Psalm 1 - The Purpose of Wisdom Literature

Psalm 1
¹ How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
² But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

⁴ The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
⁶ For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Message: The purpose of wisdom literature

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

I think this was the first passage of scripture I memorized. I think I was 14 or 15 when I tried to do it. I haven't been able to keep it to memory, though. My mom said that this was my dad's favorite passage of scripture. As a first chapter in the book of Psalm it almost seems like a chapter that shapes the rest of the book, for it summarizes everything that is expected from man in his life or not expected and the response of God. 

A Blessed Man Does Not
Here, the sign of a man that is blessed is one that does not co-habitat with wicked people. How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! Yet, it is not that this man doesn't just walk with the wicked, but that he doesn't even stand on their paths, nor sit in the places where they have sat. There is a progression here as well of sitting, then standing, and then walking. The man who is happy or blessed stays far from the wicked. And these are people that mock God (scorners). The issue here, I don't think, is not about one who is trying to minister to these folks, but one who's life is beginning to look like that of the wicked. Does the blessed man's life really abhor that life? That man may not be walking, but does the man accompany those ways?

Do we go along with shameful and behavior that, in the company of other blessed men, we wouldn't do? My life is to be lived above reproach. Is it or do I compromise in order to get the praise of others?

Also, this is talking about a man's walk. It is not talking about taking 5 or 10 minutes or even an hour to commit ourselves to the reading of God's word. Those things are important, but the blessed man's life is just that, a life. It is a walk. Throughout the day, my focus and desire should be to honor God. Every moment and in every act.

A Blessed Man Does
The Law of the Lord is what the blessed man dwells on. I think there can be no escaping the reading and studying of God's word in a person's life that wants to honor God. God's word is meant to be a delight to us. It is meant to be something that we long to read and study. In this law is what the blessed man not only listens (his delight is in) to, but what he wants to be in him at all times, so he meditates day and night. The Law is what we turn to to be our guide in all things. As a pastor said once, "when  you cut yourself, you should bleed Bible." 

A Blessed Man's Life
Here is the outcome of the blessed man that their delight is in the Law of the Lord, their life will be firmly planted. The rushing waters or the ways of the world will not be able to sway the man. He will be firmly planted. And said differently, the river of life or the waters of the spirit as they flow will continually be nourishing the tree or man: He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water.

The person's life will have fruit and will not wither and will prosper. This is the amazing thing about this man, is the outcomes will be sweet (fruit), healthy (leaf does not wither), and successful (prospers).  Is this not what every person wants in their life? To be infectious, sweet, what people want; to be healthy; to be successful. But, remember these things are defined by God and so look like God. This does not mean to the world and what it prioritizes that these things will look like that. But, let God define our lives and we will feel good about what they look like. 

The Wicked Man
What chronicles the wicked man's life? What does it look like? The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. In farming crops, there is a part of the growth that must be torn away and thrown away. Rice, barley, oats, wheat, even corn, is surrounded by a husk. This husk is waste material. There is a part that we eat and there is a part that is thrown away. It has little or no value. It is the chaff that is thrown away. This is the wicked life. It is the part that the wind picks up and carries away. It has no staying power. It has no eternal staying power. It may remain for a season and it may even look like it is healthy as the husk part of a plant is often large and abundant. But, in the end, it is discarded. This is what we need to focus on because often life is not focused on the outcome, but instead on how it looks here and now and today. If we focus on today only, then we will gravitate toward the wicked man and his ways. But, we must look at the end of the road and the end path. The wicked man's life will not remain. 

A Wicked Man's Result
This is what I was beginning to reference. In the end, Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. In the word of Covey, we must "Begin with the end in mind." If we want our lives to be marked by something it should be God and His word. This is why I have always like I Timothy 4:7-8, "Train yourself to be godly; for physical training has some value, but godliness has value for all things." This is what I cannot lose sight of in life. In the end, the wicked will not stand in judgment, but they will fall. And in the final standing company the sinners will not be a part of. They will not be with the righteous. 

The Lord Knows
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Our focus on life should be on what the Lord knows and remembers. So, the person that simply stays far from the way of the wicked man and instead stays close to the Law of the Lord will be known by God. 

This chapter chronicles the actions of man, but keep in mind, whether one is blessed or wicked is based upon the Grace of God. Abraham was called while he was worshiping pagan gods. The 10 commandments were given to the Israelites after they were chosen. God calls us and then we have a decision of what our lives will look like.   

Promise: If we truly seek to follow God's word and do what it says then we will be among the righteous. The way of the wicked, the selfish, man centered defined life will perish.