Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
Depart from evil and do good, and dwell securely for evermore. The lasting dwelling is not special prosperity in this present life, but the future inheritance of the earth made new, for the wicked may prosper now yet they will be overthrown and cut off while those who wait on the Lord inherit the earth and remain in it forever. It will be a physical and permanent home on this same earth renewed under renewed heavens, regaining the original dominion according to God's purpose that the earth created to be inhabited will be possessed forever by the righteous. Those who turn from evil and do good will dwell forever because the Lord preserves His saints, and their possessing the earth follows the destruction of the wicked, who perish and are consumed like smoke and burned up at the day of judgment while the same fire purifies the earth and restores it to its primitive beauty wherein dwells righteousness. The righteous inherit the land because they trust in the Lord and have His law in their hearts, and the good they do is the fruit of Christ's Spirit in feelings and actions agreeing with God's law.
Psalm's Setting and Wording
The verse stands in a psalm that sets two classes of character side by side and brings cheer and promise to pilgrims on earth. It is instructive, devout, helpful and elevating, teaching trust and confidence in God. It gives assurance that wickedness will finally be overthrown and good will triumph. It sets the future life of God's children over against the destruction of those who finally reject salvation.
The psalm gives voice to sorrow and affliction, even the sorrows and afflictions of Hebrew captives. It joins to that lament exhortation and encouragement with assurance of divine help and final deliverance from persecutors. Lingering over it steadies those in affliction to trust God when the wisdom of their circumstances cannot be seen.
The command is to turn away from evil and to do what is good. By that turning and doing, people dwell securely for evermore.
Eternal Earthly Inheritance
Turning from evil and doing good leads to dwelling securely forever, and this lasting dwelling is the future inheritance of the earth made new, not special prosperity in this present life. The wicked may prosper now, but they will be overthrown and finally cut off, while those who wait on the Lord inherit the earth, remain in their inheritance, and dwell there forever. The promise is physical and permanent, concerning the righteous permanently inheriting the earth, regaining their original rightful dominion, and reigning on it, in contrast to the wicked who will not remain there. It repeats in different words that the meek shall inherit the earth and the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth, showing God's original purpose that the earth created to be inhabited will remain and be possessed forever by righteous people.
Dwelling for evermore means inheriting the land of promise and possessing it and dwelling securely and in peace upon it to eternity as an everlasting home on this same earth renewed under renewed heavens. New heavens and a new earth mean a renewed heaven and earth, not a system made of new materials, just as the new creature in Christ is a renewed man, and God's people will have the purified earth as their everlasting home. It supports the promise of an everlasting earthly kingdom and saints' inheritance in the renewed earth, where the earth is renewed as a spiritual home for Christ's people who receive him. That kingdom will be literal yet spiritual, covering the territory of the four great empires, where this earth is regenerated and recreated as a spiritual home for a spiritual people, and where they dwell forevermore in an everlasting kingdom with no sickness, no oppression, no sorrow or sighing, no sin and no death, under the forever reign of Jesus Christ as King of peace over shining immortals.
In the psalm's context the righteous are preserved and inherit the land because they trust in the Lord and have his law in their hearts. Turning from evil and doing good is the way of life associated with dwelling forever, and the verse belongs among the scriptures of the inheritance of God's people, giving the Christian the prospect of inheriting the earth and eternal life. Those who turn from evil and do good will dwell forever because the Lord preserves his saints and gives them an everlasting inheritance in the land, while the wicked are cut off and destroyed, and when the wicked are cut off their end is final. Their dwelling follows the destruction of the wicked, for in a little while the wicked shall not be and their place shall not be found, they shall perish and be consumed into smoke like the fat of lambs.
The wicked receive their reward by being burned up on this earth where deeds were done at the day of judgment, and as soon as they are consumed the saints possess the earth, because the same fire that burns up the wicked purifies the earth and restores it to its primitive beauty as a renewed earth wherein dwells righteousness for the people of God to inhabit forever. The psalm teaches that God destroys persistent, irreclaimable sinners, proving that the wicked's punishment is death or extinction of life. The righteous and the wicked are both recompensed on this earth, the psalm repeating over and over that the wicked will be punished here and after that will come the eternal reward and kingdom of the righteous who dwell forever, so there is no special place apart from this earth called hell where the wicked will be in misery forever. Lasting life belongs to those who choose righteousness, the Gospel restores people to righteousness, and a kingdom's continuance depends on its people accepting God's righteousness, while rejecting the Gospel means that kingdom will pass away.
Obedience and Present Assurance
Turning from evil and doing good is the path and way of life that leads to dwelling forever, and set within committing one's ways to God it upholds a life of faithful obedience. That obedience includes care for this present life and respect for God's moral and natural laws. The call to turn from evil and do good carries the promise of lasting life, and the good done is fruit of Christ's Spirit expressed in feelings and actions that agree with God's law. Those who do so are accepted through Christ's merits as partakers of His Spirit, and this Spirit-produced life is necessary for the atonement to avail for them. The assurance that turning from wrongdoing to right conduct brings an enduring home gives calm steadiness when a killer goes free and is drawn home in triumph amid public condemnation, even though such a miscarriage of justice harms society's estimate of the value of human life.
Depart from evil and do good, and dwell securely for evermore. The lasting dwelling is not special prosperity in this present life, but the future inheritance of the earth made new, for the wicked may prosper now yet they will be overthrown and cut off while those who wait on the Lord inherit the earth and remain in it forever. It will be a physical and permanent home on this same earth renewed under renewed heavens, regaining the original dominion according to God's purpose that the earth created to be inhabited will be possessed forever by the righteous. Those who turn from evil and do good will dwell forever because the Lord preserves His saints, and their possessing the earth follows the destruction of the wicked, who perish and are consumed like smoke and burned up at the day of judgment while the same fire purifies the earth and restores it to its primitive beauty wherein dwells righteousness. The righteous inherit the land because they trust in the Lord and have His law in their hearts, and the good they do is the fruit of Christ's Spirit in feelings and actions agreeing with God's law.
Psalm's Setting and Wording
The verse stands in a psalm that sets two classes of character side by side and brings cheer and promise to pilgrims on earth. It is instructive, devout, helpful and elevating, teaching trust and confidence in God. It gives assurance that wickedness will finally be overthrown and good will triumph. It sets the future life of God's children over against the destruction of those who finally reject salvation.
The psalm gives voice to sorrow and affliction, even the sorrows and afflictions of Hebrew captives. It joins to that lament exhortation and encouragement with assurance of divine help and final deliverance from persecutors. Lingering over it steadies those in affliction to trust God when the wisdom of their circumstances cannot be seen.
The command is to turn away from evil and to do what is good. By that turning and doing, people dwell securely for evermore.
Eternal Earthly Inheritance
Turning from evil and doing good leads to dwelling securely forever, and this lasting dwelling is the future inheritance of the earth made new, not special prosperity in this present life. The wicked may prosper now, but they will be overthrown and finally cut off, while those who wait on the Lord inherit the earth, remain in their inheritance, and dwell there forever. The promise is physical and permanent, concerning the righteous permanently inheriting the earth, regaining their original rightful dominion, and reigning on it, in contrast to the wicked who will not remain there. It repeats in different words that the meek shall inherit the earth and the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth, showing God's original purpose that the earth created to be inhabited will remain and be possessed forever by righteous people.
Dwelling for evermore means inheriting the land of promise and possessing it and dwelling securely and in peace upon it to eternity as an everlasting home on this same earth renewed under renewed heavens. New heavens and a new earth mean a renewed heaven and earth, not a system made of new materials, just as the new creature in Christ is a renewed man, and God's people will have the purified earth as their everlasting home. It supports the promise of an everlasting earthly kingdom and saints' inheritance in the renewed earth, where the earth is renewed as a spiritual home for Christ's people who receive him. That kingdom will be literal yet spiritual, covering the territory of the four great empires, where this earth is regenerated and recreated as a spiritual home for a spiritual people, and where they dwell forevermore in an everlasting kingdom with no sickness, no oppression, no sorrow or sighing, no sin and no death, under the forever reign of Jesus Christ as King of peace over shining immortals.
In the psalm's context the righteous are preserved and inherit the land because they trust in the Lord and have his law in their hearts. Turning from evil and doing good is the way of life associated with dwelling forever, and the verse belongs among the scriptures of the inheritance of God's people, giving the Christian the prospect of inheriting the earth and eternal life. Those who turn from evil and do good will dwell forever because the Lord preserves his saints and gives them an everlasting inheritance in the land, while the wicked are cut off and destroyed, and when the wicked are cut off their end is final. Their dwelling follows the destruction of the wicked, for in a little while the wicked shall not be and their place shall not be found, they shall perish and be consumed into smoke like the fat of lambs.
The wicked receive their reward by being burned up on this earth where deeds were done at the day of judgment, and as soon as they are consumed the saints possess the earth, because the same fire that burns up the wicked purifies the earth and restores it to its primitive beauty as a renewed earth wherein dwells righteousness for the people of God to inhabit forever. The psalm teaches that God destroys persistent, irreclaimable sinners, proving that the wicked's punishment is death or extinction of life. The righteous and the wicked are both recompensed on this earth, the psalm repeating over and over that the wicked will be punished here and after that will come the eternal reward and kingdom of the righteous who dwell forever, so there is no special place apart from this earth called hell where the wicked will be in misery forever. Lasting life belongs to those who choose righteousness, the Gospel restores people to righteousness, and a kingdom's continuance depends on its people accepting God's righteousness, while rejecting the Gospel means that kingdom will pass away.
Obedience and Present Assurance
Turning from evil and doing good is the path and way of life that leads to dwelling forever, and set within committing one's ways to God it upholds a life of faithful obedience. That obedience includes care for this present life and respect for God's moral and natural laws. The call to turn from evil and do good carries the promise of lasting life, and the good done is fruit of Christ's Spirit expressed in feelings and actions that agree with God's law. Those who do so are accepted through Christ's merits as partakers of His Spirit, and this Spirit-produced life is necessary for the atonement to avail for them. The assurance that turning from wrongdoing to right conduct brings an enduring home gives calm steadiness when a killer goes free and is drawn home in triumph amid public condemnation, even though such a miscarriage of justice harms society's estimate of the value of human life.