Psalm 37:18

"The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever."

"The LORD knoweth the days of the upright ..." The creator of the universe is omniscient. According to this verse He knows the days of the upright. For example, He knows the number of the days. One thing we are not given to know is how long we are going to live. But God does know how many our days are to be. 2 Peter 3:8 tells us, " ... one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." He is not bounded by time. He knows the number of our days.

He knows also the content of the days of the upright. Every moment of every day is known to Him. This is a comfort because He knows all that is to come to pass. Nothing is out of His control. Jesus underlines this in Luke 12:6, 7 by saying, "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." God’s care for the upright goes to the most "insignificant" detail. What a comfort to consider that He knows the upright to this level of detail.

Say the word "inheritance" and many people’s ears will pick up. Especially when their name is mentioned in the context. Of the upright this verse from Psalm 37 says, "... their inheritance shall be forever." This verse speaks of eternal inheritance. This kind of inheritance is of far more value than anything that we can gain in this life. The heir of Bill Gates will still be eternally poor in comparison to the blessed upright one referred to in this verse. Many other scriptures speak of the inheritance provided to the one who is the heir of God.

For example, Titus 3:4-7 tells us, "But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." The inheritance to the upright, and the vehicle by which it is gained, are both mentioned here. The inheritance consists of eternal life. What a stupendous inheritance this is! To live eternally is the desire of every person. And, the inheritance of eternal life comes through the person and work of the LORD Jesus Christ, through God’s mercy and grace to us. Through Him we are heirs of eternal life.

And another. Hebrews 9:15 says, "... for this cause he (Jesus) is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." With words that are similar to Paul’s to Titus the writer here speaks of the work of Christ and the eternal inheritance. Notice here that it is a PROMISE of eternal inheritance. Scripture tells us that it is impossible for God to lie. So when He makes a promise it is certain to come to pass. Since He willingly paid such an awful price for us (the death of His Son) how can He not, with Him, freely give us all things? Consider too that this death was for the transgressions that were under the first covenant. Those things which we refer to as the Ten Commandments were the laws of the first covenant. Has anyone been able to obey those laws? No! Jesus’ death covered all of the transgressions against those laws, and brought eternal inheritance.

To God’s glory, 1 Peter 1:3-5 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." So the resurrection of our LORD Jesus Christ is the seal on the inheritance. Had He stayed in the grave we would have no hope of anything. But His resurrection is what makes the certainty of the eternal inheritance absolute. Also notice that this inheritance is incorruptible and undefiled. It is without tarnish or spot. Neither does the promised inheritance fade away. It cannot be lessened in any way. It will not be lessened in any way. It is reserved in heaven for those that are His. There it is in His very presence. He has it in His mighty hand. He is ready to deliver it. Notice too what else is in His mighty hand, even we ourselves. We are kept, this verse says, by His power unto the inheritance He has for us. It is not possible to be more secure.

Not the last, but another is Romans 8:17, where we are told, "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." This says that we are joint-heirs with Christ. How wonderful! Joint heirs are mutually responsible for the use of the inheritance. Not one penny can be spent by one without the other, or vice versa. Notice too that we, His joint-heirs, are here called God’s children. And if children, then heirs.

The passage in Psalm 37 starts with the upright. The upright are the ones that receive God’s blessings. According to this verse, God’s blessing includes His intimate familiarity with all that goes on in our lives, and an eternal inheritance. We have seen that this inheritance includes eternal life, which is promised, and which is incorruptible, undefiled, and fades not away, it is reserved in heaven and the upright are joint-heirs with Christ. But most important is that it cost God greatly to provide this inheritance, even the death of His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ. His death won for the upright an eternal inheritance. To God be the glory for the great salvation that He has planned and provided!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in.
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died, to take away my sin.

HJK