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.
We live in a busy world. The WEF has just finished their latest meetings in Davos, Switzerland. Interestingly, I was told there were no G7 leaders at this latest forum. Personally, I was surprised that our PM was not in attendance. He is a puppet of Klaus Schwab as is over half of his cabinet.
This organization has gained a very high position on the world stage. The decisions made there are followed very closely by the leaders of the world.
Then we also have the current meeting of the WHO, which is also being held in Switzerland. That meeting is setting the stage for the WHO to take control of the health portfolio of many countries, including Canada. Things are happening that are moving us ever closer to the end. There are no signs that we can point to, that state, this is the one. However, God gives us much information of the conditions that will be in place during the time of the Tribulation. True saints will not be here then, but we can see things developing. As we see this, what kind of people should we be if we are saved people? How can we help others come to see their need to know the true God?
There are so many offers to join this religious movement, or support that religious cause. There are so many who think that unless religious leaders unite, we just will not be able to have any voice in the world in which we live.
In Psalm 1 God addresses “the man”. He does not address a group. In Genesis 3 God addressed a man — Adam. In Genesis 4 God addressed a man — Cain. In Genesis 6 God spoke to a man — Noah. In Genesis 11, God chose a man — Abram (later Abraham). We could go on but God shows us the importance of individual responsibility and choice.
God tells us that there is a way for a man to be blessed and that way is not by finding a consensus on things. God is very concerned that His children be united. He requires that His children be united in truth.
We see in verse 1 of our text that the blessed man does not do three things. God deals in negatives and positives. He begins this Psalm with a promise of blessing if the man avoids three negatives.
The first negative is the blessed man does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. The blessed man is not on the same path as the ungodly man. He is not going the same direction. He is not following the same course. He is not putting his hope in the same place.
The blessed man understands that the way of the world is not good. He understands that aligning himself with the world is not going to help him and he chooses not to be there. Jesus stated:
Matthew 7:13 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:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
The blessed man is not walking on the broad way. He was there at one time, but God showed him that was not the right way and he came to the place in his life where he saw that and he believed God and he chose to turn to God in repentance and follow God’s way. He trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
The second negative we see here is that the blessed man does not stand in the way of sinners. There is a progression that God uses in this verse. If the blessed man is not walking in the way of the ungodly, he cannot then be standing in that way either. This is all based on a choice the blessed man makes. He has been given life and he can see that there is nothing for him in the way of sinners. He does not stop there to contemplate whether he might enter into that way.
Unlike Adam, the blessed man is convinced that there is no need to give any place to false teaching and false teachers. He is not going to go there. There are many things going on today that I do not know about. I try to keep informed of those things that can help me in my walk with God and I also want to be able to help others to know how to avoid the traps the devil has set. We need to be aware of what is going on in our world to some degree. However, we do not need to stop and consider if the world has something good to offer. The saved person is being led by the Light of the World, and thus he or she knows that the world has nothing of value. We live in the world, but we do not want to be stained by the world.
The third negative that God gives here is that the blessed man does not sit in the seat of the scornful. The scornful person is the scoffer and the boaster. The scoffer mocks at the righteous. He mocks God and thus he mocks anyone who would trust in God. There is no point in sitting down with such a person. That person will be a negative influence on the blessed man.
None of these negatives will keep a person from witnessing to a lost person. Because the blessed man chooses wisely, he actually has opportunity to be a witness to the lost person.
Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Things are happening. God is shaking the foundations. It is important to be blessed of Him today and every day.
Pastor Bartel
