Firmly Rooted
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Introduction
Introduction
For our Bible reading this year, we are going to be reading through the book of Psalms, and I’m excited. Someone may ask, “why the psalms?” Here’s why: The psalms are timeless. No matter where you are in life, there is something in the psalms for you.
If you are seeking wisdom and answers from God, there are psalms for you.
If you want to express your deep affection for God, there are psalms for you.
If you are in awe of his attributes and works, there are psalms for you.
If you are lamenting loss or abandonment, there are psalms for you.
If you are suffering injustice or the betrayal of a friend, there are psalms for you.
The Psalms are timeless. They take us on a journey, and as they guide us, we experience all of the emotions that God has blessed us with. As we go through this journey, we are going to learn more about our God and more about ourselves. I’m excited that we can take this journey together, and it all begins in Psalm 1-2.
We are trees.
We are trees.
Psalm 1.
1 How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked
or stand in the pathway with sinners
or sit in the company of mockers!
2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams
that bears its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
4 The wicked are not like this;
instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand up in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
If we want to understand this psalm better, then we need to understand that we are trees.
This is made explicit when the psalmist (likely David) writes about the righteous. Psalm 1:1-3.
1 How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked
or stand in the pathway with sinners
or sit in the company of mockers!
2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams
that bears its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
The wicked are like trees
The wicked are like trees
The righteous are like trees, but did you notice that the unrighteous are described as trees as well?
Psalm 1:1.
1 How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked
or stand in the pathway with sinners
or sit in the company of mockers!
Did you notice the progression? The unrighteous person walks, then stops and stands, and then finally sits.
The psalmist is describing the person who sinks deeper and deeper into wickedness.
In other words, this is a person who becomes rooted in unrighteousness. The psalmist is trying to teach that if we stay with the world long enough, then we become rooted in the world.
So, the unrighteous person is like a tree who becomes rooted in wickedness.
Rooted in Wickedness - Judges
Rooted in Wickedness - Judges
This is something that we see in the Bible story. We see it especially in the book of Judges.
Compare the beginning of Judges with what we see later on in the book.
Judges 1:1.
1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the Lord, “Who will be the first to fight for us against the Canaanites?”
The book of Judges opens with so much promise. At the start of the book, the Israelites go to the Lord to ask about taking the land, and they listen to the Lord. They do what the Lord wants them to do. But later on in the book, we see a completely different Israel.
Judges 2:1-5.
1 The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you out of Egypt and led you into the land I had promised to your ancestors. I also said: I will never break my covenant with you. 2 You are not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land. You are to tear down their altars. But you have not obeyed me. What have you done? 3 Therefore, I now say: I will not drive out these people before you. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a trap for you.” 4 When the angel of the Lord had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly. 5 So they named that place Bochim and offered sacrifices there to the Lord.
The people described in this verse don’t look like the people that we saw at the beginning of the book. God complains that these people aren’t obeying him, but it get’s worse
Judges 2:6-10.
6 Previously, when Joshua had sent the people away, the Israelites had gone to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. 7 The people worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and during the lifetimes of the elders who outlived Joshua. They had seen all the Lord’s great works he had done for Israel.
8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110. 9 They buried him in the territory of his inheritance, in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works he had done for Israel.
It doesn’t take very long. How long did it take for the Israelites to go from a God-fearing nation to faithless nation? It took one generation
So, as we read through the book of judges, we are forced to ask, “what happened?” The answer is they got rooted. They were rooted in Canaanite culture, and started living just like them.
Deuteronomy 7:1-5.
1 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, and he drives out many nations before you—the Hethites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and powerful than you—2 and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you and you defeat them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy. 3 You must not intermarry with them, and you must not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 because they will turn your sons away from me to worship other gods. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will swiftly destroy you. 5 Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their carved images.
What did God want the Israelites to do? God wanted the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites and drive them all away from the land. Did the Israelites do this?
Judges 1:17-19.
17 Judah went with his brother Simeon, struck the Canaanites who were living in Zephath, and completely destroyed the town. So they named the town Hormah. 18 Judah captured Gaza and its territory, Ashkelon and its territory, and Ekron and its territory. 19 The Lord was with Judah and enabled them to take possession of the hill country, but they could not drive out the people who were living in the plain because those people had iron chariots.
In verse 17, we see that the people of Judah are doing exactly what God wanted them to do, but verses 18-19 are confusing. The text says that God was with them, but if God was with them, why couldn’t they drive out the people.
We know that it’s not because of God… It’s because of their own fear. So, they fail to do what God wants them to do.
Judges 1:27-33.
27 At that time Manasseh failed to take possession of Beth-shean and Taanach and their surrounding villages, or the residents of Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo and their surrounding villages; the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land. 28 When Israel became stronger, they made the Canaanites serve as forced labor but never drove them out completely.
29 At that time Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived among them in Gezer.
30 Zebulun failed to drive out the residents of Kitron or the residents of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them and served as forced labor.
31 Asher failed to drive out the residents of Acco or of Sidon, or Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. 32 The Asherites lived among the Canaanites who were living in the land, because they failed to drive them out.
33 Naphtali did not drive out the residents of Beth-shemesh or the residents of Beth-anath. They lived among the Canaanites who were living in the land, but the residents of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath served as their forced labor.
Do you see a recurring phrase? “They did not drive out…” Instead of driving out the Canaanites, they choose to live with them.
What’s the result of this? They become rooted. Judges 1:27-33.
27 At that time Manasseh failed to take possession of Beth-shean and Taanach and their surrounding villages, or the residents of Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo and their surrounding villages; the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land. 28 When Israel became stronger, they made the Canaanites serve as forced labor but never drove them out completely.
29 At that time Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived among them in Gezer.
30 Zebulun failed to drive out the residents of Kitron or the residents of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them and served as forced labor.
31 Asher failed to drive out the residents of Acco or of Sidon, or Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. 32 The Asherites lived among the Canaanites who were living in the land, because they failed to drive them out.
33 Naphtali did not drive out the residents of Beth-shemesh or the residents of Beth-anath. They lived among the Canaanites who were living in the land, but the residents of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath served as their forced labor.
Notice the change in language. The language changes from “the Canaanites lived among them” to “they lived among the Canaanites.” Why does the language change? The author wants us to see that the Israelites have become Canaanites. They are rooted.
So, the psalmist wants us to see that the wicked are like trees. They walk, then they stand, and then they sit… They become rooted in their wicked lifestyle.
Application
Application
How can I apply this?
The best time to repent is today.
Tomorrow may come, but I might be so rooted in my wicked lifestyle that I won’t see the way out anymore.
The Righteous Are Like Trees
The Righteous Are Like Trees
On the other hand, the righteous are like trees as well. They become rooted in something as well.
The righteous are rooted in God’s word, and ultimately in God himself. Psalm 1:1-2.
1 How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked
or stand in the pathway with sinners
or sit in the company of mockers!
2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.
They meditate day and night on God’s word, but why? It’s because that is where their delight is found.
Side note: Psalm 1:4.
4 The wicked are not like this;
instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.
The wicked are not like this. Do the wicked delight in God’s word? Do the wicked meditate on God’s word day and night?
So, I need to ask myself. Am I meditating on God’s word day and night? If not, then what camp do I belong to?
What is the result of the righteous man being rooted in God’s word? Psalm 1:3.
3 He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams
that bears its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Where is the only place where trees grew and never withered? The Garden of Eden. In the garden, there was no death, because God was there. God is life.
So, the righteous man is not only rooted in the word. The righteous man is rooted in God. Through God’s life-giving presence, this man will have life.
So, the first psalm presents two different men.
One man is rooted in God and his word and receives life.
The other man is rooted with the wicked and withers away.
We must be rooted in Christ.
We must be rooted in Christ.
As we finish the first psalm, we ask ourselves… who is the righteous man?
The first psalm describes the righteous man as the one who shapes his life according to God’s word. Who does that perfectly?
None of us do. This brings us to the second psalm. The second psalm gives us a glimpse of who the first psalm is ultimately about.
Psalm 2.
1 Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand,
and the rulers conspire together
against the Lord and his Anointed One:
3 “Let’s tear off their chains
and throw their ropes off of us.”
4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord ridicules them.
5 Then he speaks to them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath:
6 “I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 I will declare the Lord’s decree.
He said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.
8 Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You will break them with an iron scepter;
you will shatter them like pottery.”
10 So now, kings, be wise;
receive instruction, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with reverential awe
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Pay homage to the Son or he will be angry
and you will perish in your rebellion,
for his anger may ignite at any moment.
All who take refuge in him are happy.
While we all should strive to be the righteous man in psalm 1, none of us do it perfectly. The only one who does it perfectly is God’s anointed King. So, if we put Psalm 1 and 2 together, they teach us that if we want to be rooted in God, then we must be rooted in the king.
Psalm 1:1; 2:12.
1 How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked
or stand in the pathway with sinners
or sit in the company of mockers!
12 Pay homage to the Son or he will be angry
and you will perish in your rebellion,
for his anger may ignite at any moment.
All who take refuge in him are happy.
Psalm 1 tells us that the one who is rooted in God is happy, and psalm 2 tells us that the one who takes refuge in the King is happy. If we truly want to be the righteous man from Psalm 1, then we must be rooted in Christ.
Jesus himself tells us this. John 15:5-6.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
Jesus is the true vine, and we are the branches. We must be rooted in him.
John 1:1.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jesus is the word. We must be rooted in him.
So, these psalms teach us that if we really want to be the like the man in Psalm 1, then we must be rooted in Jesus because he is truly the righteous man.
Those who rebel against Jesus are the wicked people described in the first psalm.
In Psalm 1, we see the righteous man meditate on God’s instruction, but the wicked are not like this. What do the wicked meditate on? Psalm 2:1.
1 Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The wicked meditate on vanity. That’s the same word from Psalm 1:2.
2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.
So, the psalmist wants us to see that the righteous meditate on God’s word, but the wicked meditate on vanity. Their focus is on rebelling against God’s anointed king.
Conclusion
Conclusion
So, to summarize what these introductory psalms are trying to teach us:
The first psalm teaches us that there are two types of people. There are those who become rooted in God and his word, and there are those who become rooted in wickedness.
The second psalm expands on this. Those who are rooted in God and his word are those who are rooted in king Jesus. Those who are rooted in wickedness are those who rebel against king Jesus.
Which are you?