GOD’S WISDOM
Psalm 1:1–6
Our worship of God should be expressive and encompass every area of our lives, including our thanksgiving, our repentance, our teachings, our community and our personal wisdom. Psalm 1 functions as an introduction to the Book of Psalms. It describes two ways of life — the way of the godly and the way of the wicked. Key emphases within Psalm 1 are a commitment on behalf of God’s people to a distinctive lifestyle that includes avoiding the company of the wicked, sinners and mockers and being committed to obedience to the Word of God. Other wisdom psalms include Psalm 37, 49, 73, 112, 128 and 133.
The Righteous Person (1–2)
The psalm opens with a strong exclamation. Psalm 1 highlights the difference between a godly person and a wicked person in terms of their thinking, how they live and how they relate to God. How blessed or happy is the individual who does not walk in the way or path of the ungodly. The godly neither walk, stand or sit in the company of sinners. Notice the progression from walking to sitting and then to standing with sinners, seeking their approval and fellowship in thinking, behaving and belonging. The progression can only lead to a lifestyle that does not glorify God.
A shift occurs from negative refusal to positive delight. After the description of the negative in verse 1, verse 2 describes the positive. The psalmist highlights meditation on God’s Word as the way of righteous wisdom. Whatever shapes a human’s thinking shapes his or her life. Rather than a quick read of the Lord’s instruction before we rush to our daily duties, believers should meditate on God’s Word. The Hebrew term translated “meditate” has the connotation of “moan” or “groan,” as in musing in deep thought.
Delighting in God’s instruction and meditating on God’s law result in being planted by streams and provide the prerequisite for godly prosperity. Each believer needs to take a stand against the peer pressure of an individual or the crowds.
How are my thoughts and behaviors influenced by worldly wisdom?
Benefits of Righteousness (3–4)
Through meditation on God’s Word, believers become like an evergreen tree planted beside a flowing stream. In Old Testament wisdom literature, the tree is a metaphor for wisdom. Proverbs 3:18 states, “[Wisdom] is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who hold on to her are happy.”
Many individuals whom I know lack roots. Unlike the planted tree, the ungodly are like the chaff blown by the wind — light, purposelessness, rootless and unproductive. Believers must stand strongly against the pressure of our culture. The biggest mistake is walking and following the advice of the wicked. How are you experiencing the blessings of walking in God’s wisdom?
Day of Judgment (5–6)
The psalmist sets forth his conclusion in these two verses that contrast the ultimate fates of the wicked and the righteous. The way or path of the wicked results in standing before God in judgment, whether the judgment occurs during their lifetimes or after death.
The wicked have no defense before a holy God. One commentator described the wicked as not having a “leg to stand on” — no excuses and no one to blame but themselves. They choose the path or way of ruin.
Am I seeking to know God daily through His Word? What steps should I take to walk more closely to Him?
By Mark Rathel
Pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in DeFuniak Springs, Florida
