Psalm 1-2: The Blessed Life

Introduction

Movie Songs - Stuck in your head - Brings back scenes - how old you were when you saw it - etc.

Next few months we’re going to survey a Book of songs - Psalms - for many, well loved. For some of us, the first verses we memorized from the Bible are verses from the Psalms. For me, Psalm 100.

We think of Psalms as a Song Book, a Book of Poetry… But ultimately, a story book.

Psalms divided into five smaller books - Reminder of the Torah - the first 5 books of the OT - over and over Psalms call us to reflect on first 5 books of OT.

Story book - tells us the story of Israel through poetry. The Psalms are not 150 poems randomly collected into a book. There’s cohesion as the Psalms walk us through the story of Israel.

The goal of Psalms is to show us that Israel, and all people, have a great need - the need for a king - a king like David - that King we need is King Jesus. Psalms points us to Jesus.

Psalm 1 - 2 serve as introduction to the book, and the rest of the Psalms in many ways build on the themes in Psalm 1-2. Think about a musical - opening number establishes theme - rest of musical builds on that theme.

Psalm 1-2 a question we all want answered: “Can I have a blessed life?” We all want a blessed life. Is a blessed life obtainable?

Three characteristics of a blessed life.

The blessed life is a delighted life.

How happy or blessed. Blessed = a deep sense of joy, contentment, and satisfaction. Blessing is what we all long for.

David shows who’s not blessed: the person who settles into sin.

Seems to be a progression in these verses. Sin takes you from bad to worse.

Walk in the advice of the wicked - listening to the voices of the rebellious. Every day you are inundated with the advice of the wicked - “Believe this narrative...” Or, “Follow your feelings...” Or, “How can this lifestyle be wrong. After all, God made me this way...”

Stand in the pathway with sinners - As you listen, the desire of the wicked becomes your desires. You begin to not only listen to the advice of the wicked, but live out their advice. You are in their path - in their lifestyle.

Sit in the company of mockers - You look at those who practice righteousness with disdain. “Why do you live that way? It’s foolish to life that honors God. What a waste!”

The wicked find their delight in rebelling against God - in following their own way. In creating their own path rather than following the path that God has laid out.

Contrast: the blessed person delights in the Lord’s instruction (the Law), and he meditates on it day and night.

Meditate: We think of meditation as clearing the mind. But, in the Bible - meditation is filling your mind with the truth of God’s Word so that it might influence your way of life.

Psalm written by David - while this Psalm is the introduction to the Psalter, we don’t know WHEN he wrote this Psalm. Perhaps when he was anointed king and reflecting on the day he would be king, or perhaps in the early days of his kingship.

David knew what God required of a king: Deuteronomy 17:16-20. The wicked would influence the king: gain wives to build alliances, gain wealth, buy horses to show your military power. Instead: “Listen to God. That’s where the delight really is.”

How great would it be to be a part of a nation where the king mediates on God’s Word?

What would your home be like if you led your family to meditate regularly on God’s Word? (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) According to David, the blessed person finds delight in letting the Word of God shape his life.

What shapes your life? Be honest… the counsel of others or the counsel of God?

What influences you most? What gets your ear? What gets your attention? Who do you let persuade you? Who do you look to for wisdom? Is who you’re looking to for wisdom helping you to meditate on God’s Word? Can you even differentiate the voice of the rebellious from the voice of God?

Where are your greatest influences leading you? To walk more closely with God or to reject God?

To a greater understanding of God or a greater understanding of self-love?

If your biggest influences have led you away from God, have you really found delight? Or, do you find that your heart is craving delight?

https://www.foxnews.com/us/u-haul-driver-car-moving-van-washington-pulled-over - How do you get to a point where you think this is a good idea? How do you get to a point where you think rebellion against God is a good idea?

The blessed life is a prosperous life.

He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams… Bears fruit… does not wither… prospers....

When I make it my priority to meditate on God’s Word:

I’m rooted and grounded. Planted - this is intentional. God plants the blessed many by streams of water. (You’ve heard people say, “He’s grounded in his faith.”)

I cannot be swayed or move. My life has been planted in what honors God - you aren’t going to be able to convince me that what this world offers is better.

I will bear fruit. Leaf does not wither - continued fruitfulness. I will prosper. My life will be better, useful in God’s hands, etc.

Oak alley - trees hundreds of years old that cannot be moved.

Garden of eden - lush, fruitful trees - life-giving stream.

This is what life is supposed to be like!

Vs. 3 reminds us of what really is a prosperous life.

A prosperous life is a life with God. (Garden of Eden) - That’s what you get in a relationship with Jesus - life with God. Flip side - life without God is NOT prosperous - it’s barren.

A prosperous life is a life used by God. Fruitful for His Kingdom - accomplishing His purpose. You can see the fruit.

You need a better view of prosperity. Prosperity is not What you have. Prosperity is WHO you have.

The blessed life is a righteous life.

Contrast - The blessed person is firmly planted, fruitful, and prosperous. The wicked person not so - like chaff blown away by the wind.

Judgment will come - and the wicked will cease to stand (vs. 1).

BUT, in the judgment - there will be an assembly of the righteous who the Lord will watch over.

Who is this assembly of the righteous? Because the Book of Psalms later says there’s none righteous (Ps. 53:1-3).

David talks about the blessed man, but David knew that ultimately he wasn’t the blessed man. Sure, he strived to follow God, but he also sinned against God (Psalm 51:3).

Every person… David, you, me, etc. has walked in the advice of the wicked, stood in the pathway of sinners, and sat in the company of mockers.

Are we the assembly of the righteous? Are we the blessed people? Are we the the ones the Lord watches over? No… NOT on our own merit. On our own merit, we stand with the wicked. For all have sinned… For the wages of sin is death…

Psalm 2 - a commentary on the wicked - vs. 1-2 - The nations of the world have taken their stand.

Rather than meditate on the Word of God - the peoples of the earth plot in vain - that was you - plotting out your life.

vs. 2 - Conspiring against the Lord and His Anointed One - Who is this Anointed One? King David? King Saul? King Solomon? Any other king in Israel’s history? Any other king in world history? Caesar? Ronald Reagan? Donald Trump? Joe Biden?

David KNEW the Anointed One was not him (2 Sam. 7:11-16). He knew that he NEEDED the Anointed One.

The Anointed One is Jesus. He is the truly blessed man - He is the ONE who has never sinned. He is the ONE who delights in the Lord’s instructions.

vs. 3 - the world wants to throw off the rule of God and His Anointed, but the triune God is enthroned in heaven - and He laughs. No power can come against Him. He is not threatened by the sinfulness of man. Instead, He has installed His King to bring justice to this world.

vs. 7 - His Son - the nations that war against God will be given to the Anointed One - Jesus will reign and rule over all nations. He will break the unrepentant with an iron scepter and shatter them like pottery. God will not let evil prevail.

There is only ONE righteous One - the Anointed One - Jesus - and He invites us into a relationship with Himself. vs. 12 - Pay homage to the Son… All who take refuge in Him are happy/blessed. To a rebellious world, God holds out His hand and says, “Come...”

How can you and I be in the assembly of the righteous? Only through a relationship with the righteous One… by believing that the truly blessed One lived, died, and rose again for you because you were in the company of the wicked - you couldn’t stand in the judgment, but now because of Jesus - you can stand in the judgment with confidence - because you have been made righteous.

Because of Jesus - you are happy/blessed. The Blessed One has blessed you. When you know that Jesus is the blessed One who has come to bless you your desires change:

You WANT righteousness.

You WANT God’s instruction.

You WANT prosperity - to be with God and to be used by God.

If this is NOT what you want, then it may be you do not know the Anointed One. If that’s you, you are not in the assembly of the righteous. You are in the wicked, and you will not stand in the judgment.

If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’re blessed! But, what if you don’t feel blessed?

Put fact over feeling.

Examine and confess. Are you turning back to what God has saved you from?

Remember that the half-hearted Christian is among most miserable people on earth.

Discipline your way to delight. (Not going to delight in what you don’t know.)