, they gonna get theirs.

If they have plotted against, trust God, they are gonna get theirs.

If they have betrayed you, don't fret, they gonna get theirs.

If they have slandered your name, stay strong, they gonna get theirs.

If they have stolen from you, remain steadfast, they gonna get theirs.

If they have deceived you, have faith, they gonna get theirs.

If they have undermined you, keep your head up, they gonna get theirs.

If you dig one ditch, you had better dig 2, because the one you dig for me, will be the one intended for you. Have you ever seen a boomerang? The boomerang is an L-shaped wooden device used by the native Aborigine population in Australia. It returns to the one who throws it – when he or she throws it correctly. There is a boomerang effect in God’s kingdom. If you go right and seek to do good, it will return.

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