Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

The Tree of Life - (3)

Those who meditate upon His word will receive benefits for their lives:

• “ He is like a tree planted… ” The righteous is compared to trees that are strong and flourishing while the wicked are described in opposite terms: “ …autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted-twice dead.”(Jude 12) • “ …by streams of water- “ These streams are the small irrigation ‘runnels’ that run through the or- chards of the middle east and represent the nourishing of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life: “ Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”(John 7:38) • “ …which yields its fruit in season…The fruits of the Holy Spirit are perpetual in the life of the be- liever: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentle- ness and self-control’. (Gal. 5:22:23) • “ …whose leaf does not wither… ” God has intended that we flourish in all dimensions of our lives as we are planted in his word and watered by his Spirit. • “ Whatever he does prospers. ” Joseph was a man who remained faithful to God and prospered though the circumstances of his life were extremely difficult: “ the Lord was with Joseph and he pros- pered…When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in every- thing he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. “ (Gen. 39:2-4) His blessing falls upon us in a ‘fallen world!’

THE WAY OF THE WICKED - 4-6

Psalm 1 introduces the literary technique of ‘comparison’. The wicked are now contrasted with the righteous.

Chaff

“ Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.”(4) Chaff is the husk of the wheat this is separated from the kernel by throwing it into the wind. It is then gathered together and burned as it has no value to the farmer. Each time it is mentioned in scripture it is in association with wind or fire alluding to the emptiness of a life lived on this earth without God and eternal separation from him. “ His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Mt. 3:12)

Judgment

• Eternal judgment- “ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment…”(5) Right at the be- ginning of the worship book of God a date is set for an appearance in the courtroom of heaven and there will be no acquittal for the crimes of the wicked. The very laws that they have scorned condemn the wicked. “ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Cor. 5:10) • Temporal judgment- “ …nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.”(5)

Sin separates us from everyone and everything that is good; in the end the one who persists in sin is completely alone.

Two Ways - (6)

“ For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. ”

This psalm presents two road signs at the beginning of life’s journey. One says: “ THE WAY OF THE WICKED- Beware! This path leads to an empty life of meaningless chaff, lost court battles with the laws that they resisted, withered fruit in the seasons of life, expulsion from the congregation of those who love God, and the destruction of everything they have lived for.”

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