A Wisdom Psalm: Psalm 1

2011-05-27

Psalm 1:

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 1 is a psalm of wisdom, comparing the wise and the ungodly. The very first verse, we see what the wise man does not do. He does not follow the progression of the wicked: walking, then standing, and then sitting in the ways of the wicked. He does not follow their ways; his delight in the law of the Lord according to verse 2. The law is not merely the Mosaic statutes; it is the whole counsel of God. The Word is likened unto the rivers of water that nourishes the one who meditates upon it. This Word is the Bible, or even better, this Word is Jesus Christ, for “he that believeth on me [Jesus], as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).

What a refreshing picture we see. If your mind is filled with the words of God, if you continually pursue the truths of the Bible, you will bring forth the fruit that the Bible promises. You will succeed in your endeavors, because your endeavors would be God’s endeavors.

The wicked shall fade away, the Bible says in 1:4. They will not be around forever, because they are not known of God (1:6). If we believe on the Lord Jesus, let us remember the words of God and meditate thereon day and night. Do not forget the great oracles of God, but pursue these great riches that give us life.