Lord’s Day, Vol. 4 No. 47
The Godly Man’s Blessing (Psalm 1)
There is strength and fruitfulness in trusting God, delighting in the law of God and living rightly according to His law. These blessings are available for all seekers.
(1) The Means (v1-2)
- a) Separating from the ungodly (verse 1)
Psalm 1:1 “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.”
The blessed man is someone who separates from the ungodly. He chooses his friends wisely. Observe that the ungodly influence our mind by their ungodly counsels. The sinners carry out the workings of their evil mind. The scorner glorifies his wickedness and scoffs at the righteous.
The psalmist exhorts that the blessed man walks not in ungodly advice, nor stand in the principle of sinful life, nor settle down in the evil, as on a seat.
- b) Developing an Unquenchable thirst for God’s Word (v 2)
Psalm 1:2 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
Delighting in the law of God is so essential to godliness. What is godliness but the love of God? And what is love without delight? When we love someone, we delight to spend time with and see more and more of the person.
(2) The Fruits (v3)
Fruitfulness and Prosperity of the Soul
Psalm 1:3 “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.”
The river is a picture of God’s provision of spiritual blessing and help for His people. Here is the picture of a tree that is fruitful because it has strong roots, and is well watered. The leaves are always green but the fruit comes in its season. There is an appointed time for fruits after a period of cultivation.
Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper – what a staggering statement! This is a great contrast with this world that we live in where we see death, decay and corruption. Romans 8:22 “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”
Although this world is in decay and corruption, the child of God is absolutely unique, he prospers amidst decay and corruption. Not worldly prosperity but spiritual prosperity. The things that are seen are temporal, but the things not seen, the renewed mind showing forth in action the grace of God, the fruit of the Spirit, is eternal.
The fruit of the Spirit is revealed in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Certainly, we are contrasting here the delight in the gold of this world versus a delight in God through His Word. The world versus the word, gold versus God, the temporal versus the eternal!
If we delight in the law of the Lord and meditate upon it consistently and continually, the result is fruitfulness and prosperity of the soul.
To mediate is to ponder and to consider carefully. It is to think over with carefulness and with deliberateness.
(3) The Admonition (v4-6)
- a) The Ungodly Described (v4-5)
Psalm 1:4-5 “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.”
Chaff evokes the image of lightness, instability and worthlessness. Scripture uses many a harvest or agricultural images as figures of judgment. Winnowing is the process of separating and driving off the chaff from the grain by means of wind. Chaff is something that is easily driven away and discarded by the wind. In winnowing, the grain is threshed in order to separate the kernel of grain from the husk and straw. The wicked are like chaff. Thus, the blessing of the righteous is that they do not stand among sinners (v1) but the punishment of the ungodly is that they would not stand among the righteous in the judgment (v5).
- b) The Admonition – choose wisely! (v6)
Psalm 1:6 “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
The righteous shall be saved. To be righteous, we must repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ into our heart – Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Amen.
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee