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PSALM
1
(A
verse-by-verse commentary)
SOME TIME AGO WE STUDIED TOGETHER EVERY VERSE IN THE FIRST
PSALM!
I
HAVE GATHERED THESE LESSONS ON THIS PAGE SO YOU CAN USE THEM
MORE EASILY.
SOME PREACHER OR TEACHER OR BIBLE STUDENT WILL WANT TO DO
SOME RESEARCH HERE.
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A Preacher in his Study
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PSALM ONE, VERSE ONE:
Today we begin a new Bible Study series.
This one will only last for six columns. It is a view of
precious old Psalm 1. We shall begin (of course) with verse
number one:
"Blessed
is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor
standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the
scornful."
Our first interest might be in that word
"blessed." It’s the Hebrew ‘esher’ and is used 45 times in the
Old Testament. Of those times, it is translated "blessed" 27
times and "happy" 18 times. It is from a Hebrew root word that
means "to be straight or level!" Then ... in the ancient Jewish
mind ... to be straight (right) was to be blessed and happy!
(What a thought!) It’s first use in the Hebrew Bible is in
Deuteronomy 33:29 where we are told "Happy art thou, O
Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by
the LORD..." Why were they happy? Because they were "saved by
the Lord!" (That’s the reason we all should be happy!) Remember
Jesus’ words about rejoicing not because the devils are subject
to you ... but because your names are written down in Heaven!
Even the verb "walketh" has significance!
Remember, we believe in literal word-for-word inspiration! It’s
Hebrew "halak" and means "to go or to come or to walk." It
obviously implies a trip! We are pilgrims on a journey Peter
says! The action of this verb is Qal stem (simple active)
perfect action (that means completed action)! He is not talking
about habitually walking in ungodliness ... but not even
occasionally doing so! (That’s the sense of this verb.)
"Counsel" means "advice" or "plan!" It comes
from a verb which means "to deliberate." Why would a godly man
want to heed the advice of the wicked? Especially when we have
the Word of God! Psalm 119:124 uses this same word and says:
"Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors!"
The "ungodly" are "rasha" (Hebrew). The word
has the idea of being wrong. But the "root" idea is to "disturb"
or to "violate." It is a vicious word! It is sin in an
aggressive form. It is sin that spreads and gets worse and
worse! These ungodly ones are not passive meek sinners ... but
real reprobates! (Hollywood activist types!) STAY AWAY FROM
THEIR COUNSEL! DO NOT TAKE THEIR ADVICE!
"Standeth" is the regular verb "to stand."
It’s time sense is that of "perfect" action meaning the movement
is completed. Again, this is NOT an ongoing standing with
sinners ... but even a one time thing! To claim the blessing of
Psalm 1, the Believer MUST be very strict in his manner of life!
There is no playing around here!
"Way" is the Hebrew noun "derek." It’s the
standard word for path, way or even road! I think it implies a
pathway ... habitual action! Sinners often do the same things
again and again! Wickedness is habit forming! (And it gets
boring in its same form and degree! One has to add more and more
sin in quantity and depth to stay thrilled with it! The
"pleasures" of sin are real ... but they exact a great price!)
"Sinners" is the Hebrew noun "chata." It
carries the meaning "to miss" or "to miss the mark!" This is one
of the very unusual cases where a Hebrew noun (for sin) has the
same word picture as does a Greek noun (for sin) hamartia! Thus
the Old Testament and the New Testament words for sin carry the
same basic idea! Sin is missing God’s goal for us all! ("Coming
short of the glory of God!) Stay out of the paths of sinners!
God has given us a better way in which to walk!
"Sitteth" again is Hebrew for "sit down,
dwell, or remain." It also is Qal (simple active voice) perfect
(sense of timing). He is not talking about repeated sitting but
even occasionally sitting with the scornful! STAY AWAY FROM
THEM!
The noun "seat" is also from the same root
stem word as the verb "sitteth" that we’ve just discussed.
A key word to this verse is "scornful!" What
does that mean? The verb means "to make mouths at!" To scoff! To
boast, talk arrogantly! If you want help with the traits of a
scorner, consult the book of Proverbs! It’s loaded with
information! (Proverbs 1:22 and 3:34 and 9:7 and 8! Proverbs
13:1 and 14:6 and 15:12 and 19:25, 29 and 21:11 and 24. Proverbs
22:10 and 24:9. And I still have not listed them all!) Here is
the man who mocks sin! He is a smart aleck!
Would you notice that the degrees of
participation with the sinful are advancing throughout this
verse? First is walking! Then comes standing. Finally there’s
sitting! Things got worse as one associated with sin!
Also observe that the crowd mentioned also
got worse! First the ungodly! That’s bad enough, but the sinners
are worse! (Check the definitions!) And, as one might expect,
the last group (scorners) are the worst. They not only sin ...
they laugh about it! The groups appear to me to be less and less
caring about their wrongdoing as they slide down the scale to
hell!
BE CAREFUL WITH WHOM YOU ASSOCIATE! SCRIPTURE
WARNS US AGAIN AND AGAIN TO STAY AWAY FROM THAT WHICH IS WICKED!
The Lord gave me these 3 words as I just
walked to the mailbox. I see in this verse three things. I see
the SLIDE of a follower of Christ. First he walks where
he shouldn’t! The he stands! Then he sits!
Next I see SIN as it works on its followers!
First they are active in sin and know it (word meaning behind
ungodly)! Next they are missing God’s mark but are not as
sensitive about it (word picture of "sinners"). Lastly they
couldn’t care less! Sin is a joke. They mock it (scorners)! Sin
does progress downward!
Lastly I see SAINTS in their desire to obey
the Lord! The "behavior" of the believers is seen! The action of
the verbs (don’t walk, stand or sit) indicates nothing regular
or habitual ... but only occasional (maybe rarely) associating
with sin! Then the "blessing" of the believers is seen! God
gives them true happiness because of their obedience!
I don’t know for sure what "nuggets" you may
fine in today’s verse, but I do believe the Holy Spirit will
show you something edifying for your spiritual growth!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
PSALM ONE, VERSE
TWO:
I believe that the second verse of Psalm 1 is
one of the most powerful verses in the entire Old Testament. It
is "life changing" in scope! Obey it ... and things will NEVER
be the same again in your life!
Psalm 1, verse 2
"But his delight is in the law of the
LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."
It is a continuing description of the godly man of verse 1.
What empowers that Believer to abstain from the counsel
of the ungodly or the way of sinners or the seat of the
scornful? The answer is right in front of us today! The LAW of
the Lord, the WORD of God, the SCRIPTURES of truth ... this is
our strength!
What does it mean to "delight" in the Bible?
The word in Hebrew ("chephets") means pleasure, longing, desire!
This particular word is used 39 times in the Old Testament
Scriptures and is translated "pleasure" 16 times and "desire" 12
times and "delight" 3 times and once each for "acceptable,
delightsome, pleasant, and willingly!" It sounds like this godly
man of Psalm 1 surely does enjoy the Word of God! Strong’s
concordance says that the root idea behind our word "delight"
means "to incline to!" (To bend toward!) I do believe that I
have met some precious preachers who are inclined (bent toward)
Holy Scripture! In Genesis 34:19 our word is used for the
"delight" a young man had for a certain pretty young lady! In
Numbers 14:8 it is used for God’s feeling of "delight" He has
for His chosen people, Israel (the apple of His eye)! Another
example of someone who "delights" in the Word of God is the
Psalmist in Psalm 119:35!
Even the word "law" is interesting! It is in
Hebrew "torah!" It has come into English as a transliterated
noun, the TORAH is the Jewish law! It means a precept or a
statute or (obviously) a law! It is technically used of the five
books of Moses, Genesis through Deuteronomy. (Called the
Pentateuch, pronounced pen’ - te - tuke ... and meaning five
books) BUT here’s the thrilling thing. Its root meaning (from a
key verb) means "to flow as water." In a slightly different form
it means "to throw, to shoot, to point out (as with a finger),
hence to teach!" That the word "law" means to flow is amazing!
One of the key Old Testament words for preaching (prophesying)
also means "to drop" as the dew or rain or "to flow." God says
in Deuteronomy 32:2 these words: "My
Doctrine shall DROP AS THE RAIN, My Speech shall distil as the
dew!" Preaching is just letting the Holy Spirit speak
through you ... with the precious Word of God flowing all over
the place! (Glory!) Another way of looking at the Word of God
(Law) is that it is to be hurled, thrown, shot in the direction
of God’s hungry people who need it desperately! Preacher friend,
enter your pulpit Sunday "loaded" with Biblical ammunition ready
to feed your folks the Bread (Milk, Meat, Honey) of the Word of
God!
The last key word in our verse is "meditate."
It is a Hebrew verb spelled "hagah." It’s used 25 times in the
Old Testament and is translated "meditate: 6 times, "mourn" 4
times, "speak" 4 times, "imagine" 2 times, "study" 2 times,
"mutter" 2 times, "utter" 2 times, "roaring" 1 time, "talk" 1
time, and once miscellaneously. With such a wide range of
translated terms (called a semantic field), what does the word
mean? Strong’s concordance says "to murmur!" Then it adds "to
ponder!" Vine’s dictionary says it means "to moan, growl or
utter (speak)!" The Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon says it
is an onomatopoeic word. (It sounds like what it means!) One
goes around all day muttering something to himself! Ha-gah! Ha-gah!
Ha-gah! (In English that’s mumble! mumble! mumble!) But ... what
is that word that rolls forth from one’s mouth (lowly but
audible) day and night? WHY, DON’T YOU SEE IT? IT IS SCRIPTURE
THAT THE GODLY MAN HAS INTERNALIZED AND HE IS THINKING ABOUT IT
ALL THE TIME AND IT FLOWS OUT HIS MOUTH CONSTANTLY! IT IS AS IF
HE’S TALKING TO HIMSELF ... BUT ALL THAT COMES OUT IS THE WORD
OF GOD! BITS AND PIECES OF BIBLE VERSES ARE UTTERED BY HIM DAY
IN AND DAY OUT!!! Therefore the little Hebrew verb to mutter has
come to mean concentrating on and meditating in the Bible! (And
letting it ooze ... or should I properly say "drop" ... out of
your mouth as the day and night go by!)
Lastly are the time indicators for this
action. "Day and night" our text says! That "string" of words
(day and night) occurs in the Bible 28 times! It is a favorite
term of Scripture and means constantly!
Well, there you have it!
I pray herein you have found some "nuggets"
of truth from a single verse of Holy Writ! (I know I surely
did!)
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
PSALM ONE, VERSE
THREE:
Glance with me today at the third verse of
Psalm 1. You will find it is "nugget-filled!"
Psalm 1, verse 3
"And he shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in
his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he
doeth shall prosper."
What a great verse!
The very definition behind the Hebrew noun
"tree" is amazing. It means "to fasten" or to be firm! (Likely
because the tree has deep roots and holds well even during the
storm!) As you know it is not unusual for Scripture to compare
God’s people to trees! The word "tree" (singular) alone occurs
201 times in the King James Bible. Add the plural and you get
another 157 times! Psalm 92 compares the righteous to a palm
tree! Psalm 52 says the godly man is like a green olive tree!
Yet in Psalm 37 the wicked is like a green bay tree! Israel is
God’s fig tree! Jeremiah preached on the almond tree! Wickedness
in the Old Testament was committed under the groves of the
trees! Again, Jeremiah (chapter 17) compares God’s man to a tree
by the waters! Even Jesus preached about the tree (by their
fruits ye shall know them)!
But our tree in Psalm 1 is a "special" tree!
It has been carefully "planted." Technically the verb means
"transplanted!" The Lord found us in a dry and barren land! He
rescued us and took us to the rivers of His blessing and
TRANSPLANTED us there! (Glory!) The Hebrew verb is a Qal stem
... meaning that it is simply active voice! God did the work!
All I did was go along for the ride! (It is called grace!)
Here’s something unusual: our text is the first time this verb
is used in the Old Testament! (Usually Psalms is a mighty late
place for "first mentions" to be found! God saved this verb for
a special place! A special verb for a special tree! Makes me
feel a little special today!) The next use of our verb (only 10
times in the whole Old Testament) is found in Psalm 92:13 where
we find "those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall
flourish in the courts of our God!) Flourish is to bud, blossom
or break out! (Sounds like real revival!)
(I just noticed that the term "rivers of
water" is only used 4 times in the Bible! For the preachers who
love to preach topical messages, here are the references: Psalm
1:3, Proverbs 21:1, Isaiah 32:2 and Lamentations 3:48. The
Psalms passage shows us RIVERS OF GOODNESS! In Proverbs we have
RIVERS OF GUIDANCE! In Isaiah we see RIVERS OF GRACE! And in
Lamentations we have RIVERS OF GRIEF! Christian friend, God will
plant (transplant) you by some rivers in your Christian life! He
just might have you by all 4 of these rivers before you get home
to heaven!)
"Bringeth forth" is a key Hebrew verb (nathan
... Yes! It’s the name NATHAN!) which means "to give!" God was
so good to me ... transplanting me and all, I want to give Him
something in return. (Not as a payment but because I love Him!)
What can I give Him? The answer is right here! FRUIT! He loves
FRUIT! Give Him FRUIT, MORE FRUIT, MUCH FRUIT (John 15)! And you
had better hurry with that fruit business. You’re going to have
to do it in season! You won’t be on this earth forever, you
know! (Work for the night is coming!) The word "season" is
Hebrew "eth" and means time! It’s even translated time 257 times
in the King James Old Testament!
Now quickly to the "leaf." The word is only
found 30 times in the Bible (both singular and plural)! Leaves
have been used for clothing (Gen 3:7 where the term is first
mentioned). Also both in Revelation 22:2 and Ezekiel 47:12 we
read that in New Jerusalem "leaves" will have healing properties
(like medicine)! Most Bible references that I’ve noted speak of
leaves that fade! (Isaiah 1:30, Isaiah 34:4, Isaiah 64:6, and
Jeremiah 8:13) But, here, the godly man is like a tree whose
leaves do not fade! See Jeremiah 17:8 for a word picture that is
parallel to Psalm 1:3. The verb "wither" means "to wilt, fall
away, or faint." It’s a Qal imperfect, meaning that the action
is incomplete. It just goes on and on not fading!
Now, what is the value of a leaf? On a tree
(according to a science book I consulted) the leaves are where
photosynthesis occurs! That’s the process by which the tree
takes pure sunlight and water and carbon dioxide and transforms
them into oxygen and energy rich sugars! The leaves help feed
the trees! They provide for them sugar ... strength! They also
(taking in carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen) clean the world
around them! Scientists today say that if we could learn to take
sunlight and change it into energy as efficiently as a leaf can
... our energy problems would be over! So, there you have it!
Leaves for the tree give it strength! They purify things around
them too! If a Christian in like manner has leaves that do not
wither ... he will be STRONG and he will CLEAN his surroundings!
That science book I read called leaves "the tree’s umbilical
cord to the sun!" (The sun is a type of Christ, you know.) I do
hope my "leaves" (spiritually) are in good shape!
One more promise to consider. Whatsoever he
does will "prosper!" It’s Hebrew ("tzslach") and means "to push
forward, or to break out." It’s a Hiphil imperfect verb, meaning
that the action is active voice and "causative." There is a
reason for this prosperity! It is the meditating in the precious
Word of God! (Imperfect means that he just continues constantly
prospering!) Glory! In this very form, our verb is only found 3
times in Scripture. Nehemiah said that the God of Heaven would
PROSPER him (and God did)! See Nehemiah 2:20. And Proverbs 28:13
tells us that those who cover their sins will not PROSPER! (That
indirectly proves that meditating in the Word of God will keep
you from sin!)
I do believe that when all put together ...
this may just be one of the most powerful verses in all the
Bible! I want to claim these promises and obey these
instructions! How about you?
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
PSALM ONE, VERSE FOUR:
Today we shall go to the fourth verse of
Psalm 1. It describes the ungodly man. See if you can find a
"nugget" of truth in its declarations.
Psalm 1, verse 4
"The ungodly are not so: but are like the
chaff which the wind driveth away."
The word "ungodly" is the same that's used
back in verse 1. It's from the Hebrew root "Ra" and means to
disturb or to violate (an active, aggressive malignant type of
sin)! The wicked of this Psalm are categorically different from
the godly! Whatever the good man is ... the bad man is NOT SO!
(Yet this is only the first stage of the wicked downward slide
of sin!) The groups go: ungodly ... then sinners ... and
(finally) the scorners!
These are like the "chaff." Hebrew ("motzs")
comes from a root verb meaning "to press." (likely because of
the thrashing and winnowing process) The word is only used 8
times in the whole Old Testament. Each times it is translated
uniformly as "chaff." In every case the chaff is temporary
material and in every case but one ... it is driven away by the
wind! See what I mean: Job 21:18, Psalm 35:3, Isaiah 17:13,
Isaiah 29:5, Isaiah 41:15, Hosea 13:3 and Zephaniah 2:2! (Plus
our text.) Synonyms would include words like "straw," also used
in the King James Version.
Here are some definitions for "chaff:"
The fine, dry material, such as husks (seed
coverings) and other debris, which is separated from the seed in
the process of threshing grain. In the Bible, chaff symbolizes
worthless, evil, or wicked persons (or things) that are about to
be destroyed. It is a fitting figure of speech to describe
complete destruction by judgment. "The ungodly," said the
psalmist, "are like the chaff which the wind drives away. (from
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
Most generally "chaff" is the rendering of
the Heb. mos, the refuse of winnowed grain, consisting of husks
and broken straw. In the East it was the custom to burn chaff,
in case, with the changing wind, it might be blown again among
the grain. Figurative. From its being the lighter and,
comparatively speaking, worthless portion of the grain, chaff is
used in Scripture as an emblem of that which is of evildoers,
who must come to naught. (from New Unger's Bible Dictionary)
Some things I've learned about chaff...
1. It is at first attached to the real wheat!
2. It was separated from the true wheat by tribulation and
hardship!
3. The same wind that blew "in" the mulberry trees ... blew
"away" the chaff!
4. Chaff now is being baled and sold for cattle fodder!
5. The sad thing is that chaff (the fine print declares) will
not support life by itself!
6. Usually chaff is gathered and burned!
The word "wind" is "ruach" and is translated
spirit 232 times in the KJV! (wind 92 times! breath 27 times!)
Used a total of 378 times in Old Testament. The same wind that
brings in the quails (Num 11:31) also blows out the chaff! In
Exodus 10:13 the east wind blew in the locusts. In Exodus 10:10
the west wind blew them away! In Exodus 14:21 before the Red Sea
divided (salvation) the east wind blew all night (Holy Ghost
conviction)! The Lord rides upon the wings of the wind! (2 Sam
22:11 and Ps 18:10) In John 3:8 Jesus compares the Spirit to the
wind! (pneuma) The wind is a type of the Holy Spirit. F. E.
Marsh, in his classic book "EMBLEMS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT," says
these things:
Wind suggests the ACTIVE operations of the
Holy Spirit! He is the BEGETTER of new life! He's the SUSTAINER
of that life once it is begun. He's the PURIFIER of the heart!
He's the OPPONENT of the flesh! He's the SANCTIFIER of the
believer! He is the WORKER in Christian service! He's the LEADER
in worship! He's the PRODUCER of fruit (love, joy, etc.)! Active
He is indeed!
Dr. F. E. Marsh further lists some traits of
the wind that are parallel to those of the Spirit:
* It is invisible in its essence! You can't
see it ... but it's there! (The results are seen!)
* It is regular in its operations! (Trade
Winds, etc.) The Holy Spirit operates by God's rules!
* It is mysterious in its actions!
(tornadoes and wind shears are yet unexplained in full) So can
we never completely explain the work of the Spirit! (Jesus says
it goes where it wills!)
* It is powerful in its movements! (Enough
said!)
* It is cleansing in its service! (Wind
blows away air pollution!)
* It can be withering in its work!
* It is varied in its direction! (The Bible
distinguishes between east, west , north and south winds. Each
represents something. Someone remind me to write about this
sometime!)
The only other time that "string" driveth
away is used in Scripture is found in Proverbs 25:23 where
it says: "The north wind driveth away rain; so doth an angry
countenance a backbiting tongue!" In both cases (Psalm 1:4 and
Proverbs 25:23) what's driven away is wicked! God attracts and
repels! Bless His dear Name!
Thank God today, dear believing friend, that
you have been saved by His Grace! You are no longer ungodly ...
but justified in His sight!
---
Dr. Mike Bagwell
PSALM ONE, VERSE
FIVE:
In our journey through Psalm 1 we have come
to the next-to-the-last verse.
"Therefore the ungodly shall not
stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the
righteous." pSALM 1:5
God here seems to be drawing a conclusion.
"Therefore" is an adverb meaning "hence." Notice His statement
here deals primarily with the wicked.
"Ungodly" is the same word we've had twice
before. "Rasha" means active, working, malignant sin! It is not
passive and quiet! (Really that's the way all sin is!) Paul says
that evil men and seducers will "wax worse and worse." Wax means
to become or to vigorously attain! (2 Timothy 3:13)
"Stand, the verb, means to arise, to stand,
or even to be established! At Judgment the wicked will be told
to "depart!" (They won't stand around!) It is Qal perfect
because (active voice) no one will be there with them. They must
do any standing they can all alone and under their own pitiful
effort! The perfect sense means that it won't take long for the
ungodly to be judged! It is not an ongoing affair! (If the Lord
can get the church out of here at the rapture in a "moment" how
long do you think it will take him to judge the wicked?)
The word "judgment" literally means "a
verdict!" What's in view here is not the whole of the trial ...
just the result! GUILTY! (What a day that will be! Both for the
godly and the ungodly!)
"Sinners" again is the word "chatta."
Remember it means "to miss the mark!" They KNOW what they've
done wrong! It has been deliberate! (God takes a very serious
view of premeditated sin!)
"Congregation" is Hebrew "edah." It means
"congregation" (124 times in KJV), or "company" (13 times), or
"assembly" (13 times) or "swarm" (1 time) or "multitude" (1
time) or "people" (1 time). It is used a total of 149 times in
the Old Testament. It may come from a root verb that means "to
testify!" If one is saved, he or she will seek an "assembly" or
congregation of believers where fellowship and instruction may
be enjoyed! The Lord is not teaching that here. It is just
stated as fact!
"Righteous" means (tzsddiyq) to be right or
to be straight. Straight in the sense of not being crooked or
bent out of the shape God originally intended! (Not perverted.)
I imagine that through all eternity the
wicked (as they burn in hell) will wish they had an opportunity
one more time to respond to the good grace of God! Or is that
just wishful thinking on my part? They just might remain
unrepentant and hate God and curse Him forever!
Meanwhile, in heaven, the righteous (via
Calvary) will remain in their congregation around the Lamb of
God as the ages roll on and on and on!
By the way, only two verses in the whole
Psalm group the wicked together. (Verses 1 and 5 do this.) And
here is my point: neither verse mentions God! It just looks
like God WILL NOT be mentioned in either of these two places
where iniquity abounds! (He is practicing what He preached in
verse 1, isn't He? He just won't associate with that pack of
sinners! Rather, He WILL judge them!)
I got my "Bible Nugget" today! How about
you?
---
Dr. Mike Bagwell
PSALM ONE,
VERSE SIX:
Psalm 1 has only six verses. That last verse
is unique!
"For the LORD knoweth the way of the
righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish."
This last verse in our Psalm brings the two
"ways" together into one sentence. It forms an amazing
conclusion!
But what else would one expect? We are
dealing with the inspired Word of God!
The verb "knoweth" is Hebrew ""yada." It
means "to perceive or to distinguish. "It often carries the idea
of knowing intimately. (Of course, there is nothing that the
Lord doesn't know!) It is a Qal participle. This indicates that
the voice is active! God does the knowing all by Himself! No one
helps Him to know anything! He is the Self Sustaining Power of
the universe! As a participle ... this knowledge of God is
ongoing ... eternally! (He will never not know anything! He can
never "forget" anything either! Even with our past sins, He does
not say that He will forget them! He says that He will remember
them no more! There is a difference! (Jeremiah 31:34 and Hebrews
8:12 and Hebrews 10:17)
The noun "way" is the Hebrew word "derek." It
means usually a road! It is a way ... but a much traveled way! A
path that became a highway! Both the lives of the godly and the
ungodly involve repetition. So much repetition that they form
paths ... ways ... roads! (There is a highway of holiness!
Isaiah 35:8)
Remember that righteous "tzsaddiyq" means
straight ... as opposed to crooked! It means doing things God's
way!
"Ungodly" repeats the Hebrew noun "rasha,"
meaning actively aggressively sinful! This is sin that is
fermenting and boiling over in wickedness!
"Shall perish" as a verb is Hebrew "abad."
The root of this verb means "to go astray or to wander away!"
Don't you see it? It is a word picture of BEING LOST! The
unusual thing about the verb action here is that it is in the
Qal stem, meaning that the ungodly man perishes by his own
doing. He is the actor in the scene! (In one sense the sinner
sends himself to hell!) The verb also is imperfect ...
incomplete action. Their perishing continues until they finally
die and slip out into the fires of hell itself (where eternal
torment begins)!
Notice that in this verse both the
"beginning" of the righteous man ... and the "ending" of the
ungodly man are co-joined! EACH epoch determines the eternal
destiny of their respective souls!
Also see that of the three personages
observed in this last verse ... at the end only ONE is left in a
supreme position! And that One is the LORD! Even the righteous
are inferior in "knowledge!" And the ungodly are certainly
inferior in issue (their end)!
What a verse! What a Psalm!
Glory to (Who Else?) GOD THE LORD ALMIGHTY!!!
Today's meditation is shorter, but one should
still be able to find a "nugget" in there somewhere!
---
Dr. Mike Bagwell
PSALM ONE,
SUMMARY:
Today we take a last look at Psalm 1. This
should give us an "overview" to help put its six verses in
perspective.
1 Blessed is the man
that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in
the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth
he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in
his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he
doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the
chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly
shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation
of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the
righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
NOW, SOME GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE WHOLE
PSALM:
* Verse 1 is a story of avoidances! (So is
the Book of Proverbs! So are much of Paul's writings!)
* Verses 1 and 2 compare two sources of
advice: Counsel of the ungodly and Law of the Lord! (Wow!)
* There are 2 directions in this Psalm! The
ungodly are spiraling downward and the righteous are leaping
upward! (Compare Philippians 2 ... Christ Hymn) Verse 1
(downward)! Verse 3 (upward)!
* The tree is not active ... but passive.
Waiting by the rivers of waters, it accepts whatever
circumstances ... whatever water, whatever winds, whatever
sunshine, whatever dangers, etc., that come from the Hand of the
Lord!
* Life BURSTS into fruit! His leaf will not
wither ... Jeremiah says (17:8). Also Jeremiah calls his leaf
"GREEN!") Jeremiah's "green" is the same word as "FRESH" oil of
Psalm 92:10! Glory to God!
* The Lord speaks of HIS COUNSEL 8 times in
Scripture! Once Hosea speaks of those who sought counsel of
idols! (4:12)
* Whatsoever he does shall PROSPER! (verse 3)
The word picture is nearly like that of a crown (blessing) upon
the head of the godly!!!
* Some trees "poison" the immediate area
around them to protect themselves from undergrowth ... and other
dangers! (This would automatically protect them from some kinds
of fire! The underbrush could not burn!)
* Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (tzslach)
Hiphil verb ... causative! Something causes that prosperity!
* When comparing verses 1 and 3 ... there are
similarities. A threesome lines up perfectly! Except that verse
3 (the godly) has a 4th part which is lacking in the 3rd
(wicked) verse! (Glory to God!) Wickedness just can't keep up
with righteousness!
* Is not "evolution" itself a doctrine of
scorn? How about "abortion?" Or "homosexuality?" How about
"liberalism" itself? (Scorners aplenty in this old world!)
* Both strings of comparison carry the words
... NOT, BUT, and LIKE! (Study this. It is amazing!) This Psalm
is alive. It is organic!
* The same WIND that scatters the chaff ...
strengthens the tree! (Wow!)
* Verse 1 is about what a man does! Verse 3
is about what a man is! (Check it and see it for yourself. It is
true!)
* The ungodly are seemingly unaware of their
orderly disintegration! (Maybe Romans 1 should be preached again
and again!)
* First we see the natural development of the
lawless! What could it all mean? Next we see life as God
designed it to be! Righteous men with heavenly blessings bear
fruit! Then the godly are withdrawn to reveal the issue of the
lawless ... destruction! (WOW!)
* Judgment day must be WINDY! (chaff)
* The "righteous" are drawn into a
"congregation" or a "troop!" It is a picture of the CHURCH!
* Verses 1, 3 and 5 are verses of
development! (But there is no third stage in verse 5!) Verse 1
is beginning development. Verse 3 is intermediate development.
Verse 5 is final development! (What's missing? The "scorners"
are GONE by verses 5 and 6!)
* Also verses 2, 4 and 6 have symmetry. Verse
2 = godly, godly! Verse 4 = ungodly, ungodly! Verse 6 = godly,
ungodly! (The godly are judged first! The ungodly follow!) Wow!
* Everywhere the wicked are named in
succession ... the Name of Jehovah is absent! (verses 1 and 5)
God just will not associate with the wicked! (Here is God
Himself practicing "separation!")
* Everything in the Psalm has at least a
double mention ... except the "scorners!" This is not an
accidental omission!
* In fact, the "ungodly" are mentioned 4
times! The "sinners" are mentioned 2 times! And the wicked
"scorner" is mentioned but 1 time! (The more wicked they become
... the fewer of them there are!) Think about that!!!
* The "mockers" are gone! (Proverbs 14:9!
Matthew 20:19! Mark 10:34!)
* The devil's scornful lies will vanish!
* It does not say (verse 6) that the ungodly
perish! (They DO, but it's not specifically mentioned here.) It
says the WAY of the ungodly shall perish!
* Their very "WAY" is gone!
* Verses 1 and 6 both (And they are the ONLY
ones that do!) mention each group! Verse 1 tells of their
beginnings! Verse 6 speaks of their endings!
* The only One left standing at the end of
verse 6 is the LORD! The righteous are sitting at His feet
learning! (or bowing at His feet worshipping)! The ungodly are
being sentenced to perish!
* Psalm 92:5 --- "Lord, Thy thoughts are VERY
DEEP!"
* The tree is "alive!" The chaff is "dead!"
* The tree sustains "life!" The chaff cannot
do so!
* The Psalm indirectly (but not
inadvertently) highlights 3 things. There is a WAY! Our Psalms
begins and ends with the "ways" of the godly or the ungodly!
Then there is the TRUTH (Law of the Lord)! Lastly there is LIFE
(Leaf shall not wither! Bear fruit in season!)! Glory!
What a beautiful passage of Scripture!
Hand me a "nugget" basket, please!
---
Dr. Mike Bagwell
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