Two Paths, One Way - Psalm 1

 

Two Paths, One Way

Psalm 1

Introduction: We are delighted to (finally!) be here, and we look forward to serving the Lord together. The Deacons have stayed in touch with us, and the trustees have helped us navigate moving down to the area… we are grateful for your help at every step of the way. Though we are not fully unpacked yet (as a look into the office will reveal) we are getting settled in. We’re thankful for the warm welcome. These are unusual times!

       We live as pilgrims in a fallen world, so we shouldn’t be surprised that the consequences of the Fall are so evident around us. The pandemic is something we could not have anticipated, but it did not catch God by surprise! The recent social disruptions in our country, and in our city, reveal some deep-seated issues that we can’t ignore. The root problem at every level is sin. If the problem is sin, the only answer is Jesus. He is the answer that the world desperately needs. Social evils will not be changed by politics or lawlessness. As Sidlow Baxter said, “Social evils are soonest changed by transformed lives.” And so, we are to preach the Gospel, and we urge people on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. With all that is happening around us, the struggle in my own mind and heart has driven me to the song book of Israel, the Book of Psalms. For the next couple of weeks, we’ll look at the introduction to the book of Psalms, Pss 1 and 2. My tendency for many years was to look at each of the psalms as an isolated unit, but I think there is something to the idea that in the song book of Israel, we have not only a collection of canonical psalms, but also a canonical collection of psalms. In other words, the final shape of the Psalter is a clue to us as to how the psalms should be read. These Psalms give us a foundation from which we can cry out the one true God, the God who is, and come to Him on His terms.

       Because we live in a fallen world, the effects of sin are all around us, so we are not surprised by trials and tribulation (I Pet 4:12). The Psalms as a collection address the question of how we can live as God’s people in a world infected by sin. The lament psalms teach us to be transparent and honest with God, their petitions teach us about praying without ceasing, and crying out to God for help in times of crisis. The hymns tell us how to worship the God who is, the one true God. Psalm 1, and with it Psalm 2, form an introduction to the psalms and orient us toward living and serving God in the midst of hardship. The basic questions asked by these two psalms are these: 1) Is the Bible your authority? And 2) Is Jesus your Lord? Answer those questions rightly, and we are on the path to experiencing peace and joy, true blessedness, that goes beyond circumstances.  The world, the flesh, and the Devil are there, ready to offer us their elixirs, their false promises of a shortcut to happiness that coincidentally manages to avoid God. The Way of the World may promise happiness – the people look like they are having fun – but buyer beware – the side effects are real, and they are deadly. Their end is destruction. God has made a way, the only way to true, abiding happiness, to life with meaning. He calls it “blessedness.” It has to do with living the abundant life of blessing that God intends for us.  In John 10:10 Jesus said “I have come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly!”

What’s the Big Idea? The World may be in chaos, but God has given us in his Word what we need to live successfully, abundantly, despite the circumstances around us, while we carry out the His mission. There are a lot of tempting ideas about where we can find happiness, but God’s Word is our guide to blessedness, the abundant life for which we were created.

I. BEWARE of Deception: There are other, fallible sources of guidance that at best are unreliable, at worst will lead us in a downward spiral toward destruction (Psalm 1:1).

“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…” 

       First, the Psalmist starts with a series of negative statements, he tells us where “blessedness,” true happiness, life with meaning won’t be found: The blessed person, “…does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers…”  “Blessed” is a term we hear a lot in the church, but what does it mean? A few other uses of the word in the Psalms bring some light. In Psalms it appears first here, at the opening of the book, and then again in the last verse of Psalm 2. These two psalms together form an introduction to the collection. The repetition of “blessed” in the introduction to the Psalms hints at where and how humans can experience real happiness, the “good life” – the abundant life of blessing for which we were created. Psalm 1 tells us that God has spoken, He has given His Word to guide us as we carry out His mission in this fallen world. Then, in Psalm 2, after describing the resistance to the LORD and His Anointed, and affirming the sovereignty of the Son, the psalmist says in Ps 2:12, “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” By the way, I think John is alluding to Psalm 2 at the end of chapter three when he says in John 3:35-36, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.  ³⁶ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” So…

The way to God’s blessing? Psalm 1 asks, is the Bible your authority; Psalm 2, is Jesus your Lord? Settle those questions and you are on the path to blessedness. Do you remember how David starts Psalm 32? He says in 32:1,2…

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  ² Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

       Jesus made that forgiveness possible, taking our sins on the Cross. We can be blessed, because He took the curse for us! Psalm 1 begins with three parallel phrases to warn us where we shouldn’t look to find true happiness. There is also a downward progression in the parallelism that shows a growing sense of identification: walk, stand, sit.  It pictures a path of getting more comfortable, more completely identified with the world. I John 2:15 is a clear warning: “Do not love the world…” That means we keep our eyes on what is good, what is TRUE. As one paraphrase translates Paul: “Don’t let the world force you into it’s mold!” (Rom 12:2). This progressive conformity to the world is illustrated in the biblical story of Lot.  Lot was Abraham’s nephew and had traveled with him when God called Abram to leave Haran for the land which he would show him (Gen 12:5). How did that go? Let’s read from Gen 13:1-13…

So, Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.  ² Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold...  ⁵ And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,  ⁶ so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together,  ⁷ and there was strife… “Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left."  ¹⁰ And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt…  ¹¹ So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated...  ¹² Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.  ¹³ Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.

       Success brought problems – They were too prosperous to continue sharing the same land together. What do we do Uncle Abe?  Abraham was willing to let Lot choose, trusting that God would provide for him in whatever area was left. He trusted God. Lot’s response was purely selfish and sensual (v.10)– the plains were beautiful and enticing, like the Garden of the Lord. I’LL GO THAT WAY! And he went, they separated from each other. Almost as a side note, the writer gives us a hint of trouble: he pitched his tents toward Sodom. (13:12). It was just a small step away, right? What harm could there be? We get a hint in Gen 13:13, “…the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD…” Genesis shows that things got worse! (14:8-12). By now, Lot was living in Sodom, and he was caught up in their fight. Uncle Abe had to rescue him when he and his family were taken captive. And then, in 19:1, when the angels came to destroy Sodom, Lot was there in the gate of the city, implying he was considered one of their “elders” or leaders.  He even calls them his “brothers.”

       There is an Arab proverb that says, “Don’t let the camel’s nose in the tent!” Why? His body will soon follow! Ps 1:1 hints at the danger with the progression of verbs that are used: The blessed man does not… walk not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers… Notice the verbs, walk… stand… sit… the implication is more closely aligning oneself, identifying with, the world view, the advice, and the lifestyle of those who are living in rebellion against God! John Piper sees here “a movement toward deeper, stronger, more settled evil.” That is where we once were, by nature children of wrath (see Eph 2:1-3; 1 Pet 2:24). Jesus came to make a way for fallen humans to be justified before God! He took our sin on the cross. When we trust Him, His righteousness is reckoned to our account, by grace through faith in Christ. If you have Jesus, you have enough. Believe Him, trust Him. God’s Word is truth, it is our guidebook to the abundant life for which we were created.

II. Be Filled with the Word: Since God’s Word is truth, the source of life and blessing, we should be in it, constantly filling ourselves with it and meditating on it. “Law” does not only refer to the commandments of God, Torah is His “teaching,” that is, His revelation to us. The blessed man does not seek the counsel of the world…

…but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night (2). 

       After giving the negative, ruling out where we won’t find true happiness, God’s prescription for the abundant life, the Psalmist gives us the positive affirmation: “…but his delight is in the Law of the Lord…” Law is the word torah which means not just “rules,” but God’s instruction. His revelation, His Word to us. Notice the movement from verse on to verse 2, from activities of the body, walking, standing, sitting, to the contrast, “delight.” Not just receiving God’s instruction and walking in it, but delighting in the word of God. What is it that really fills your heart with excitement and joy? Remember the words of John, “Love not the world…” The things that thrill us most in life may do so only because they are giving us a small glimpse of what God has for us. God has spoken! To know God and understand His will for our lives, that is joy!

       Paul wrote in Col 3:16, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” This is what the psalmist means when he says to “meditate” on the law. It has the idea of murmuring to our self, to reflecting on it, pondering its meaning and application, saying it over and over again. Remember that until relatively modern times, people didn’t have their own copy of the Bible! They had to hear it read, memorize it, and so get it in their head and heart.

       In taking a prescription we need to follow the doctor’s directions. So too, “…in His Law he meditates day and night…” We need a regular, constant, repeated filling with God’s Word. Similar language is used by the prophet in Jeremiah 17:7-8…

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."

Instead of “delighting” in God’s instruction and “meditating” on it, Jeremiah summarizes it as “trusting” in the Lord. What is faith, but believing God, taking Him at His word? God Himself is telling us, stay in the Word! It is in the Word that our knowledge of God grows and our trust deepens. It’s easy to make excuses. One might say “It’s no use, no matter how much I read I always forget what I just read”.  It’s been said, “when you pour water over a sieve you won’t collect much, but at least you wind up with a clean sieve!”  Read the Bible, listen to the teaching of the Word… Like breathing air and eating food it will strengthen you, and you will begin to remember some of it, and God will bring that to mind when you need it. Jesus quoted Scripture when He was tempted: Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Paul said faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path!

      The great English Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, said “A Bible which is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t!” Was it he who also said, “The key to victory, to abundant living, is ‘It is written’”? The God who is, the One true God, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, Father, Son, and Spirit, has spoken. We have His Word written. Do we believe it? Will we receive it? Someone said to a friend, “I wish God would just speak to me.” The friend replied, “Read the Bible.” The first person said, “I know, I know, but I wish He would speak to me out loud.” The friend answered, “Read the Bible out loud!” You get the point. This really is God’s Word, His teaching, His revelation to us. Faith is believing God, taking Him at His word. The God who is has spoken. There are really only two path people take, but only one is the way to find  happiness. God’s Word is our map to the abundant life that God wants for us.

III. Humans are on one path or the other: Either experiencing True Life as God works in them, or going their own way, walking in rebellion, rejecting His grace! Walk with God, take Him at His Word, and He will enable you to live beyond circumstances (1:3).

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.  ⁴ The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.  ⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; ⁶ for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

       The psalmist describes two paths, every human is on one or the other. Only one is the way of life. Two paths, one way. We’ll focus today just on v.3, and the Way to Life. I just finished preaching a series on Philippians up in Maine. One of the most well known verses from that book is Phil 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me…” It is also one of the most abused verses! What “things” is he talking about in the context? Having contentment in Christ that goes beyond circumstances. In abundance or in need, if we have Jesus, we have enough. Paul says he “learned” that truth, and now as a prisoner, he was able to remind the Philippians they could trust God. The Psalmist seems to have that perspective.

       For God’s people the Jews in the OT, a life of security and blessing in the Land was promised if they believed God, taking Him at His word, trusting Him and obeying Him. Disobedience would bring consequences, obedience would bring blessing, including life giving rain, abundant crops, freedom from enemies.  Don’t miss the importance of water in the imagery of the Bible.  When God gave Israel the promise of life of blessing in the Land, their obedience to God’s Word was required, and when they obeyed, one of the blessings God promised was that the rain would come at the right time, their “kneading bowl” would be full.  The righteous man, who delights in God’s word, and meditates on it day and night, “…will be like a tree planted by streams of water.” The language reflects the idea of a tree that was uprooted and “transplanted” near a source of fresh, life-giving water. The roots run deep, so even if drought comes…

        “…he brings forth fruit in its season, his root does not wither…”  Because he is firmly rooted, he is consistent, constant, he has a steadiness that goes beyond the moment, beyond the noise and distractions around him.   Contrast the parable of the soils… remember in Mt 13:5,6, the seed that fell on rocky ground had no root and withered. But those who are in Christ have roots that run deep, no matter what is happening around us. We will have tribulation, but adversity doesn’t overcome us. So “…in all that he does he will prosper…” As Paul says in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things?” 

What is God saying to me in this passage? We’re grateful that God has opened the door for us to serve with you here at Lawndale. These are unusual times. I have no great ideas of my own to bring to the table. But we serve a great God. His Word is truth. As we study the Bible together, and hear the Word of the Lord, and take God at His Word, our trust in Him will continue to grow, we’ll know Him better and love Him more. God’s Word is our guidebook to the abundant life that God wants for us.

What would he have me do in response to this passage? This psalm set forth two contrasting paths. Obviously, God doesn’t want us to withdraw from the world. 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 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. No matter what happens on Tuesday His Word is truth. We can live abundantly, above the circumstances. We know the King, and we can trust Him. If you have Jesus, you are going to be ok. Let’s take Him at His Word. He came to give us life, abundant life, if we’ll trust Him. Trust and obey, that is the way to be happy in Jesus, trust and obey.    AMEN.