By Jay T. Robertson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, University of Mobile
GOD’S WISDOM
Psalm 1:1–6
Considered by many to be the most-loved portion of Scripture, the psalms have been a source of comfort and a tower of strength for believers in every experience of life. From the soul-stirring heights of praise to the heart-rending depths of despair, the full range of human emotion is captured in these songs. Written some 3,000 years ago, the psalms remain as vibrant and fresh today as when they were first written. The Book of Psalms leads God’s people to seek Him more diligently, to love Him more deeply and to trust Him more fully.
This wisdom psalm functions as an introduction to the entire Book of Psalms. Its theme is as big as the whole Bible because it tells of people, paths and ultimate destinies. Psalm 1 separates all humanity into their respective spiritual categories.
The Righteous Person (1–2)
Psalm 1 begins with the word “happy” or “blessed.” This word appears 23 times throughout the psalms. It means to be supremely happy and fulfilled. It’s to have overflowing joy and full contentment in God.
The righteous person knows when to say no.
He will say no to walking with the wicked, standing with sinners and sitting with mockers. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1 Cor. 15:33).
“When men are living in sin, they go from bad to worse,” Charles Spurgeon wrote. “At first they merely walk in the counsel of the careless and ungodly, who forget God — the evil is rather practical than habitual — but after that, they become habituated to evil, and they stand in the way of open sinners who willfully violate God’s commandments; and if left alone, they go one step further and become themselves pestilent teachers and tempters of others, and thus they sit in the seat of the scornful.”
The righteous person also knows when to say yes. He will say yes to God’s Word and God’s wisdom. The righteous person’s “delight is in the Lord’s instruction.” To delight in God’s Word means to rejoice in it and to be eager to spend time reading and studying it. He also “meditates on it day and night.” He thinks deeply about God’s Word. He considers the meaning, implications and applications of the Scripture. He is characterized by the consistent contemplation of God’s Word.
Benefits of Righteousness (3–4)
The psalmist uses two images to show the results of these two different lifestyles. First, he uses a fruitful tree. The righteous person delights in the law of God and draws his spiritual nourishment from it as a tree that draws its nourishment from an abundantly flowing stream. The surrounding landscape may be dry and barren.
The winds might be hot. But if the tree is planted by the stream so that it can sink its roots down and draw nourishment, it will prosper and yield fruit. So it is for the believer who delights in God’s Word and wisdom.
But the wicked are compared to chaff. This is an abrupt contrast. During harvest time, the chaff — the inedible, useless covering of the grain — would be discarded because it was worthless and had no value. Accordingly, the wicked are empty, worthless and in the end, to be burned in the fire.
Day of Judgment (5–6)
The wicked reject God’s Word and live in rebellion against God. They forfeit God’s blessings in this life and in eternity. In contrast, God “watches over the way of the righteous.” This verb — literally, “knows” — refers to God’s personal intimacy and involvement with His righteous ones. The righteous ones are believers who have repented of their sins and believed in the gospel.
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