The Abundant Life
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Psalms Background
Psalms Background
The book of Psalms is a collection of songs, prayers, hymns, laments, and poetry. Directing the praise of God, encouraging faith, and giving a voice to real raw human emotions such as sorrow, fear and joy. The book of Psalms has a much wider scope than any other book of the Bible. Its tradition and literary history span from the pre-monarchic (period before the kingdom) well into the second temple period (after the exilic period - when Nehemiah rebuilt )
The Psalms, like the other wisdom literature of the Old Testament (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes), is Hebrew poetry. Unlike English poetry, which emphasizes rhyme and meter, Hebrew poetry relies on other characteristics for its impact like parallelism and figures of speech.
Parallelism
Parallelism
English verse manipulates sound, and emphasizes rhyme and meter. Hebrew poetry repeats and rearranges thoughts rather than sounds. There are several types of parallel arrangement of thoughts, with the first three listed below being the most basic.
(1) Synonymous—the same thought of the first line is basically repeated in different words in the second line (2:4; 3:1; 7:17).
(2) Antithetical—the thought of the first line is emphasized by a contrasting thought in the second line (1:6; 34:10). They are often identified with “but.”
(3) Synthetic—the second line explains or further develops the idea of the first line (1:3; 95:3).
(4) Climactic—The second line repeats with the exception of the last terms (29:1).
(5) Emblematic—One line conveys the main point, the second line illuminates it by an image (42:1; 23:1).
What is a Psalm? In order for us to firmly grasp and understand the book of Psalms it is imperative that we understand how the Psalms functioned in ancient Israel.
Psalms are tightly woven poetic compositions. Even prayer Psalms reflecting life or death adversities (Psalms 13 and 22) present elaborate literary echoes and structures. Their references to singing imply performance, their wording implies composition, and we conclude that they are not spontaneous improvised cries of help or praise.
The identities of “I” “We” and “they” are open-ended. Different from biblical historical narratives and poetic oracles of the prophet, the speaker’s opponents in the Psalms are rarely identified. The open-ended language of the Psalms implies that they are written for typical and recurring occasions in the life of God’s people.
Most of the Psalms follow regular literary patterns. This reflects that traditional conventions of poetic composition prevailed over any type of free verse.
Many Psalms contain liturgical and ritual allusions. Most hymns begin with plural imperatives that serve as a call to worship. Hallelujah - You Praise Yahweh and changes of address in which addressing God directly “you” becomes “He” suggests the Psalms have a congregational setting
References to lyres and other musical instrumentation imply musical performance.
The Psalms formed an ancient prayer and hymn book. Most Psalms were originally set prayers intended to guide worshipers in articulating cries of distress and celebrations of praise. They are meant to lead the worshiper’s heart to God through times of trial and times of worship. Psalms are educative and behaviorally modifying. The Psalms came through generations of people living with and for God and they are deeply personal but not expressing only the individual author’s experiences but rather evoking the experiences that typify or should typify God’s people. They are the songs for our hearts.
From creation to re-creation no theological theme of significance is absent from Psalms. However to treat it as a theological text strictly is to miss its true strength and purpose. Psalms true purpose is a richly varied guide to the perception experience and worship of God. Within its descriptive imagery and depth of emotional expression the Psalms form the solid foundation of intimate faith and worship.
The Psalter is divided after the analogy of the Pentateuch into five books each ending with a doxology or benediction.
Book 1 Psalms 1-41 - all ascribed to David except 1,2,10 and 33 which although anonymous may also be ascribed to him.
Book 2 Psalms 42-72 ascribe 18 to David and 1 to Solomon (72) and the remaining 12 are anonymous
Book 3 Psalms 73-89 the 86th is ascribed to David the 88th to Herman the Ezrahite and the 89th to Ethan the Ezrahite
Book 4 Psalms 90-106 which the 90th is ascribed to Moses and the 101st and 103rd to David
Book 5 Psalms 107-150 15 ascribed to David and the 127th to Solomon.
The Abundant Life
The Abundant Life
Introduction
Introduction
How would you describe the abundant life? The abundant life is the successful life The world describes its version of a successful life and this picture of successful living has made its way into the church and believers lose themselves pursuing after it — chasing this version of success. I will have achieved success when the bank account has so much in it, or when my paycheck has so much in it. Other times the pursuit comes in the form of education and intellectual achievements. I will be successful when I have letters and abbreviations after my name or before it. Now days this one is more prevalent - the idea that success is tied to popularity or fame. The proliferation of the internet, instagram, facebook, tiktok and youtube many chase for the number of subscribers, likes and views and when they get so many then they are successful. Still yet some measure success in terms of health - I reach a weight, a body fat percentage a strength or a physical feat or achievement.
How do you define success in life - the abundant life? What criteria do you use?
God has provided an abundant life for you far beyond these types of things that the world chases after. These things are temporal fleeting and in fact passing away, while the blessed abundant life that God has provided is eternal in use and value.
1 How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! 2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4 The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand up in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
How Happy
How Happy
Psalm 1:1 (CSB)
1 How happy is the one
3 He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
The word used here for happy is the Hebrew word ashre and it means blessedness, happiness over all and well-being in every area of life. It is not our definition of happiness which depends entirely on circumstance and happenstance. This word points more to a deep fulfilling sense of joy. That is how Jesus can say to His disciples about the joy or blessedness they would have and in the same conversation telling them they would be hated and persecuted.
11 “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me.
You are marked by a happiness over all and well being in every area of life.
Psalm 112 a sister Psalm demonstrates these different areas - security, finances, wisdom, business, etc
Ashre also has a meaning of being straight or right. Gods desire for us to be happy and blessed comes by walking straight or right. This promised blessing of happiness and abundance is attainable by all - rich, poor etc. What is the promised abundant life is it riches, fame or anything like that? No but it is an abundant life none the less and the one who has this present in their life is happy.
The abundant life is like a tree. A tree is usually a picture of life and a picture of abundant life. We are told happy is the one who is like a tree - full of life.
10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
Not only are you like a tree, full of life but you are specifically a planted tree and this denotes several characteristics of your life. The first is that you are rooted firmly and that suggests that you are unmoved when life comes. Not that you dont adjust to life but that life and the things and events of life dont and wont change your faith in God. You are unmovable and unshakeable for you are firmly rooted because you have been planted. You will have a lasting endurance and a staying quality.
7 He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in the Lord.
6 So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, 7 being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.
Secondly being planted means that you are chosen and not random or wild and that you have been carefully placed with great care for your growth. Last is that plant can be also made transplanted in that God took you from where you were originally and has specifically planted you where you are now. The abundant life is for those whom God has transplanted.
The abundant life is one in which you are full of life from being planted specifically and not only that but planted with every necessary resource for living. Planted by flowing streams. The water is not stagnant because it is flowing and flowing water is full of life. The water is full of life because it has all the necessary resources. This is one who drinks from instruction and wisdom from the water of the Word of God and the Spirit of God.
The abundant life is truly characteristic of a fruit bearing life. The tree is so full of life that it is bearing fruit of life. This tree bears fruit and as such is useful. The picture is a life that has significance and means something. The fruit bearing tree is good for something. The truly abundant life is the life that has meaning not only in this life but also in the next life as well. The desire of most people is that they matter, that their life matters. The abundant life is a life that matters because it is a fruit bearing life. Understanding of course that fruit is brought forth in its season. Many become discouraged when they do not have immediate evidence of the fruit of walking righteous. One must remember the fruit comes forth in its season and so patience is necessary.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.
9 Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.
The leaf of the tree does not whither it does not blow away, dry up, thirst or become brittle. Rather the leaf remains pliable, full of life. Lush fruit full and juicy describes what you find on the tree planted by the waters.
12 The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the house of the Lord, they thrive in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, healthy and green,
Final picture is that whatever this one does will prosper. This is not talking about the touch of King Midas. Rather it is related to Romans 8:28
28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Prosperous to advancing His kingdom
33 Follow the whole instruction the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live, prosper, and have a long life in the land you will possess.
This man will prosper in everything he undertakes.
How To Obtain This
How To Obtain This
1 How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! 2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.
The way to this abundant blessed life is reserved for those who would follow verses 1 and 2 of Psalm1. There are things in which one desiring to grab hold of the abundant life must first pay attention that he not do them. There are somethings that one might do that hinders their achievement in obtaining what God desires for them. The answer is to simply stop doing them or avoid them. I was introduced to this concept of a Not To Do List back in the corporate world. The idea is to mark off what you need to not be doing and then dont do it. For the one who desires the abundant blessed happy life - he has three things he must stop doing and not do.
Do not walk in the advice of the wicked. The ungodly have counsel and it is readily available and offered freely and the righteous man is not to walk in it. Advice comes to us from all sorts of sources we must refrain from the counsel of the ungodly.
Philosophies/Worldviews
Worldly Advice - i.e. — do what makes you happy, look out for numero uno, nice guys finish last… etc
Our own heart/flesh
9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?
12 There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.
In order to do this one must discern the counsel as being godly or ungodly - unfortunately many do not consider the counsel they receive and they agree or disagree without ever considering if it is godly or ungodly.
Do not stand in the pathway with sinners. We will encounter sinners in our walk and we must understand we are not to avoid them. Path speaks of road, a direction, or a way and we must take care we are not traveling the same way or the same direction as sinners. Do not be afraid to take the less travelled road for this leads to abundant life and blessing.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it.
Do not sit in the company of mockers. They love to sit and criticize God and His people and the things of God. We must not sit in that seat! It is easy to jump on the bandwagon and criticize other Christians who arent doing what we believe they should be doing - but we are not to have a seat among the scornful and join with the company mocking God or His children.
4 I do not sit with the worthless or associate with hypocrites. 5 I hate a crowd of evildoers, and I do not sit with the wicked.
14 Keep off the path of the wicked; don’t proceed on the way of evil ones. 15 Avoid it; don’t travel on it. Turn away from it, and pass it by.
The thing we must be aware of is the progression of sin. Sin is progressive as one evil propensity leads to another. Bad counsel leads to bad deeds and one who goes to do bad things may abandon God in total apostasy. Walking, Standing and sitting — the progression of sin goes from action to inaction. This does not mean that the abundant and blessed life is lived without regard to the sinner and that we might as well completely avoid them. The happy abundant and blessed life is one that is friendly to sinners but not a partner in the sinning. Jesus was a friend of sinners - but not a sinner.
The abundant life and blessed life is for the one who instead would find their delight in the Lord’s instruction. This is not advocating following the Law or the Torah but the whole counsel of God’s word. The Lord’s instruction would be their whole utter delight. What makes you happy, gets you excited? If a person delights in something you dont have to beg or nag them to do it. You can easily measure you delight for God’s word by how much you hunger for it.
8 I delight to do your will, my God, and your instruction is deep within me.”
We delight in the Lord by doing what pleases Him and putting His law into our hearts. As we do this He will give us the desires of our hearts
4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
“Man must have some delight, some supreme pleasure. His heart was never meant to be a vacuum. If not filled with the best things, it will be filled with the unworthy and disappointing.” — Spurgeon.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
1 Hallelujah! Happy is the person who fears the Lord, taking great delight in his commands.
92 If your instruction had not been my delight, I would have died in my affliction.
4 He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
In His instruction he meditates on it day and night. A godly person is not influenced by unrighteous people but by the word of God. It requires the hard work of study and retention and comes from the desire to do so because it is his delight.
Meditate is the Hebraic word hagah - meditate or think — it is a thinking process. So when you read meditate on it day and night this not the familiar eastern form of meditation. The goal there is to empty your mind - which is dangerous because an empty mind is ready to be filled and open to deception. Christian meditation has the goal to fill your mind with the word of God. This is achieved by carefully thinking over each word and phrase and applying to oneself and praying it back to the Lord.
It is the picture of a cow chewing the cud
It is not a quiet process either — biblical meditation involves the mouth - hagah is used of the dove coo and the low growl of an animal
Meditation is done with the heart and the mind - do not disengage the mind as it must be engaged.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.
6 When I think of you as I lie on my bed, I meditate on you during the night watches
The one who desires the abundant blessed life has God’s word on their mind twice a day - daytime and nighttime.
How About the Wicked
How About the Wicked
4 The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand up in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
The wicked are not like this. Though it may seem that the wicked are blessed or living large the Psalmist tells us that this is not so - the wicked do not live the abundant and blessed life. They do not have a sense of over all well-being over every area of life. They are not like the planted and the fruitful.
Psalm 73
The wicked are not planted meaning they are wild, uncultivated and in non-fertile soils. They are not established by waters they are growing or attempting to grow in deserts. They are not fruitful but instead are barren. They have no fruit only works
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
They are not prosperous - they have no hope of their situations in life being used to fulfill a greater purpose for their good. Their life is meaningless and has no significance or value. They will not inherit the kingdom of God - let alone a blessed and abundant life.
10 The wicked one will see it and be angry; he will gnash his teeth in despair. The desire of the wicked leads to ruin.
They are like chaff. Chaff is the sheath that covers the grain - it is good for nothing, rootless and weightless. Blown away by the wind because it is unplanted. When the storms of life come blowing they are unstable and the wind drives them away. All it takes is tossing a scoop of grain into the wind and the chaff blows away while the grains remain. The ungoldly are like chaff no substance and easily separated.
They will not stand in the judgment and they will not be in the assembly of the righteous.
The Lord watches over the way of the righteous constantly working to make everything work out for their good - but the way of the wicked leads to ruin because the Lord does not watch over it.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The blessed and abundant life here on earth continues and leads to eternal life and is obtainable only through Christ. There is a depth of comfort satisfaction and contentment that the man of Psalm 1 enjoys regardless of the events of life, because his life doesnt depend upon events but it is dependent upon his relationship with God. The ungodly are not so.
Blessed is the word ashre and is the first word in the Psalm - it also corresponds to the first letter of the alphabet — means good for something, significant or of value.
Ruin - toved last word of the Psalm and corresponds to the last letter of the alphabet — means worthless, come to nothing .
They are of polar opposites — your life can be good for something or come to nothing — depending on what you do with God’s Word — you can meditate on it and keep it and apply it or you can seek other counsel, and soon mock and scorn it and God.
Taking the wrong counsel leads to scoffing and mocking the Father’s word and will.
Psalm 1 is ultimately a picture of Jesus