Psalm 1 describes a man who walks with the Lord. The Psalm begins with an exclamation: “Blessed is the man,” meaning, how completely happy is the man. Martin Luther said: “All men inquire after happiness, that it might go well for them in their life, but the Lord condemns every way men may devise from their own thoughts in the matter and declares the only true way of blessedness, which men know nothing of apart from the Lord’s word.”
The Psalm begins with a beatitude and ends with the judgment and final separation of men, much like the Sermon on the Mount. It sets before us the possibility of true happiness-- the light of the Lord imparting to the soul a joyful heart in knowing that God is worthy to be served and obeyed.
In order to walk with the Lord, you have to begin and know where you are headed. Psalm 32 says, “Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit.” This is where one begins with the Lord, openly confessing his sin, knowing that the Lord is full of mercy.
The forgiven man is the one who can dwell on the things of God with delight, and who learns that the glory of the Lord is to be preferred over all things. The soul who walks with the Lord must learn to pray, “Hallowed by thy name” and to pray for the grace to enable him to glorify God. He is first described in Psalm 1 by what he does not make a habitual practice of in his life: “who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.”
People who are determined to have healthy bodies deny themselves tempting morsels that can damage their bodies or habits that are connected to health problems. Likewise, the man walking with the Lord says no to ungodliness and unrighteousness, the sinful passions that war against his soul. Healthy souls practice self-denial. The renewed man’s happiness is connected to his enjoyment of God, and sin will diminish that joy.
In verse 2, the blessed man is one who delights in the word of the Lord and meditates on it consistently and thoughtfully. This is a healthy diet for the happy soul. Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. God is like the spring that bubbles out forever, giving the soul infinite satisfaction. Learn of me, says the Lord to his people. Read the Scriptures with faith and you will learn to delight in God.
In verse 3, we see the result of the Lord’s word in the soul of the blessed man: “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season.” The tree here in this beautiful comparison is not a wild tree, but one planted in a favorable situation. Every redeemed soul can view himself like a tree planted by the Lord. Will the Lord not provide for his tree?
The fallen world we live in is compared to a wilderness, or a desert. The only way to prosper in the wilderness is to be provided for. The “streams” are the Spirit of the Lord applying the word of the Lord to our souls. The “season” for us to bear fruit is the days the Lord has given to us before we see him. We don’t want to make a short season shorter by wasting time but to use our time to honor the Lord. Turn Scripture reading into praise, prayer, and thanksgiving. Spend time with the Lord and a fruitful tree you will be.
In verse 4, the wicked are compared to chaff blown away by the wind. This dismal comparison is to show that we can only please God through faith. God searches into the motives and intentions of the heart. The “wicked” are all sinners outside of Christ, and verse 5 says that they will not stand in the judgment. That verdict needs no explanation.
Whatever doubts may now exist, the time is coming when the wicked are to take their proper place and be seen in their true character. But the Lord knows the way of the righteous; he knows them from the beginning to the end. Faith looks to the hand of heaven in this earthly pilgrimage. Blessedness, now and forever, is in knowing God.
