Psalm One: The Vestibule to a Blessed Life

Monday

Psalm 1.1 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers…”

This Psalm sets the tone for the whole book of Psalms. And it starts with a Beatitude. To be blessed is to walk with God, to know God’s company in daily life, to be on God’s side of holiness, justice, mercy and peace. Our culture measures success differently, but for the Psalmist the true measure of life is the blessing of God

Tuesday

Psalm 1.1 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers…”

Who do you walk in step with? Whose company do you keep? Important, life changing questions. In the choice between reverence for God and mockery, where do we sit? This first verse is a three times warning. Beware the places and the company, the behaviour and the words, of those who would be embarrassed if your friend Jesus was there!    

Wednesday

Psalm 1.2 “but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”

Delight isn’t a word we use a lot these days. The Psalmist used it often – here’s another time from Psalm 37: “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Delight is when you are doing what matters most, with the One who matters most.

Thursday

Psalm 1.3 “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.”

A tree beside a river has an inexhaustible supply of water, nourishment and life giving resources. To delight in the Scriptures, and to live by them, hold them in the heart and mind, that too is to stay near the streams of living water. A Bible guided life bears the fruit of true worship, fruitful living, and all year round human flourishing in justice, mercy and neighbourly love.

Friday

Psalm 1. ^“Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.”

The Psalm is an exercise in contrasts between being blessed and being lost, reverence and mockery, law and disobedience, the righteous and the wicked. The contrast is between flourishing and withering, being a seed kernel or disposable chaff. Blessed are those who delight in the law of the Lord, think about it constantly, and allow the Lord to lead and guide us on the journey of our lives.

Saturday

Psalm 1.5 “Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.”

To stand is to have a firm foundation. This verse is about integrity of character, a track record of righteous obedience to God in our way of life. We don’t have our own righteousness, we are righteous in Christ, saved by grace through faith. We are not accepted by our good works, but having been accepted in Christ, we are called to righteous living. Ephesians 1.10 – "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Sunday

Psalm 1.6  “For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.”

So here is the final contrast. Jesus closed the Sermon on the Mount with the same choices – the narrow way and the broad way, the house on rock or the house on sand. Psalm 1 invites us to walk with God, to live by faith and trust in the righteousness of Christ, to practice the way of Jesus, following after him. The alternative leads to loss, destruction, life wasted, and a judgement before which we cannot stand. Psalm 1 is a Wisdom psalm; like the old advert for seatbelt wearing, “You know it makes sense.”

Comments

[Robert Bridge]

In Psalm 1 the stress on righteousness and avoidance of sinners and the wicked leads to a dilemma for me. I take it that the unconditional love Jesus had for all humanity meant that he did not discriminate, but actively sought the company of "sinners". Furthermore he was in conflict with the Pharisees who made the love of God conditional on righteousness.

[Jim Gordon]

Hello Robert - I don't read Psalm 1 as an avoidance of sinners, but a refusal to do as sinners do, or think as sinners think. The righteous adheres to the value of Torah in the Psalms, not the standards and values of those who despise God, scoff holiness, or make a habit of mocking what is good, true or just. Jesus' presence with sinners was both an expression of love for them as people and a transformative encounter aimed at changing precisely those patterns of behaviour. I don't see a contradiction, but rather a contrast of two ways of life, and the clear indication of which is the way of holiness, and the way of discipleship. To actively seek the company of sinners as Jesus certainly did, was an act of love aiming at repentance, that is a changing precisely of lifestyle, values and primary loyalties.

[Robert Bridge]

Thanks Jim, I agree wholeheartedly with what you say. Where we may differ is in the matter of conditionality. Do we assume that Jesus offered forgiveness, love and hope IF the sinner repented or, more radically, did he assure the sinner that his or her sins where forgiven irrespective of whether they repented or not. I would assume that Jesus would have indicated that a change of lifestyle would be a good idea, but not as a condition that must be fulfilled to be acceptable to God. I have struggled with this dilemma but tend to the idea of unconditional love of God for all people freely given, particularly after reflecting on the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians. For me there is a clear distinction to be made between motivation and practice - I know I should love and forgive all people I meet (Love my neighbour), but in practice I want murderers, paedophiles etc locked up.