The Good Life vs The Wrecked Life

Opener

Recently, my wife and I had the opportunity to go to the UK. We visited London and Edinburgh, Scotland and we were consistently in awe of some of the old architecture there. Edinburgh had a giant castle and both had old cathedrals. In London, we had the opportunity to go into St. Paul’s Cathedral, and like many towering Cathedrals of the past, the entryway was elaborately decorated with scenes and characters from the Bible. For the designers, it was important that the gateway into the church was a representation of what you would find on the inside. Similarly, Psalm 1 has been described as the gateway to the Psalms.

Why? Because of it’s clear distinction between the wicked and the righteous.

James Montgomery Boice tells us:

Psalms, Volume 1: (Psalms 1–41): An Expositional Commentary Divergent Ways

The most important is the use of the idea by Jesus toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount as recorded by Matthew. The last section of the sermon lists a series of contrasts, between which choices must be made: two gates and two roads, two trees and their two types of fruit, two houses and two foundations. The part regarding the two ways says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matt. 7:13–14). Psalm 1 is the clearest, most carefully developed, and first full expression of this idea in the Bible.

Not only is is Psalm 1 a gateway psalm, but it has also been called:

The father of all wisdom psalms

Staint Jermone called it - The preface of the Holy Spirit

Charles Spurgeon called it - The Preface Psalm, then goes on to say “It is the psalmist’s desire to teach us the way to blessedness, and to warn us of the sure destruction of sinners. This then, is the matter of the first psalm, which may be looked upon in some respects, as the text upon which the whole of the psalms make up a divine sermon.”

So, then, let’s come to the scriptures today knowing that it sets to paths before our very feet. Two paths and two only. Psalm 1 develops this one core theme and implores us to comprehend how much a person’s thinking will shape his or her life.

Let’s read it together:

Psalm 1 (ESV)

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; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 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.

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

There are just 6 verses to this little power-packed psalm, so let’s step up to the gateway and explore every inch of it’s carvings and paintings to gain an understanding of what the whole of the psalms will teach us.

Outline

1. What a Righteous Man Does

2. What a Righteous Man Receives

3. What a Wicked Man Does

4. What a Wicked Man Receives

1. What A Righteous Man Does

refuses to walk in wicked counsel

refuses to stand with the ways of sinners

refuses to sit (abide) with scoffers

delights in God's Law

meditates on God's Law at all times

The Downward Spiral

Did you notice the progression? A pattern is set here and it is a universal truth for all people. Like a character arch in a good movie, you can see how the seeds of the wicked start subtly but quickly flower into full bloom. Or to put it a different way, much like a business analyst showing the upward trend of revenue in a company meeting, the Psalmist is showing the inevitable downward trend of those who take the 2nd path. You will start in the black and spiral downward into an eternal red.

The Psalmist intended for is to see it. To recognize it here and in our own lives. Remember, this is the beginning of the psalm and each and every one of us is set before two paths. We have not yet walk down either one, but we are warned here where the first path will lead.

WALK: As most sinful things do, it starts off small and harmless. We simply walk alongside the wicked and listen to their counsel. It’s as if we are strolling through the park simply listening to their ideas, thoughts, and philosophies. We place ourselves in a position to be influenced by their tainted worldviews. Little by little, their ideas become our ideas. It reminds me of the song by Casting Crowns called ‘Slow Fade.’ It’s a small tweak to your thinking, but compounded over time, it will lead to more. In the era of the internet, there is no shortage of terrible advice. With just a few clicks, you can be reading, hearing, and watching a pantheon of voices that speak what is contrary to scripture. DO NOT entertain them. If you do, you will be like a hooked fish that will be reeling into the boat for the slaughter.

STAND: At some point, those seeds of influence will culminate into action. Now, instead of walking and listening, you are actively engaged. Maybe you are aware, or maybe not, but the next logical step is that you stand in the way of sinners… meaning, you are now doing what they are doing. The way of the wicked has successfully transitioned from your thought life into the real world. You are now acting upon your the evils that you have recieved into your mind. Do you see it? When scripture speaks of the ‘way of sinners,’ that word ‘way’ means lifestyle. As in their ‘way of life’ or ‘mode of action’ or ‘the road/path of their journey.’ It is literally a picture of you making the decision to disregard one path and commit to the other. Influence leads to acceptance. Acceptance leads to action. Now, you are not fighting the fisherman, you’re actually are swimming toward the boat.

SIT: Once you are living that lifestyle, it is only a matter of time before you become an influencer of others. Not only is your thought life tainted by sin… not only are you now actively living the lifestyle of sinners, but now… you sit in the seat of scoffers. This gives the picture of a full embrace of sinfulness. You’ve fully given yourself over to the dark side and have fully flowered into a leader of sinners who actively mock those who do not agree with you. You have leapt from the water into the boat and unless God extents mercy, your fate is sealed. And, it all started by simply entertaining a thought. As Charles Spurgeon puts it, “The seat of the scorner may be very lofty, but it is very near to the gate of hell; let us flee from it, for it will soon be empty, and destruction will swallow up the man who sits therein.”

Put a different way, if this describes you, you are like a lobster who thinks he has it made because you got upgraded from a cold, crowded tank to an exclusive hot tub. I bet you didn’t expect to get all that from a single verse, did you? Do you see now why this is called the Father of the Wisdom Psalms?

Now, for crystal-clear clarity, the downward spiral of the wicked is put into direct contrast with the righteous. Blessed is the man, says the Psalmist, who doesn’t do those things, but rather, delights in and meditates on God’s law. Step 1 is to withdraw and separate yourself from the ungodly (meaning not to fill your mind with their ideas). Step 2 is to fill your mind and delight in God’s ideas. These two steps are counter-balanced weights and both must be there, or else you will not become the righteous person the Psalms speak of.

Delights in God’s Law

Now, at first glance, this can be confusing. Isn’t the Law bad? Didn’t Paul encourage the Galatians to step away from the Law and toward God’s grace? Isn’t that supposed to be the focus? Well… yes and no. We do delight in God’s grace. It is truly amazing just like the song says, however, that is only one of his attributes. There is so much more to God that we get to adore!

Psalms, Volume 1: (Psalms 1–41): An Expositional Commentary The Two Ways Described

John R. W. Stott adds wisely that this delight “is an indication of the new birth, for ‘… the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so’ (Rom. 8:7). As a result of the inward, regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, however, the godly find that they love the law of God simply because it conveys to them the will of their God. They do not rebel against its exacting demands; their whole being approves and endorses it.… Delighting in it, the godly will meditate in it, or pore over it, constantly, day and night.”

Think about this for just a moment. David only had a portion of what we hold in our hands today. Probably not much more than the 5 books of Moses. So, if David was overflowing with joy and delight, we should be 10x as filled because we have God’s full revelation!

If you see God’s word as a set of rules to follow and something that keeps you from having fun, then may I encourage you to stop believing a worn out lie that has been massively overused by Satan? God’s word is a delight to his people. The more you dive into it, the more you will discover just how life-giving and delightful it is.

Meditates of God’s Law at all time

As Boice goes on to point out:

Psalms, Volume 1: (Psalms 1–41): An Expositional Commentary The Two Ways Described

For when we study the Bible—the word law is used to refer to the whole of God’s inscripturated revelation—we are really learning, not about human beings or nature primarily (which is what the other disciplines teach us), but about God. And, as Lewis says, “The Order of the Divine mind, embodied in the Divine Law, is beautiful.”

What is your attitude toward God’s word? Do you read it? Do you even like it? The Psalmist doesn’t leave room for a third path. In a world that is post-Fall, you and I will travel down one of these two roads. And as we travel, we will need nourishment. Failing to feast and digest God’s word is to become spiritually anemic. And if you don’t get your fill at the King’s table, you will get it from the seat of the scoffer.

So here, we are told what a Righteous person does. The Righteous avoid the influences of the wicked and fill their mind with God’s delights found in his Word. And, as a result, there are specific outcomes and benefits.

2. What A Righteous Man Receives

blessed

full of delight (extreme satisfaction/joy)

like a strong, vibrant,  and fruitful tree

prosperous

known by God

Blessed: The Psalm actually begins with the word blessed, because in summary, that is what the righteous person is. It is the Hebrew word ʾašrê and it is actually in the plural. So, you could read this as the ‘blessedness of the man who…’ or ‘the happy favor of the man who...’ There is a happy and fortunate outcome of life for the person who rejects the advice of the sinful and meditates on God’s law. We all could handle that one, couldn’t we?

Delight: This is an interesting one. First, it means to have pleasure, joy, and extreme satisfaction in. For me, my wife and children bring me great delight. Think of how Solomon describes his wife in the Song of Solomon. There is an extreme satisfaction there. What is beautiful about this section is that scripture is no longer a dry and boring book of rules and irrelevant, old english words. Instead, it becomes the very fountain-head of joy and enjoyment. And what’s really interesting is that as you put in the effort to read and meditate, you begin to delight, but it is also something that God gives you. It’s like a chain reaction. As you delight, God gives you delight and it only continues to grow! Close your eyes for a moment and think of the person, activity, or place that brings you the most joy. Do you feel happiness as you dwell on them/it? Can I encourage you today that the scriptures can amplify that 100-fold? Is some of it hard to understand? Do you have to love reading lists of genealogies and tracts of land? No. But, as you dive in, you will realize that the whole of scripture reveals a powerful, loving, and relational God, and because we were created to love and be fulfilled in him, we will be filled with joy as we grow in him.

Fruitful Tree [centerpiece of the psalm]

This is a common illustration in scripture to describe those who follow God’s law and those who don’t:

Joshua 1:8 ESV

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Jeremiah 17:8 (ESV)

He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Job 21:18 (ESV)

That they are like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away?

Psalm 35:5 (ESV)

Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away!

He is planted - established. Rooted. Strong. Immovable. Able to withstand the storm. Strategically placed by flowing, life-giving water that will continue to sustain and nourish.

He produces fruit - an outward display of inner health. fruit means that the sap is freely flowing. You are a source of life and nourish all who are around you. You have purpose. Your life culminates into something meaningful.

His leaf doesn’t wither - Vibrant. Healthy. Nourished. Attractive. Full of life.

You are meant to be the picture of life and joy!

Prosperous: God’s hand of blessing is on all who pursue him. We aren’t talking about monetary or tangible prosperity. Look at what it says. In all that he DOES he prospers. It is his pursuit. What pursuit? The pursuit of God. There is an abundance of spiritual, inner prosperity. There is prosperity of delight. There is prosperity of fruit that you bear for others.

Known by God: Could there be anything better than to be known by the God who created all things? Is there a better version of prosperity? Is there a higher form of joy that we could possibly have?

I once heard a pastor say that before you use the Bible as a sword, you should use it as a mirror. So, let me ask you. Does this describe you? If I asked your family members or friends to describe you, would they say something similar, or would they tell me about your disgruntled attitude… your unhappiness… your complacency… your distracted mind and heart? This psalm is not only descriptive, but prescriptive. It cuts down to the deepest parts of us.

Now, most of our time today has dealt with the righteous man, because that is where the meat of the psalm is. In the other hand, not much is said about the wicked man.

3. What a Wicked Man Does

In fact, the whole state of affairs for the wicked can be summed up in two words: Not so.

If you read all the blessings, delight, and vibrancy of the righteous, you can see that none of that applies to the wicked. It is simply not so for them. The righteous are a fruitful, vibrant tree… not so for the wicked. The righteous are blessed and experience delight every day… not so for the wicked. You get the picture. The wicked do not enjoy a single blessing found in this psalm. Think about that for a moment.

I say this section describes what a wicked man does, when in fact, we only see what they cannot do.

He cannot receive the blessings enjoyed by the righteous.

He cannot stand in the judgement. How could they? All they can do in the presence of a Holy God they have rejected is bow and tremble.

He cannot dwell in the congregation of the righteous. There is no possibility for fellowship. No room for shared blessings. He is completely and utterly separated.

His entire way of life will perish.

Actually, the wicked are barely a footnote in this psalm.

4. What a Wicked Man Receives

Banishment and judgement

The only illustration we get of a wicked man is dry chaff.

Evangelical Commentary on the Bible Psalm 1

The wicked, on the other hand, resemble dry husks, blown about by every wind of opinion, ever open to condemnation, and ostracized by society.

What is chaff? It is the small, protective wrap that encapsulates the grains of wheat. When the wheat is harvested, the wheat is threshed, meaning, the grain and the chaff are separated. You can toss them both into the air, where the heavier grains that have substance fall to the ground while the useless chaff that is completely without substance is blow away.

In the end, that is all the wicked is… useless, lifeless, substance-less chaff that is here one second and blown away the next.

Now, you may be listening to this with evangelical ears and asking yourself: If we aren’t supposed to walk, stand, or sit with the wicked, then how are we suppose to witness to them? Are we to assume that this is telling us to keep separate from the unbelieving world? Absolutely not! This describes a warning. Do not be influenced by the wicked or you will become like them. There is also an encouragement. Delight in the Lord and you will be blessed, strong, and fruitful. When you draw strength and delight from God’s word, then you will be able to influence the non-believer and not become like them.

SUMMARY

Scripture reminds us that:

Proverbs 14:12 (ESV)

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

This psalm also serves as a wake up call. First of all, it is for you. Which path are you on? Take an honest look at yourself as answer this question: Do you more closely resemble the vibrant tree, or the dry chaff? If you aren’t honest with yourself, you will never benefit from the beauty and wisdom of this psalm. Secondly, it is meant to give a sense of urgency to inform others. We all know people who are on the wrong path and there is no mistaking where their path leads. The call of this psalm is to be the strong and vibrant tree SO THAT you can influence your unbelieving friends and family and pull them from the wrong path to the right path. The fruit isn’t for you, remember?