What Does it mean to be Blessed!

Happy is the Man

Psalm 1:1–6 (KJV 1900)

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.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord;

And in his law doth he meditate day and night.

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 ungodly are not so:

But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

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.

INTRO: This first psalm is a introduction to the book of psalms.

It embodies almost the whole book.

Like the Sermon on the Mount, it begins with the word Blessed.

This word means, “O the Joy of the man”;

Joy is not only being physically blessed but spiritually blessed. It comes from the inside out! Happiness depends on what’s happening ( what comes form the outside in)

We see this Blessed man in a perspective that is two fold

both Neg. and positive

I. HIS NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS

There are some things he will not do, not because the law and judgment stop him, but because he has better things to do.

In his heart is a hatred for the ways and the things that are against God.

And a love for gods word!

James 4:4

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

2 Tim. 3 :1-5

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Romans 8:7

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

A. He does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

1. Because He knows

Psalm1 vrs.6

For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous:

But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

He keeps away from ungodly counsel because;

The Counsel of the ungodly leads to the broad road of destruction.

2. James 1:5

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

“He does not walk in earthly wisdom.

3. Proverbs 3:13

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,(knowledge)

And the man that getteth understanding.

(Application of knowledge)(when, where, and how to use the knowledge)

Proverbs 4:7

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom:

And with all thy getting get understanding.

B. He does not stand in the way of sinners.

1. The ungodly man is ignorant of God, but sinners are those who deliberately transgress against God and his law.

2. Christians are more at home with other Christians.

At the same time, they do not hinder sinners in their quest for the light of God

John 9:5 Christ say’s;

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

“We walk in the light …”

1 John 1:5–7

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

We “bear witness of … the true light, which lighteth every man …”

John 1:7–9

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

3. He does not sit in the seat of the scornful. Those who walk in the counsel of the ungodly are in danger of ending up in the seat of the scornful.

This seat is the chief seat in the kingdom of Satan.

Peter experienced all of these, but when he was converted, he strengthened the brethren.

4. Those who scorn the things of God and Christ walk after their own lusts. 2 Peter 3:3-4

3 “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lust …”.

4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation

II. HIS POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS

A. He is full of joy. He has many blessings,

Psalm 1:2

But his delight is in the law of the Lord;

And in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psalm 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,

And a light unto my path.

1. The Christian is not only giving up some things, but he is entering into a new life and inheritance in God and His Word.

2. The Prodigal Son gave up some things, in getting back to the fathers house. But once there, This was a great delight.

He went From swine troughs and rags

to a land flowing with milk and honey.

3. It is indeed a “delightsome land.”

All who love Him will find delight in His Word.

Praying and reading God’s Word is joyful, more so than any other literature(horoscope or sports mag.)

B. The blessed man is thoughtful man.

Psalms 1:2

But his delight is in the law of the Lord;

And in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Proverbs 6:23 (KJV 1900)

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light;

And reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

In the day of prosperity and in the night of adversity, he makes the Word of God his counsel, and he gets joy out of reading God’s Word.

1. 1 John 5:3

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

2. Did you know? Meditation on the Word is good for our physical and mental health as well as spiritual health.

Psalms 63:6-7

When I remember thee upon my bed,

And meditate on thee in the night watches.

7  Because thou hast been my help,

Therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

Only the bible yields such blessing.

C. He has hope. Why?

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.

He is full of expectation! He is like a tree that spreads out its roots by the river Growing deep and firm and strong in Gods word! When drought comes he has more than enough to sustain him.

1. Some things are starved and stunted by drought, but some are fully satisfied By, Living in the streams of God’s truth, mercy, and grace.

2. He gets meat to eat that others know nothing about

John 4:32

But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

John 4:34

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

D. The blessed man is fruitful. The fruit is according to the character of the tree, and is always in season. Men do not gather grapes of thorns. Being filled with the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit is manifested.

1. Filled with the fruit of the spirit righteousness.

Proverbs 11:30 (KJV 1900)

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life;

And he that winneth souls is wise.

2. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” Galatians 5:22, 23

3. “Ye shall know them by their fruits” Matthew 7:16

E. He is beautiful. 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.

There is a vital connection between the root and the leaf.

If the roots are dry soon the leafs begin to wilt until it rots and falls off the tree.

1. Men seek the leaf, not the root, but the hidden condition of the root can be judged by the outward appearance of the leaf.

2. Withered leaves are signs of a withered life.

F. The blessed man is successful. “Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (v. 3). Or, “Whatsoever the tree produce’s shall come to maturity.”

1. The bud, the blossom, is produced by the Spirit will come to maturity.

2. Our Lord said, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” John 17:4 . He left us an example. We are to “walk even as he walked”

1 John 2:6

He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

3. John 13:15 “I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you”

4. 1 Peter 2:21 “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps”

III. THE CONTRAST between the world and the blessed

A. Psalm 1:4

The ungodly are not so:

But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

No, they are far from it! The lawless ones are those who have no interest or reverence for the law of the Lord nor his spirit.

1. The ungodly take no interest in the law of God.

2. The ungodly are not like a tree planted, but are like the chaff driven.

3. The ungodly have neither root nor life in themselves—rootless, lifeless!

CONCLUSION:

Psalms 1:6 “The way of the ungodly shall perish.

They have no power to resist the wind or the fire

Matthew 3:12 separated by wind and fire!

Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor,

(separate the wheat from the chaff) and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.