Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the person

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners

or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But their delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law they meditate day and night.

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.

4 Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff

that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish

I would think most of us would desire to be the blessed person, rather than the wicked one. We want to be the firm tree, rather than the chaff that gets blown away by a wind bag.  Two people are being contrasted here: a) the Blessed Person and b) the Wicked Person – each of whose attitudes and actions are described and compared. It is set up as a challenge for the person reading the psalm to question, “Which am I?”

Blessed can be understood as “Happy is the person” or “Joyful is the person”. We “own” much more of our mental and emotional well-being than we are willing to perhaps recognize. Notice the highly active words here - WALK, STAND, SIT. These are all things that we do each day – but the Psalmist is causing us to question were it that we mentally stand, walk and sit.

There’s a negative progression here, each step going deeper. We go from walking (the inward burn), to standing (verbalizing it with others) to --- sitting (open mocking). We become more entrenched and ‘fixed’ in our emotions, attitudes and actions. We journey from walking to eventually sitting – in rebellion and stubbornness.

Sometimes, I think of when my kids were small and we were walking through a mall. If there was something they had decided they wanted but they were not getting it,,they would walk and cry and complain. But at some point, when they saw that this strategy hadn’t worked, they would ramp it up and just stop, stand and cry – and refuse to move any further. Then as a final attempt to swing the decision, as I turned toward them, they would plop themselves down on the floor. Unfortunately, when I picked them up, they refused to put their feet down! That imagery works for us here. It is kind of the same process we find here in the Psalms, but now involves adults instead of children.

‘Walking in way’ the counsel of the wicked - getting carried away and swept up in the attitudes and actions of others. Usually the source is the result of us not getting our own way in some shape or form. It’s the idea of getting caught up and letting other voices speak for yours and then making their voices yours. There are people of influence and power that can ‘sweep’ you away into their way of thinking.

“Standing in way” of Sinners – The idea of a clique or ‘birds of a feather flock together’. It’s the choosing to ‘stand’, or to ‘stay’ in the place of complaint and dissatisfaction. I not just going with the flow anymore, I am part of it.

“Sitting in the seat” of mockers - making or delivering judgments. – Taking the position of a judge and jury. The mind sees it this way, so this is the way that it is – and my opinion is the right one. “I’m right and no matter what you say I won’t change my mind”.

The intent of the wicked here is to tear down, destroy, criticize, and sow strife and distrust. At its root is pride and selfishness. But what does a righteous person wanting and seeking a right standing before God do? They too have emotions, attitudes and actions. But rather than mock – they delight. “They delight in the law of the Lord” so much so that they meditate it both day and night. In other words, God’s Word affects every aspect of their life from waking to sleeping. There is no place, time, conversation or behaviour that God’s law does not guide and shape – it affects everything this person does. They see God has having complete authority. God’s law is a delight, not a burden or obligation – the person is seeking and eager to see how God’s law applies and is lived out in their life. This is not about the person who can recite bible verses in very situation, but who knows how to apply and live them out in real time.

Here we have a comparison between a tree and chaff. The right standing person is … “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither”.  The Wicked person is like chaff that gets blown way. The imagery here is one of the tree purposely planted in a specific place for a specific purpose -- stability, deep roots, strength – not blown way by the walkers, standers or sitters.

Why does the tree need to be firmly planted? Because it is difficult for the tree if it isn’t – those voices can be powerful and convincing. We discover in other Psalms that just because you follow God doesn’t make life easy or everything go your way. In fact, that is what a lot of psalms express, “Why does it seem the wicked prospers and those who follow you suffer loss…”?

The idea of being planted is the person drawing substance not from the opinions or accolades of people, but from the River of Life (God’s Spirit and Word) – its roots are deep in the soil and drawing constantly from the life giving power of the water. It symbolizes fertile ground – of life giving. This person gives ‘fruit in season’ to others in need – they know the right thing to and say in the right situation - they are word and actions that are life giving, encouraging and building. Contrast this to the wicked person who gives words of discouragement that tear down and bring destruction and ultimately death to those around them.  And whose leaf does not wither – that’s some powerful water. I’ve recently planted some small trees in my yard. Unfortunately, their leaves are withering. I am trying to water every night to enable survival, but the root systems are not yet established. What leaf does not wither except for plastic ones? It is a word of promise that by staying the course of being a right standing person that God will bring blessing and good through them – God will make their efforts prosper. There is lasting power in what they do.

Back to the wicked who are described as chaff that the wind blows away. There is a significant difference between a leaf that will not wither and chaff – chaff is dry, useless, dead and forgotten. This comparison paints a vivid picture for our Biblical friends. Threshing was common practice. The wheat would be separated by various methods – stomping, banging – and then the wheat heads would be thrown into the air. The wheat seed being heavier would fall to the ground, while the outer husk that surrounds the seed would be blown away. Am I juicy fruit that refreshes, or dry chaff that has nothing to offer?

Although, at the moment the walking, standing and sitting of the sinners and mockers may have power – in the end – it simply blows way – has no lasting power – although at the moment it appears to.  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment – connect this with the earlier statement of sitting in the seat of the mockers (judgment). In the end, these people will have no voice, no power, and no place in the kingdom of God. All their power and influence is right now – and taken by force for their own gain – but it will have an end.

As I read this passage and work through its implications, I’m confronted with an uncomfortable question: Who am I? Am I a right standing person or a person walking, standing or sitting in the way of the wicked?

I can easily brush off the question with – well, of course I’m the right standing one, but then I have to look at the Palmist’s description and examine my own emotions, attitudes and actions. Maybe, I am walking or standing or sitting in places I should not be walking, standing or sitting. Are my words like ‘fruit in season’ or ‘dead and dry chaff’? Maybe am more like my children when they were young than I like to admit. I wonder how many times I myself – walk and complain, then stand and stamp my feet, then simply plop myself on the ground refusing to be moved. I may not like the answers I find.  I want to be a tree – but I can find myself too quickly in the seat of mockers than I like to think. In those cases, I must choose to no longer to sit, no longer to stand or walk in those ways – but to be planted – firmly by God by His river of Life, bearing good fruit for those I encounter today.

Anyway I was just thinking.



Neil