A Contrast Between the Unrighteous and the Righteous

Verse 1

The man who begins to walk in the council of the ungodly will eventually sit in the seat of the scornful.

The sinful walk is a progressive walk. The sinner tends to go from casual non-habitual sin, to habitual life-defining sin, and finally to an outward mocking of the things of God.

The man who does not fall into the trap of this progressive sin is a blessed man.

This verse is a warning to the godly man to beware the opinions, council, and association of the ungodly.

Verse 2

The blessed man finds delight in God’s law.

God’s law is not a burdensome task master but a joyful life giver.

The blessed man meditates on God’s law day and night. This is more than setting a time in the morning or evening to have a devotion. To meditate is to have an ongoing contemplation of the word of God applied to one’s life.

"What digestion is to the body, meditation is to the soul."—Warren Wiersbe

To meditate is to contemplate, discuss, or dispute. Biblical meditation is not the emptying your mind as others view meditation. Biblical meditation is the filling of you mind with the things of God contemplating, discussing, and disputing with the word and the world around you.

Verse 3

"The man who delights in God's Word, being taught by it, bringeth forth patience in the time of suffering, faith in the day of trial, and holy joy in the hour of prosperity."— Spurgeon

The Psalmest draws our attention to the tree planted by a stream. Consider the roots, the most important part of the tree, as they stretch forth from the tree into the ground. They constantly gather the nourishment that is in the soil, and they draw water from the stream by which they are planted. The leaves and the fruit of the tree is only the outward evidence of the work that the roots preform. The growth of the tree and the fruit and leaves that it bears are direct results of the nourishment gathered.

When we meditate on God’s word, we are, like the tree, constantly drawing upon the nourishment that it provides. This is an ongoing action.

Verse 4

The Psalmest says that the one who finds his joy in the law of the Lord is like a tree planted firm in the ground. In contrast to that man, the Psalmest says that the ungodly are like the chaff that is blown away. There is no strong foundation that grounds the ungodly in place like the blessed man mentioned above.

Chaff is the useless remains that are blown away from the grain during the winnowing process. This image is a strong contrast to the image of the firmly planted tree. The chaff serves no purpose, the tree is filled with purpose. The chaff is carried away to be forgotten, while the tree stands strong and is seen by all who pass by.

Verse 5

God will one day stand in judgment over all people. He will cast the ungodly away in judgment much like the wind casts away the chaff.

The godly stand justified in the judgment of God

According the the Psalmest, sinners have no place in the gathering of the righteous.

Verse 6

The total outcome of one’s fate in the judgment of God will depend upon God’s knowledge of them. The Psalmest says that the Lord knows the way of the righteous.

The “way” that he is referring to is the total course of life. God know’s the way of the righteous, because the way of the righteous is the way of the Lord. Only God truly knows the way of the righteous, because He is the guide that leads the righteous man along. The righteous man trusts the Lord’s leading while not really knowing which way he is going only knowing that God is the one leading him there

The ungodly will not stand in the judgment of God. His way is futile not withstanding the judgment. The ways of the wicked will one day pass away. The pride, persecution, envy, laziness, indecency, vulgarity, lust, and so much more will one day pass away in the judgment of God. The things that seem to stand so strong in our day will be blown away as the chaff in the wind. Rest assured church, God’s way is truly the only lasting way.