Be Blessed

I. The godly man is blessed (Psalm 1:1-3).

A. The godly person is careful with his interactions (1:1).

1. He does not walk “in the counsel of the ungodly.”

— He doesn’t follow the advice of ungodly people.

2. He does not stand “in the way of sinners.”

— This does not mean that he “stands in their way” like we think of the phrase used today.

— He does not follow the path that sinners take.

— He does not do what sinners do.

3. He does not sit “in the seat of the scornful.”

— He is not just passing by anymore, but he is now sitting, implying he is partaking in what is going on. He is now a scorner.

— A scorner is one who mocks.

According to Proverbs, a scorner:

Hates rebuke; ridicules wisdom

Those who rebuke them get a blot on themselves (Proverbs 9:7-8)

They refuse to hear rebuke (Proverbs 13:1; Proverbs 15:12)

Mocks justice

They scorn judgment and eat up wickedness (Proverbs 19:28)

Causes trouble (Proverbs 22:10; Proverbs 29:8)

Is arrogantly angry (Proverbs 21:24)

Is an abomination to both God and man (Proverbs 24:9)

— This is a progressive downfall. First he listens to the advice of the ungodly, then he stands in the path of sinners, mimicking what they do, and then he actively partakes in scorning, mocking God and the godly.

B. The godly person delights in God’s Word (1:2).

Joshua 1:8 — God’s Word is what makes our way prosperous and successful.

Psalm 119 is a Psalm dedicated to the love of God’s Word.

“Delight” — He desires it with joy (TDOT)

C. The godly person is likened to a tree by a river (1:3).

— He is rooted In what will enable him to grow.

— He is consistently bearing righteous fruit.

— He does not stop growing.

— He prospers in what he does.

II. The ungodly man is destroyed (Psalm 1:4-5).

A. The ungodly are not blessed like the godly person (1:4a).

B. Instead of being blessed, the ungodly person is like chaff (1:4b).

They are compared to chaff, which is the worthless husks of grain, which is blown away by the wind when one winnows their grain.

Chaff is the opposite of a well-watered tree.

“Chaff is the opposite of a tree. While a tree has an abundance of life-giving water, chaff is dry. The tree is deep-rooted and productive; chaff has no connection to the earth, but rolls as the wind blows it, and is useless.” — TOTC on Psalms

C. They will face judgment

“Stand” refers to the ability to withstand in judgment.

— The righteous will make it through judgment because their righteousness is in Christ and ultimately their works reflect that (Romans 5:1).

— The ungodly will not stand in the judgment but will face an everlasting punishment because of their evil works (Romans 2:6; Revelation 20:11-15).

D. Sinners will not be in the congregation of the righteous.

— The “congregation” refers to the gathering of believers for worship. Sinners will not be where the righteous are, where they worship, which is in heaven (Revelation 21:8; Revelation 21:27).

III. There are two paths in life: the godly path and the ungodly path (Psalm 1:6).

A. God “knoweth,” or watches over, the way of the righteous.

B. The way of the ungodly ends in destruction.

C. Which path will you take—the godly path where you will be happy as a result of knowing God, or the ungodly path where your end will be destruction in this life and judgment for eternity?