Psalms 1: Contrasting the Righteous & the Wicked

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1 Psalms 1: Contrasting the Righteous & the Wicked Introduction By Mark Mayberry 1/30/2011 Psalm 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. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 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. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (KJV) Psalm 1: 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! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 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. 4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish. 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 (KJV). 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!. This psalm describes the blessedness of the righteous, and the accursedness of the wicked. Happiness of salvation is contrasted with the barrenness of sin. Note the progression: Walk Stand Sit Woe unto the one who walks near sin, stands to consider it, and then sits down to enjoy it. When betrayed into the hands of His enemies, Jesus asked that His followers be allowed to go free (John 18:8-9). Instead, Peter followed the multitude into the courtyard of the high priest (John 18:15-16). Next we see him standing with the wrong crowd (John 18:18), and before long he was sitting by the fire (Luke 22:55). What did Peter intend to do? What did he hope to accomplish? Walking right into temptation, surrounded 1

2 by adversaries, hiding his own identity, he denied the Lord three times (Matt. 26:33-35). If believers start listening to the counsel (i.e., their advice, schemes, & plans) of the ungodly, they will soon stand in their path (i.e. adopt their manner, habits, & ways), and sit in full fellowship. Instead of following the course of spiritual ruin, let us flee temptation (1 Cor. 6:18-20; 10:14; 1 Tim. 6:10-11; 2 Tim. 2:22). John 18: Jesus answered, I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way, 9 to fulfill the word which He spoke, Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one. John 18: Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, 16 but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. John 18: Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself. Luke 22: After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. Matthew 26: But Peter said to Him, Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away. 34 Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times. 35 Peter said to Him, Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You. All the disciples said the same thing too. 1 Corinthians 6: Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 10: Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 1 Timothy 6: For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. 2 Timothy 2: Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Ungodly/wicked sinners scornful/scoffers. Persistent ungodliness leads to scorn and scoffing (Prov. 1:22; 21:24). The Hebrew word translated scornful/scoffers means to deride, to 2

3 show oneself a mocker, to talk arrogantly, to boast, to be inflated, etc. Such individuals are not open to correction (Prov. 9:7-8; 15:12). Proverbs 1: How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? Proverbs 21: Proud, Haughty, Scoffer, are his names, Who acts with insolent pride. Proverbs 9: He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself. 8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, Reprove a wise man and he will love you. Proverbs 15: A scoffer does not love one who reproves him, He will not go to the wise. Verse 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night (KJV). But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. Delight means to feel great favor towards something [TWOT], or to take pleasure or enjoyment in something [Swanson]. God delights in those who delight in His word (Psa. 36:7-8; 37:4-5). Psalms 36: How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. 8 They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. Psalms 37: Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. Meditate literally refers to a low sound, characteristic of the moaning of a dove (Isa 38:14) or the growling of a lion over its prey (Isa 31:4) [TWOT]. Symbolically it means to ponder, give serious thought and consideration to selected information, with a possible implication of speaking in low tones reviewing the material [Swanson]. The Psalmist often meditated upon the works and ways of God (Psa. 63:6-8; 77:11-14). Such spiritual focus brings great benefits (Josh. 1:8-9; Psa. 119:9-16). Isaiah 38: Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter; I *moan like a dove; My eyes look wistfully to the heights; O Lord, I am oppressed, be my security. 3

4 Isaiah 31: For thus says the Lord to me, As the lion or the young lion *growls over his prey, Against which a band of shepherds is called out, And he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise, So will the Lord of hosts come down to wage war on Mount Zion and on its hill. Psalm 63: When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, 7 For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. 8 My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. Psalm 77: I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. 12 I will meditate on all Your work And muse on Your deeds. 13 Your way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God? 14 You are the God who works wonders; You have made known Your strength among the peoples. Joshua 1: This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Psalms 119: Beth. How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. 10 With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. 11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. 12 Blessed are You, O LORD; Teach me Your statutes. 13 With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways. 16 I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word. Verse 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 (KJV). 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. The righteous man is like a well-watered tree (Jer. 17:7-8). He bears fruit in his season (Psa. 92:12-14). Because of his position, he will not wither in time of adversity or drought, but will continually prosper (Matt. 13:23; Col. 1:3-6). Jeremiah 17: Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. 8 For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit. Psalms 92: The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the house of the LORD, They will flourish in the 4

5 courts of our God. 14 They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green, Matthew 13: And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. Colossians 1: We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; Verse 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away (KJV). The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Ungodly men are like the chaff driven by the wind (Hos. 13:1-3). What a contrast between the righteous and the wicked (Mal. 4:1-3). What a difference in destiny (Luke 3:15-17)! Hosea 13: Ephraim s Idolatry When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling. He exalted himself in Israel, But through Baal he did wrong and died. 2 And now they sin more and more, And make for themselves molten images, Idols skillfully made from their silver, All of them the work of craftsmen. They say of them, Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves! 3 Therefore they will be like the morning cloud And like dew which soon disappears, Like chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor And like smoke from a chimney. Malachi 4: For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. 3 You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing, says the LORD of hosts. Luke 3: Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, 16 John answered and said to them all, As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. 5

6 Verse 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous (KJV). Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. Ungodly shall not stand in the day of judgment (Matt. 16:25-27; 2 Cor. 5:10-11). Matthew 16: For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. 2 Corinthians 5: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. Sinners shall not stand in the assembly of the righteous (Rom. 16:17-18; 2 Cor. 6:14-18). Romans 16: Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. 2 Corinthians 6: Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 17 Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE, says the Lord. AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. 18 And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me, Says the Lord Almighty. Verse 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish (KJV). 6

7 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish. The Lord knows (and will bless) the way of the righteous (John 10:14-15; 2 Tim. 2:19). John 10: I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 2 Timothy 2: Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, The Lord knows those who are His, and, Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness. The Lord (knows) and will punish the way of the wicked (Psa. 37:18-20; 2 Pet. 2:9). Psalm 37: The Lord knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever. 19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the days of famine they will have abundance. 20 But the wicked will perish; And the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastures, They vanish like smoke they vanish away. 2 Peter 2: then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, Conclusion The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked (Psa. 11:5-7). Judgment falls upon the house of the wicked, but God blesses the dwelling of the righteous (Prov. 3:33). What path are you following? What outcome will you experience? Psalm 11: The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates. 6 Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. 7 For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face. Proverbs 3: The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Sources: TWOT = R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, & B. K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, (Chicago: Moody Press, c1980, 1999). Swanson = James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew, (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997). 7