“How to Be Blessed (part 1)”

Sunday, July 14, 2024

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…

(Psalm 1.1)

Thus begins the book of Psalms.  To some degree, the first of 150 poems in this book serves as a prologue to the collection.  This Psalm is all-encompassing, and provides a framework upon which each individual has a lifetime to build.

It begins with the loaded word, “blessed.”  The Hebrew behind it is אֶשֶׁר-ĕshĕr, which strictly means happiness.  Similarly, the Septuagint—the Greek Old Testament—begins with μακάριος-makarios-“happy.”  But this is not to say all our bibles have the wrong translation.  It is understood in the context—cultural as well as textual—that happiness is more than the subjective feeling of contentment, satisfaction, or pleasure.  It ought to go without saying, that a truly “happy” person can only be so as a result of receiving favor from someone far more capable than he.  It could be rendered fortunate instead, but that leaves it too impersonal, refusing to answer the question, who has bestowed this good fortune?  No, this psalmist, along with the other authors of the Bible, took for granted that one person in particular ought to be credited with all good fortune.  The man who shuns sin and lays up God’s word in his heart is not just happy or lucky—rather, he is “blessed.”

The rest of verse 1 shows a progression from walking, to standing, to sitting.  From his active conduct—walking—to his less dynamic but still deliberate associations—standing—to where he comfortably rests—sitting—he always avoids the ungodly,

but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

(Psalm 1.2)

He spends his time thinking about and pursuing the fulfillment of God’s instructions.  Does he do this out of a grudging sense of obligation, or purely out of fear that God will probably smite him, otherwise?  No—God’s commandments are a “delight” to him!

What will be the result of this approach, shunning unrighteousness and aiming to please God?

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.

(Psalm 1.3)

For those living in areas of North America with relatively high population density, this metaphor may be confusing.  Trees growing on the banks of our rivers and streams are inherently unstable due to soil compromised by constant saturation, changing conditions due to water level fluctuations, erosion, and especially the simple fact that one side of the tree’s root system finds only water, and no soil to anchor it in place.  Most trees situated far from rivers get along just fine on rain.  But Israel gets much less rain, and has no rivers as vast as those we take for granted.  On top of that, the tree envisioned here is not a giant, heavy oak, tulip, or catalpa!  No, the image is one of a fruit tree in a well-watered area, that can be trusted year by year to produce lots of fruit.  The idea is that the person who plants himself, so to speak, in God’s word will find in it a reliable source of life and prosperity.  This will lead to obvious outward signs that he is thriving and vibrant—healthy leaves—and also to appropriate fruit of good works, which in turn are a life-sustaining blessing to those upon whom they are bestowed.

The righteous, who serve God, are blessed.

The wicked are not so,

but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

(Psalm 1.4)

Chaff is the dry, useless stalks and husks that are noticeable chiefly as an annoying impurity that must be sorted from the good fruit or grain.  Whereas the well-watered tree remains steadfast and reliable, the chaff is blown before the wind, with no way to decide for itself where it will next land, no benefit to anyone, and no purpose to fulfill.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

(Psalm 1.5-6)

Because the righteous man prospers while the wicked are ineffectual, the wicked are destined to fall.  The expected setting of their fall is “the judgement”—but what does that mean?  Clearly it’s not just a judgment, as in a particular court case or something of that sort.  In the context of the psalm, it most likely refers to an expected instance of divine retribution, such as a plague or an invasion.  At the same time, it of course contributes to a growing body of Old Testament hints and shadows of the final judgment to come, which the New Testament predicts clearly.

…it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…

(Hebrews 9.27)

When that occurs, who will stand among the righteous assembly?  Of course, it it those who are righteous—but that’s not the only point worth noticing.  Verse 6 says, “the Lord knows the way of the righteous.”  Is he unaware of the wicked?  Clearly not, or how could he judge them?  But this knowledge is not about intellectual understanding or recognition.  The righteous man avoids the “way of sinners” in verse 1, not because he hasn’t noticed it, but because he sees it for what it is—and will not make it his way!  God “knows the way of the righteous,” because it is his own chosen path.  Walk it, with him.

Jeremy Nettles

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