“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.
“He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.
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“The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psa 1:1-6)
Readers,
To appreciate the depth and beauty of Psalm 1, we have to approach it from a Biblical-Hebrew mindset. To God’s ancient people, religion was seen as an individual walking the road of life. The godly person’s traveling companion was God Himself. And God’s Word was his road map.
Thus we hear David say,
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
Christians are the recipients of the ancient faith. Jesus is the Living Word who imprints in our souls the guidance found in God’s written Word. He speaks into our hearts the way we are to live.
The uniqueness of Psalm 1, is that it sets the tone for the entire book of Psalms. In this Psalm you have a description of the two paths than men can travel. One is the godly path. The other is the path of destruction.
It is no secret why some people live a blessed life while others live a life of muddiness and disarray.
Let’s take a closer look at Psalm 1, and other related Scriptures.
The Ancient Faith Realized
Take note of these Scriptures:
“You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” (Psa 16:11)
“He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, but he who ignores reproof goes astray.” (Pro 10:17)
“The path of life leads upward for the wise that he may keep away from Sheol below.” (Pro 15:24)
“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” (Pro 4:18)
The Lord said,
“I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
And again,
“When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” (Joh 10:4-5)
The Way – The Truth – The Life
In other places where Jesus said, ”I am the way”, or made reference to, ”broad is the way,” he was drawing from a rich Hebrew heritage. These terms were familiar to the Jews of His time.
The truth is that there have always been only two ways. You have the way of the righteous, and you have the way of the wicked. You have the way of Light and you have the way of darkness.
Hear another description of the two ways:
“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.” (Pro 4:18-19)
And so Psalm 1, and the Sermon on the Mountain are quite similar. Psalm 1:1, says,
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.”
The very first thing Jesus says on the mountain is,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
The Happiness Of
The Hebrew word for ‘blessed’ is esher. (eh-sher) It comes from the same root as Asher, who was one of Jacob’s son. Literally it means, ‘O, the happiness of.’
Godly happiness does not mean there will be no points of sorrow or difficult times in a true believer’s life. This happiness has no regard to external circumstances. It is an inner contentment of knowing rightness.
While many look for this blessedness of life in things or in relationships, the godly knows that it can only be found one place. It is found in a personal walk with the Lord.
Another mark of the walk of the godly person is that it is not influenced by evil. This is what the term ‘holy‘ speaks of. Kodesh means to be set apart, to be distinct.
This is one reason that Satan hates believers. He is unable to mold them into societies that speak of evil.
Then we have this characteristic of the righteous man and woman. The righteous person delights in truth. Psalm 1:2, says,
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”
The righteous person loves the truth. His bend, pleasure, delight is towards God’s Word.
The Bouquet of Heaven
The ancients had a custom that when a child was born they would rub his gums with honey. The purpose was to begin very early teaching the little one that God’s Word is like honey to the soul.
David said,
“O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” (Psalm 34:8)
The Psalmist adds to this in saying,
“How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103)
When Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied,” it is very likely that His Jewish audience would think about what David said.
But there is also another thought to be had. The righteous person’s walk with the Lord carries with it the very fragrance and sweet aroma of a heavenly life. The apostle said it this way:
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.
“For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.
“And who is adequate for these things?” (2Co 2:14-16)
While the righteous person carries with him a heavenly aroma, the sinner lives in earthy stench. But this is where God uses His own people to draw the sinner’s attention to a life that can be had through Jesus Christ.
The Living Word
Another thing to understand is that God’s Word is a living thing for those who believe and trust in Him. God’s Word is full of wisdom and power. It works itself into our very nature and spreads its healing love throughout our being.
This is why the apostle said,
“Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2)
Peter was speaking of our attitude towards God’s Word. An infant instinctively seeks its mother’s breast for nourishment. We are to instinctively seek the nourishment of God’s Word. Our want is to be in the Word of the Lord.
Notice again that Psalms 1:2 says,
“In His law he meditates day and night.”
Here we need to bring out the Hebrew. The Hebrew word for meditate is ‘hagah.’ This word means to mutter, to emit a sound, to speak in undertone. A dove coos. A lion rumbles. Throughout the day the godly person pours out from his heart responses to the Lord. It is like a conversation is going on that cannot be heard by others. It is between the godly and his Lord.
The ancients were taught to process life moment by moment. Most every prayer would begin with, “Blessed are You oh Lord, our God. King of the universe.” Long prayers were not the rule.
When Paul says, “Pray without ceasing,” he is speaking in a Hebrew mind. The essence of Hebrew prayer was to bless God.
Firmly Planted by Streams of Water
It is in Psalm 1:3 that we find the description of God’s blessed child. Listen carefully:
“He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.” (Psa 1:3)
The Path of the Wicked
Psalm 1 then describes the life of a sinner. Again read:
“The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” (Psa 1:4-5)
Three words describe the ungodly man – Wicked. Sinner. Scoffer.
The word ‘wicked’ comes from a word which means to be agitated; confused; in motion; restless. This is a character trait. The wicked are ethically lose & unstable.
Note Isaiah:
“But the wicked are like the tossing sea, for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and mud. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’” (Isa 57:20-21)
The term ‘sinner’ is from an archery term. It means to miss the mark.
The scoffer is a mocker. He makes light of all that is holy, both in his words and in his life style. His heart is filled with darkness.
God’s guidance tells us not to spend time with these people. They are without God and are on the path of a terrible doom. Eternal darkness is in their future.
Where the Wicked Cannot Stand
There are two places the wicked are unable to stand. They cannot stand in the judgment nor are they to be found in the assembly of the righteous. They live their lives under a cloud of judgment.
This is the reason a sinner does not wish to be in a church gathering. Their own heart condemns them. Where the godly person shares the joy of walking with God, the sinner is agitated and confused.
Psalm 1 completes itself in saying,
“For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psa 1:6)
The Hebrew for ‘knows’ is a very strong word. Yada carries the thought of, ‘to watch over, to be deeply involved with.’
The godly person walks in true happiness because he knows the Lord God is watching over his life. And even if the righteous falls, God’s love will pick him up.
The sinner has no one but himself.
Jesus summed it this way:
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Mat 7:13-14)
And so, it is no secret why some people live a blessed life while others live a life of muddiness and disarray.
Take time for this song. Perhaps the Lord has something He would like to say to you —
In Christ Jesus always,
Buddy
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