The Lord's Laughter: Wicked Weapons Destroy Themselves
God laughs at the plots of the wicked because He sees their end; their weapons will destroy them, and the Lord will sustain the righteous in their little.
Psalms 37:12–17 (BSB)
12 The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,
13 but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword and bent 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 is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
What is the big idea of Psalms 37:12–17?
God laughs at the plots of the wicked because He sees their end; their weapons will destroy them, and the Lord will sustain the righteous in their little.
How does Psalms 37:12–17 point to Christ?
The 'sword' of death was turned back upon the heart of the Grave when Jesus Christ died and rose again; though He had 'little' on earth, He now upholds all who trust in Him, having broken the 'bow' of the enemy forever.
Authorial Intent
To provide a perspective of faith-based irony regarding the plots of the wicked, assuring the righteous that ungodly power is self-destructive and that divine sustenance is more valuable than ungodly wealth.
Chapter: Psalm 37
The Meek Inherit the Land as the Wicked Fade
Because the LORD will remove the wicked and give the future to the meek, His people must refuse fretting, trust Him, do good, and wait for His salvation.