The Two Paths: A Tree Or A Chaff? Series

Title: The Two Paths: A Tree or Chaff?

Text: Psalm 1

Every person, in every corner of the world, wants to live a blessed life. We long for a life that is happy, stable, meaningful, and fruitful. The great question of human existence is, how do we find such a life? The world offers countless answers and endless paths, each promising fulfillment.

The book of Psalms, the great songbook of the Bible, begins by answering this very question. Psalm 1 serves as the gateway, the grand entrance to all the prayers and praises that follow. It doesn't offer a complicated philosophy or a list of ten easy steps. Instead, it presents a stark and simple choice. It lays before us a roadmap with only two roads, two paths, two ways to live. One is the way of the blessed, and the other is the way of the wicked. One leads to a life of flourishing stability, and the other to a life of worthless ruin. This psalm asks each of us to consider the path we are on.

I. The Path of the Blessed Life (vv. 1-3)

The psalm begins by defining the blessed person, first by what they intentionally avoid. “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.”

Notice the progression here: from walking, to standing, to sitting. It’s a picture of a deepening entanglement with evil. The blessed person makes a conscious choice to separate from the world’s corrupting influences. They choose not to get their advice, their values, or their sense of belonging from those who reject God.

But a blessed life is not defined merely by negatives. It is not an empty life of avoiding bad things. It is a full life, and verse 2 tells us what fills it: “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

This is the secret. This is the source. The blessed person has discovered that God’s Word—His instruction, His truth—is not a burdensome list of rules, but a source of deep joy and delight. They don't just read it like a textbook; they meditate on it, chewing on it day and night, allowing it to shape their thoughts, their desires, and their actions.

The result of this life is one of the most beautiful metaphors in all of Scripture: “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.” This is a picture of a truly blessed life. It is stable and secure, "planted" with deep roots. It is constantly nourished by the river of God's Word. It is fruitful and productive, making a positive impact on the world. And it is durable and resilient, able to withstand the dry seasons of life because its source is constant.

II. The Path of the Wicked Life (vv. 4-5)

The psalm then pivots with a sharp and sudden contrast: “The ungodly are not so.” Their life is nothing like the flourishing tree. Instead, they are “like the chaff which the wind driveth away.”

Chaff is the worthless, paper-thin husk that is separated from the valuable grain during threshing. It is the perfect opposite of a tree. A tree is heavy, rooted, and alive. Chaff is weightless, rootless, and dead. A tree is stable and stands firm in the storm. Chaff is utterly unstable, at the complete mercy of every passing gust of wind. This is a picture of a life without substance, without purpose, and without an anchor.

The destiny of the chaff is as predictable as its nature. “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” A life with no spiritual weight cannot possibly stand in a moment of divine evaluation. On the day of judgment, they will be separated and blown away, just as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff.

III. The Decisive Difference (v. 6)

The psalm concludes by giving us the ultimate reason for these two profoundly different destinies. Why does one path lead to a flourishing life and the other to ruin? It is not a matter of luck or circumstance.

Verse 6 gives the decisive answer: “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

That word “knoweth” is one of the most intimate words in the Bible. It does not simply mean that God is aware of the righteous. It means He is in a personal, loving, covenantal relationship with them. He watches over their path, He protects them, He guides them. Their security is not in their own perfection, but in the constant, caring gaze of their God.