The Blessed Man.

Today’s Scripture comes from the book of Psalms. The book of Psalms is one of the most captivating literature ever. we find encompass in these songs of Israel the full range of sorrow, hope, joy, defeat, and the promises of God. Augustine once said, “If the psalm prays, you pray. If the psalm laments, you lament. If the psalm exalts, you rejoice. If it hopes, you hope. If it fears, you fear. Everything written here is a mirror for us.” It is through the Psalms that we see Christ revealed to . We see this truth in our Psalm this day, Psalm 1.

Before we read the Lord’s word, let us approach him in prayer:

Pray.

Now hear the Infallible, inerrant, and preserved word of God.

“ 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall 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 ungodly shall perish.” NKJV

Blessed is the Man.

Thomas Watson rightly describes this Psalm as “a Christian's Guide, for it discovers the quicksands where the wicked sink down in perdition, and the firm ground on which the saints tread to glory.”

As we look at our Psalm today, one thing that catches our eyes is the first word: Blessed. Some translations use the word happy instead of blessed. Which is appropriate for both words are correct because the Hebrew could mean either blessed or happy. This is something everyone wants; we all want to be blessed or happy.

If you’re anything like me, you facebook account. One thing I notice every time I scroll is the amount of pictures people post. Each picture is to show how happy we are, to show how blessed we are, and to show that we have it all together. Seldom, do we see pictures of people sharing their grief. Nonetheless, our culture, our society is bent on the quest for happiness.

Some people find their happiness in their job. If you love your job, they say, you’ll not work one day in your life — For some, not truly working is the maximum of happiness. Happiness is tied to our health. It is said that happier you are, the better health you have. It is said happiness affects your immune system.

All around us is a quest for happiness.

What is happiness or blessedness?

Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of “happy” : “Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.” This is is no different from the Hebrew:

Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament) 897 אַשְׁרֵי

אַשְׁרֵי (ʾǎš·rê): n.[masc.]; ≡ Str 835; TWOT 183a—LN 25.116–25.134 blessed!, how happy!, i.e., a heightened state of happiness and joy, implying very favorable circumstance and enjoyment

Today, we will look at how the blessed man in Psalm 1, and from this Psalm we will draw three main points.

Passion.

Obsession.

and Production.

Digging Deeper:

Verse 1, “ Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.”

Already, we see contrast between two groups of people: the blessed man and sinners, ungodly, and the scornful. The Psalmist, which is King David here, uses three words to describe one category: the wicked. By calling them these three words is to describe the wicked to the fullest of their attributes. The ungodly are morally evil, and everything think and do is set on doing evil. The sinner here is one who is morally guilty — and I will add, that they do not care they are guilty of violating God’s standard. Third, the scornful. People who mock or ridicule others; it could be translated ‘the babbler.’

St. Thomas Aquinas said, “No man can live without delight, and that is why a man deprived of spiritual joy goes over to evil pleasures."

The wicked has their delight, but their delight in not the Lord rather it is their fleshly desires.

But notice the verbs before the description of the wicked: walks, stands, and sits. The Psalmist says that the blessed is he who does not walk, stands, or sits with the wicked. This may be troubling for some, for it implies that we should not have any relations with the non-Christian. If that to be true, then how can we evangelize to our neighbors? Simply put, this means the blessed man does not follow after the way of life of the wicked. He does not think on their ways. The blessed man is not permeated with the ways of the wicked. The attribute of the blessed man is described by his one passion: the law of the Lord.

His Passion.

The blessed man is captivated by one thing: God’s law. Look at first part of verse 2:

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord.”

You might be thinking to yourself, “Bridger, we’re under grace and not the law.’ Correct. We are under grace. But let us consider the purpose of the Law of God. The Law serves two purposes.

The Law serves as a mirror. The law reflects and illumines who were truly are before God. This is why some people do not like the law. It exposes their failures, their inadequacies, and their depravity. Or As RC Sproul taught, “The law highlights our weakness so that we might seek the strength found in Christ.”

The Law intend to restrain evil. Sproul says, ‘that it cannot change the heart.’ I think he is right. The Law’s purpose is exhibit proper justice.

What is pleasing to God. Here, is what the Psalmist is meaning.

The blessed man’s delight or pleasure is God’s law, it is his passion. He delights in it, he finds joy in it, and he loves it. The blessed man finds his purpose in the Law of the Lord, and who he is from the Law of the LORD. This is a theme throughout the Psalter. Psalm 19 states,

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting (or restoring) the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple”

Psalm 94:12 says:

“Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, And teach out of Your law.”

And longest chapter in the entire bible, Psalm 119:1, starts on the Law of the Lord: “

“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the Lord!”

Contrary to popular belief, the Law of the Lord is not a burden — it is not a burden especially for the blessed man. For the blessed man discovers his purpose, He sees who he is through the Law of the Lord, and he finds how to serve the Lord. The Law, terrifying for the unbeliever, is not terrible for the believer. The Faithful discovers how they can become faithful to God through His law. For the delight of the law of the Lord is centered on the man’s love for the Lord.

For example, some people take great delight in eating bbq. Yes, I think we call can relate to that in one capacity or other. But no one takes greater delight than that of the pit-master. He is the one who is out early in the morning, kindling the wood to the fire. Prepping the meat; seasoning the meat. Checking on the meal throughout the day to ensure that it does not get burnt. He cannot afford to get distracted because the bbq would come out bad. But no one has a greater delight than the pit-master when he takes the bite after a long and tedious process knowing his work is rooted in his passion.

You might be thinking to yourself of your own passion that you have a delight in. Whatever it may be, it is similar to the blessed man here in Psalm 1. His delight in the law of the Lord.

Application 1:

Do find great delight in the Law of the Lord as the blessed man in Psalm 1, or do you see it as a burden?

Obsession:

The rest of verse two is the blessed Man’s obsession. David writes, “and in His law he meditates day and night.”

It naturally follows that a person’s passion is the person’s obsession. We see athletes passion for their sport become an obsession – all they do is eat, drink, sleep their sport. They are fixated on nothing more than to show off their talents. They find their purpose in doing their obsess passion.

No comes to mind better about their obsession with their sport than Conor McGregor, the famous UFC MMA fighter. When he lost to Nick Diaz, he could not stop studying Nick’s style. And up to their rematch, Conor trained non-stop. If he wasn’t in the gym, he constantly watching video’s of Nick to see where he may be weak at. Conor McGregor is one of the most successful fighters in the sport and he contributes his success to his obsession with the sport.

Same thing with the Blessed man. We see, not only does he take delight in the law of the Lord, but he meditates on it day and night. He is constantly thinking of the Law of the Lord. Why this obsession you may be asking? Simply put, it is to see how he may glorify the Lord, how he may bless the Lord, and how he can show his love for His Lord.

Thomas Watson says, “Meditation is the touchstone of a Christian; it shows what metal he is made of. It is a spiritual index; as an index shows what is in a book, so meditation shows what is in the heart.” He goes on further and says, “The reason we come away so cold from reading the Word is that we do not warm ourselves at the fire of meditation.” The Blessed man’s fuel for his passion is his constant obsession with studying, reading, praying God’s law in his life.”

Or B. Ashwood says, “Meditation chews the cud, and gets the sweetness and nutritive virtue of the Word into the heart and life: this is the way the Godly brings forth much fruit.

The Blessed man continually thinks about God’s law regardless his life’s situation. For in the storm of the world, when it rains are cold and when it thunders are loud, the blessed man knows his warmth comes from the comfort the law of the Lord. Even when the thunder-clouds come and darken the day, the law of the Lord is light to his path; and it is in the God’s light that we see light (Psalm 36:9).

Application: How obsess are you with God’s law? Do you think about it day and night, or is it something frightful for you?

Production.

Let us look at verses 3-6. It reads,

“ He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall 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 ungodly shall perish.”

David says that the blessed man is like a tree by the rivers of water. The blessed man who mediates on the law of God is like a tree by the source of water. I think everyones that plants next to a source of water will always grow; they lack nothing! likewise, with the blessed man who keeps his mind on the Law of the Lord; he lacks nothing! He is constantly being fed and cared for. This is important to look at: the tree is close to its source of food. Beloved, we must be close to our source of life. Because the tree is close to the source of water, it always produces fruit. The blessed is the same way. He bears fruit.

Notice the difference between the blessed man and the wicked? The blessed man produces fruit, and whose leaf shall not wither. What he does, he prospers. The wicked do not. They are not close to water, they are in the desert, away from water. Or to put in in subtle word, THEY ARE DEAD! They are rotten, dried up pieces of wood that are only gathered for fuel of the fire. Their ash is blown away by the wind.

Let me grab your attention, we’re almost done. The Psalm begins with the blessed man not walking, standing, or sitting with the wicked. The Psalm is ending in the opposite: the wicked do not stand or dwell with the congregation. Why? Because they are driven to and fro by the wind. They will not be able to stand or sit in the judgment, instead they are driven into their own destruction by their own devices.

Beloved, the law of God for Christians is not a burden. It is to train us up, to reprove, and to teach us, and to instruct us in all things concerning holiness.

The Problem

I’ve been saying the Blessed man through this sermon, but who is the blessed man and who are the wicked? If you were putting yourself as the blessed man in this Psalm then you are missing the point. Beloved, We are not the blessed man here. I hate to say it. We are the wicked. We do not not mediate on the law of the Lord day and night; we go after the advice of others; we are quick to partake in the lifestyle of the ungodly. Outside of God’s good grace, we were the chaff before the wind, destine for destruction.

The blessed man is Christ Jesus. This Psalm points to the only person, Jesus, who ever lived completely devoted to the law of God. He, Who fulfilled the laws demands took on himself the full penalty of the law for us. Christ, perfect

He is the tree that bears much fruit. I know this assignment urged us not to use other verses outside the book that we’re preaching from, but John 15:1 Jesus says, “I am in the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” The point of that chapter is that if we abide in Him, we will produce fruit and remain branches connect to the vine. If we do not abide in Him, we will be like the wicked in this Psalm.

How do we abide in Christ, especially during this time the Pandemic and other issues?

Three ways we can do to abide in Christ:

Have a passion for Christ rooted in Love for Him.

Have an obsession for Christ. Be consumed with knowing Christ.

Produce fruit for Christ. Do not be contempt to love and know Christ, but make that Love known to all people.

Let us pray.