Psalm 1/Commentary

Psalms Chapter 1

Introduction: The Two Ways “It seems likely that this psalm was specially composed as an introduction to the whole Psalter. Certainly it stands here as a faithful doorkeeper, confronting those who would be in the ‘congregation of the righteous’ (5), with the basic choice that alone gives reality to worship; with the divine truth (2), that must inform it; and with the ultimate judgment (5,6), that looms up beyond it” 1 “For the Bible, life is a journey offering two roads. Regardless of how offensive this idea may be to the modern mind, it is ‘either/or’ rather than ‘both/and’….There are two conflicting kingdoms: the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. There are two entry points: the wide gate leading to destruction and the narrow gate leading to life (Matthew 7:13-14). As Francis Schaeffer stresses, unlike Hegel’s dialectic (thesis, antithesis, synthesis), Biblical thought is antithetical: thesis/antithesis. There is no reconciliation of opposites (synthesis)” 2

The Way Of Life 1:1 The opening statement, “How blessed is the man”, can also be translated, “Happy the man” (Mof); “Oh, the joys of the man” (Ber). Gaebelein notes, “The word ‘happy’ is a good rendition of ‘blessed’, provided one keeps in mind that the condition of ‘bliss’ is not merely a feeling. Even when the righteous do not feel happy, they are still considered ‘blessed’ from God’s perspective” 3 Note that God says, “How” blessed, which can be translated, “O how very happy is the man!” This Psalm challenges us, for we are often told, and sometimes we are tempted to believe, that somehow following God gets in the way of finding real happiness. Here is an invitation to real happiness, where God is saying that true blessedness and happiness will be found by the man or woman who dedicates their lives to Him. The amazing thing, is that often Christians can’t see how blessed they are—but unbelievers can! (1 Kings 10:8) Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Psalms 1-72, Derek Kidner, p. 47 Mastering The Old Testament, Psalms 1-72, Donald Williams, p. 25 3 The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, p. 53 1 2

Points To Note: 1.

God wants us to be happy! 2. On a more sobering note, certain choices (which may seem like sacrifices at the time), need to be made to gain this blessedness. “The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3ff), using the corresponding word in Greek, will go on to expound it still more radically” (Kidner p. 47). 3. This Psalm will reveal that many people (sinners and scoffers) are trying to find “happiness” in all the wrong places.

1:1 “It need not strike us as strange that this happiness is first pictured in terms of negatives---what such a man will not do” 4 It is interesting that people seem determined to sacrifice just about any wholesome thing to find happiness (a good spouse, time with children, etc..,), and yet somehow think that giving up certain wicked associations is an unreasonable sacrifice.

“Counsel, way, and seat draw attention to the realms of thinking, behaving and belonging, in which a person’s fundamental choice of allegiance is made and carried through; and this is borne out by a hint of decisiveness in the tense of the Hebrew verbs (the perfect)….the three complete phrases show three aspects, indeed three degrees, of departure from God, by portraying conformity to this world at three different levels: accepting its advice, being party to its ways, and adopting the most fatal of its attitudes---for the scoffers, if not the most scandalous of sinners, are the farthest from repentance (Proverbs 3:34)” (Kidner pp. 47-48).

“Does Not Walk In The Counsel of the Wicked” 1.

This verse isn’t saying that godly people are hermits or isolationists (1 Corinthians 5:10). In order to save sinners we must interact with them (Matthew 5:13-16). 2. Rather, the stress in this passage is the righteous person doesn’t start adopting the attitudes and behavior which is associated with lost people. He doesn’t start thinking like sinners (“walk in the counsel of”), and neither does he start believing that sinners have a better grasp of reality than God. “His world-view, his ethical life, and his moral decisions are not longer dictated by the godless” (Williams p. 26).

The word “counsel”, can also mean, “plan” or “principles”. 3. When it comes to running his business, raising his children, or working on his marriage, he doesn’t accept or believe “counsel” which is contrary to the word of God. 4. And this is a real temptation, for even Christians can end up believing and accepting ungodly counsel, when it is presented by sinners who are viewed in the world as being “professionals”.

“Nor Stand In The Path Of Sinners” 4

Exposition of Psalms, H.C. Leupold, p. 34

1.

“His identity, his standing, his lifestyle are no longer determined by those in rebellion against God” (Williams p. 26). 2. We must make a choice!

This person has the courage to break from conventional thinking, to get out of the mainstream, and firmly take his stand with God. There are many people who want to do the right thing, but peer pressure and other factors keep them standing with the world (John 12:42-43). 3. Jesus calls upon us to do more than simply stop doing sinful things, we also start doing what is righteous, and spread the message to others (Ephesians 4:25-5:11).

“Nor Sit in the Seat Of Scoffers” 1.

You don’t actually have to be sitting with them, to be guilty of sitting in the seat of scoffers. All you have to do is just assume the attitude of the scoffer. “He neither learns nor judges from the perspective of those bearing the acid authority of cynicism and pride” (Williams p. 26). 2. “He finds no rest in the atheist’s scoffings. Let others mock at sin, of eternity, of hell and heaven, and of the Eternal God….The seat of the scorner may very lofty, but it is very near to the gate of hell” 5 3. It is very easy to sit in the seat of the scoffer. When our attitude isn’t right, we can become cynical about man’s ability to understand the Bible, and the sincerity of those who profess to become Christians. It is so easy to adopt the attitude which says, “Live an honest life, be a good person, as long as you have warm feelings for God, that is all that matters, and don’t concern yourself with the details”.

”But His Delight Is In The Law of the Lord” 1:2 Here is why this individual rejects worldly attitudes, thinking and behavior.

He isn’t self-righteous, he doesn’t view himself as being superior to others, rather, he loves God, which means that he loves what God has said. “’Delight’ expresses all that makes the man of God happy. The law is more than his delight; it is his chief desire” (Gaebelein p. 55). To this person the law of God is not a burden (1 John 5:3), and neither is it a law which deprives, represses or hinders. We really can’t delight in the law of God, until we see the evil and selfishness that pervades even the best human thinking. “The law’s beauty, sweetness, or preciousness, arose from the contrast of the surrounding Paganism…Christians increasingly live on a spiritual island” 6 Here is the man who hungers and thirsts after righteousness (Matthew 5:6). He does so, because he has realized that what God offers, he can’t find anywhere else!

5 6

Spurgeon’s Treasury Of David, Volume I, p. 1 Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis, p. 64

(John 6:68) “The ‘law of the Lord’ stands opposed to ‘the counsel of the wicked’, to which it is ultimately the only answer. The psalm is content to develop this one theme, implying that whatever really shapes a man’s thinking shapes his life” (Kidner p. 48).

“In His Law He Meditates Day And Night” 1:2 “Obviously not an unwholesome absorption with the law is under consideration but a healthy interest in it and a knowledge of its real content, which continually influence and affect the man so devoted to this holy treasure” (Leupold p. 35). This person thinks hard about God’s will, and is applying the word to his own life. This is also more than Bible study (2 Timothy 2:15), it is reflecting upon what we have studied as we go about our daily lives. “Biblical meditation, unlike many recent popular techniques, is not content-less but content-full. It is not accomplished by eliminating though but by redirecting thought to the Word of God. The Hebrew word for ‘meditate’ means ‘to utter sounds, to speak’. It often appears in synonymous parallelism with ‘to remember, call to mind’, and ‘to consider, ponder’ (see Psalm 143:5)” (Williams pp. 27-28).

“A Tree Firmly Planted By Streams of Water” 1:3 Compare with Jeremiah 17:5-8. With the word of God, the believer has a continual source of nourishment and encouragement that will enable them to not merely survive, but grow even during tough times (Romans 5:3-5; Psalm 119:71). Note, this tree was firmly planted by streams of water ( such as by irrigation canals). The believer has exercised his or her choice. By siding with God and having complete confidence in His promises, we have allowed ourselves to be planted by such a source of refreshment. “There is something monumental about thriving trees that have stood long and regularly borne their fruit “ (Leupold p. 36). Yet, have we bought into the idea that following God and His word means that our lives will lack satisfaction, fulfillment, growth and happiness? Is your own faith a manifestation of a tree planted by streams of water? “Unlike trees growing wild in wadis or planted in the fields, where the amount of rainfall varies, the tree the psalmist envisions has been planted purposely by irrigation canals” (Gaebelein p. 56).

“Yields Its Fruit in its Season” 1:3 To me this is an image of quiet and continual growth (Hebrews 5:14; 2 Peter 1:5-11). Such a mindset as described above is bound to bear fruit, because such a person who delights in the law of God cannot help with that attitude from

bearing fruit. Such a man’s life yields something worth while. Compare with John 15:1ff.

“Its Leaf does not Wither” 1:3 Even in barren times (hard times, times of suffering, persecution, etc..), the righteous person is doing more than simply surviving. “The promised immunity of the leaf from withering is not independence of the rhythm of the seasons….but freedom from the crippling damage of drought” (Kidner p. 48). Note: The Christian doesn’t deny hard times, rather, the godly person has access to spiritual water even when the rest of the world around us is dying of thirst. We have a relationship with God that enables us to work with suffering—not deny its existence. Compare with John 16:33 and Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”.

“In Whatever He Does, He Prospers” 1:3 “The ‘prosperity’ of the righteous does not necessarily extend to the assurance of great wealth but primarily to God’s blessing on their words and works…the psalm does not encourage a success-oriented faith (i.e., material success). The godly do not seek success for its own sake, but they do receive a measure of blessing on their lives” (Gaebelein pp. 56-57). If material success is under consideration, then such comes as the by-product of wise living. In addition, don’t forget success in raising children, a successful marriage, success against habitual sins, success in helping others, and so on. Compare with Joshua 1:8. Note, this verse may have nothing at all to do with material success, for material success to some extent eventually happens to most people, believer or unbeliever. Where is really counts: character, marital happiness, happiness in the home, people skills, personal morality, compassion, etc…, this person is truly a success in the eyes of God.

The Way Of Doom

1:4 How different is the end of the wicked! “Whereas Jeremiah compares the lot of the wicked to a bush in the wasteland that dries up, the psalmist compares the wicked to mere ‘chaff’” (Gaebelein p. 57). John the Baptist made the same comparison (Matthew 3:12).

“They Are Like Chaff” 1:4 “The metaphor of chaff reveals both the uselessness of the wicked and the ease with which God will deal with them. Even as the winnower casts the chaff

to the afternoon breeze, so the Lord will drive away the wicked. No one will remember their place” (Gaebelein p. 57). “It emphasizes more explicitly what a man is than what he sees and feels….hence the unsparing conclusion. Chaff is, in such a setting, the ultimate in what is rootless, weightless and useless” (Kidner p. 49). “What a drastic picture of futility when life yields nothing more substantial than useless remains scattered so completely as not even to be found when sought! That this is ultimately the fate of the life divorced from God is not always apparent in every case in outward and tangible results or the lack of them” (Leupold p. 37).

Points To Note: The psalmist here isn’t manifesting a spiteful or vengeful spirit, for Jesus said the same thing concerning those who don’t serve God (Matthew 13:40,42). 2.

Ouch! If I am not serving God, then I am chaff! In the end, my life has amounted to nothing worthwhile. Everything that I did ‘accomplish’, will simply end up scattered like chaff, such as material possessions, secular honors and human praise. In reality, the righteous are the people of substance on this earth.

“The Wicked Will Not Stand in the Judgment” 1:5 The end of the wicked might not be clear to the casual observer, but from God’s perspective they have no future. “They cannot withstand the judgment of God, whether it comes in the present, by means of adversity, or on the Day of the Lord” (Gaebelein p. 57). The wicked will be judged, and will be present on the last day (Matthew 25:31ff), but they won’t be able to hold up their heads, they won’t be able to fool God, and they won’t be able to talk themselves out of this situation. Clearly, the verse is teaching that God won’t change His mind.

“The end has nothing arbitrary about it: ‘Therefore’ leads inexorably out of what these men have chosen to be (4). Before the Judge they will have, in our similar phrase, not a leg to stand on, and among His people no place” (Kidner p. 49).

“Nor Sinners In The Assembly Of The Righteous” 1:5 This may be referring to the final assembly of the righteous, the group of people left with God after the final judgment. Once again, God isn’t going to change His mind. There are always people who think that God will end up condemning ‘the righteous’ and saving all the wicked people. Now and then I see a bumpersticker which says, “Lord, save me from your people”. Compare with Psalm 24:3-4 and Revelation 21:27.

Point To Note:

More sinners need to take the above passage seriously. If I choose to turn my back on God, then I am turning my back on things which I really need! Love, community, fellowship, friendship and life! Not only does the sinner miss out on the wonderful community and friendship in the church on earth, but he or she will miss out on the ultimate community.

The Parting Of The Ways 1:6 “To ‘know’ is more than to be informed: it includes to care about and to own or identify oneself with” (Kidner p. 49). “The reason for the certainty of the judgment lies in God’s knowledge of the affairs of men. God knows! The knowledge of God involves not only an objective knowledge about the righteous but also a subjective relationship with them, assuring them that He cares for His own, protects them, and will reward them” (Gaebelein p. 58). Compare with 2 Timothy 2:19.

1:6 The outcome of the unrepentant individual is sure (Romans 2:1-5; Matthew 7:23), “will perish”. “So the two ways, and there is not third, part for ever” (Kidner p. 49). The good news is that we don’t have to perish—God has given sinners a way in which they can avoid such a fate (John 3:16).