Psalms 1
(Rev. Barry Johnson and Rev. Rodney Johnson)
NOTE: New Light Faith Ministries and Barry Johnson Ministries, founded by Rodney V. Johnson and Barry O. Johnson, respectively, are partnering to offer Bible studies for Christians who are seeking to grow in their relationship with Jesus. This is a Bible study lesson, not a sermon. The Bible studies teach foundational truth that are designed to challenge, encourage and, most importantly, flame the fire of hunger in the Christian who wants to learn more about who they have become in Christ Jesus. The Bible studies you find on this site contains the written version of the lesson. However, these lessons also include a video and an audio file of the study, a PDF version of the lesson and a sheet for note taking. If you would like any of the additional resources for these studies, please email us at newlightfaithministries@gmail.com or bjteachingltr@gmail.com for more information or contact us at the email provided on both of our Sermon Central pages. Be blessed.
Opening
(NKJV) As one of the greatest collection of songs, prayers and poetry, the book of Psalms expresses the deepest passions of humanity. In these pages we can hear the psalmist’s desperate cry in the midst of despair, but also the ecstatic praise of his Provider and Comforter. We can hear him pouring out his soul in confession, but also bubbling over with joy. The Psalms lead us through the valleys and peaks of the human experience, but in the end they guide us to the praise of our loving Creator.
In order to fully appreciate the Psalms, a certain number of their characteristics should be kept in mind.
? First, psalms were written for singing. These were songs for public worship in the temple of ancient Israel.
? Second, the poems in the Psalms were written over a period of a thousand years, from the time of Moses through the time of Ezra.
? Third, psalms were collected and arranged over a long period of time.
? Fourth, psalms were written in the language of the human spirit, the utterance of the soul. Psalms are not cool, reasoned prose, but deeply emotional works that use wrenching language, dramatic exaggeration, and figurative speech.
? Fifth, psalms and the writings of psalms were part of ordinary life for the Israelites. Through a psalm, the Israelites would express their devotion and thanks to their Lord.
? Sixth, individual psalms were written for different purposes.
? Finally, it must be remembered that psalms were written in the language
of response.
(ERV) Martin Luther called the Psalms “a little Bible, and the summary of the Old Testament.” The overarching presentation of God is as King. Two corollaries to God as King in the Psalms are God as Creator and God as Redeemer, which run like a golden thread through the entire Psalm. Therefore, the book of Psalms give us one of the most complete and comprehensive revelations of the character of God in the entire Bible. If we want to know who God is, what He has done, and how we should respond to Him, the book of Psalms is one of the best places to start.
Our Bible Study lesson today is Psalm 1. The first two psalms introduce us to the main themes of the book: the life of holiness and happiness under the reign of the divine King and His Messiah. The first psalm gives us the purpose of the book: to provide a manual for meditating on the instruction of the Lord, so that we can experience the “blessed” life, a life of abundant holiness and happiness. Rodney, you’ve read the book of Psalms many times over the years. Before getting into the study, what are some of the things that have impacted you as you read the Psalms?
Rodney: Barry, off the top of my head, it’s the way David and the other writers of Psalms captured God’s heart in their songs. As you said, the Book of Psalms includes there are songs of adoration, songs of repentance and remorse, songs of thanksgiving, and songs of prayers and requests. But the one thing that flows through all of them is the underlying theme of giving praise to God. Psalms has always shown me that no matter what I am facing in life God is with me, from my greatest moments to my lowest. When I have succeeded in His will and when I have failed. God has never turned His back on me even when I had times when I turned my back on Him to do what I wanted to do. When I messed up Psalms helped me express my remorse, like when David wrote, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of Your tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight: that You might be justified when You speak, and be blameless when You judge.” (Psalm 51:1-4) So, let’s take a look at the first three verses.
Verses 1-3
“1Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law does he meditate day and night. 3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.”
The very first word in the book of Psalms is “blessed.” It is the Hebrew word “esher” and it means happy. The original word translated as “blessed” is plural which means that the person who chooses to walk with God versus not choosing to walk with God will live a life filled with “blessings.” Why will this person be blessed? Because they “walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” Let’s examine each of these separately. I want to call out the three phrases, to walk, to stand, and to sit as understanding these three terms will give clearer meaning to what follows. “Walking” notes a choice to do it and continuance of it. When a person willingly walks after the enjoyment of his fleshly lusts, the practice of sinning so excites him that he forgets himself and he grows hardened in wickedness which the writer terms “standing in the way of sinners.” Next the person becomes stubborn (obstinate), refusing to change, which is expressed by the figure of someone sitting. When you sit, you are not moving. So what was the writer saying in verse one?
“Walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.” The ungodly represent those who are actively bad and living morally corrupt lives. Why in the world would a Christian ever ask advice of this person can be confusing, but it happens all the time. The person could a family member or a good friend who just might not be saved. But, to walk in the counsel of the ungodly means a person chooses to accept the counsel of an ungodly person versus the counsel of the Lord. It would be similar to you coming to me and asking my opinion on a matter after you read what the Bible said. You didn’t necessarily like what the Bible said so you sought out a second opinion – “MY” opinion. When you came to me and I told you something different from what the Bible said, you accepted my opinion versus the Bible because my counsel was more in line of what you wanted to hear. The Bible says the day will come when we would not want to hear sound doctrine. Second Timothy 4:3-4 says, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they draw to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto myths.” However, the writer wrote that a man will be blessed when he does not do this – but walks in the counsel of God. He takes wiser counsel and walks in the commandments of God. To this man his footsteps are ordered by the Word of God and he does not live his life according to the counsel, or manner of living of the wicked. He does not associate himself with them, nor follow their evil encouragements or examples. Psalm 106:3 says “Blessed are they that keep justice, and he that does righteousness at all times.” This is impossible to do if you’re walking in the counsel of the ungodly.
“Nor stands in the way of sinners.” The word sinners denote a person who is missing the mark as it relates to living according to the Word of God. He does not take part in or enjoy their actions. He does not follow the same moral paths and then justifies his actions as being okay. Psalm 26:9 says, “Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men.” There was to be a barrier between the two so that the life of the sinner man did not rub off on the righteous man.
And Rodney, to your point, the word “stands” paints the picture of a person making a deliberate choice to abide or align himself with someone. David, by saying “Nor stands in the way of sinners,” is communicating that the person has examined the way of God and examined the way of the sinner and deliberately chose to reject the way of the sinner in order to choose the way of God. It’s a choice each of us has to make every single day.
Barry, that’s a very good point. It is interesting that the opinion that some in the world, whom we would refer to as sinners, say it’s hard to tell a Christian from them because the Christians are doing the same thing as they are. Even those of the world know that a Christian’s conduct, behavior and decisions should be different from those of someone who is not a Christian. Next the writer says:
“Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” Finally he has no fellowship with those who “scorn” religion. The scornful are those who mock religion. Those who are called scorners are those who, having thrown off all fear of God, commit sin without restraint. They have no fear of punishment or the judgment of God, as if they would never be called to give an account for their life choices. So again, he’s saying the man/woman of God should not dwell in the seats of these people. The image of you sitting in their favorite chair reaping the same benefits they are receiving from the chair. Proverbs 3:34 says, “Surely He scorns the scornful: but He gives grace unto the lowly.”
The very first verse of the book of Psalms quickly tells us who is blessed. He is the man who finds it necessary to withdraw themselves from the company of the ungodly in order to live righteously before God. What is interesting is that as you understand these definitions, Christians do not set out to become this way. The writer makes it clear that if we are not doing what is said in verse two then we could by default do what was stated in verse one. We can corrupt ourselves simply by not following the Word of God while at the same time living according to the rules/acceptances of society. Let’s examine what He says delights this man of God.
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law does he meditate day and night.” I want you to really listen to me on this one. There are many people who go to Church weekly, sometimes twice a week and yet they do not feel blessed. They do all of the activities that a “good Christian” is supposed to do and yet there is emptiness still inside them. David said that the blessed person is one who loves the Word of God and “studies” it! In verse two he does not simply state that those who are happy are those who fear God as stated in other places. No, he designates godliness by the studying of the law, teaching us that God is only rightly served when His law is obeyed. We must understand that it is not left to every man to frame or design his own system of righteousness according to his own judgment, but the standard of godliness is to be taken from the Word of God. Remember, Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” This verse makes it clear that what might seem right to man does not make it right before God.
And Rodney the same can also be said about our government, which has “approved” laws and ways of living that are opposed to what God has declared in the Bible.
Barry you are correct. Just because something is the “law of the land” does not make it right before the eyes of God. We have seen repeatedly that when man’s laws replace God’s laws trouble follows. A man living by his own “righteousness” will still end up in hell. Now when David here speaks of the law, we must understand that this would be inclusive of all the Scripture. Although the New Testament hadn’t been written at this point it would be included in the sentiments of what David is expressing. Second Timothy 3:16-17 confirms this as it says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” From his characterizing that the godly delights in the law of the Lord, we may learn that forced obedience is not at all acceptable to God. God wants us to freely choose Him and in doing so freely choose to seek Him through His word from which He speaks to us. Students of the Word who come to it with a cheerful mind and are so delighted with its instructions account nothing more desirable or delicious than to make progress therein. They read the Word, learn something for the day, and then desire even more the next day. From this love of the law proceeds our constant meditation upon it, which David mentions on the last clause of the verse; for all who are truly motivated by a love of the Word must feel pleasure in the diligent study of it.
Rodney, this reminds me of what Jeremiah said in chapter 16, verse 15. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” There is so much in this verse that we can’t tackle today, but I do want to say one thing: for Jeremiah, for the person who delights in the law of the Lord, there is a hunger that cannot be satisfied any other way than feasting at the table of the Lord.
Amen. Remember in the book of John when the disciples came to Jesus and were trying to get Him to eat something? Jesus told them that He had food that they did not know about. When they wondered about what He had eaten, “Jesus said unto them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.’” (John 4:34) I think the point David and Jeremiah were making is that our “spiritual food – the Word of God” is more important than the physical food that we so much enjoy. Imagine studying God’s Word and getting the same pleasure as eating your favorite meal or dessert! So what is the result of this pleasure in God’s Word and living a blessed life? Let’s look at verse three.
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.” Can this be stated more clearly? David says, in respect of those who fear God, that they are happy, not because they enjoy a fleeting and empty gladness, but because they are in a desirable condition. Consider the image of the tree that is planted in a well-watered area where it is always nourished. That tree will always bring forth fruit in its season.
Rodney, I love the flow of this. Verse one describes the person who is blessed and what he will not do. Verse two tells us why the blessed does not do what we read in verse one. But verse three, Rodney, is the promise that results because the blessed person delights in the law of the Lord and for us, it’s the book we’re reading right now.
Barry, the tree that is not well-watered, although it may flourish beautifully for a time, it soon withers on account of the barrenness of the soil in which it is placed. This is the opposite of what we will see with the ungodly. It is the blessing of God alone which preserves any in a prosperous condition. With these words David is saying that the children of God constantly flourish and we are always watered with the secret influences of divine grace, so that whatever may befall us is conducive to our salvation, while, on the other hand, the ungodly are carried away by the sudden tempest, or consumed by the scorching heat. And when he says he “brings forth its fruit in its season” he expresses the full maturity of the fruit produced. The ungodly may present the appearance of developed fruitfulness, yet they produce nothing that comes to perfection. Barry, tell us in more detail about the ungodly.
Verses 4-6
“4The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6For the LORD knows the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
In the first three verses, David lays out what our lives can be like if we choose to live God’s way as opposed to living man’s way. And the contrast between the life of the person who chooses God – who chooses life, who is blessed – and the person who doesn’t choose God – who chooses death, who is ungodly – is startling. And, as Rodney did in the first three verses, we’re going to take a peek inside the verses because oftentimes our understanding of particular words may not be what the Holy Spirit meant when He chose them.
“The ungodly are not so …” The first thing we see as David transitions to talking about the ungodly is that they are not like the person who is blessed. The word “no” is a word that communicates a direct, to the point, and without any grey negation of something. It’s a statement that doesn’t allow for “buts.” The ungodly are not blessed. Rodney talked about the meaning of the word “ungodly” earlier and I want to “add a little more meat” to what he shared. Rodney, an ungodly person is not going to like this! In the Hebrew, an ungodly person, and we have to keep in mind that we’re reading how God sees this person, is considered wicked, guilty (condemned to the lake of fire), in the wrong (when compared to the standards of Scripture), a criminal, a transgressor. An ungodly person, as we see in these words, are enemies of God and His people. I don’t want us to miss this: the ungodly are choosing to be ungodly.
And with respect to the ungodly, Psalm 37:35-36 says, “I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. 36Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.”
They have such an overflowing abundance of wealth and honors that nothing seems wanting to their present happiness. But however high they may be raised, and however far and wide they may spread their branches, yet having no root in the ground, or a sufficiency of moisture from which they may derive nourishment, the whole of their being by and by disappears, and withers away.
And Rodney, God takes no pleasure in this and we see this in Ezekiel 18:21-23. “21But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful an right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22All his transgressions that the hath committed, thy shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 23Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? Saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?” And going back to the point you made about the ungodly disappearing an withering away, we see this in the next part of the verse.
“but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.” Rodney, notice how David continues to contrast the way of the ungodly with the way of the blessed. The way of the ungodly are not like the blessed, but … We know that the word “but” is a word that sets a contrast to what went before it. In this case, it cements the staggering and overwhelming difference between the ungodly and the blessed. The word “chaff” is figurative because of what it represents. We know that farmers separate the grain from the chaff by throwing it in the air. The grain falls back to the threshing floor but the chaff is blown away by the wind. John the Baptist paints a vivid picture of what will happen to chaff, the ungodly, in Matthew 3:12 when he talks about Jesus. Let’s read verses 11 and 12. “11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner (barn); but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” John the Baptist says those who reject Jesus will be “the chaff” that burns in the lake of fire. In this verse, chaff describes a person, as far as God is concerned, who is worthless, dead and without substance. Now let’s be clear: God loves everyone, but He has no patience for those who have been presented the truth and reject it. They are not fighting for the unsaved so they are useless and worthless to Him because that is exactly what He is doing – fighting for the unsaved.
That is a great point Barry because Christians often idolize and desire the things of the wicked because, in many cases, they represented the “blessings” of this world. I mean who wouldn’t want all the things a rich person can freely purchase with their money. But remember how the Bible says we should not envy the wicked? Proverbs 24:1-2 says “Be not envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. 2 For their heart studies destruction and their lips talk of mischief.”
Also Psalms 37:1-2 says, “Fret not yourself because of evildoers, neither be you envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” I think sometimes we overlook the sins of a person because of what they have and how they live, especially if they are famous. And this is why we are warned to stay away from them and not take their advice. They are on a totally different path than we are.
As you were reading in Psalm 37 Rodney, I thought about some additional verses, also from Psalm 37, that would be appropriate here. “22For such as be blessed of Him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of Him shall be cut off. 23The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delights in his way. 24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand. 25I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” This verse is an excellent example of the life of the person blessed by God.
“Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment …” Whenever we see the word “therefore” in the Bible, we have to ask “What is it there for?” Did you like that? The word “therefore” is like someone making a concluding statement such as “Because of this” or “This is the reason why.” We could read the first part of verse five this way: “Because the ungodly are not like the blessed, but are like the useless chaff that will be blown away with the wind, they shall not stand in the judgment.” When David says they “shall not stand in the judgment,” he’s talking about the person’s Day of Judgment. And we see this from the meaning of the word “stand” which is defined as “the physical action of rising up or the resultant end of that action.” In this context, “stand” refers to the end result which is not being able to stand in the judgment. Now the question is why will they not be able to stand? They won’t be able to stand because they have rejected God and have been judged ungodly by His holy standards. For the ungodly, the law of the Lord is not his delight. By contrast, the person who stands in the judgment is the person who delights in the law of the Lord and has not rejected Him. That person will spend an eternity with Him. Before moving on, what will be the basis for this judgment for Christians? It will be the new nature, the born again spirit, on the inside of you. It will either accuse you if you’re doing something that’s offensive to God or it will excuse you when what you’re doing is not an offensive to God. And we see this in Romans 2:12-16. 12For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law; 13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified, 14For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves, 15Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another ) 16In the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”
“Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” This is the second time that this Psalm identifies the ungodly as being separate from sinners. Why is that? Based on how the ungodly have been portrayed in this Psalm, we will not find them in the congregation of the righteous – we will not find them with the righteous. Why not? Those who are righteous are righteous because of what we read in the first two verses. “1Blessed in the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the ways of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law does he meditate day and night.” It says “sinners in the congregation…” He’s talking about those who at one time were not sinners and were “in the congregation of the righteous,” but not any more. They have “sinned” their way out of, now follow me closely, they have “sinned” their way out of being righteous and that’s why they are no longer in the congregation. That’s why they are been named with the ungodly. There’s a message here for those who believe that “once saved, always saved.” What we have just read says this belief is not true.
“For the LORD knows the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Without stating the obvious, how does the Lord know when someone is righteous? He knows it the same way the person will know it – by what he believes and how he lives. And this is what the word “way” communicates. It means “path, journey, way – how one lives his life. The life of the person who is righteous will delight in the ways of the Lord and will store His law, the Bible, in his heart so that he will bring forth much fruit. In contrast, the ungodly will be lost, destroyed for all eternity. Their lives will be like the chaff that the wind blows away – never to be seen again or remembered again.
Closing
If you are like me, you grew up thinking about the book of Psalms as a book of songs David wrote praising God. However, when you study it closely, you begin to see a pattern to the music – to the motivation behind them. The writers of Psalms wrote the songs based on situations that were being experienced or had been experienced. The songs had meaning far beyond just the words they expressed. David opened the Psalms with an exclamation about the man who is blessed. He contrasted the blessed man with the ungodly. He made it clear that the man who walks with God will seek to know and understand God through His word. Likewise he shares that the wicked man is not this way. As you heard what Barry said, the wicked man walks in his own ways, living the life he chooses. The righteous, however, believes that his footsteps are ordered by the Lord and he studies God’s Word to understand more clearly what those steps are. As a child of God, we are called to walk with Him. We cannot walk with God while seeking the counsel of the ungodly because the counsel of the ungodly will often conflict with the Word of God.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” We hope that you have enjoyed this lesson.
Barry do you have any closing comments?
Barry: Rodney, I believe you captured the essence of this first chapter.
Ok, Let’s pray.
