Pursue the Word, not the World.
Psalm One
1) How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2) But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3) And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
4) The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5) Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6) For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish. NASB
I. The pursuit of God's will results in blessing. (1:1-3)
In the midst of our tragic world, how can we have a stable and prosperous life? What should we be doing? Well, these questions are addressed in the first psalm. Unlike many of the psalms, the author and specific historical context of the Psalm 1 are unknown. It was possibly written during the time of King David or Solomon as an introduction to the book of Psalms. But despite its uncertain origins, the first psalm gives certain hope to us in the this tragic world. It shows us that the blessing of the man who pursues God's will are stability in God and prosperity from God.
Questions for consideration
How does one receive this blessing?
A. Pursuing God's will means that you do not allow the wicked to influence your lifestyle.
(1:1)
Verse one gives three examples of behavior that a person desiring to be blessed must avoid.
Questions for consideration
What does walking in the counsel of the wicked mean?
What does standing in the path of sinners mean?
What does sitting in the seat of scoffers mean?
Is there more to God's will than the avoidance of evil?
B. Pursuing God's will means that you do become intimately involved
in His Word. (1:2)
God nevers leaves us just running away from everything. He also gives us a goal to run toward. In verse 2, God points us in the direction of His Word, the Bible.
C. Pursuing God's will results in His blessing you with
stability and prosperity. (1:3)
Pursuing God's will results in something wonderful. God has made a promise to bless you as you follow His will. As verse 3 illustrates, God blesses us with stability and prosperity.
How should we understand this stability that God blesses us with as we obey His will?
How should we understand this prosperity that God blesses us with as we obey His will?
Here is a practical way to carry out God's will in your life.
II. The pursuit of wickedness results in
perishing. (1:4-6)
The second half of the psalm contrasts with the first half. Verses one through three have shown us how we can pursue God's will and attain God's blessing. Now if the knowledge of what the results are for those who pursue God's will is not enough motivation, the psalm provides extra incentive. Verses four throuh six show us that pursuing wickedness results in perishing.
A. The wicked lifestyle has no stability. (1:4-5)
The contrast begins with the exclamation, "The wicked are not so." Just as a man pursuing God's will is like a firmly planted tree, the wicked man is like chaff, being blown about in the wind.
What is this judgment will the wicked not be able to stand?
B. The wicked lifestyle will not prosper, but perish. (1:6)
And just as the wicked have no place to stand with the righteous, neither do they enjoy the blessings like the righteous. The wicked lifestyle will end up in perishing. It sometime seems like the wicked are prospering, but remember that they are like chaff. Their prosperity will not last. They will perish. An example of this is Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia.
I pray that God blesses you through your study of His Word.
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revised July 02, 2008
