The Godly Man

Christians live with well defined parameters, who internalizes the Word of God, and who maintain productive and successful lives for the glory of God. The ungodly, as the Psalms alludes to, are not so.

Psalm 1:1–3 ESV

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

The course of life is marked by which path we choose. Our decisions determine our destinies. Psalms 1 the universal choice every person makes, which path their life is to take. There is a road blessed by God, a road God finds no pleasure in. A road to salvation, a road to destruction. A road that promises endless life, and a road that dead ends in death.

Psalms 1 is a wisdom Psalm which gives sound advice when it comes to settling on the right path to take in life, Psalms 1 is also the introduction to the entire Psalms, it serves as a preface for the other 149 Psalms. Psalms 1 is a practical Psalms. The study of the Psalter must have a practical effect.

As a representative example of what the godly appear to be, it is worth noting the character traits of the godly man which fall under four sub-headings.

I. The Godly Man, Psalms 1:1-3

Those who are deeply rooted in the Word of God are distinct people and dynamically blessed people because they have convictions that will not permit them to live according to the philosophies of the wicked, actively participate in the practices of the sinners, nor assume a position among scoffers (mocks, derides, ridicules, sneers, treat with contempt, make fun, the things of God).

1. The Privilege of the Godly, Psalms 1:1a

The person who is right with God will be blessed by God. Christians can be happy people.

“Blessed,” Hebrew word esher blessed, the idea of happiness or contentment. Esher is a form of the Hebrew word ashar, root means, “to be straight” or “to be right.”

“Blessed is the man who is enjoys contentment of life by being “right” or “straight” with God.

“Blessed,” repeated in the original. Hebrew method indicating plurality, and intensifying meaning. “O, how very happy!” Or “The happiness.”

“Man,” Hebrew word that is singular, (ish) it is used to portray a representative. The Psalmist is saying, “This is what a blessed man looks like. This is the example to follow if a person desires to be truly happy, find satisfaction, enjoy a pleasurable life.”

“O, the blessedness of the man, or of this man.” This man is doubly blessed, thrice happy and blessed.

Lesson: The estimation of happiness is measured by what and who I refuse to involve myself with; piety. What I choose not to do. What I’m not willing to compromise my convictions on. A happy person lives a negative life. I have boundaries, lines I am not willing to cross. This is a happy person.

Blessedness is obtainable in two ways: 1.) Negatively, what the Christian avoids, who the Christian avoids, where the Christians avoids. 2.) Positively, what the Christian refuses to avoid, who the Christian must never avoid, and where the Christian cannot avoid going; namely the Word of God.

2. The Parameters of the Godly, Psalms 1:1b

Bad company corrupts godly character.

1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV

33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

A positive affirmation must always have a negative that goes with it. It must be said what the godly person is, but for added emphasis, it must be said what the godly person is not.

Hebrew parallelism, saying the same thing or a variety of the same thing in two linked lines. Psalms 1:1 is three linked lines; “Walk, Stand, Sit,” set 1. “Counsel, Way, Seat,” set 2. “Wicked, Sinners, Scoffers or Mockers,” set 3.

The Psalmist is saying the same thing; God’s people live with clearly marked lines that will not permit them to live ungodly lives. They are changed and they live like they’ve been changed.

Lesson: The godly person chooses his company carefully. Despite being a sinner, this person is a saved and renewed sinner, cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17, they are changed people, new creations in Christ.

Disclaimer: There is nothing wrong with being friends with non-Christians people, Jesus was a friend to sinners, cf. Luke 15:1-4; Matthew 9:10-13; Luke 7:31-34.

Why did Jesus befriend people from every walk of life? In order to lead them to a higher standard of living, Luke 19:10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Important life lessons to consider when it comes to the company you keep.

(1) Associating with the wrong people will bring you down, note the digression; Walking, standing, sitting. Listening leads to a behavior, behavior leads to a lifestyle.

(2) A good reminder where we all are; we did not start out being righteous, but being sinners. And we are only happy, satisfied and fulfilled by God’s favor; goodness, kindness, mercy and love shown toward us.

(3) A life outside of Christ is a downhill spiral, things always go from bad to worse.

Walk, a series of steps taken in life. Stand, becoming more committed. Sitting, settled attitude, hard to change the mind, determined.

3. The Passion of the Godly, Psalms 1:2

Whatever brings delight to the our heart, will direct our lives.

“But” - A small word that opens a big door! Whenever you encounter this term of contrast, pause and ponder the text, asking questions like what is being contrasted. Think of "BUT" as a hinge on a door, that opens into another room different from the attached room. Here the psalmist "changes direction" from the broad way leading to destruction, Matthew 7:13-14, to the narrow way that leads to eternal life.

Lesson: The Christian’s private life plays an important part is shaping their public life, Psalms 1:1. What the Christian finds delight in, is also where they find direction. The Word of God is the moral compass which sets the trajectory of our lives.

“Delight,” pictures that which is bent toward and thus is a beautiful figure of the godly man or woman who is ever leaning toward the the Word of God. The godly position their lives, it is essential and of up most importance that the godly maintain a correct coordinates to the Bible. The godly synchronize their lives with the Word of God.

Psalm 119:97 ESV

97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.

Psalm 119:104 ESV

104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

The attitude, Psalms 1:1, leads to action, Psalms 1:2 Delight…Meditate. The Word of God has captured the believer’s affections, but it has laid claimed to the believer’s attention.

The Christian is absorbed with the Bible, and it is running around in their minds.

The Bible makes the Christian happy. You don’t have to beg a Christian or guilt them into opening the Bible, read the Bible, listening to the Bible, they open it because they want, the need to, they have to open it. What the believer delights in is what they’re hungry for.

The happy Christian is characterized by a consistent contemplation and internalizing of God’s Word for ethical direction (moral beauty) and obedience.

The Bible gets full attention, the godly listen to the Word of God, it’s kept at the forefront, within reach. The Bible is accessible in the Christian’s life. The Christian understands that a day without the Word of God, it is a matter of life and death.

4. The Picture of the Godly, Psalms 1:3

“Like,” means, “in a similar way,” the godly are like trees. Blessings of God produce evidence in the life

“Planted,” the Hebrew, is a verb which means to plant or to transplant. There’s been a change of existence,

Colossians 1:13–14 ESV

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Psalms 1:3,4 the godly person is not like everyone else. A Christian cannot thrive in the soil of Psalms 1:1. The godly person lives a much different life, distinct life, defined life, dimensional and deeper life, not superior to others, just living in different soil., a different position.

Psalms 1:3 He is like a tree planted…the greater part of the Christians life must be underneath the surface. The most important part of the Christian life is the root system. The roots hold the tree in place.

Being around the right people will keep you grounded, Psalms 1:1. Being in God’s Word everyday will keep you grounded, Psalms 1:2. Being planted in the right church will keep you grounded, Psalms 1:3 by streams of water.

Psalm 92:13 ESV

13 They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God.

Colossians 2:7 ESV

7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

To be sustained through the seasons of life, there has to be a deep root system, tapping into the abundant, overflowing supply of strength and sustaining grace found only in God’s word, they delight in everything else. To neglect God’s word, life will eat your lunch.

Shallow Christians, dying Christians, dried up Christians, falling off and drifting with every wind of doctrine, philosophies of our culture, idea that comes into their heads. The reason why some believer’s never can stay in place, they’re shallow., no depth.

A separated life, Psalms 1:1, a saturated life, Psalms 1:2, and a situated life, Psalms 1:3 will be expose itself in a fruitful life. There is fruit in every season. You bear fruit when you have roots.

Conclusion

There was a traveler in Ireland who once stopped a man working beside the road and asked directions. The traveler asked, “My friend, if you were going to Dublin, which way would you go?” The Irishman quipped, “I wouldn’t go there from here.

In order for a person to be where they want to be, they seek to start from some other place than where they are now. People procrastinate, putting it off for another time, waiting to be at some other place in life. They want to start from somewhere other than where they are.

Maybe you want to change the road your on currently, you must start where you are now. You must repent of your sins, believe in your heart on Jesus Christ, who bore your sins on the cross. This is the Good News, you can change roads now!

The best place to begin the New Year is where you are now!