Like many people I have found that lockdown has brought my reading of Scripture to life and especially the Book of Psalms. The perff. Instead, it advocates an attitude and a habit. Yet, this is the one quality which is of single importance. 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. Calling God’s word “law” gives recognition to its authority in our lives and affirms our obligation to submit ourselves to God. Let our new content come to you through your favorite RSS reader. The way of the righteous. (TNIV). Whom does the psalmist want us to keep away from? And that blessing is contrasted with the unenviable end of the wicked – judgment. The psalmist has a more audacious vision. Blessed. 4) Delight and meditate. You’ve got a good blog going here. The person who will be blessed delights in “the law of the Lord.” In the Old Testament, the word “law” is used in a variety of ways. Your email address will not be published. In the Hebrew, meditate also has the connotation of speaking the text aloud. A lament, a hymn of praise or a wisdom psalm? It does not offer a short series of steps to happiness or a one-time seminar to receive a certification in the state of being blessed. The Trees by Girton pond, a place I often meditate -photo Liliana Janik. The blessedness of the righteous shown, in his avoiding every appearance of evil, Psalm 1:1. (2), Can a Christian Be an Environmentalist? Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. In verse 1 the person who receives God’s blessing is described negatively, in terms of not living the lifestyle of the wicked. Psalm 1 is about the blessings of the righteous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. We also find also find prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of trust, and hopeful declarations. Reflections on Psalm 1: How to live a blessed life Last week I was meditating on Psalm 1, and I want to share some of my observations. We are God’s witnesses to the world. Chapter 1 This is a psalm of instruction concerning good and evil, setting before us life and death, the blessing and the curse, that we may take the right way which leads to happiness and avoid that which will certainly end in our misery and ruin. The Talmud (Berachot 10a) states that first two Psalms were counted as one, and that David opened (and closed) his favorite psalms with the word ashrei, a word that has been variously translated as "the praises" (a plural noun), "praiseworthy" (a substantive adjective), or as "happy," "blessed," and "fortunate." Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 1 Psalm 1 – The Way of the Righteous and the Way of the Ungodly Verse six presents a key to understanding Psalm 1: “For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” In this psalm, the way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly are contrasted. Do we have the courage to read Scripture, breathe it in moment by moment, and breathe it out through a life of faithfulness, justice, and love as witnesses to God’s kingdom? 3 They are like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers. How do we learn to delight in the Word? and on his law he meditates day and night. - Psalm 150:6. Although God created the entire universe (Ps. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night….”. The blessed man does not need to force himself to read the Bible, because he delights in it. a 2 Rather, the law of the LORD * is his joy;. 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. (1), Embracing the New for the Sake of Mission, Can a Christian Be an Environmentalist? Verse six presents a key to understanding this Psalm: For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (1), Discipleship after COVID-19: Reflections from Early Methodism. But the blessed man doesn’t. יהגּה, what he is always striving to do; הגה of a deep (cf. So my question is, how can we become the sort of people who delight in God’s word? God’s word is a “law” because it provides the standards for our conduct and the guide for our lives. As we read through the book of Psalms as a whole, we encounter not only praise, but poignant prayers of desperation as God’s people struggle with the dangers and pitfalls of life: enemies, injustice, illness, fear, and the others challenges of life that threaten to suffocate and snuff out the life of faith. The psalmist is not naïve to think that we can avoid the world. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. This Psalm consists of two parts: in the first (from verse 1 to the end of the 3rd) David sets out wherein the felicity and blessedness of a godly man consisteth, what his exercises are, and what blessings he shall receive from the Lord. In his godly use of the law of the Lord, Psalm 1:2; This farther pointed out under the metaphor of a good tree planted in a good well-watered soil, Psalm 1:3. (2) Recognize that the life of faith touches every moment and interaction. (4-6) Commentary on Psalm 1:1-3 (Read Psalm 1:1-3) To meditate in God's word, is to discourse with ourselves concerning the great things contained in it, with close application of mind and fixedness of thought. Catalyst is a project of AFTE, which is committed to the revitalization of theological education for United Methodists. Some Reflections on Psalm 1 . 8:1-3), he chose to appoint human beings to rule over the creation (Ps. Matthew Henry :: Commentary on Psalms 1 ← Back to Matthew Henry's Bio & Resources. Angle: If the psalter is providing insight into various human responses to the questions of faith, how might this influence the rest of the collection of psalms? 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. These a… All of this presses the question: How do we live this way? Notice that this is no mere rote or legalistic force-feeding of Scripture. Notice that Psalm 1:2 doesn’t say that the blessed man simply reads the Law of the Lord. Wisdom sayings often begin with “Blessed is the man who…” or “Blessed are those who….”. Psalm 1:1. In other words, Ps 1 as a presupposition and foundation to the journey of faith calls us to a courageous willingness to read and ponder. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The basic structure of the Psalm is a comparison of two ways of life, one leading to blessing and the other leading to destruction. Then in verse 2 we find the only positive description of the person who will be blessed: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” What follows in verse 3 is a description of the secure and fruitful life that comes about as a result. 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