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<h2><a onclick="return mV('Psa',1,'all');">Psa 1</a> – The Way of the Righteous and the Way of the Ungodly</h2>
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<p><i>Verse six presents a key to understanding this Psalm: </i>For the <span class="c6">Lord</span> knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. <i>In this Psalm, the way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly are contrasted.</i></p>
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<p>A. The way of the righteous.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',1,1);">1</a>) <span>What</span> the righteous man does <i>not</i> do.</p>
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<p class="c2">Blessed <i>is </i>the man<br>Who walks not in the counsel of the <span>ungodly,</span><br>Nor stands in the path of sinners,<br>Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Blessed is the man</span></b>: <b><span class="c3">Blessed</span></b> translates the Hebrew word "<i>esher</i>," which has the idea of happiness or contentment. <i>Esher</i> comes from the Hebrew word <i>ashar</i>, which in its root means "to be straight" or "to be right." <b><span class="c3">Blessed is the man</span></b> speaks of the happiness, the blessedness, the contentment in the life of the man or woman who is right or "straight" with God. The righteous man will be a <b><span class="c3">blessed</span></b> man, a happy man.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. "<i>Blessed</i> means supremely happy or fulfilled. In fact, in Hebrew the word is actually a plural, which denotes either a multiplicity or blessings or an intensification of them." (Boice)</p>
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<p class="c5"><span>ii. "It is not 'Blessed is the king, blessed is the scholar, blessed is the rich,' but, '<span>Blessed</span> is the man.' This blessedness is as attainable by the poor, the forgotten and the obscure, as by those whose names figure in history, and are trumpeted by fame." (Spurgeon)</span></p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Walks not...nor stands...nor sits</span></b>: The blessed man does <i>not</i> do certain things. There is a way he will <i>not</i> walk, a path he will <i>not</i> stand in, and a seat he will <i>not</i> sit in.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. We can say these speak of <i>thinking</i>, <i>behaving</i>, and <i>belonging</i>. The righteous man and the ungodly man are different in how they <i>think</i>, how they <i>behave</i>, and to whom they <i>belong</i>.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Others have also seen in this a progression of sin. "The great lesson to be learned from the whole is<span>,</span> sin is <i>progressive</i>; one evil propensity or act leads to another. He who acts by <i>bad counsel</i> may soon do <i>evil deeds</i>; and he who abandons himself to <i>evil doings</i> may end his life in <i>total apostasy</i> from God." (Clarke)</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Walks not in the counsel of the ungodly</span></b>: The ungodly have <b><span class="c3">counsel</span></b>, and the righteous man will not walk in it. With all the advice that comes to us, from so many different sources, the righteous man knows how to stay away from the <b><span class="c3">counsel of the ungodly</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. First, it means the righteous man knows how to <i>discern</i> the <b><span class="c3">counsel of the ungodly</span></b>. Many fail at this point. They do not even consider if <b><span class="c3">counsel</span></b> is godly or <b><span class="c3">ungodly</span></b>. They hear advice, or theories about their problems, and they find themselves agreeing or disagreeing without considering, "Is this godly or ungodly counsel."</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. The righteous man is also discerning enough to know the <b><span class="c3">counsel of the ungodly</span></b> can come from one's own self. Our own conscience, our own mind, our own heart, can give us ungodly counsel.</p>
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<p class="c5">iii. The righteous man knows where to find completely godly counsel: <i>Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors</i>. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',119,24);">Psa 119:24</a>) God's Word is always the best counselor, and godly counselors will always bring the truth of God's Word to help someone who wants counseling.</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">Nor stands in the path of sinners</span></b>: Sinners have a <b><span class="c3">path</span></b> where they stand, and the righteous man knows he does not belong on that path. <b><span class="c3">Path</span></b> speaks of a way, a road, a direction, and the righteous man is not traveling in the same direction as sinners.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. The righteous man is not afraid to take a less-traveled road, because he knows it leads to blessing, happiness, and eternal life. <i>Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it</i>. (<a onclick="return mV('Mat',7,13);">Mat 7:13</a>)</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. The righteous can have the confidence of <a onclick="return mV('Psa',16,11);">Psa 16:11</a>: <i>You will show me the path of life; in <span>Your</span> presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore</i>. God has a path, and it is a good road to take.</p>
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<p class="c4">e. <b><span class="c3">Nor sits in the seat of the scornful</span></b>: The scornful love to sit and criticize the people of God and the things of God. The righteous man will not sit in that <b><span class="c3">seat</span></b>!</p>
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<p class="c5">i. When others are putting down Christians, it is easy to sit with them and criticize them. It is easy because there are many things to criticize among Christians. But it is wrong, because we are then sitting <b><span class="c3">in the seat of the scornful</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Instead, we should be proud to follow Jesus Christ. "Be out-and-out for him; unfurl your colours, never hide them, but nail them to the mast, and say to all who ridicule the saints, 'If you have any ill words for the followers of Christ, pour them out upon me...but know this – ye shall hear it whether you like it or not, - "I love Christ."'" (Spurgeon)</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',1,2);">2</a>) <span>What</span> the righteous man <i>does</i>.</p>
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<p class="c2">But his delight <i>is </i>in the law of the <span class="c6">Lord</span>,<br>And in His law he meditates day and night.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">His delight is in the law of the <span class="c6">Lord</span></span></b>: Throughout the Psalms, the phrase <b><span class="c3">law of the <span class="c6">Lord</span></span></b> is used to describe God's entire word, not only the "law" portion of the first five books of the Bible. The righteous man is delighted with the word of God!</p>
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<p class="c5">i. What makes you happy? What gets you excited? This is a good way to see what is important to you. If personal pleasure is the only thing that makes you happy, then you are a selfish, self-centered person. If being with your family or friends delights you, that can be better, but it still falls short. The righteous man finds <b><span class="c3">his delight</span></b>...<b><span class="c3">in the law of the <span class="c6">Lord</span></span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5"><span>ii. </span>Luther said that he could not live in paradise without the word of God, but he could live well enough in hell with it.</p>
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<p class="c5"><span>iii. "Man must have some delight, some supreme pleasure. His heart was never meant to be a vacuum. If not filled with the best things, it will be filled with the unworthy and disappointing." (Spurgeon)</span></p>
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<p class="c5">iv. If a person delights in something, you don't have to beg them to do it or to like it. They will do it all by themselves. You can measure your <b><span class="c3">delight</span></b> for the word of God by how much you hunger for it.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">In His law he meditates day and night</span></b>: The righteous man <i>ponders</i> the word of God. He does not just hear it and forget it, he <i>thinks</i> about it. Christians should meditate on God's word!</p>
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<p class="c5">i. In eastern meditation, the goal is to <i>empty</i> the mind. This is dangerous, because an empty mind may present an open invitation to deception or a demonic spirit. But in Christian meditation, the goal is to <i>fill</i> your mind with the word of God. This can be done by carefully thinking about each word and phrase, and applying it one's self and praying it back to the Lord.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. "Meditation chews the cud, and gets the sweetness and nutritive virtue of the Word into the heart and life: this is the way the godly bring forth much fruit." (Ashwood, cited by Spurgeon)</p>
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<p class="c5"><span>iii. Many lack because they only <i>read</i></span> and do not <i>meditate</i>. <span>"It is not only reading that does us good; but the soul inwardly feeding <span>an it</span>, and digesting it. A preacher once told me that he had read the Bible through twenty times on his knees and had never found the doctrine of election there. <span>Very likely not.</span> It is a most uncomfortable position in which to read. If he had sat in an easy chair he would have been better able to understand it." (Spurgeon)</span></p>
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<p class="c5">iv. The righteous man only has God's word on his mind two times a day: <b><span class="c3">day and night</span></b>. That about covers it all!</p>
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<p class="c1">3. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',1,3);">3</a>) <span>How</span> the righteous man is blessed.</p>
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<p class="c2">He shall be like a tree<br>Planted by the rivers of water,<br>That brings forth its fruit in its season,<br>Whose leaf also shall not <span>wither;</span><br>And whatever he does shall prosper.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water</span></b>: A tree by a river has a continual source of water. It will never wither away, because it is always getting what it needs. If we are constantly needy, it may be worth examining if we are <b><span class="c3">planted by the rivers of water</span></b> or not.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. This would also be a <b><span class="c3">tree</span></b> that is strong and stable, sinking down deep roots. The life of the righteous man is marked by strength and stability.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">That brings forth its fruit in its season</span></b>: The righteous man bears fruit, such as the fruit of the Spirit (<a onclick="return mV('Gal',5,'22-23');">Gal 5:22-23</a>). The fruit comes naturally from this tree, because it is <b><span class="c3">planted by the rivers of water</span></b>. It is abiding in a life-source, as Jesus spoke of bearing fruit in <a onclick="return mV('Jhn',15,5);">Jhn 15:5</a> as we abide in Him. Fruit also has a <b><span class="c3">season</span></b>. Some get discouraged when they begin to walk as a righteous man, and fruit is not immediately evident. They need to wait until they bring forth <b><span class="c3">fruit in its season</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. "There are no barren trees in God's orchard, and yet they may have their fits of barrenness, as an apple tree sometimes hath; but they will reflourish with advantage." (Trapp)</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Whose leaf also shall not wither</span></b>: Brown, dead, withered leaves are signs of death and <span>dryness.</span> The righteous man does not have these signs of death and dryness; his "leaves" are green and alive.</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">And whatever he does shall prosper</span></b>: It isn't that the righteous man has a "Midas Touch," and everything he does <span>makes</span> him rich and comfortable. But in the life of the righteous man, God brings forth something good and wonderful out of everything. Even tough circumstances bring forth something that <b><span class="c3">shall prosper</span></b>.</p>
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<p>B. The way of the ungodly.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',1,4);">4</a>) <span>The</span> dangerous place of the ungodly.</p>
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<p class="c2">The ungodly <i>are </i>not so,</p>
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<p class="c2">But <i>are </i>like the chaff which the wind drives away.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">The ungodly are not so</span></b>: Everything true about the righteous man (stable as a tree, continual life and nourishment, fruitful, alive, and prosperous), is <b><span class="c3">not so</span></b> regarding the <b><span class="c3">ungodly</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. It may often seem like the <b><span class="c3">ungodly</span></b> have these things, and sometimes it seems they have them more than the righteous. But it is <b><span class="c3">not so</span></b>! Any of these things are fleeting in the life of the <b><span class="c3">ungodly</span></b>; it can be said that they don't really have them at all.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Are like the chaff which the wind drives away</span></b>: <b><span class="c3">Chaff</span></b> is the light "shell" around a kernel of grain, which must be stripped away before the kernel of grain can be ground into flour. <b><span class="c3">Chaff</span></b> was light enough that it could be separated from the grain by throwing a scoopful into the wind and letting the wind drive away the <b><span class="c3">chaff</span></b>. This is how unstable, how lacking in substance, the ungodly are.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Spurgeon on <b><span class="c3">chaff</span></b>: "Intrinsically worthless, dead, unserviceable, without substance, and easily carried away." There is a huge difference between a tree and <b><span class="c3">chaff</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',1,5);">5</a>) <span>The</span> dangerous future of the ungodly.</p>
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<p class="c2">Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment</span></b>: Because the <b><span class="c3">ungodly</span></b> have no "weight," they will be found lacking on the <span>day of judgment</span>. As it was said of King Belshazzar in the book of Daniel, <i>You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting</i> (<a onclick="return mV('Dan',5,27);">Dan 5:27</a>).</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous</span></b>: This is true both in the future, because <b><span class="c3">sinners</span></b> will not share the same glorious future of the <b><span class="c3">righteous</span></b>. It is also true in the present, because <b><span class="c3">sinners</span></b> sense they do not belong <b><span class="c3">in the congregation of the righteous</span></b> if they insist on remaining <b><span class="c3">sinners</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c1">3. (<a onclick="return mV('Psa',1,6);">6</a>) <span>Summary</span>: The way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly.</p>
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<p class="c2">For the <span class="c6">Lord</span> knows the way of the righteous,</p>
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<p class="c2">But the way of the ungodly shall perish.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">The <span class="c6">Lord</span> knows the way of the righteous</span></b>: The righteous can have peace because a loving God in heaven knows their way, and will protect and preserve them.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. "Or, as the Hebrew has it yet more fully, 'The Lord is <span><i>knowing</i></span> the way of the righteous.' He is constantly looking on their way, and though it may be often in mist and darkness, yet the Lord knoweth it." (Spurgeon)</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">The way of the ungodly shall perish</span></b>: The way of the ungodly leads to destruction. They are on a broad path that may seem comfortable now, and gives <span>them</span> lots of company, but in the end they <b><span class="c3">shall perish</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. At least four times in the Book of Acts Christianity is called <i>the Way</i>. Certainly, it is the <b><span class="c3">way of the righteous</span></b>, not the <b><span class="c3">way of the ungodly</span></b>. Which way are you on?</p>
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