Two Paths, One Way: Part 2
Psalm 1:4-6
Introduction:
One of my WTS professors, Bruce Waltke, liked to tell how he was not particularly
good at giving titles to his sermons. It really came to light one week when he
was the guest speaker at a certain church and as he drove up and saw the sign: “This
week: Dr. Waltke, the Talking Donkey.” Yes, he was preaching on the story of Balaam and his donkey! He
said, “My first thought was I really need to work on my sermon titles. My
second thought was, I am sure glad I said ‘donkey’!”
I don’t think I was very clear on connecting the title to my message
last week with the sermon, so I decided to use the same title again, as we look for a few
minutes at the second part of Psalm 1. The election last week exposed the deep political divide in our country. This psalm is addressing something far deeper, something that will have eternal consequences. The Psalm describes two different paths,
the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked, and from the perspective
of the psalmist, every human is on one path or the other. But only one is the way
to life. You might think, “I don’t think I am so righteous, but I am surely not
wicked!” Yet the picture here is of everyone being on one path or the other. The
prophet Jeremiah alluded to this psalm in Jeremiah 17:5-9,
…Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh
his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He is like a shrub in the
desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places
of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD. 8 He
is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and
does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious
in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." 9 The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
That last statement by Jeremiah exposes
why our only hope for justification, the only means to be declared righteous, is to trust in God. Paul was quoting
from Psalm 53 when he wrote in Romans 3:10,11, “…as it is written:
"None is righteous, no, not one; 11
no one understands; no one seeks for God.” Fallen humans are spiritually
dead, so God did for us, in Christ, what we could not do for ourselves.
Last week we were reminded that God’s
Word is our infallible guidebook to true life, the abundant life of blessing that
God wants us to have. As we look at the second part of the psalm we see the
contrasting ends of the way of the world and the way of God. As we look at
those verses, we need to consider them in light of the whole psalm…
So, what’s the Big Idea? Trust
God… take Him at His Word. Unbelievers may seem to prosper, but unless
they repent and believe, they will perish.
I. The Context: Psalm
1 begins the psalter, introducing us to the possibility of experiencing True
Life, the abundant life of blessing that Jesus came to offer all who would
believe Him and delight in God’s Word. Last week we focused on 1:1-3…
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor
stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of
the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted
by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not
wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
First, the writer told us where not
to look for the “good life” God wants for us. In short, we don’t follow the
advice of the world, those who reject God, who are described here as wicked,
as sinners, and as scoffers. Rather, the way to righteousness is
to receive God’s Word, to delight in it, to meditate on it day and
night, the idea there is to actively ponder what God is saying to us in his
written Word.
Those who have ears to hear, who receive
God’s word for what it is, and believe, those who trust Him, taking Him at his word,
are called “blessed,” they are in a life giving, life changing relationship
with the Creator and sustainer of the universe! Jesus said, “I have come that
you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.” That life,
true life, eternal life, abundant life, is ours by grace, through faith in
Christ. By the way, the remainder of the psalm will make it clear that there
are only two paths before us. Every human is either on one or the other. Jesus
spoke of a broad path that leads to destruction, and a narrow path that leads
to life.
Psalm 1, along with Psalm 2, forms an introduction to the psalms. It is also a call to look first in the mirror and to be certain that you have believed God, you have trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Having done that, you now have a mission. This psalm says it rather starkly at the end, in contrast to life and blessing, “the way of the wicked shall perish.” So we are called urge people on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God!
There is a proviso here that is
clear in the psalms, and in the whole of Scripture. None of this means that
life will be easy, that there will be no hardships or disappointments, pain, or
even tragedies. But it does mean that whatever happens, we can know that God is
with us, that He is working, and that somehow he will work the situation for
our good, and for His glory. We have a dramatic example of that in the story of
Job. He was righteous. And his world fell apart around him. But God was working
to grow his faith, and ultimately to bring glory to himself. Believers can die
young, get cancer, they can be martyred… but there is a bigger story in which we have a
part. Jesus is the Lord of history, and in the end, Jesus wins. So, as Psalm 37
says,
“…Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not
yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out
evil devices! 8 Refrain from
anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9 For the evildoers shall be cut
off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
Whether we experience that in this life, or in the New Heavens and the New Earth, that is God's promise to us. He promised Israel protection
from enemies, and the blessings of life in the promised land if they were obedient
to the stipulations of the covenant. He was also clear that they would be
chastened if they disobeyed. We are not Israel. In this age, the wicked
sometimes prosper, even for a long time, and believers sometimes have Job-like experiences. How then
do we make sense of this? We have the promise that there will ultimately be deliverance
for those who trust in Christ. And eternal life is not just talking about length of days, it is a quality of life. It is
life that gives a sure hope and allows us to rise above the noise of life in a
fallen world. It is life with meaning. Trust God… take Him at His Word. Unbelievers
may seem to prosper, but unless they repent and believe, they will
perish. Secondly…
II. In contrast to the solid
ground of the faithful, those who reject God will perish (1:3b-4).
“…In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the
wind drives away.”
Remember 3b in context, this is not the
“health and wealth” prosperity gospel that is so popular today. We live
in a fallen world and so the thorns and thistles of the curse, including disease
and death, will touch the lives of believers as surely as they do unbelievers.
Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation…” But because of
God’s presence and the sure hope we have in Jesus, we are able to live above
the circumstances of life in a fallen world. As Paul told the Philippians
we can learn the secret of contentment in every circumstance, the peace that
passes understanding, we can do all things through Him who strengthens us.
“…the ungodly are not so…” (1:4). No
matter how interesting or fun or attractive the enticement of the world might
seem, the laughter is hollow and the smiles are superficial. There is an
emptiness behind the mask that has no answers, that says with Ecclesiastes,
“All is vanity, all is meaningless…” Here, the psalmist says, “They are like
the chaff, the wind drives away…” “Chaff” is the waste in the winnowing
process, as the kernels of nourishing grain are separated from the husks, the
heavier kernels fall down, the wind blows the chaff away, it isn’t good for
anything. There is a play on words here. The Hebrew phrase “like a tree,” [#[eK. cuh-ates]
sounds a lot like the Hebrew phrase “like chaff” [#MoªK;÷ cah-moats].
In contrast to the deep-rooted, flourishing, tree-by-the-river life of the
righteous, the life of the godless is like chaff, worthless, blowing in the
wind. They’re seeking something yes, but they are looking in the wrong
direction. The World’s idea of “Fun” is transient, temporary, fading. When the hangover is gone, there is emptiness.
In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis said that “If we find ourselves with
a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation
is that we were made for another world.” Rather than seeking the
blessedness of peace with God and true life, the unsaved believe a lie, following
the world’s ideas about where we can find happiness. God who created the
universe has spoken… but they rejected His Word. Trust God… take Him at His Word.
Sinners may seem to prosper, but unless they repent and believe, they
will perish.
III. God will judge
unbelief (5). Unbelievers may appear to prosper, those who reject God may seem
to live the “good life,” but one day every human will stand before holy God. But
the wicked will not “stand,” they will fall down condemned before Him.
…Therefore the wicked will not stand in
the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous…”
This points to the seriousness of what
is at stake here: God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world
in righteousness. The eternity of human souls is at stake. Only believers
will stand before God, cleansed of sin and counted righteous, worshipping
around His throne, because of Jesus. The theological term is “justification.”
It does not mean we are perfected or practically holy, but we are right before
God, because Jesus took the punishment for our sins, and, by grace through faith, his righteousness
is reckoned to our account. This is what Paul was alluding to when he said,
…For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count
them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having
a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through
faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith… (Philippians
3:8-9).
This is
Paul speaking, the apostle, after maybe 30 years of walking with God! His hope was not in his own righteousness! Likewise,
we can’t be good enough, we can’t earn God’s favor. By birth and by choice we
are sinners, and so we have no chance if we appear before the holy, just, King
of the universe, and have to answer for our rebellion. But God, in Christ, graciously
made a way. The sinless Son came into the world, and was rejected and died a
criminal’s death. He was made a curse for us, so that His righteousness
could be reckoned to our account. That is amazing grace! And it is the only
hope for humans. Trust God… take Him at His Word. Unbelievers may seem to
prosper, but unless they repent and believe, they will perish.
The wicked and those described
as sinners are those who have not trusted God. They scoffed at or
rejected the Gospel of Grace, and so they will bear their own guilt, with no where to hide
before the throne of Holy God, the Judge of the Universe. That should break
our hearts. It should push us out of our comfort zone and move us to
embrace the mission God has given us, to urge people on behalf of Christ to be
reconciled to God. God has included you in His story, He has sovereignly and
strategically placed you where you are, with a group of people that you
interact with on a regular basis… friends, family, neighbors, co-workers… You
are God’s ambassador where you are at. And every person you interact with
is on one of the two ways described in this psalm, either walking with God by
faith, or living in denial and rebellion. Hold forth the Word of Life! Urge
them to trust God… to take Him at His Word. Because unbelievers may seem
to prosper, but unless they repent and believe, they will perish.
IV. Be assured of His plan: God knows us, he has a plan for us, and He will use
his Word to guide us along the path (6).
“…for the LORD knows the way of
the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
There is a contrast in v.
Notice the positive affirmation in that
verse, “The Lord knows the way of the righteous…” We might read that and
think, “Wait a minute, doesn’t God know everything? Doesn’t he ‘know’ the way
of the wicked just as well?” Yes, God is omniscient, He knows
everything, every thought, every action, every decision and motive in the
hearts of humans. But the word “know” in the Bible, “yadah,” has a
breadth of meaning. Adam “knew” his wife, that is not only talking about
meeting her for coffee at Starbucks! It points to intimacy in the marriage
relationship. In Amos 3:2 God says of Israel, “You only have I known
of all the families of the earth…” God knew everything about every
tribe and nation, but He chose Israel to be his own special people. When God is the subject, knowing, choosing, and loving, are closely connected. If we
belong to God, we are justified by the blood of Christ. We are declared righteous,
and we are His. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, said in John 10:27-28,
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and
they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
As sheep know the voice of the
shepherd, believers “hear” His voice. That is not just referring to sound waves
bouncing off our ear drums, To “hear” Him is to recognize the word of God and
respond to it in faith. We “follow” Him, that is, we trust and obey. He not
only shows us the way in his word, He walks with us in the way, he watches us,
he is with us. And he wants us to live victoriously, abundantly, as we trust
him and acknowledge his presence.
What is God saying to me in this passage? Two paths, one way... take it from Balaam's donkey, choose the narrow path, trust God… take Him at His Word. Unbelievers may seem to prosper, but unless they repent and believe, they will perish.
What would he have me do in response to this passage?
We know God doesn’t want us to withdraw from the world. He said that we would
be His witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), He called us to “Go,
and make disciples of every nation…” We can’t do that if we never get
beyond our holy huddle in the church, right? We need to befriend and reach out
to people outside the church (how else can we be salt and light?). But we need to know and be convinced that
God’s Word is true, and get in our hearts. We need to be convinced that His way
is the only way to experience life with meaning – the abundant life he wants us
to have. God’s prescription: be in his word – every day – meditate on it day
and night. Even when trials come you can live abundantly, above the
circumstances. His Word is truth. So,
1. Paul asked the
prideful Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive?” That
leaves no room for boasting! Jesus did it all! Thank
God for His grace, worship Him. The God of the universe knows your name, He
knows everything about you. He has a plan for your life. Does that make your
heart sing?
2. Trust God, no matter what seems to be
happening. Since I just finished a series in Philippians I have many of
those verses on my mind. Paul was a prisoner, his life in the balance, and yet
he could say, “To live is Christ, to die is gain!” In other words, what is the worst that Caesar
could do to him? Only what God allows, and he knew that his eternity is secure
in Jesus.
3. Embrace the mission, eternity is at
stake… Like the man Jesus healed by
the lake, go to your own people and tell them what God has done for you! AMEN.
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