(photo courtesy of mbaldwinfineart.blogspot.com)
Beginning the lengthy, poetic, majestic, practical, and theologically rich Old Testament book of Psalms, Psalm 1 opens with a powerful comparison of the righteous and the wicked. And wedged right between this comparison, we find one of the most beautiful and natural illustrations recorded in Scripture.
Let me ask you a simple question...Which one are you?
Would you consider yourself righteous or wicked? What gives you the confidence that you know which one you are? What characterizes the heart of the righteous and what lies at the core of the wicked person's heart? Let's find out.
In verses 1 and 2, we find characteristics of the righteous person. We see where not to walk, stand nor sit--among the sinful, scoffing wicked. We see what must be our delight and meditation--the Law of the Lord.
1. The Righteous person is blessed because they...
a. Do not walk in the counsel of the wicked;
b. Do not stand in the way of sinners;
c. Do not sit in the seat of scoffers;
d. Delight in the law of the Lord;
e. Meditate on His law day and night.
In verses 3 and 4, we find the portrait of the lively, flourishing, nourished righteous person and we find the dead, useless, insignificant wicked person.
2. The Righteous person is like a tree which...
a. Is planted by streams of water;
b. Yields its fruit in its season;
c. Its leaf does not wither;
d. Prospers in all that he does.
3. The Wicked person is like chaff which...
a. Is not like the tree, meaning...
i. [not planted by streams of water]
ii. [not yielding fruit in its season]
iii. [all the leaves wither]
iv. [does not prosper in what it does]
b. The wind blows away.
In verses 5 and 6, we find the characteristics of the wicked person. A dead, useless, and perishing tree cannot stand and will not stand. This is the condition of the wicked.
4. The wicked will...
a. Not stand in the judgment;
b. Not stand in the congregation of the righteous;
c. Not be known by the Lord;
d. Perish.
Also see Jeremiah 17:7–8 for a remarkably similar illustration including a tree planted by streams of water. We draw our life from God. We must delight in His Word. We must meditate on it day and night, as the streams of water never fail providing the tree with life-giving nutrients.
So let me ask you again, what is your life characterized by? Where are your thoughts? Where are your desires? What is your attitude and behavior like? What is your delight? What fills your mind?
