Psalm 1
is
about choosing:
The Secret to Success
or
The Path to Failure
In Psalm 1
God is calling out
to us
with some of his best wisdom,
and
imploring us to listen.
We will be using the King James Version
BUT
An easy-to-read translation
is at the bottom
of the page.
VERSE 1
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
"Blessed is the man who"
means
"God blesses the man who..."
Blessed is the man who:
1. Refuses to follow what ungodly people tell him to do.
2. Refuses to go down the paths of sinners
engaging in their sins.
3. Refuses to stand around with sinners listening to their ungodly talk.
4. Refuses to sit around and listen to
conversation that
puts down and belittles
righteousness,
sexual purity,
and
wholesomeness.
5. Refuses to choose as his companions -
people who:
mock God, mock the Bible, and mock
righteousness,
sexual purity, and wholesomeness.
Consider our page:
Thoughts about Choosing Friends
VERSE 2
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Blessed is the man who:
Learns to delight in all God's words
including
those verses that bring conviction.
Blessed is the man who:
Learns to enjoy
reading the Bible
and
thinking about Bible verses night and day.
VERSE 3
3 And
he shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth
forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
God wants us to be
Strong
Trees of Righteousness.
Isaiah 61:3b
Jeremiah 17:7-8
A Blessed man will
yield to God
and
grow
to one day
look like:
1. A tree that is planted by plenty of water.
2. A strong tree that brings forth abundant, healthy fruit at the right season.
3. A tree whose leaf is healthy - not withered.
4. A person who will see prosperity of all things in its time - including
projects, and the
maturity of his/her personal character.
All this person does
will
eventually prosper and be fruitful
in God's hands.
See also
Romans 8:28.
VERSE 4
4 The ungodly are not so:
but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
An ungodly person:
1. Lacks the stability of a strong tree.
2. Lacks the presence of growth rings inside the tree. Lacks maturity.
Meaning - the person lacks
spiritual maturity.
3. Is weak against temptations to sin.
4. Lacks spiritual health and strength.
5. Is easily blown about with the winds of temptation.
6. Lacks spiritual fruit.
Spiritual fruit is defined as:
Love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23.
This person chooses to live
in spiritual dryness
instead of
opening up the Bible
and
receiving the nourishing rain
contained in its pages.
* We learn in Ephesians 5:26-27
that
Jesus wants to:
cleanse us, correct us, and grow us up
in maturity
through "washing" us with
the water contained in the words of God.
Meaning:
wash us, cleanse us, and change us
as we read and obey
the Words of the Bible.
We must cooperate with Jesus
- by reading the Bible and trying to obey -
in order to be a growing Christian.
In several places
in the Bible,
God calls Believers "Wheat"
and unbelievers "Chaff."
In Psalm 1:4, we see
unbelievers called "chaff."
"Wheat" spiritually nourishes others.
"Chaff" is not nourishing.
-
Wheat is planted in the ground
and grows up to
become nourishment for people.
Chaff never becomes nourishment.
Only through being born again
can a person who is "Chaff"
be transformed into "Wheat."
VERSE 5
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not
stand
in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
After we die,
there is a last judgment.
At that time,
the ungodly will not be standing
with the righteous ones.
The unsaved will not stand with the
Wheat
but instead
they will be blown away like
Chaff.
The unsaved will be
separated from the righteous
and from
God
for all eternity.
VERSE 6
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous:
but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
God KNOWS.
God SEES.
-
David said:
You know what
I am going to say
even before
I say it, Lord.
Psalm 139:4 NLT
God knows the thoughts of everyone.
God knows the ways of everyone.
God knows who wants to
Please Him.
God knows those who are seeking righteousness.
And He knows those
who seek sin
but want to appear to be right with God.
Nothing is hidden from God.
We are getting away with....
NOTHING.
Those who
do not
love God and his righteousness
will perish and go to hell.
Those who love God and his righteousness
will be blessed for all eternity.
Daniel 12:3b says
And they that
turn many to righteousness
will shine as the stars of heaven
for ever and ever.
I've known people who have told me,
"I will ask for forgiveness at the end of my life."
But....
God is listening to them and their plan.
God may not even give them the opportunity to turn at that time.
Sometimes, we get hit by a car and never know
we get hit.
Why should God give you an opportunity at the end of your life
if you mock his gift today?
Please know that I am - not - saying that a person should neglect
to take
forgiveness at the end of his life
if he has the chance -
but God may not give that opportunity.
NOW is the time of Salvation -
God clearly says:
Today
if you will hear His voice;
Do not harden your hearts, as in rebellion.
Psalm 95:7b-8a NKJV
Even though the righteous suffer many things -
AND
Even though the wicked
often appear to be on top of the world -
The truth will come out
and
righteous justice will be done
in the end.
See Psalm 73 - why do the wicked prosper...
Click for: Prayer for Yielding to God
Click for: Explaining Salvation
For more insights about Psalm 1,
consider our other Psalm 1 page.
We encourage you to read
another translation of Psalm 1 given below:
Psalm 1 - The Living Bible
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow
evil men’s advice,
who do not hang around with sinners,
scoffing at the things of God.
2 But they delight in doing everything
God wants them to,
and
day and night are always meditating
on his laws
and
thinking about ways
to follow him more closely.
3 They are like trees
along a riverbank
bearing luscious fruit each season without fail.
Their leaves shall never wither,
and
all they do shall prosper.*
4 But for sinners, what a different story!
They blow away like chaff before the wind.
5 They are not safe on Judgment Day;
they shall not stand
among the godly.
6 For the Lord watches over
all the plans and paths of godly men,
but the paths of the godless lead to doom.
Beth's notes:
* Eventually prosper in God's hands.
*** In verse 6, the word "know" is not just referring to "know all about" the righteous and the wicked.
It is also referring to the fact that there is an intimacy the righteous have with God. And there is a lack of intimacy between the wicked and God because the wicked do not pursue a relationship with God.
That Hebrew word "know" is the same word the Bible uses in Genesis chapter 4 verse 1 - when Adam KNEW his wife intimately.
God wants us to pursue a deep kind of intimate relationship with him.
So God "Knows" the righteous in a special kind of way because the righteous pursue intimacy with God. And the Bible tells us that is it wise to get as close to God as we can - Psalm 73:28.
Jump to the top of Psalm 1 Commentary.
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