The Happy Man - Don't Worry Be Happy
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psalm 1:1-6
How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not survive the judgment, and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
The LORD watches over the way of the righteous, the Saints, the Favored Ones, the Blessed, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin. Do you believe this?
The prophet Jeremiah cried out to the LORD because he was experiencing no oversight.
You will be righteous, Lord, even if I bring a case against You. Yet, I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the treacherous live at ease?
Jeremiah ministers during Judah’s darkest days. Apostasy, idolarty, perversion of worship and moral decay were the conditions under which Jeremiah lived and ministered for 47 years. In response to his sermons, the tender prophet experiences rejection, opposition, beatings, isolation, imprisonment and persecution by his own people and government. God’s judgment, vengence, holiness and justice arrive in the vast army of Babylonians. Jeremiah’s warnings and prophecies come true and his heart breaks. There is no surrender to God’s will in the hearts of Judah, therefore calamity comes.
Jeremiah’s timeline simplified:
627 to 605 BC - Prophesied God’s Warnings & Call to Repentence
605 to 586 BC - Proclaimed God’s Judgment
586 to 580 BC - Post-ministery to the Remnant in Jerusalem and Egypt
In Jeremiah, God is seen as patient and holy. Judgment is delayed, but only to a certain point. The people refused to repent and defied God’s words. Captivity becomes inevitable. But…their will be happy men. There is hope and restoration, and a remnant for the future.
“Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put My teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people.
Jesus fulfilled and established the new prophetic covenant by His sacrifice and shed blood. Happy men, Jew and Gentile, the Favored, the Blessed, the Saints are assured and established in a new kingdom, God’s eternal kingdom. Jeremiah’s prophecy is true established and fulfilled by sacrifice.
As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is My body.” Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I tell you, from this moment I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in a new way in My Father’s kingdom with you.”
How many mockers, advisers and the ungodly minded did Jeremiah have to face? He is rejected by prophets and priests, who call for his death…his silence. The pressure to capitulate, the doubt and fear he would have had to experience and work through. So Jeremiah cries out, “How long O LORD will you allow the wicked to prosper? The treacherous to live at ease? How long? Do you not see the righteous, your people....me?”
Do you know Jeremiah? Do you know his cry, his angst, his yell for God to see him, to help them, him, the righteous? Suffering seems to mean to us that God does not see us. Am I righteous? Am I right? Have I fallen short? Do I delight in my LORD? Am I a pleasure to Him? I want to resign from my office because of the message I have to carry and it’s reception. Yes, I know Jeremiah... lonely, rejected, and seemingly forgotten about. I want to contend with God, I want to bring a case to Him…and I have. I know Jeremiah.
I desire, I want, and I am calling for God to prove that He is watching over my family and me (Ps. 1:6). We do the right things. We live the right ways. We love without filters. But yet, You remain silent. You have not acted. You have not acknowledged our plight. Where are you God? Why have you not taken action against evil men and evil schemes? I bring a case of injustice before you, why do you not make judgment? Do you know Jeremiah?
You instruct to delight in Your Word. Be in it day and night. Drink of understanding, wisdom and the Spirit. Hear My voice, obey and follow. One’s roots will grow deep, one will never lack for nourishment. You will produce fruit in season, you will not whither if connected to the tree, the Book, the Vine, God. Whatever you do will prosper. My bones are dry, fruit is sparse, prosperity is not what I experience. Am I living in and by the Word? Why then do I seemingly not prosper?
To ‘delight’ in the Lord’s instruction is to desire, take pleasure, to be inclined towards something. A tree takes pleasure in water because it grows and strengthens with water. To delight in the Lord’s instruction, His Word, is to grow strong in attitude, thought and heart in God’s ways. To ‘prosper’ is to rush, to breakforth, to come mightly, to succeed and/or to be victorious. King Uzziah prospered, succeeded, as King of Judah and Jerusalem for 52 years because “He sought God throughout the lifetime of Zechariah, the teacher of the fear of God. During the time that he sought the LORD, God gave him success” (2 Chr. 26:15).
Interesting is that when Uzziah (Azariah) became strong, God stopped helping him (2 Chr. 26:15). Why? Because when Uzziah became strong he became arrogant and began to act unfaithfully towards the LORD (2 Chr. 26:16-17). When man is made strong, he becomes prideful and forgets the LORD…so the LORD stops helping. King Uzziah spent the rest of his life in isolation because of the skin disease (leprosy) God brought upon him and his son governed in his place because he became prideful and forgot the LORD. Pride equals unfaithfulness. Pride does not equal prosperity. Has my financial, physical or spiritual strength led to unfaithfulness? Then we need to repent.
Prosperity or success is given and allowed by God, equalling the pleasure of God. But sometimes prosperity does not look like success in God’s economy. Joseph was a faithful son of Jacob’s. Among the twelve brothers, he was the one to which the rest of his brothers would prophetically bow down too (Gen 37; 42). Joseph’s brothers hated God’s prophetic appointment, His favor, and Jacob’s, upon Joseph, so they sold Joseph into slavery to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt, for 20 pieces of silver (Gen. 37:26-28). They cover their evil by telling their father, Jacob, that Joseph must have been killed by a vicous animal because of the bloody evidence of his favored coat of many colors (Gen. 37:29-36). Father Jacob is distraught, mourns and refuses to be comforted. The jackels kill their father’s spirit because of their jealousy of Joseph, and Joseph, having done nothing wrong, being faithful to God and his father, is now sold into slavery and becomes an orphan, to live and serve in the land of Gentile Egypt.
Now that is success! That’s prosperity! No, that’s a evil spawned by evil men, with evil hearts, jealous about their brother’s favored status with dad and God. That’s jealous men, upset with a man who sought the LORD and to please the LORD God in everything he did, particularly, honoring his Father. Interesting, we do not read about what Joseph thought, or how Joseph felt, on that journey to Egypt, except for the statement he makes to his brothers as he reveals himself to them,
And now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Wow! Do you know Joseph? Sold into slavery, by his brothers, for twenty pieces of God, Joseph came to realize, his brothers treachery, was God’s plan, in order to save his people and their world from starvation. The meaning of the name ‘Joseph’? “He adds” or “May the LORD add”. The birth of the nation of Israel, happens through the slavery of Joseph. The birth of Christianity happened because Jesus allowed Himself to be sold into the slavery of wicked men, and to be crucified, for the salvation of all humanity. The LORD God adds to His kingdom through the suffering of His favored ones.
Joseph realized that LORD God had been watching over Him through it all. Did Joseph come to that realization when he was sold by his brothers, when he was being auctioned off in the city square, or being seeduced by Potiphar’s wife (Gen 39:1-20), or in prison as he was punished for the crime he did not commit (Gen 39:21-23)? Was God still watching over Joseph as the chief cupbearer intentionally forgot about him and left him to rot in prison (Gen 40:23)? Do I still believe that God is watching over me during these days? My family? My work? Is He still with me? Did Jesus mean what He said, when He said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:20).
Matthew 28:20 (HCSB)
“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
If Jesus fulfilled the prophetic words of God, through Jeremiah the prophet, of a new covenant, meaning new life; will Jesus not fulfill His promise to be with you and me always? Jesus literally lost His life to bring new life, a new covenant of the Kingdom, to you and me.
The word ‘watches’ literally means “makes oneself known” (yada). Psalm 1:6 should read,
Psalm 1:6 (HCSB)
For the Lord “makes Himself known” over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
The Psalmist declares that God will make Himself known over the way of the saints, the righteous. The one who delights or takes pleasure in knowing and following the instructions of the Lord. The one who seeks the Lord. The one who refuses to entertain wicked advice, mock with mockers or follow the path of the ungodly, God will favor, will bless, will prosper. Joseph’s experience? He “became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master” (Gen 39:2). He in fact was so successful, prosperous, in everything he did, that he became the master’s personal attendant and put in charge of everything that the master owned, including the household (Gen 39:3-6). What was the result?
Genesis 39:5–6 (HCSB)
From the time that he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph. The Lord’s blessing was on all that he owned, in his house and in his fields. He left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
What was the secret of Joseph’s success? God was watching over him; making Himself known over the way of righteous Joseph. Even while rotting in prison God was making Himself known as Joseph was granted favor in the eyes of the prison warden (Gen 39:21). Is this our desire? My desire? Your desire? That God would make Himself known over your ways? It is God’s declaration.
An important truth to recognize: Even in difficult or less than ideal circumstances, God will grant success and make Himself known. Also note: it was because Joseph was being faithful that trouble came upon Him, not because he was being faithless. The faithful are allowed to be tested, in God making Himself known. Scripture proclaims that Jesus was tested in everyway, in making God known to the world.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin.
So when we feel like we are abandoned by the Father, that He does not see us, that He does not hear, that He does not answer…Jesus experienced those same feelings, that same testing. It was not until after the 40 days in the wilderness, battling Satan, being tempted by Satan, that the angels came to minister to Jesus (Mk 1:12-13). Satan was given permission to test Jesus, just as Satan was given permission to test Job, just as Satan is given permission to test us…so that God will make Himself known.
How Do We Live with the Wicked and Wickedness? - Psalm 37
Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the man who carries out evil plans.
Refrain from anger and give up your rage; do not be agitated—it can only bring harm. For evildoers will be destroyed, but those who put their hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
‘Be silent’ means to be quiet and relax. Let not the emotional storm of distress churn within. Come to calm.
Place your ‘trust’, your confidence, in the Lord and do what is good and one will reside and dwell securely.
Trust in the Lord and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely.
We are encouraged ‘to commit’ to the Lord. This means to roll with Him. Roll all one’s ways and works onto God. Moses became the vessel to deliver Israel from Egypt because he rolled with God, he committed Himself and trusted God to do His work. Are we rolling with God? Are we trusting in Him to do His work? ‘To commit to God’ is to roll with God and allow Him to do His work.
‘To refrain’ from anger’ is to disist, relax, become slack towards anger, let go, leave alone, forsake and/or abandon or cease. The LORD God encourages us to cease from our anger because anger will only bring harm to us, to loved ones, to the collatoral. He will work and deliver us from the wicked and evil of our day. This is hard because we want justice immediately, today, not tomorrow or years from now, or at the end of the age. We must rest in the fact that God will take care of evil and the wicked that promote it.
Refrain from anger and give up your rage; do not be agitated—it can only bring harm. For evildoers will be destroyed, but those who put their hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
Do not be agitated by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender green plants.
But the wicked will perish; the Lord’s enemies, like the glory of the pastures, will fade away— they will fade away like smoke.
Finally, ‘give up’ your rage. This means to forsake, abondon, to leave, to set loose. We are to give up our wrath to God, let Him deal with the situation, specifically evil and wickedness. He will deal with it. He will bring those responsible to account. When we are angry, we feel someone owes us and want to be paid back. But the truth is we will never be fully paid back to our satisfaction. When we are wronged, and someone asks, ‘What can I do to make it better? What can I do to pay you back?’ The truth is nothing, we have to let go because it will never be good enough. So we must forgive as Jesus instructs and let God correct and bring justice as He sees fit. Are we angry because we believe people will get away with it? God assures us otherwise. Psalm 37:10-13
A little while, and the wicked person will be no more; though you look for him, he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land and will enjoy abundant prosperity. The wicked person schemes against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him. The Lord laughs at him because He sees that his day is coming.
‘Do not be agitated’ - do not let yourself be kindled or get warm or get angry (see be ‘refrain from anger’).
The Happy Man...
Gives up his rage
Trusts in the Lord
Takes delight in the Lord
Commits himself to the Lord and His ways
Is silent and expectant for the Lord
Refrains from anger
Turns away from evil
Keeps God’s ways
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday.
“Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and there will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring sea and waves. People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the celestial powers will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near!”
Sermon in a Sentence: The righteous man, the saint, is happy because he trusts that the Lord will make Himself known, as the happy man walks in His ways, and is favored by God. Commit our ways to the Lord. God will take care of evil.