Friday, May 6, 2022

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so,

But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Preamble 

The Book of Psalms, a book of worship or a book of wisdom? In essence they are one in the same. For who can deny the wisdom found within them? And who can deny the heart felt passion and pleas of them? And so within them contains not only the Wisdom of God but also the heart of God, of Godly men who aligned their persons and lives with His. The Book of Psalms then begins with a Psalm that declares the Promised blessing of God, on everyone and anyone who chooses the God’s path of righteousness and does not follow the lies of this world which always and in every generation expound personal “fulfillment and satisfaction” through sin.

Commentary

Vs. 1 Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, 

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

God’s blessing is on the one who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly; that is, we do not listen to nor walk in the lying counsels of this world which only set people on a course of life against God, by trying to either deny Him and His Word as the sole Originating and Ongoing Source and Substance for mankind’s, and all of creations existence, and thus rule and guidance, to whom we will all be judged by and give an account too, and or trying to normalize doing and pursuing every sinful desire, lust, and evil passion of the flesh which God Himself has condemned in His Word as sin. For the counsels of the ungodly are always spoken through their rejection of God and His Word with an utter denial of the consequences of sin. Therefore, the one who desires to be blessed by God does not listen to them, nor will we follow them in Godless beliefs, pursuits, and ways. Instead we fear God and we move ourselves away from them, from the path of unbelieving sinners and the voices of the scornful, for we know that there is a Judgement to come; that God’s wrath will be laid upon everyone who did not believe and obey the truth of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 1:8-10). Therefore, we will not be partakers with those who want to live by their own Godless demonically inspired and influenced counsels, and thus are only storing up God’s wrath upon themselves. For that is what this Psalm is commanding us to do, to come out and be separate from them, to not be partakers with them in their unbelief and sins (consider 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; Rev. 18:1-4). Therefore when someone clearly rejects God’s Word and Salvation freely offered to us all through the Lord Jesus Christ there no longer remains any reason for us to try to bring the Gospel of Redemption and Eternal Salvation to them, our time with them is done, their blood will be upon their own heads, as the Apostle Paul said (Acts 18:6).

Vs. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law, he meditates day and night.

The man or woman of God then does not get their counsel through the Godless morals, ethics, and ideas of popular culture, nor do they entertain themselves with the degenerate movies, plays, and music and such that always glorify sex and violence and all manner of wickedness and lawlessness that this world expounds and tries to live by. Instead, our delight is in the Law of the Lord, in the entire Word of the Lord, which alone satisfies our souls, and guides our persons and lives into living abundant, fruitful, and morally fitting lives, and thus God glorifying peaceful lives. Therefore, we do not to “mediate” on the sins of this world, but we mediate upon God’s Word, because there is no other defense against the lies of Satan and this world than to daily do this.

 Vs. 3He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.”

Here then is God’s promised blessing for everyone who keeps God’s commandments and the testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Rev. 12:17; 14:12). Who does not capitulate their Godly beliefs and righteous moral values to the degeneracy of this world. Therefore, the believer who does so will be constantly nourished by God, by God’s Holy Spirit, they will experience both His personal blessing, but also their whole person and life will always be getting renewed and refreshed, as they pass from one glory to the other, and whatever they set their hand to do God Himself will make it prosper, that is what is here promises to us, that our lives when lived in accord with the Word of the Lord will be like a highway, and not like a hedge of thorns (consider Pr. 15:19; 22:5). Now consider that Caleb in days of Moses was not only blessed by God with a long life, (while the rest of those who did not believe God perished in the wilderness), but even in his old age he was able by the Lord strengthening him, to fully vanquish the enemy, and thus he received his inheritance, because he wholly followed the Lord God. 

 Vs. 4-6 4 The ungodly are not so,

But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Unlike those who live righteous and Godly lives, whose ways are always prospering, the ungodly are likened to the chaff (the seed husks and or stock) from wheat (or other grains) which when the wheat was tossed up in the air (winnowing) the wind would blow away, so as to separate the wheat from it. Thus, unlike those who live righteous lives before God, the ungodly have no permeance, no lasting value, but they and their ways are like chaff which is to be scattered to the ends of the earth (consider Isaiah 5:24; 17:13-14; 29:5-8; 41:14-16). Now this will play out in its fullness when the antichrist and his kingdom is forever vanquished by the Lord Jesus Christ (consider Daniel 2:31-45, vs. 35). Therefore, neither the ungodly, nor sinners; that is the unrepentant, the unbelieving; will stand in the judgment, nor will they find a place within the congregation of the righteous (Matt. 7:21-23; Luke 13:24-30). For when the Lord Jesus Christ Judges, He will separate His people, as Shepherd separates the lambs from the goats, or as the analogy here likens, the wheat being separated from the chaff, which shall all be according to His Everlasting Judgment (John 5:24-30). For then He will bring His wheat into His barn, but He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matt. 3:12; 13:24-30). Therefore, know this that though the way of the ungodly frequently prospers and abounds in this life, there will be no traces of it found in Jesus Christ’s Kingdom! 

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson. 


 

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