Psalm 1:1-6

TWO WAYS

Psalm 1:1–6 (ESV)

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;

but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

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 wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1:1-6

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. 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. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

I. The Way of Happiness. vv. 1-3

A. The Restraints That Bring Happiness.

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.

"Lit, 'Oh the happinesses of the man!" JFB

The verbs, walketh, standeth, sitteth, describe the characteristic steps of the wicked which the righteous avoid: accepting the principles of the wicked, participating in the practices of outright sinners, and finally joining with those who openly mock."

Yates, WBC,

1. The happy individual restrains from walking in the counsel of the ungodly.

Note: the downward trend of sin. Walking, standing, sitting.

Walking according to the counsel or plans of the ungodly will never bring happiness, but only unhappiness.

"Counsel means 'advise.'' McGee

"The word which we translate ungodly signifies such as are unsettled, aim at no certain end and walk by no certain rule, but are at the command of every lust and at the beck of every temptation." Henry

a. Walking not according to the advise of the ungodly.

Ungodly advise can do nothing but bring unhappiness to the individual who hearkens to it. The happy individual will find happiness in getting his advice or counsel from God.

We should get our advice or counsel from God or from godly sources.

One of the names of the Lord Jesus is "Counsellor."

"and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor,"

b. Walking not according to the plans of the ungodly.

The plans of the ungodly are not in accordance with the plans of God.

Prov. 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

In life's problems - who do you look to for counsel or advice?

2. The happy individual restrains from standing in the way of sinners.

"nor standeth in the way of sinners"

It is not long before those who walk in the counsel of the ungodly are standing in the way of sinners. This of course is only a cause for further unhappiness and the wise individual, the blessed or happy individual separates himself from this company as well.

The Christian must never forget that our Lord ate with publicans and sinners and ever displayed a fervent desire to reach those in sin. However, at the same time He never partook of their sin, and His time spent with sinners was evangelistic in nature.

"The word for sinners signifies such as are determined for the practice of sin and set it up as their trade." Henry

"Lit., those deviating from the straight course; erring, from estrangement of heart and principle." JFB

I Cor. 15:33 - Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Pr. 4:14 - Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

3. The happy individual restrains from sitting in the seat of the scornful.

"The scornful are those that set their mouths against the heavens." Henry

Those who give ear to the ungodly counsel and begin to stand in the way of the sinners will before long be sitting in the seat of the scornful.

Note: Example of Lot.

B. The Resources That Bring Happiness.

2: But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

This of course is completely opposite to the characteristics of the ungodly. They forsake the counsel of God, walk away from God, sit scorning God.

The happy individual takes God's counsel(listens to the principles of His Word), stands with the saints (walks according to the principles of the Word of God), and sits with those who exalt the Savior.

1. The happy individual delights in God.

While it is true that he delights in the law of the LORD; he does so because he delights in the LORD.

Ps. 37:4 - Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Man finds true happiness and satisfaction as man learns how to delight in the LORD.

Jn. 6:35 - And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

"Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee." Augustine

2. The happy individual delights in the Word of God.

"But his delight is in the law of the LORD;"

Job. 23:12b - I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

People today are looking for happiness in every direction and yet neglecting the source that brings great happiness - the Word of God.

The defeated Christian is most likely a Bible neglecting Christian.

3. The happy individual meditates on the Word of God.

"and in his law doth he meditate day and night."

"Meditation upon is to reading the Word what digesting is to eating. Without the slow and lengthened process of digestion, food would not nourish the body: without meditation, the Word read will not nourish the soul." JFB

"Meditate is a very figurative word. It pictures a cow chewing her cud. I'm told that the cow has several compartments in her tummy. She can go out in the morning, graze on the grass when the dew is on it in the cool of the day. Then when it gets hot in the middle of the day, she lies down under a tree and begins to chew the cud. She moves the grass she had in the morning back up and now she masticates it, she goes over it again.  That is what we do when we meditate." McGee

"Thomas a Kempis put it rather quaintly: 'I have no rest, but in a nook, with the Book.'"

- McGee

C. The Results That Bring Happiness.

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.

1. Nourishment.

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,"

rivers - "The word of God." McGee

"The word rivers is the superlative in the Hebrew; it is hyperbole for abundance."

McGee

Note: story of grapes at Hampton Court.

"I have been told that at Hampton Court, London, there is a vine that sometimes bore a couple of thousand bunches of grapes and people were astonished at its large growth and rich fruitage. Afterwards it was discovered what was the cause of it. Not so very far away runs the River Thame, and the vine had stretched its roots away hundreds of yards under the ground until it had come to the riverside, and there in all the rich slime of the riverbed it had found rich nourishment, and obtained moisture; and the roots had drawn the sap all that distance up and up into the vine, and as a result there was the abundant and rich harvest." Murray

A tree that is planted by plenty of water has plenty of nourishment.

2. Fruitfulness.

"that bringeth forth his fruit in his season."

Note: Read Jn 15:1-8

3. Healthiness.

"his leaf also shall not wither"

"Now the leaf is the outward testimony of the Christian." McGee

God's people are evergreen trees - their leaves do not wither.

4. Prosperity.

"and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

Note: this speaks of spiritual prosperity - the believer is not promised material prosperity in this age.

II. The Way of Unhappiness. vv. 4-6

In order to understand the positive aspect of happiness it is important to understand the negative aspect of unhappiness. Psalm one describes not only the happy man, but also the unhappy.

"Theme: Two men, two ways, two destinies." McGee

A. The Reason for the Unhappiness of the Ungodly. vs. 4

vs, 4a - "The ungodly are not so:"

"The LXX emphatically repeat this: not so the ungodly; they are not so." Henry

'not so' in character; 'not so' in destiny (De Burgh) JFB

1. The way of the ungodly is the path of sin.

Note: They walk in the counsel of the ungodly; they stand in the way of sinners; and they sit in the seat of the scornful.

Thus they reap the full benefits of a life that is contrary to the ways of God.

Gal. 6:7-8 - Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

2. The way of the ungodly is without security.

"but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away."

In Christ I am secure; without Christ I have no security.

"In the east threshing floors are placed on height; the threshed corn is thrown aloft for the wind to carry the chaff away."

JFB

"The picture is that of a threshing floor on a hill-top, where the wind clears away the chaff and leaves the grain." WBC, Yates

Matt. 3:12 - Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

B. The Results of the Unhappy Way of Life. vv. 5-6

5: 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.

1. Unhappy in Judgment.

"Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment.

"Every knee shall bow"

It shall be an unhappy experience for those who meet God in judgment for their sin.

2. Unhappy in separation.

"nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous."

In that they shall wish they were among the saints of God.

Forever separated from the congregation of the righteous; forever separated from the love of God.

3. Unhappy in their eternal plight.

"but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

Note: Those killed at Morvi, India.

Some time ago 15,000 people were killed when a rain-weakened dam broke releasing a 30 foot wall of water. Alert had been given on loudspeaker several hours before, but few people believed the dam would break.