April 2, 2019 - The Book of the Psalms contains 150 chapters and was written over a period of twelve centuries. From fifteen hundred BC to three hundred BC.
It is mostly a collection of songs and prayers offered to God on behalf of the Jewish people.
All of the various chapters are centered around the one and only living God. And they each one promote this Creator God as the King of all the earth and a refuge to all who would trust in him as Lord and Master.
This is the same belief as that which is held by the Christians of today which makes the Book of the Psalms pertinent for today as well as yesterday.
The very first of these chapters tells all who read it, the ways of both the righteous and of the wicked and gives all who would follow the Lord, inspiration and hope for a better place to come.
“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;” (Psalm 1:1)
In those few words the Psalmist gives us three things which we must avoid if we are to find ourselves to be blessed of the Lord.
We must not be found living with and as the wicked, to be blessed we cannot live in a house of sinners, we must choose who we will live and associate with in life if we are to be blessed by the Lord. Nor can we sit in the seat of scoffers of which the dictionary says is; “an expression of scorn, derision, or contempt for others.” A direct conflict to that which says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!”
To be blessed one cannot be found to be a part of any of these things, but must instead, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:2)
The blessed man is to read and study the Bible, Gods book of the law, both day and night, meditating on its words that he cannot be deceived by the evil one nor his minions.
For the one who follows God and studies the Word of God is offered a special place, a special life on earth, one of promise and reward to come.
“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.” (Psalm 1:3)
This blessed man has his roots grounded in the fertile soil of the Bible, fed by the living waters of our Lord. He yields the fruit of the gospel throughout his time on earth, leading others to the Holy Spirit that they too might be convicted of their sinful ways and accept the Lord Jesus as their own. Through all the trials and persecutions and ridicule brought upon him by the world he stands strong and the gospel prospers through him as he reflects the goodness of our Lord through his life. Oh, to be a blessed one of God!
"The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” (Psalm 1:4)
There is an age old process for cleaning the hull from the nut of the wheat or barley that is to beat the grain in a pile with sticks and then to toss it all into the air on a day when the wind is blowing. The hull (the chaff) being lighter than the seed (the nut) is then blown away and one is left only with the edible part of the grain.
The wicked have no such root in the good soil of the Bible and so they are blown away by any wind that comes along. They follow after any lie which they hear and so are doomed to the hell of eternity.
“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;” (Psalm 1:5)
The righteous will be judged at the judgement seat of Christ and then allowed to enter into the kingdom of heaven, while the wicked will fall on the day of the Great White Throne Judgement, all of which will be sentenced to hell. And so I ask, in which will you stand?
“For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1:6)
Let me assure you, these two are the only choices we have, we either follow Christ, or we follow the devil, the choice is yours to make. Please, make it wisely for it is eternal…
