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.
God tells us from the beginning of Creation that there are benefits to following Him. God never teaches works salvation. Adam was not created a sinner. He was given instructions as to how to know God’s blessings in the Garden of Eden. Adam became a sinner because he chose not to believe what God had told him.
Abel proved his faith in God by offering a sacrifice that pleased God. His sacrifice did not save him. Cain proved his rejection of God by forming his own religion and defying God even when confronted by Him. He did not lose his salvation. He proved he was never saved.
In verse 3 of our text we see that there are blessings that God promises to the man who delights in God’s law. This man will be like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water. In a dry year, you can see grown trees suffering due to the drought. In a year with adequate moisture, you can see how the trees flourish as do other things as well.
A healthy tree is beneficial in many ways. Trees take up co2 and help to purify the air. Trees also attract moisture. Trees are good for shade and they also provide fuel for heating and lumber for building. There are many good things about trees.
God talked of this tree as producing fruit. God is using the illustration of a tree to describe the blessed man. The blessed man will be a blessing to others. He will provide good counsel and be an asset to society, rather than a drain on society.
We need some good men in our society today. We need some individuals who know the Lord and will walk with conviction and not be ashamed to stand for the truth. We can do that if we are saved. It is amazing to observe a person who has good success in life. Joshua was promised good success as the leader of the nation of Israel. God promised that he would prosper if he took God’s Word as his authority. We know that when Joshua did not follow God’s Word, he failed and he led the nation in failure. For the most part he was able to guide the nation into taking over much of the land that God had promised to Abraham.
David was also a man who prospered greatly as a king in Israel. He is still looked up to today in that land. God spoke highly of him throughout the Bible. God did not hide the sins of David and showed the consequences of those sins both for David personally and also for the nation.
The apostle Paul was able to prosper as an apostle because he repented toward God and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. He was then named an apostle and was used of God in a mighty way to establish several churches and to teach saved people how to walk faithfully with the Lord.
To prosper has to do with succeeding at the task at hand. The task that God is concerned with is spiritual matters. God blesses some people with material gain. Others like the apostle Paul did not have much money. However, Paul had what was needed to be able to encourage young Timothy to be a faithful servant of God. He had what was needed to be able to help others to know how to stand strong in the faith. He showed strength of character in facing persecution and remaining faithful to the Lord.
In verse 4 God tells us that the ungodly are not the same. This helps us to understand that the prosperity of the blessed man is more than earthly gain. There are wealthy saints and there are wealthy ungodly people. The wealthy saint would acknowledge that God has blessed him. However, the saint is blessed in greater ways than earthly things which do not last.
Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The blessed person has something more substantial than what this earth can provide. The ungodly person is like the chaff of the field. The wind drives it away. That is the impact the ungodly person has in things that matter.
Politicians like to form a legacy. They like to be known for something. Mr. Brian Peckford is out there talking about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He is currently suing the government with what he claims are violations of the charter. He may win and he may lose. However, in the bigger picture that charter has been violated many times and our PM has already shown that he does not care about any document. He only cares about himself and he will do what ever it takes to make a name for himself.
Mr. Peckford is known in some circles, but unless he gets saved, he will not be known in heaven. His name will not be in the Lamb’s book of life. Our PM will also not be known in that all important book either unless he repents and is saved. There are many thousands who are born into this world, but they perish. Some of them may make it into the news while on this earth, but they will die and then face the eternal judgment of God.
In verse 5 we are reminded that the ungodly cannot stand in the judgment. They will have nothing to say and Jesus will open the books and their names will not be written in the book of life and their works will condemn them. They will be in such fear as they hear their sentence of condemnation announced and then are cast into the lake of fire. Life now is not good for the ungodly and eternity will be much worse. Many people need to wake up and take life much more seriously than they do. Existing without knowing Christ as Saviour and Lord is not living. As we have noted, liberty is in knowing Christ.
Sinners will not be in the congregation of the righteous. Heaven is for the saved. In verse 6 we are again reminded that the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous. God designed the way that man should walk. It is a great blessing to be directed by God. It is a great blessing to know that the time spent on this earth is not wasted. Life moves on so fast. How important it is to know that we can be enjoying the blessings of the LORD now. The ungodly are not so. The way they are on will perish. There are those who believe that we just live and die and that is it. They will be shocked to discover that this is not so. The wise person listens to God as He speaks to their conscience. God’s Word is true. It is important to believe God’s Word and know His blessing.
Pastor Bartel
