In Psalm 1, there are two types of people -- the blessed and the wicked. The blessed man does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
In the first 2 verses of Psalm 1, the contrast is between the blessed and the wicked. The contrast is also between the law of the Lord and the counsel of the wicked/the way of sinners/the seat of mockers. The question is whose law do you follow?
Life is full of choices and decisions. God created us with a free will to choose. We can choose. All major decisions of life such as school, career, marriage, buying a house, and picking the city or town to reside in and raise your family are choices we make. In choosing, we can either do so according to the law of the Lord or the counsel of the worldly. When one is blessed, he chooses to take delight in the law of the Lord. (Notice that I am not saying that when one takes delight in the law of the Lord, then one is blessed. Blessing comes first.)
Depending on the choice, one's life is vastly different. The blessed man is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
The blessed man is led by the Holy Spirit, who is the living water (John 7:38,39). Enlivened by the Holy Spirit, the blessed man bears the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Fruit borne of the Spirit is spiritually nourishing, while the leaves are healing (Ezekiel 47:12). The blessed man is not only blessed himself, but is a blessing to others (Genesis 12:2).
Whatever the blessed man does prospers. This is not a conditional statement. In all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Everyone born of God overcomes the world (I John 5:4). When Joseph was imprisoned on false accusations of Potiphar's wife, he was not disheartened. God was with him. Even in the prison, Joseph found favor in the eyes of the prison warden and was put in charge of all those held in the prison. The warden trusted Joseph and paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care. The Lord gave Joseph success in whatever he did (Genesis 39). In all things and under all circumstances, God watches over the way of the righteous.
On the other hand, the wicked are like chaff that the wind blows away. Like the streams of water, I think the wind stands for the Holy Spirit (John 3). This time, however, the Spirit acts in judgment. He is like the wind, the storm that blows away God's enemies and foes. He is like the fire that consumes them (Psalm 83:13-15). Who can withstand God's anger? Who can survive God's judgment? Certainly not the wicked. The sinners will not be part of the assembly of the righteous, but will perish.
this is kind of confusing.
ReplyDelete"In choosing, we can either do so according to the law of the Lord or the counsel of the worldly. When one is blessed, he chooses to take delight in the law of the Lord. (Notice that I am not saying that when one takes delight in the law of the Lord, then one is blessed. Blessing comes first.)
Depending on the choice, one's life is vastly different. The blessed man is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."
if blessing comes first, .. then how is it that whatever the blessed person does, prospers? i mean, in this formula, where blessing comes first and choices come after. isn't it a constantly overlapping situation? where a blessing might come unmerited, then the person can decide to be happy about it or not happy about it (since some people don't even realize that variable A is a blessing), ... but since they're not happy about it, God might not bless them with that same variable A blessing, but instead watch for that person to be grateful about whatever, and then give variable B blessing? hopefully my confusion is articulated so it doesn't sound convoluted.
What I mean is that Psalm 1 describes what a blessed man is and does. It is not about how you become blessed. It does not say, if you do this or that, then you become blessed. It says that a blessed man does this or does not do that or that a blessed man is like this.
ReplyDelete=) ok, thanks.
ReplyDelete