Only One Way: An Introduction to the Psalms (Psalm 1)
1 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;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 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.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.—Psalm 1 (ESV)
In this post, we’re going to look at Psalm 1 and in the next one, we’ll look at Psalm 2. It is believed that these two psalms were selected to open the entire book of Psalms for a specific purpose: to remind God’s people that there is only one way and only one King that will lead us to the blessed life. There is no other way, and there is no other God.
With that in mind, let’s do a little observation work on this psalm!
Studying Psalm 1
Read the psalm (included in its entirety above) several times. As you do, take note of several things:
Observations
Who are the two kinds of people mentioned in this psalm?
What do you notice about their primary influencers?
What is their end?
Parallel structure is a key feature of the psalms. Verse 1 is a wonderful example, Note the triple parallel structure of the first verse. Identify the corresponding elements. How are they similar? Then ask yourself how the terms in the subsequent lines extend, supplement or complete the previous one. Is there a progression in the action verbs used? What might this suggest?
What do you learn about God and His nature in this psalm?
Consider the imagery used in this psalm. What metaphors are used to describe the two types of people? Take some time to ponder how these images strengthen your understanding of the psalm’s point.
Are there any cause-effect connections described in this psalm?
Interpretation
Understanding the text
After you’ve done your own work, take some time to consult some other sources that might help you to enrich your observations. Consider some of these ideas and questions:
This psalm starts with an important word, “blessed,” a key concept in Scripture. Take a look at what this word means here and if you are so inclined, do a word study.
Check here for some cross-references.
Consult a reputable commentary for further insights.
Understanding its place in Scripture
Based on these observations, how might this psalm be important to the nation of Israel as God’s people?
How might this psalm point to Christ? (Luke 24:27)
How might Jesus have understood this psalm?
Application
What does this psalm teach you? How does it correct you? In what ways does it challenge your ways of living? How does it help train you in righteousness? (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
How will you respond in prayer to God?
How does it challenge you to love and trust Jesus more?
What can you ask the Holy Spirit living in you to remind you of, help you do, increase your love for?
Is there a verse that you would like to memorize? Meditate on so that your thoughts are reshaped?
How might you respond in action to change your habits, routines, and ways of doing life? How might you respond in action to love others more like Christ?
Reflection: What This Psalm is Not Saying
I remember reading this psalm and thinking that if I just read my Bible enough, I could expect my life to be strong, successful, and fruitful. The onus, therefore, was on me to make that happen. So when I inevitably missed a day of my Bible reading plan or neglected to pray or failed to abide in the Vine, I thought I would miss out on God’s blessing.
As you can imagine, this created a works-based thinking in me. In fact, it felt like anything but blessing.
Though it was subtle, I had made the shift from looking to God alone for my blessing to the little rules I made as I tried to follow God. Even as I was seeking to meditate on God’s Word, I had made it a standard or even an idol. I knew life would be found in God’s Word, but I began to pursue the effects of being in God’s Word instead of God Himself.
This is one of the dangers when we read this psalm. Even as believers, the sinful tendencies that still remain in us often tempt us to find blessing through our own efforts. I might profess to know Christ but our old ways die hard.
But if we truly are meditating on God’s Word and reflecting on what it says, we will see that it preaches an entirely different message. It tells us that we cannot earn our salvation. It tells us peace comes from God alone through Christ—the Gospel (Rom. 5:1).
When we grasp this, we are truly blessed because we are then free.
Free from the rules we create for ourselves.
Free from the false guilt that comes from breaking these rules that are not His.
Free from performance, earning, and proving our worth.
When we understand what Christ has done for us—something clearly described in God’s Word—we will truly live blessed.
We will be oriented properly to God as our Father, not a slave driver.
We will be content in Him and truly at peace, even with our circumstances are not ideal.
We will be filled with gratitude for His grace, which motivates us to obey with joy.
This is what it means to live a blessed life. When we meditate on what God’s Word says is true and not focusing on keeping a daily streak or ticking off boxes or just doing our duty, we abide in the Vine.
He begins to shape the way we think, live and act. This is the fruitfulness promised. This is what success looks like in God’s eyes.
Counseling the Word
The blessed life comes from standing rightly with God, as described in His Word and walking in line with the ways prescribed in Scripture. This is an issue of where you find your counsel to navigate through the world. This psalm describes two paths, but only one leads to the blessed life—every other path will lead to death.
Path #1
Verse 1 describes the way of death, in a beautiful “triple parallel”:
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;
Though these may sound like synonyms, we miss a lot of the richness when we just categorize them as such. Rather, if we look at how each line extends the previous line, we can see the progression that this psalm warns us against.
The first progression (walks-stands-sits) shows an increasing association with the world, from walking to standing for longer periods, and then even sitting down to linger, as if in a meal.
The second progression (counsel-way-seat) shows an increasing internalization of worldly influence. At first, it is receiving counsel, but then it moves into actively walking in the way of that counsel, and then finally, sitting in the seat of judgment as a representative of that way of thinking.
The last progression (wicked-sinners-scoffers) demonstrates an increasing hostility in the nature of the people that influence them. “Wicked” refers to those who are evil or mischievous in nature; “sinners” are people who are guilty of moral wrong by committing sin; “scoffers” are people who openly deride, mock or scorn the things of God.
Path #2
The word “but” in verse 2 sets up the contrasting path: “his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
In this path, the blessed man delights in God’s law, meditating on it constantly. This meditating is described as if one is murmuring under one’s breath, constantly reminding themselves of the truth.
As a result, the word of God gets into their hearts and is internalized so that it impacts the way they live. Unlike the wicked man who associates with the ungodly and ends up following their ways, the blessed man will be counted among the “congregation of the righteous.” (v. 5)
Though we often focus on the meditating part (v. 2), I think this psalm is actually a warning. Our meditating on God’s Word is not the end. Rather, it is our standing with God is far more important than how many times we successfully complete a quiet time. This standing is what enables us to withstand the judgment of God to come and not be blown away like chaff (v. 4).
On the positive end, verse 3 provides us with a good motivation to meditate constantly on God’s Word: we experience success and blessing that is permanent, unlike the light and fleeting pleasures of evil. There is a substance, sturdiness, and fruitfulness that comes from being tied to the source of life. In this metaphor, we are reminded that the tree is strong and vibrant because it is “planted by streams of water” that nourish and water it.
This in turn produces all the outward signs of health in a tree: fruitfulness in the right time and colorful leaves that can absorb sunlight for additional food through photosynthesis. It gives blessing to others through its fruit.
In exploring a cross-reference, I discovered another similar metaphor used in Jeremiah 17:7-8. Here, I learned that in addition to meditating on God’s Word, this fruitfulness comes also from trusting in the Lord:
“7 Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
8 He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
In times of fear, as Jeremiah was describing, those who trust God will be well-watered because its roots are fed by the stream. Despite the many opportunities to be anxious, this person who has filled his mind with God’s truth and meditates on it in those moments will not be fearful. Their leaves will still remain green, which means it will be able to continue feeding itself with sunlight—something in plentiful supply during years of drought—and will therefore continue to bear fruit.
Praying the Word
However, if you’re like me, you know all too well that even though you desire to be as the fruitful, growing tree, there is no way that we can experience this if we’re counting on our own faithfulness. Even if we do, it’s more of a hit or miss kind of thing. It’s either feast or famine, depending on the circumstances of life.
So how can this psalm help us pray?
Praise: that we are now connected to the Living Water, whose streams of life feed us. He is the one who makes us flourish and bear fruit.
Thanksgiving: for our righteous standing in Christ, the only perfect Man who does meditate on the law day and night—unlike us. Those of us who are in Him no longer need to rely on our own faithfulness but can rest in His perfect faithfulness. His righteousness is now ours when we place our trust in Him, not our faithful Scripture reading and prayer.
Confession: your inability to practice this psalm perfectly, and any “rules” about Bible study or prayer you may have believed are required to earn His favor.
Petitions:
That we may, out of love for Christ, choose to spend more time with Him than the voices of the mockers and scoffers that inundate us through the news, social media, or YouTube.
That we may stand firm and true in faith in Christ, walking in His ways, knowing that when we do, we can be confident that we will stand in the day of judgment.
For help to follow the example of Christ and spend your time in His Word on a regular basis. Ask Him to teach you how to meditate on it and pray truths throughout your day.
That in this union, we will bear good and lasting fruit that reflects our connection with this Tree.
Intercession: for those we know that have yet to choose the way of Christ, that they may turn their hearts to Him through His Word, that Scripture will pierce their hearts and help them to see their need for Him. Pray that they would not be blown away as chaff when they stand before the Lord.
In my next post, we’ll look at Psalm 2. While Psalm 1 tells us there is only one way to the blessed life, Psalm 2 tells us there is only one King. Only He is worth following. Together, these truths are what are key to the blessed life.
