“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. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalm 1:1–2)
Psalm 1 begins with the Hebrew expression Ashrei Ha-Ish (אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ), an exclamation meaning, “How blessed is the man!” The verses that follow describe the person who is truly blessed.
When we read this description, we may feel that we are far from being such a blessed person, because we have not lived this way. Yet that is not the end of the story, because we are in Jesus Christ.
Jesus alone perfectly refused to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful. He alone perfectly delighted in the law of the LORD and meditated upon it day and night. Therefore, Jesus has the wisdom and power to lead those who are in Him into the way of the blessed.
Jesus leads us to meditate upon the Word of God day by day so that through His Word we may come to understand the love of God revealed within it. As we come to know that love, our hearts are humbled, and we learn to walk humbly with God.
Because this Jesus is with us, we are blessed.
“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.” (Psalm 1:3)
It is natural for a tree planted beside streams of water to bear fruit in its season and for its leaves not to wither. This is because it has been planted where it can continually receive water.
But there is one word here to which we should pay particular attention: “planted.”
The Hebrew word translated “planted” is shatul (שָׁתוּל), meaning “planted” or “transplanted.” The picture is not of a seed that happened to fall there and grow by itself, but of a tree deliberately placed and planted there by someone.
Colossians 1:13 says:
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” (Colossians 1:13)
We are not in Jesus Christ because of something we accomplished by our own strength. God Himself delivered us and brought us into the kingdom of His Son. It is like a tree being taken from dry ground and transplanted beside streams rich with water.
In Jesus there is an abundance of the Word, more than sufficient to refresh and nourish our souls. Even when difficulties and trials come, we are able to endure because God continually supplies us through His Word.
Psalm 92:12–14 presents the same picture:
“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” (Psalm 92:12–14)
This is true prosperity.
“The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” (Psalm 1:4–5)
If the righteous are compared to a tree planted by streams of water, the ungodly are compared to chaff driven away by the wind.
The roots of the righteous are connected to the Word of God, but the ungodly have no such root. Therefore, when the wind blows, they have nothing to hold them firmly in place, and they are carried wherever the wind takes them.
After grain has been threshed, it is winnowed by tossing it into the air. The heavier grain falls back to the ground, while the light chaff is carried away by the wind.
John the Baptist used this picture of the threshing floor when he spoke of Jesus:
“Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:12)
In this present world, the righteous and the wicked live side by side. But just as the wind separates the wheat from the chaff during winnowing, on the day of God’s judgment the righteous and the wicked will be separated forever.
For now, the wicked may sometimes appear prosperous and firmly established, but their end will be very different.
Asaph once envied the prosperity of the wicked. But when he entered the sanctuary of God, he understood their end and said:
“Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.” (Psalm 73:17–19)
“For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” (Psalm 1:6)
People may walk many different paths according to their own choices, but before God there are ultimately only two ways: the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked.
The LORD knows the way of the righteous.
The Hebrew word translated “knoweth” is yada (יָדַע), whose basic meaning is “to know.” When Scripture says that the LORD knows the way of the righteous, it does not merely mean that God possesses information about their path. He knows their circumstances, their hearts, and even their weaknesses intimately.
Therefore, the words “the LORD knoweth” carry the sense that He knows the way of the righteous, watches over it, and cares for those who walk in it.
The way of the righteous is sometimes narrow and difficult to walk. It is a way that causes us to seek God and depend upon Him, because we need His presence and His help.
The way of the wicked, on the other hand, is the broad and easy way that many people choose. Because it is self-centered, those who walk in it follow what seems right in their own eyes rather than seeking the will of God.
But the destinations of these two ways could not be more different.
The way of the righteous leads to life, while the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Therefore, although the way of the righteous may involve hardship now, it has a future and a hope. But although the way of the wicked may offer pleasure for a little while, in the end it has no hope.