Psalms: Dry Grass is Burned Up

Introduction

Abundant provision so that the righteous cannot fail to prosper.

Please stand if you are able for the reading of God’s word.

Psalm 1 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. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

May God Bless the reading of His Holy, Inflatable, and Sufficient Word.

Transition

There is a mid-point to this poem where everything before is being compared to everything after and it is even inverse in order.

Verse 4 is contracted to verse 3 A tree verse Chaff

Verse 5 and the first pat of 6 are a contrast of the second half of verse 1 and verse to.

Then finally the last part of verse 6 “but the way of the wicked will perish” is the contract of “blessed is the man.”

Even if you didn't follow that completely, the point is that everything from verse 3 to verse 6 is what is the opposite of the Blessed man. In verses 1-3 we are talking about the blessed man, in verses 4-6 we are talking about the cursed, unblessed (yes i know that is not a word), man.

Reinforces that blessedness is from God.

Does a tree plant itself?

Does grass choose to be grass?

All this comes from God so that we never say, look I am blessed because I was righteous, but rather I am blessed in Christ who is righteous.

Some would say, Aaron you are stretching the metaphor here the author is just using imaginary to make a point and we should not read so much into it. But I do not think so,

The principle is tota scriptura, or scripture interprates scripture.

When God says, “blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing.” (Eph 1:3, ESV) it every blessing is in Christ.

So is it a blessing to be a tree planned by the streams of God’s provision and care? Yes, so that blessing comes in Christ.

We were not smart trees that decided you know I am going to walk over there a plant myself be that beautify stream of water, we were planted there by God’s doing.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:8–9, ESV)

No one is going to say yep, look at me I walked myself over here and planted myself next to this water and I put my roots down and drank all that I could.

This could not be more important because without Christ, we are the grass, we are the wicked, we are this ones that have no hope in the judgement.

Without God, by the work of Christ, taking us and transforming us into the a tree, planting us by the river of His provision, pruning us, training us, guiding us we are destined only for wrath.

Bare this in mind. Turn to Ro 3:9-18 (so everyone can read it in their own language)

“What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”

“Their throat is an open grave;

they use their tongues to deceive.”

“The venom of asps is under their lips.”

“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

in their paths are ruin and misery,

and the way of peace they have not known.”

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Ro 3:9–18.

You can turn back to Psalm 1.

The reason we are establishing this things right now, this that I do not want brothers and sisters, for us to fall into moral therapeutic deism, plagian provisional-ism, or simi-plagian arminianism. If you do not know what those terms mean, that okay, you can understand them all this way, I did therefore I am righteous. I am righteous, because I meditated on the law of God day and night. I am righteous because I made the decision to follow Christ. I am righteous because I do more good things then bad things and Jesus does the rest. Those are all lies from the father of liers.

The reason verse 4 through 6 of Psalm 1 do not apply to you saint, the reason you will not be blown away like the chaff, the reason you can stand int he judgement, the reason you will not parish is the work of God alone. Period.

That is the necessary Christocentric framework, for understanding Psalm 1:4-6. And really any other text in the scriptures.

So now that we have a framework to hang our thinking on this evening, lets read Psalm 1:4.

Body

The Wind of God’s Wrath

Psalm 1:4 ESV

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

Calvin comments here “The meaning, therefore, is, although the ungodly now live prosperously, yet by and by they shall be like chaff; for when the Lord has brought them low, he shall drive them hither and thither with the blast of his wrath. Besides, by this form of speech, the Holy Spirit teaches us to contemplate with the eye of faith, what might otherwise seem incredible; for although the ungodly man rise high, and appear to great advantage, like a stately tree, we may rest assured that he will be even as chaff or refuse, whenever God chooses to cast him down from his high estate, with the breath of his mouth.” [1]

Chaff refers the dry dead grass.

The grass was once alive, mater of fact grass grows faster then a tree. There is a time when grass looks prosperous. If you want to see an example come look at my paddock.

The Psalmist refers here to them chaff the dry dead grass this is to get us to think about their end state.

The wind is the opposite of the stream. The stream is God grace and provision flowing from his mercy to the elect. The wind is God’s wrath and judgement toward the wicked driving them from any blessing.

Transition

Just like the stream is the source be which all of the blessing of God come to the blessed, the wind drives the wicked away from all blessing. See verse 5.

Therefore There is No Blessing

Psalm 1:5 ESV

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

References

[1] John Calvin and James Anderson, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 6.

Bibliography

Calvin, John, and James Anderson. Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.