By Douglas K. Wilson, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Christian Studies, University of Mobile
THE PATH
Psalm 1:1–6
This quarter we study the Psalms, also known as the Psalter, Tehillim and the Hebrew hymnal. Bible students find a variety of psalm types within this collection of five books. Parallelism is one of the most significant characteristics of Semitic poetry, and the Psalms are no exception. In fact one could invest a lifetime unpacking the creative ways in which the lyricist-musicians brought glory to God in corporate worship.
In this first psalm, the writer makes a clear distinction between those who are blessed by God and those who are not. Robert Frost’s “The Road Less Traveled” comes to mind as one considers the differences in the two paths. So does Paul’s clear delineation between the paycheck for sin and the free gift of God in Romans 6:23.
Path of Life (1–3)
“Blessed” in Hebrew carries with it a wealth of meanings, including happy, satisfied, contented, at peace, etc. In fact in the Greek translation, Alexandrian Jews utilized the term “markarios,” the same word used by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3–11). The blessed person chooses not to yield to the distracting three-part sequence of walking and listening to ungodly counselors, stopping to participate in disobedience to God and sitting to engage in accusation against those who seek to do God’s will.
By contrast, verses two and three address the positive characteristics of the person blessed by God. First the Word of God is held in high regard. Second the Bible is the source of meditation as a spiritual discipline throughout the day and into the evening. This is in keeping with the Shema, the centerpiece prayer of Jewish prayer services (Deut. 6:4–9). Finally the author characterizes the path of life as fruitful, using the analogy of a tree bearing fruit in its season. We find a correlation here between Psalm 1 and the teaching of Jesus in John 15. Followers of Jesus bear fruit by abiding in Him and His words abiding in us.
Path of Death (4–5)
In contrast to the fruitfulness of the blessed believer, the ungodly person is characterized by the passing nature of chaff. Unlike the bounty of a fruit tree or even the harvest of heads of grain, ungodly people are compared to chaff. These dry stalks blow away by the wind as the harvesters separated the wheat from the chaff by tossing it in the air. This practice still takes place in some parts of the world, but American farmers usually use large combines to do the work, burning the chaff left in their fields.
When facing the judgment of God, those who follow the path of death will not stand. Nor are they welcome to stand among those who have been declared righteous by God. Unlike the contemporary mindset which has infiltrated many congregations, not everyone will be saved. Those who do not trust the atoning work of Jesus Christ as revealed through the Word will be sentenced to a Christ-less eternity. We who are believers have a God-given responsibility to bear witness to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ as our only means of salvation.
Conclusion of the Path (6)
“The Lord knows the way of the righteous” (v. 6). Why does God know this path? The Father is the architect of the path. The Son, our Lord Jesus, is the path (John 14:6). The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, the guide who walks alongside us on the path of righteousness (John 16:7–14). The Jesus path leads to life and godliness.
“The way of the ungodly will perish” (v. 6). Jesus clearly teaches this in John. Whoever believes in Him will not perish (3:16). Whoever does not believe is already under condemnation (3:18). Take the Jesus path.
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