The Psalm Of The Two Ways

The Psalm Of The Two Ways Psalm 1

I claim little originality for this sermon. Much of this came from a commentary by the late Ray Stedman.

Psalm 1

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.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3 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.

4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Introduction

How can we be sure to establish a God-centered life rather than an ungodly life. Psalm 1 is a description of the wicked and the righteous. It describes both the God-centered life and the self-centered life.

Psalm 1 is an “orphan” psalm, that is it has no stated author except God.

This Psalm is also an excellent example of Hebrew poetry which does not rhyme words but rather is built upon thought patterns and parallelism. As I have taught in the past, in bible times society was more of an oral society than a written society. Therefore the Psalms were often written a way that was “memorization friendly”.

There are 3 characters in the Psalm:-- The Righteous Man – The Ungodly Man – and God.

The theme is the happiness of the Godly man and the judgment of the Ungodly man.

The key word is “BLESSED”. (happy)

I. The God Centered Life – The Man God Blesses

1. The Godly Man’s Path – Vs. 1

a. He walks a different road.

b. He stands in a different place.

c. He sits in a different seat.

The blessed man is marked by:

1) The things he does not do.

2)The places he does not go.

3)The company he does not keep.

The Psalmist begins by pointing out that the Godly and the Ungodly are characterized by a totally different way of life.

Walking – is a reference to the decisions that must be made all day long. Walking is a series of steps.

Standing – is a picture of the commitments we make to various causes.

Sitting – is a picture of the settled attitudes of the heart.

A Godly man rejects the worlds Philosophy:

1) He does not listen to the ungodly man.

2) He does not linger with the sinful man.

3) He does not laugh with the scornful man.

2. The Godly Man’s Pleasure Vs. 2

He is saturated with the Word

a. He has a different counselor that the Ungodly man.

b. He gives the Word of God his full attention.

The Godly man has learned that in the Word of God, he is given a completely different view of life than what he gets from the world. He learns to draw upon the grace and glory and strength of God.

There is a strong resemblance between Psalm 1 and Joshua 1. Psalm 1 describes the person whose delite is in the Law of the Lord. Joshua was the first person told to meditate in the Book day and night.

Josh 1:8 - This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

3. The Godly Man’s Prosperity Vs. 3

He is situated by the waters.

Three things are said of the Godly man.

a. He is planted in a good place.

b. He brings forth fruit and his leaf does not wither.

c. He prospers.

He has a “deep rooted” life. Where does a tree get it’s strength – It’s roots.

“It’s not the time spent in reading the Word and prayer that ‘s important, but the time spent enjoying the presence of God that strengthens you.”

II. The Ungodly Life

1. He is Driven. Vs. 4

It takes two words to describe the life of the Ungodly – “Not So”

a. Everything that is said about the Godly is “not so” for the Ungodly.

b. The Ungodly Man is not the master of his own soul – Satan is.

c. Chaff is regarded as totally worthless and that is God’s evaluation of the life that has no room for Him.

2. He is Doomed. Vs. 5