Psalm 1

I have set a goal to do a bit of a study on the Psalms and share some thoughts on it, one every day, until each one has been gone through. If someone has additional insights, please share them in a comment below!

Psalm 1
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall 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 ungodly shall perish.
This Psalm describes a man filled with integrity and righteousness; one eager to please the Lord and not self-serving. One who follows God in all that he does, and possesses devout discipline in his spiritual life. Let’s examine it more closely.
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, not stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.”
What would it mean to walk in the counsel of the ungodly? If one seeks out and follows the advice of those who refuse to live uprightly according to God’s Word, then that would be to walk in the ungodly’s counsel. In the same manner, if one chooses to follow a doctrine or philosophy unfounded in Scripture, then that also consists of walking in the counsel of the ungodly.
Standing in the path of sinners must mean to place oneself in situations where temptations would abound.
Sitting in the seat of the scornful may be to take up mockery and disgust. Some may think it permissable to mock what seems wrong, but this belief cannot be founded in Scripture. Instead, we ought to speak with love and season our words with grace.

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.”
Those who take pleasure in God, will study His word and think about it at all times. They don’t just think about God when they attend church, or during a set time during the day, but throughout the entire day and night.
“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; for whatever he does shall prosper.”
This stablity does not refer to material prosperity, but rather to spiritual. When we are in Christ, then nothing can move us, and we will produce useful fruit to God. When we devote ourselves to Christ, we do not drift from integrity, but remain steadfast in Him; He shall support us as a sure foundation.
“The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.”

The wicked, in sharp contrast with the righteous, are prone to being blow about with no purpose. They change their values regularly without heeding God’s commands. They do not experience peace of mind because they are not grounded firmly in the One True Foundation.
“For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
The LORD know righteousness because He established it. The ungodly are tossed about, and shall perish because their ways are relative to their own selves and not to the Rock.