PSALM 1:1-3 - THE GODLY PROSPER

PSALM 1:1-3

THE GODLY PROSPER

Psalm 1:1 Blessed⁸³⁵ 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.

Definition from The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible:

835 ’esher – blessed, how happy!

Susan: This Hebrew word is plural which expresses intensity or exponentiality. In other words, the idea conveyed by this word is “how extremely happy.” Extravagant joy. 

Susie: “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” is a phrase used in the United States of America’s constitution. People pursue happiness, many times in vain, throughout their lives. Here the Lord uses the Psalmist to tell us exactly how happiness can be achieved!

Susan: Life generates from God. Freedom generates from God. Happiness generates from God! So searching any other place for these things is futile. If we seek the Lord, He will manifest these qualities in our lives which otherwise are illusive pursuits.

Susie: What is meant by walking in the counsel of the ungodly?

Susan: The wise man seeks godly counsel rather than going along with those who oppose God. Those who serve the Lord should not find themselves going with the flow, walking with the very enemies of God. If we are not pleasing God, we are displeasing Him. There is no in between. Remember the line from an old song, “Accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative. Don’t mess with Mr. In-between.”

Matthew 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

Susie: In the above verse, Jesus made it clear that we are either with Him or against Him. There is no in-between. Opposing God includes not believing in Him at all.  We need to have friends who are non-believers. How else can we share the Gospel with them? But they should never gain the position of advisors in our lives. Fellow believers should be sought out when we need wisdom. What are we doing if we stand in the way of sinners? To me, that means a person has surrounded themselves with non-believers, and is passively being influenced by them or is going along with believers who are not living as they should without reproving them.  When a person stands in the path of sinners, they are on the “broad” way.

Matthew 7:13-14  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Susan: Yes, I agree. “Sitteth in the seat of the scornful” indicates eating and drinking and relaxing with those who would lead you astray from God’s path of holy living.

Susie: As believers, we should not feel comfortable spending the bulk of our time with those who do not follow the Lord Jesus and who encourage us to disobedience. The picture is actually joining in with those who are scornful.

Susan: It is agreement or seeming agreement with the scorners.

Susie:  That concludes how NOT to live if we want to be our happiest. Now the psalmist moves to the right things to do in order to find happiness.

Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Susan: The law was not merely a mirror of Israel’s sin and need for a Savior. It was God’s instruction manual for the Israelites.

Susie: The Psalmist states that the blessed man, the one who would be the happiest, meditates on the law both day and night. This reminds us of the Lord’s instructions to Joshua:

Joshua 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.

Susan: The instructions of the Lord are to take up residence in our mouths, to live, dwell, to abide in our mouths.

Susie: To me, this says we should be repeating God’s words, telling others what we have read and dwelt upon. How do we achieve that attitude of meditating on God’s word?

Susan: We must engage in daily study of the Bible.

Susie: Does memorization of scripture have a role in meditating on the law?

Susan: Yes, because what we memorize, we internalize.

Susie: And if we have internalized a verse, we can meditate, chew on it, even when we do not have our Bibles in front of us. We can meditate on the word of God while driving, waiting in line, lying down to sleep.

Susan: What we internalize, the Holy Spirit will actualize. Joyful contentment is found in studying and obeying the instruction (the law) of the Lord. The instruction of the Lord reveals the will of God for our lives.

Susie: The next verse discusses the end result of being the kind of person who does not run with sinners but who does value and internalize the word of God.

Psalm 1:3 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.

Susan: The word for planted is literally “transplanted.” The Lord purposefully plants the believer where he or she will flourish as they are nurtured by the Living Water, Jesus Christ.

Susie: Sometimes we do not understand why we have been uprooted and moved, but the Lord places us in a position of dependence on Him, the true source of our growth. The Father Himself tends and prunes us to bear optimum fruit for His kingdom.

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Susie: The psalmist says “his leaf shall not wither.” Does this mean that the godly man will never die?

Susan: The godly man’s earth-suit does wither. However, his spirit and soul—mind, will, and emotions—will forever continue with the Lord. We will ultimately receive an incorruptible body at the final resurrection when the Lord Jesus returns. Meanwhile, Paul states:

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Susan: To prosper is to push forward in every work of godliness and goodness on behalf of God’s kingdom.

Susie: If a tree prospers, it reaches full maturity, bearing delicious fruit. When we prosper, we become mature believers who are able to lead and instruct others in their relationships with Jesus Christ (witness and disciple). This is NOT a promise that all who follow God’s ways will be monetarily rich.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

QUESTIONS

1.   What three activities should we avoid in order to be happy?

2.   What do we need to constantly ponder?

3.   Following these instructions results in what?

4.   If you have not already done so, memorize and meditate on Psalm 1:2. Write your own insights below.