Salmos 1
Bruce Hurt · Citado em PreceptAustin
Salmos 1:1
LIKE A TREE FIRMLY PLANTED... IN GOD'S HOLY WORD Psalm 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and has not stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of evil men. Amplified: BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. NET: How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the assembly of scoffers! (NET Bible) NJB: How blessed is anyone who rejects the advice of the wicked and does not take a stand in the path that sinners tread, nor a seat in company with cynics, (NJB) Young's Literal: O the happiness of that one, who Hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked. And in the way of sinners hath not stood, And in the seat of scorners hath not sat; BLESSING IN THE PSALMS Blessing (bless, blessed) is a common theme in the Psalms (108 times in 98 verses - with approximately 47 referring to blessing the LORD and about 57 God blessing men, with the remainder difficult to classify - as an aside this makes for an interesting study, especially to see who it is that God blesses and how this blessing is manifested. See all uses in "Wisdom" Literature - Job, Psalms, Proverbs)... Bless* in Job, Psalms, Proverbs - Job 1:10; Job 1:21; Job 29:11; Job 29:13; Job 42:12; Ps. 1:1; Ps. 2:12; Ps. 3:8; Ps. 5:12; Ps. 16:7; Ps. 18:46; Ps. 21:3; Ps. 21:6; Ps. 24:5; Ps. 26:12; Ps. 28:6; Ps. 28:9; Ps. 29:11; Ps. 31:21; Ps. 32:1; Ps. 32:2; Ps. 33:12; Ps. 34:1; Ps. 34:8; Ps. 37:22; Ps. 37:26; Ps. 40:4; Ps. 41:1; Ps. 41:2; Ps. 41:13; Ps. 45:2; Ps. 62:4; Ps. 63:4; Ps. 65:4; Ps. 65:10; Ps. 66:8; Ps. 66:20; Ps. 67:1; Ps. 67:6; Ps. 67:7; Ps. 68:19; Ps. 68:26; Ps. 68:35; Ps. 72:15; Ps. 72:17; Ps. 72:18; Ps. 72:19; Ps. 84:4; Ps. 84:5; Ps. 84:6; Ps. 84:12; Ps. 89:15; Ps. 89:52; Ps. 94:12; Ps. 96:2; Ps. 100:4; Ps. 103:1; Ps. 103:2; Ps. 103:20; Ps. 103:21; Ps. 103:22; Ps. 104:1; Ps. 104:35; Ps. 106:3; Ps. 106:48; Ps. 107:38; Ps. 109:17; Ps. 109:28; Ps. 112:1; Ps. 112:2; Ps. 113:2; Ps. 115:12; Ps. 115:13; Ps. 115:15; Ps. 115:18; Ps. 118:26; Ps. 119:1; Ps. 119:2; Ps. 119:12; Ps. 124:6; Ps. 127:5; Ps. 128:1; Ps. 128:4; Ps. 128:5; Ps. 129:8; Ps. 132:15; Ps. 133:3; Ps. 134:1; Ps. 134:2; Ps. 134:3; Ps. 135:19; Ps. 135:20; Ps. 135:21; Ps. 137:8; Ps. 137:9; Ps. 144:1; Ps. 144:15; Ps. 145:1; Ps. 145:2; Ps. 145:10; Ps. 145:21; Ps. 146:5; Ps. 147:13; Prov. 3:13; Prov. 3:33; Prov. 5:18; Prov. 8:32; Prov. 8:34; Prov. 10:6; Prov. 10:7; Prov. 10:22; Prov. 11:11; Prov. 11:26; Prov. 16:20; Prov. 20:7; Prov. 20:21; Prov. 22:9; Prov. 24:25; Prov. 27:14; Prov. 28:14; Prov. 28:20; Prov. 30:11; Prov. 31:28; Eccl. 10:17 Donne - How abundantly is that word Blessed multiplied in the Book of Psalms! The book seems to be made out of that word, and the foundation raised upon that Word, for it is the first word of the book. But in all the book there is not one Woe. Play this beautiful song...then, enabled by the Holy Spirit, put the blessed truth of Psalm 1 into practice...you will never regret it beloved! Planted By the Waters Note: In this song the words "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD..." are from the parallel passage in Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For (TERM OF EXPLANATION - WHAT IS HE EXPLAINING?) he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream (cf John 7:37-39+) And will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit." (HALLELUJAH!) Let us take a moment to scan over some of the uses of bless, blessed and blessing in the Psalms as we prepare to study key to the blessed life in Christ... Ps 2:12 Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge (PUT THEIR TRUST) in Him! Have we a share in this blessedness? Do we trust in him? Our faith may be slender as a spider's thread; but if it be real, we are in our measure blessed. The more we trust, the more fully shall we know this blessedness. We may therefore close the Psalm with the prayer of the apostles: -- "Lord, increase our faith." (Spurgeon) Psalm 5:12 For it is Thou who dost bless the righteous man, O LORD, Thou dost surround him with favor as with a shield. This is a promise of infinite length, of unbounded breadth, and of unutterable preciousness. (Spurgeon) Psalm 24:5 (Ps 24:1-3,4 - Context for who "he" is) He shall receive a blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. So that the saints need salvation; they receive righteousness, and the blessing is a boon from God their Saviour. They do not ascend the hill of the Lord (Ps 24:3,4) as givers but as receivers, and they do not wear their own merits, but a righteousness which they have received (2Co 5:21, 1Co 1:29-31). Holy living ensures a blessing as its reward from the thrice Holy God, but it is itself a blessing of the New Covenant and a delightful fruit of the Spirit. God first gives us good works (Eph 2:10), and then rewards us for them (Rev 22:12, 2Co 5:10). Grace is not obscured by God's demand for holiness, but is highly exalted as we see it decking the saint with jewels, and clothing him in fair white linen; all this sumptuous array being a free gift of mercy. (Spurgeon) Ps 32:1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! Blessed. Like the Sermon on the Mount (see notes Matthew 5:1ff), this Psalm begins with beatitudes. This is the second Psalm of benediction. The first Psalm (see notes Psalm 1) describes the result of holy blessedness, the thirty-second details the cause of it. The first pictures the tree in full growth, this depicts it in its first planting and watering. He who in the first Psalm is a reader of God's book, is here a suppliant at God's throne accepted and heard. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven. He is now blessed and ever shall be. Be he ever so poor, or sick, or sorrowful, he is blessed in very deed. Pardoning mercy is of all things in the world most to be prized, for it is the only and sure way to happiness. To hear from God's own Spirit the words, "absolvo te" is joy unspeakable. Blessedness is not in this case ascribed to the man who has been a diligent law keeper, for then it would never come to us, but rather to a lawbreaker, who by grace most rich and free has been forgiven. Self righteous Pharisees have no portion in this blessedness. Over the returning prodigal, the word of welcome is here pronounced, and the music and dancing begin. A full, instantaneous, irreversible pardon of transgression turns the poor sinner's hell into heaven, and makes the heir of wrath a partaker in blessing. The word rendered forgiven is in the original taken off or taken away, as a burden is lifted or a barrier removed. What a lift is here! It cost our Saviour a sweat of blood to bear our load, yea, it cost Him His life to bear it quite away. Samson carried the gates of Gaza, but what was that to the weight which Jesus bore on our behalf? Whose sin is covered. Covered by God, as the ark was covered by the mercyseat, as Noah was covered from the flood, as the Egyptians were covered by the depths of the sea. What a cover must that be which hides away forever from the sight of the all seeing God all the filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit! He who has once seen sin in its horrible deformity, will appreciate the happiness of seeing it no more for ever. Christ's atonement is the propitiation, the covering, the making an end of sin; where this is seen and trusted in, the soul knows itself to be now accepted in the Beloved, and therefore enjoys a conscious blessedness which is the antepast (a foretaste) of heaven. It is clear from the text that a man may know that he is pardoned: where would be the blessedness of an unknown forgiveness? Clearly it is a matter of knowledge, for it is the ground of comfort. Verse 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity. The word blessed is in the plural, oh, the blessednesses! the double joys, the bundles of happiness, the mountains of delight! Note the three words so often used to denote our disobedience: transgression, sin, and iniquity, are the three headed dog at the gates of hell, but our glorious Lord has silenced his barkings for ever against his own believing ones. The trinity of sin is overcome by the Trinity of heaven. Non imputation is of the very essence of pardon: the believer sins, but his sin is not reckoned, not accounted to him. Certain divines froth at the mouth with rage against imputed righteousness, be it ours to see our sin not imputed, and to us may there be as Paul words it, "Righteousness imputed without works." He is blessed indeed who has a substitute to stand for him to whose account all his debts may be set down. And in whose spirit there is no guile. He who is pardoned, has in every case been taught to deal honestly with himself, his sin, and his God. Forgiveness is no sham, and the peace which it brings is not caused by playing tricks with conscience. Self deception and hypocrisy bring no blessedness, they may drug the soul into hell with pleasant dreams, but into the heaven of true peace they cannot conduct their victim. Free from guilt, free from guile. Those who are justified from fault are sanctified from falsehood. A liar is not a forgiven soul. Treachery, double dealing, chicanery, dissimulation, are lineaments of the devil's children, but he who is washed from sin is truthful, honest, simple, and childlike. There can be no blessedness to tricksters with their plans, and tricks, and shuffling, and pretending: they are too much afraid of discovery to be at ease; their house is built on the volcano's brink, and eternal destruction must be their portion. Observe the three words to describe sin, and the three words to represent pardon, weigh them well, and note their meaning. (Spurgeon) Ps 34:8 O taste (imperative = not a suggestion but a command see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) and see (another imperative) that the LORD is good. How blessed is the man who takes refuge (places his trust) in Him! O taste and see. Make a trial, an inward, experimental trial of the goodness of God. You cannot see except by tasting for yourself; but if you taste you shall see, for this, like Jonathan's honey, enlightens the eyes. That the Lord is good. You can only know this really and personally by experience. There is the banquet with its oxen and fatlings; its fat things full of marrow, and wine on the lees well refined; but their sweetness will be all unknown to you except you make the blessings of grace your own, by a living, inward, vital participation in them. Blessed is the man that trusts in Him. Faith is the soul's taste; they who test the Lord by their confidence always find Him good, and they become themselves blessed. The second clause of the verse, is the argument in support of the exhortation contained in the first sentence. (Spurgeon) Ps 40:4 How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. Blessed. This is an exclamation similar to that of the first Psalm, "Oh, the happiness of the man." God's blessings are emphatic, "I wot ( know) that he whom Thou blesses is blessed," indeed and in very truth. Is that man that maketh the Lord his trust. Faith obtains promises. A simple single eyed confidence in God is the sure mark of blessedness. A man may be as poor as Lazarus, as hated as Mordecai, as sick as Hezekiah, as lonely as Elijah, but while his hand of faith can keep its hold on God, none of his outward afflictions can prevent his being numbered among the blessed; but the wealthiest and most prosperous man who has no faith is accursed, be he who he may. (Spurgeon) Ps 84:12 O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in Thee! Here is the key of the Psalm. The worship is that of faith, and the blessedness is peculiar to believers. No formal worshipper can enter into this secret. A man must know the Lord by the life of real faith, or he can have no true rejoicing in the Lord's worship, his house, his Son, or his ways. Dear reader, how fares it with thy soul? (Spurgeon) What is the blessing associated with or "effected" by in this Psalm? Trust (cp Jer 17:7, 8). Faith. Believing (see word study on verb pisteuo). For example, do you really believe God has granted you "everything (how much? Greek word pas = all without exception!) necessary for life (zoe = not just breathing, but life abundant which is Jesus' desire for us, Jn 10:10) and godliness through (preposition "dia" = the conduit through which "life and godliness" flow, so to speak) the true knowledge of Him (thus the vital importance of daily "eating" His pure, unadulterated Word of Truth and Life - 1Pe 2:2-note, Mt 4:4, Dt 8:2, 3, 16, Php 2:16-note) who called us by His own glory and excellence" (2Pe 1:3-note)? Remember that trusting is not a passive mindset, but a reflects an active, volitional, submissive change in our thinking, which results in a change in our doing. If you truly believe, you will behave according to how, what and Who you believe. A disconnect in this dynamic is the essence of Pharisaical hypocrisy. Do not be deceived, beloved brethren (Jas 1:22-note, Jas 1:25-note; see related discussion re the NT phrase the obedience of faith) Ps 94:12 Blessed is the man (Hebrew = geber = Hebrew root commonly associated with warfare and has to do with the strength and vitality of the successful warrior; relates to the male at the height of his powers) whom You chasten, O LORD, and whom You teach out of Your law; Blessed is the man whom Thou chastens, O LORD. The psalmist's mind is growing quiet. He no longer complains to God or argues with men, but tunes his harp to softer melodies, for his faith perceives that with the most afflicted believer all is well. Though he may not feel blessed while smarting under the rod of chastisement, yet blessed he is; he is precious in God's sight, or the Lord would not take the trouble to correct him, and right happy will the results of his correction be (see notes Hebrews 12:5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11). The psalmist calls the chastened one a "man" in the best sense, using the Hebrew word which implies strength. He is a man, indeed, who is under the teaching and training of the Lord. (Spurgeon) Ps 106:3 How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times! Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times. Multiplied are the blessings which must descend upon the whole company of the keepers of the way of justice, and especially upon that one rare man who at all times follows that which is right. Holiness is happiness. The way of right is the way of peace. Yet men leave this road, and prefer the paths of the destroyer. Hence the story which follows is in sad contrast with the happiness here depicted, because the way of Israel was not that of judgment and righteousness, but that of folly and iniquity. The Psalmist, while contemplating the perfections of God, was impressed with the feeling that the servants of such a being must be happy, and when he looked around and saw how the tribes of old prospered when they obeyed, and suffered when they sinned, he was still more fully assured of the truth of his conclusion. O could we but be free of sin we should be rid of sorrow! We would not only be just, but "keep judgment"; we would not be content with occasionally acting rightly, but would "do justice at all times." (Spurgeon) Ps 112:1 Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. According to the last verse of Psalm 111, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; this man, therefore, has begun to be wise, and wisdom has brought him present happiness, and secured him eternal felicity. Jehovah is so great that He is to be feared and had in reverence of all them that are round about Him, and He is at the same time so infinitely good that the fear is sweetened into filial love, and becomes a delightful emotion, by no means engendering bondage. There is a slavish fear which is accursed; but that godly fear which leads to delight in the service of God is infinitely blessed. Jehovah is to be praised both for inspiring men with godly fear and for the blessedness which they enjoy in consequence thereof. We ought to bless God for blessing any man, and especially for setting the seal of his approbation upon the godly. His favour towards the God fearing displays His character and encourages gracious feelings in others, therefore let Him be praised. That delighteth greatly in His commandments. The man not only studies the divine precepts and endeavours to observe them, but rejoices to do so: Holiness is his happiness, Devotion is his delight, Truth is his treasure. He rejoices in the precepts of godliness, yea, and delights greatly in them. We have known hypocrites rejoice in the doctrines, but never in the commandments. Ungodly men may in some measure obey the commandments out of fear, but only a gracious man will observe them with delight. Cheerful obedience is the only acceptable obedience He who obeys reluctantly is disobedient at heart, but he who takes pleasure in the command is truly loyal. If through divine grace we find ourselves described in these two sentences, let us give all the praise to God, for He hath wrought all our works in us, and the dispositions out of which they spring. Let self righteous men praise themselves, but he who has been made righteous by grace renders all the praise to the Lord. Ps 119:1 How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed. The psalmist is so enraptured with the Word of God that he regards it as the highest ideal of blessedness to be conformed to it. He has gazed on the beauties of the perfect law, and, as if this verse were the sum and outcome of all his emotions, he exclaims, Blessed is the man whose life is the practical transcript of the will of God. True religion is not cold and dry; it has its exclamations and raptures. We not only judge the keeping of God’s law to be a wise and proper thing, but we are warmly enamored of its holiness, and cry out in adoring wonder, “Blessed are the undefiled!”—meaning thereby that we eagerly desire to become such ourselves, and wish for no greater happiness than to be perfectly holy. This first verse is not only a preface to the whole psalm, but it may also be regarded as the text upon which the rest is a discourse. It is similar to the benediction of Psalm 1, which is set in the forefront of the entire book: there is a likeness between this Psalm 119 and the Psalter, and this is one point of it, that it begins with a benediction. In this, too, we see some foreshadowings of the Son of David, who began His great sermon as David (Ed: the author of Ps 119 is not stated but could be David. Some think Ezra the Scribe) began His great psalm. When we cannot bestow blessings, we can show the way of obtaining them, and even if we do not yet possess them ourselves, it may be profitable to contemplate them, that our desires may be excited, and our souls moved to seek after them. As David thus begins his psalm, so should young men begin their lives, so should new converts commence their life of faith, so should all Christians begin every day. Holiness is happiness, and it is our wisdom first to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Mankind began with being blessed in innocence, and if our fallen race is ever to be blessed again, it must find it where it lost it at the beginning, in conformity to the command of the Lord. Ps 119:2 How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies. What! A second blessing? Yes, they are doubly blessed whose outward life is supported by an inward zeal for God's glory. In the first verse we had an undefiled way, and it was taken for granted that the purity in the way was not mere surface work, but was attended by the inward truth and life which comes of divine grace. Here that which was implied is expressed. Blessedness is ascribed to those who treasure up the testimonies of the Lord: in which is implied that they search the Scriptures, that they come to an understanding of them, that they love them, and then that they continue in the practice of them. We must first get a thing before we can keep it. In order to keep it well we must get a firm grip of it: we cannot keep in the heart that which we have not heartily embraced by the affections. God's word is His witness or testimony to grand and important truths which concern Himself and our relation to Him: this we should desire to know; knowing it, we should believe it; believing it, we should love it; and loving it, we should hold it fast against all comers. There is a doctrinal keeping of the word when we are ready to die for its defence, and a practical keeping of it when we actually live under its power. Revealed truth is precious as diamonds, and should be kept or treasured up in the memory and in the heart as jewels in a casket, or as the law was kept in the ark; this however is not enough, for it is meant for practical use, and therefore it must be kept or followed, as men keep to a path, or to a line of business. If we keep God's testimonies They will keep us They will keep us right in opinion, comfortable in spirit, holy in conversation, and hopeful in expectation. If they were ever worth having, and no thoughtful person will question that, then they are worth keeping; their designed effect does not come through a temporary seizure of them, but by a persevering keeping of them: "in keeping of them there is great reward." We are bound to keep with all care the word of God, because it is his testimonies. He gave them to us, but they are still his own. We are to keep them as a watchman guards his master's house, as a steward husbands his lord's goods, as a shepherd keeps his employer's flock. We shall have to give an account, for we are put in trust with the gospel, and woe to us if we be found unfaithful. We cannot fight a good fight, nor finish our course, unless we keep the faith. To this end the Lord must keep us: only those who are kept by the power of God unto salvation will ever be able to keep his testimonies. What a blessedness is therefore evidenced and testified by a careful belief in God's word, and a continual obedience thereunto. God has blessed them, is blessing them, and will bless them for ever. That blessedness which David saw in others he realized for himself, for in Psalms 119:168 he says, "I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies," and in Ps 119:54-56 he traces his joyful songs and happy memories to this same keeping of the law, and he confesses, "This I had because I kept thy precepts." Doctrines which we teach to others we should experience for ourselves. And that seek him with the whole heart. Those who keep the Lord's testimonies are sure to seek after Himself. If His word is precious we may be sure that He Himself is still more so. Personal dealing with a personal God is the longing of all those who have allowed the word of the Lord to have its full effect upon them. If we once really know the power of the gospel we must seek the God of the gospel. "O that I knew where I might find HIM," will be our wholehearted cry. See the growth which these sentences indicate: first, in the way, then walking in it, then finding and keeping the treasure of truth, and to crown all, seeking after the Lord of the way Himself. Note also that the further a soul advances in grace the more spiritual and divine are its longings: an outward walk does not content the gracious soul, nor even the treasured testimonies; it reaches out in due time after God Himself, and when it in a measure finds Him, still yearns for more of Him, and seeks Him still. Seeking after God signifies a desire to commune with Him more closely, to follow Him more fully, to enter into more perfect union with His mind and will, to promote His glory, and to realize completely all that He is to holy hearts. The blessed man has God already, and for this reason he seeks him. This may seem a contradiction: it is only a paradox. God is not truly sought by the cold researches of the brain: We must seek him with the heart. Love reveals itself to love: God manifests His heart to the heart of His people. It is in vain that we endeavour to comprehend Him by reason; we must apprehend Him by affection. But the heart must not be divided with many objects if the Lord is to be sought by us (see Matthew 6:24-note; cp one thing I do - see Philippians 3:13-note). God is one, and we shall not know Him till our heart is one. A broken heart need not be distressed at this, for no heart is so whole in its seeking after God as a heart which is broken, whereof every fragment sighs and cries after the great Father's face. It is the divided heart which the doctrine of the text censures, and strange to say, in scriptural phraseology, a heart may be divided and not broken, and it may be broken but not divided; and yet again it may be broken and be whole, and it never can be whole until it is broken. When our whole heart seeks the holy God in Christ Jesus it has come to Him of Whom it is written, "as many as touched Him were made perfectly whole." That which the Psalmist admires in this verse he claims in the tenth, where he says, "With my whole heart have I sought thee." It is well when admiration of a virtue leads to the attainment of it. Those who do not believe in the blessedness of seeking the Lord will not be likely to arouse their hearts to the pursuit, but he who calls another blessed because of the grace which he sees in him is on the way to gaining the same grace for himself. If those who seek the Lord are blessed, what shall be said of those who actually dwell with Him and know that He is theirs? "To those who fall, how kind thou art! How good to those who seek! But what to those who find? Ah! this Nor tongue nor pen can show: The love of Jesus -- what it is, None but His loved ones know." Ps 146:5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help. Heaped up is his happiness. He has happiness indeed: the true and the real delight is with him. The God of Jacob is the God of the covenant, the God of wrestling prayer, the God of the tried believer; he is the only living and true God. The God of Jacob is Jehovah, who appeared unto Moses, and led the tribes of Jacob out of Egypt, and through the wilderness. Those are happy who trust him, for they shall never be ashamed or confounded. The Lord never dies, neither do his thoughts perish: his purpose of mercy, like himself, endures throughout all generations. Hallelujah! Whose hope is in the LORD his God. He is happy in help for the present and in hope for the future, who has placed all his confidence in Jehovah, who is his God by a covenant of salt (See Trumbull's Covenant of Salt). Happy is he when others are despairing! Happiest shall he be in that very hour when others are discovering the depths of agony. We have here a statement which we have personally tried and proved: resting in the Lord, we know a happiness which is beyond description, beyond comparison, beyond conception. O how blessed a thing it is to know that God is our present help, and our eternal hope. Full assurance is more than heaven in the bud, the flower has begun to open. We would not exchange with Caesar; his sceptre is a bauble, but our bliss is true treasure. In each of the two titles here given, namely, "the God of Jacob", and "Jehovah his God", there is a peculiar sweetness. Either one of them has a fountain of joy in it; but the first will not cheer us without the second. Unless Jehovah be his God no man can find confidence in the fact that he was Jacob's God. But when by faith we know the Lord to be ours, then we are "rich to all the intents of bliss." Psalm 1. The decisive contrast - J A Motyer - New Bible Commentary - available to borrow from archive.org Psalm 1 introduces the whole book of Psalms. First, it is a psalm of faith (3d). This promise of prosperity is not a pledge of good fortune in return for good behaviour—the Psalms know life too well for that! (see 42, 73). Rather, just as we continue to say ‘I believe in God the Father Almighty’ yet find that life often seems to deny both his fatherliness and his almightiness, so also v 3 professes a ‘creed’: this world is God’s world and those who side with him will surely and ultimately enjoy blessing (6). Secondly, it is a psalm of commitment: to a distinct lifestyle (1) and to the word of God (2). Indeed ‘distinctiveness’ is the theme around which the poem is structured. A1 (v 1) The way of blessedness B1 (v 2) Continuance in the Lord’s law C1 (v 3) The enduring fruit tree C2 (v 4) The impermanent chaff B2 (v 5) No standing in the Lord’s judgment A2 (v 6) The way of perishing 1 The way of blessedness: present life. Depending on context Blessed can mean under God’s blessing, happy or fulfilled, or intrinsically right. All three meanings suit here. But the blessing and happiness are by-products of commitment to the life that is right. Walk … stand … sit. Our distinctiveness must show in our lifestyle. 2 Continuance in the Lord’s law. Law, ‘teaching’, such as a caring parent offers to a loved child (Pr. 3:1). Delight … meditates. Behind the active obedience of v 1 lies the inward godliness of emotions and mind exercised day and night in the word of God. 3 The enduring, fruitful tree. Planted (lit.) ‘transplanted’, i.e. a new position into which one has been brought (80:8; cf. Col. 1:13). 4 The impermanent chaff. 5 No standing in the Lord’s judgment. Judgment … assembly. At the final divine assessment those who are right with God (righteous) contrast with those who followed their own counsel and, by implication, did not bring their lives within the parameters of divine revelation. 6 The way of perishing: ultimate destiny. Watches over (lit.) ‘knows’, enters into an intimate and loving care of. Perish, the last word, compare this with the initial blessed (1)—a decisive contrast indeed! I. PSALM 1 - KJV Bible Commentary A. The Two Ways. Ps 1:1–6 THEME: The secret of true happiness is found only in God and His Word. The Psalms, like our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, begin with a beatitude. Although not specifically written as an introduction to the Psalter, the first psalm provides a basis for all the psalms that follow. It compares the happiness found in the Lord with the sadness of those who do not know Him. Ps 1:1. The unnamed psalmist describes the godly man, both negatively (vs. 1) and positively (vss. 2–3). Negatively, he lists three types of sinners, three expressions of sin, and three places of sin that are available to, but not frequented by, the godly man. In ascending order they are: Walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, i.e., his conduct is not shaped by worldly standards; nor standeth in the way of sinners, i.e., he does not make his association with evil men; and nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, i.e., he has no fellowship with those who scorn God. Ps 1:2. Positively, the godly man is one who delights in the law of the LORD. The law (Heb tōrah) of the LORD is clearly to be understood as more than Moses’ law. It is synonymous with the Word of God (cf. Ps 78:5; Josh 1:7; 2 Kgs 17:13; 21:8, etc.). Hence, it is in the Word of God he doth meditate day and night. To meditate means to discuss or ponder. As Thomas a Kempis quaintly put it, “I have no rest, but in a nook, with the Book.” That’s meditation. Ps 1:3–4. Lastly, the godly man is described as a tree planted by the rivers of water. The verb planted (Heb shatal) indicates that the godly man did not accidently, nor under his own initiative, take root. He is rooted fast in order that he may bring forth his fruit. The purpose of God’s planting a man in the fertile soil of His grace is always the production of fruit (cf. Eph 2:8–10, Col 1:9–10). The ungodly are not so. The contrast here is striking. The character of the ungodly man is like the chaff. Those who are not planted by the rivers of water (i.e., the Word of God) are not saved and therefore are intrinsically worthless, without substance and easily carried away. Ps 1:5. Positively, the ungodly are described as those who cannot stand in the judgment. When they are brought before the judgment bar of God, they have no retort to God’s just condemnation of their ungodliness (see the comments on 130:3). Ps 1:6. The secret of the godly man’s success is not found in his godliness, but in that the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous. Our loving Lord attends to and provides for those who live godly lives before Him (101:6; Prov 12:10; Hos 13:5). In contrast, all the plans and hopes of the ungodly will end in disappointment and ruin (Ps 37:13; 146:9; Prov 4:19). Two men, two ways, two destinies. One leads to life and blessedness; the other, without God and His Word, is a dead-end street, leading but to death. No one can seriously read this psalm and not examine his own destiny. If we’re going to go to God’s heaven, we have to go in God’s way. Jesus Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (Jn 14:6). KJV Bible Commentary - Hindson, Edward E; Kroll, Woodrow Michael. Over 3000 pages of the entire OT/NT - no restriction on length of time one can use it. Well done conservative commentary that interprets Scripture from a literal perspective (pre-millennial) Has nice, readable maps. See user reviews - it generally gets 4/5 stars from users. HOW BLESSED IS THE MAN: Ps 2:12; Ps 32:1-2; Ps 34:8; Ps 84:12; Ps 106:3; Ps 112:1; Ps 115:12-15; 119:1,2; Ps 144:15; Ps 146:5; Dt 28:2-68; 33:29; Jer 17:7, 8; Mt 16:17; Lk 11:28; Jn 13:17; Jn 20:29; Rev 1:3, 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7,14) Related Passages: May you be blessed as you read these holy words. Psalm 2:12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 84:12 O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You! (TRUSTS = TAKES REFUGE) Psalm 106:3 How blessed are those who keep justice, Who practice righteousness at all times! Psalm 112:1 Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments. Psalms 115:12-15 (GREAT PRAYER TO PRAY FOR OTHERS ESPECIALLY VERSES 14-15 - I PRAY IT FOR YOU AS YOU READ THE TEXT) The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless those who fear the LORD, The small together with the great. 14 May the LORD give you increase, you and your children. 15 May you be blessed of the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 119:1-2 Aleph. How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD (PARALLELS OPENING WORDS OF PSALM 1). 2 How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart. Psalm 144:15 How blessed are the people who are so situated; How blessed are the people whose God is the LORD! Psalm 146:5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, BLESSED, BLESSED THE ONE WHO READS & HEEDS Luke 6:46-49+ “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 “Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 “But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 8:21+ But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.” Luke 11:28+ (Jesus said) Blessed (makarios) are those who hear the word of God, and observe it. John 13:17 (Jesus said) If you know these things, you are blessed (makarios) if you do them. James 1:22+ Prove (present imperative = as your lifestyle or regular practice - see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) yourselves doers (poietes) of the word, and not merely hearers (akroates - like those who audit a course for non-credit!) who delude (paralogizomai = literally to reason alongside; present tense = continually in a state of spiritual delusion) themselves 1 Samuel 15:22 (Samuel to disobedient King Saul from whom the "blessing" would be removed) Has the LORD as much delight (same Hebrew word chephets as in Psalm 1:2) in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. At the outset note that the promise of blessing in Psalm 1 is not for the one who simply reads these beautiful words but who hides and heeds the words in his or her heart. As Jesus' Words emphasize in Luke 11:28 obedience is the key to blessing in both the Old and New Testament. God desires to bless His children because they are as it were, His trophies of redemption, His re-creations in Christ, and as such He desires the lost world to see His glory through believing, obedient children. So as you read and meditate on this great psalm, ask God to open your heart to receive the Word implanted which is able to save your soul, not just the first time but every day as His Spirit takes the Word and sets us progressively more and more apart from the world and unto God. As we read and ponder these precious words let us have tender, even trembling hearts, that we might begin to experience, not just life, which all believers have in Christ, but even abundant life in Christ, the life which is blessed, blessed. Observe in Psalm 1 we encounter two men, two ways and two destinies. This contrast is especially dramatic when one observes words penned at the beginning (blessed) and the end (perish)! Take your choice! In verse 1 we observe the practice of the godly man, in verse 2 the passion and in verse 3 his "permanence". This beatitude psalm describes the "be attitude" man, the one who is spiritually satisfied regardless of the circumstances! You may have read in Spurgeon's comments above on the blessed state in Psalm 32:1-2 (Spurgeon on v1; Verse 2) where he notes that there is an association with the blessednesses in Psalm 1. And indeed there is for Psalm 32 speaks of blessings which are a result of God’s forgiveness of sins. It is on such a firm foundation of God's imputation (reckoning, placing on one's account) of confessing sinners as forgiven sinners (who are saints!), that makes possible the accomplishment the obedience and practical righteousness called for in Psalm 1, especially Psalm 1:1. Forgiven people are blessed people and are in the position (in Christ) to experience even greater blessednesses from our gracious, giving Lord! Amazing grace indeed that not only does He save us but that His desire is then to even blessed us over and above the blessing of salvation! Psalm 1 contrasts the two life styles set out in the wisdom literature and reminds the readers of the choices of life or death, of blessing or curse (cf. Deut 30:11-20). Steele (1674) speaks of the value of the different components of the OT wisdom literature noting that... He that would be wise, let him read the Proverbs He that would be holy, let him read the Psalms. Spurgeon offer this overview of Psalm 1 - This Psalm may be regarded as the preface psalm, having in it a notification of the contents of the entire Book. It is the psalmists' desire to teach us the way to blessedness, and to warn us of the sure destruction of sinners. This, then, is the matter of the first Psalm, which may be looked upon, in some respects, as the text upon which the whole of the Psalms make up a divine sermon. This Psalm consists of two parts: in the first (Psalms 1:1-3) David (Ed: the author is actually not stated) sets out wherein the felicity and blessedness of a godly man consist, what his exercises are, and what blessings he shall receive from the Lord. In the second part (Psalms 1:4-6) he contrasts the state and character of the ungodly, reveals the future, and describes, in telling language, his ultimate doom. Great title for Psalm 1 "Separated and Saturated" -- Warren Wiersbe Warren Wiersbe rightly states that "Two of the most popular words in the Christian vocabulary are bless and blessing. God wants to bless His people. He wants them to be recipients and channels of blessing. God blesses us to make us a blessing to others, but He has given us certain conditions for receiving blessings." (Psalm 1 - Separated and Saturated)(See Wiersbe's related works - Meet yourself in the Psalms BLESSED IN DUPLICATE! BLESSED, BLESSED Blessed (0835) ('esher/'eser related to the verb 'ashar = to go or be straight, to go on, to advance, to be right) and always refers to people but never to God. Vine writes that "Basically, this word connotes the state of “prosperity” or “happiness” that comes when a superior bestows his favor (blessing) on one. In most passages, the one bestowing favor is God Himself = Dt. 33:29. The state that the blessed one enjoys does not always appear to be “happy” = (Job 5:17-18). Eliphaz was not describing Job’s condition as a happy one; it was “blessed,” however, inasmuch as God was concerned about him. Because it was a blessed state and the outcome would be good, Job was expected to laugh at his adversity (Job 5:22). God is not always the one who makes one “blessed.” = 1Ki 10:8." Gilbrant on esher - Occurring only in the plural construct form, this adjective is used to introduce a word of "blessing" (Ecc. 10:17, etc.). It occurs in several different grammatical environments. It occurs before a participle (Ps. 2:12; 32:1; Isa. 30:18); before another noun (1 Ki. 10:8); with a suffix (Deut. 33:29); and before a relative clause without a relative particle (Prov. 8:32). (Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource) Baker on esher - A masculine noun meaning a person's state of bliss. This Hebrew word is always used to refer to people and is never used of God. It is almost exclusively poetic and usually exclamatory, "O the bliss of...." In Proverbs, this blissfulness is frequently connected with wisdom (Prov. 3:13; 8:32, 34). This term is also used to describe a person or nation who enjoys a relationship with God (Deut. 33:29; Job 5:17; Ps. 33:12; 146:5). In some contexts, the word does not seem to have any religious significance (1 Ki. 10:8; Prov. 14:21; Eccl. 10:17), and at least in one context, it has no religious significance (Ps. 137:8, 9). (Complete Word Study Dictionary- Old Testament) 'Esher speaks of the inner contentment in the life of the man or woman who is right or “straight” with God. The man who practices righteousness will be a blessed man. 'Esher describes "a person's state of bliss (Ed: Webster = complete happiness. yjr highest degree of happiness; especially heavenly joys)" (Baker) In Psalm 1:1, the Hebrew literally reads "blessed, blessed", the Hebraic way of indicating superfluity, a truth that we might attempt to translate as "blessednesses". The word blessed ('esher) conveys a deep sense of well-being. 'Esher - 42 OT uses (See notes above for more exposition of some of the Psalms that use 'esher) - Deut. 33:29; 1 Ki. 10:8; 2 Chr. 9:7; Job 5:17; Ps. 1:1; 2:12; 32:1f; 33:12; 34:8; 40:4; 41:1; 65:4; 84:4f, 12; 89:15; 94:12; 106:3; 112:1; 119:1f; 127:5; 128:1f; 137:8f; 144:15; 146:5; Pr. 3:13; 8:32, 34; 14:21; 16:20; 20:7; 28:14; 29:18; Eccl. 10:17; Isa. 30:18; 32:20; 56:2; Dan. 12:12. NAS Usage: blessed(41), happy(4). How blessed - This phrase appears 23x in 22v in the Psalms - This makes an interesting devotional or Sunday School study - What does God say about "how blessed"? - see Ps 1:1; 2:12; 32:1, 2; 34:8; 40:4; 41:1; 65:4; 84:4, 5, 12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 119:1, 2; 127:5; 128:1; 137:8, 9; 144:15; 146:5. (And for "extra credit see the remainder of the 31v that use the phrase "how blessed" 2Ki 10:8, 2Chr 9:7, Pr 3:13; 20:7; 28:14; Isa 30:18; 32:20; 56:2; Da 12:12) One person has written "The word happy is a good rendition of blessed ('esher), provided one keeps in mind that the condition of "bliss" is not merely a feeling. Even when the righteous do not feel happy, they are still considered "blessed" from God's perspective. He bestows this gift on them. Neither negative feelings nor adverse conditions can take his blessing away." A number of the translations render 'esher with the English word "happy", but I prefer the word blessed. In modern use happy speaks more of a feeling. And in general feelings depend on our circumstances or on what happens! I'm happy if what happens is good. I'm not happy if what happens is bad. However that is not the promise of Psalm 1, which speaks more of one's state or condition rather than one's feeling. To be sure, the blessed person can certainly feel happy. The distinction is that when the blessed person of Psalm 1 encounters adverse circumstances, he or she still experiences a state or condition of blessedness. In other words, as the Psalmist promises, the blessed man of Psalm 1 will be like a tree firmly planted, sturdy, and steady and not like a tumble weed tossed about by every wind of circumstance. It is as if the blessed person has an inner strength, a supernatural source of strength, a state of blessedness regardless of the circumstances that one encounters. As Spurgeon so eloquently expresses blessed in the plural "Oh, the blessednesses! The double joys, the bundles of happiness, the mountains of delight!" John
Salmos 1:2
LIKE A TREE FIRMLY PLANTED... IN GOD'S HOLY WORD Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): But his pleasure is in the law of the Lord; and in his law will he meditate day and night. Amplified: But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. NET: Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; he meditates on his commands day and night. (NET Bible) NJB: but who delights in the law of Yahweh and murmurs his law day and night. (NJB) Young's Literal: But--in the law of Jehovah is his delight, And in His law he doth meditate by day and by night: BUT HIS DELIGHT IS IN THE LAW OF THE LORD: Ps 40:8; 112:1; Ps 119:11,35,47,48,72,92; Job 23:11,12; Jer 15:16; Ro 7:22; 1Jn 5:3) See also Delight Yourself in the Lord Psalm 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A W
Salmos 1:3
LIKE A TREE FIRMLY PLANTED... IN GOD'S HOLY WORD Psalm 1:3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever * he does, he prospers. (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): And he shall be as a tree planted by the brooks of waters, which shall yield its fruit in its season, and its leaf shall not fall off; and whatsoever he shall do shall be prospered. Amplified: And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. NET: He is like a tree planted by flowing streams; it yields its fruit at the proper time, and its leaves never fall off. He succeeds in everything he attempts. (NET Bible) NJB: Such a one is like a tree planted near streams; it bears fruit in season and its leaves never wither, and every project succeeds. (NJB) Young's Literal: And he hath been as a tree, Planted by rivulets of water, That giveth its fruit in its season, And its leaf doth not wither, And all that he doth he causeth to prosper. HE WILL BE LIKE A TREE FIRMLY PLANTED BY STREAMS OF WATER: Job 14:9; Isaiah 44:4; Jer 17:7, 8; Ezekiel 17:8; 19:10; 47:12; Rev 22:2 PLANTED BY STREAMS OF WATER He will be - As Joseph Alexander observes "the present and the future insensibly run into each other, so as to to suggest the idea of continuous or permanent condition." (Psalm 1 Commentary) In other words, blessed not only in this life but the life to come! Is this not a desire of your heart dear child of the Living God? Indeed, it is the blessed man or woman who gives irrefutable testimony to the invisible God, their supernatural lives virtually "shouting" that there is a God in heaven Who desires to save, but Who in His justice will be forced to judge all who fail to receive the free gift of eternal life through faith in His Son, Christ Jesus. Play this beautiful song...then, enabled by the Holy Spirit, put the blessed truth of Psalm 1 into practice...you will never regret it beloved! Planted By the Waters Note: In this song the words "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD..." are from the parallel passage in Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit." (HALLELUJAH!) F B
Salmos 1:4-6
Path of Righteous and Wicked Psalm 1:4 The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): Not so the ungodly;-- not so: but rather as the chaff which the wind scatters away from the face of the earth. Amplified: Not so the wicked [those disobedient and living without God are not so]. But they are like the chaff [worthless, dead, without substance] which the wind drives away. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. NET: Not so with the wicked! Instead they are like wind-driven chaff. (NET Bible) NJB: How different the wicked, how different! Just like chaff blown around by the wind (NJB) Young's Literal: Not so the wicked: But--as chaff that wind driveth away! THE WICKED ARE NOT SO BUT THEY ARE LIKE THE CHAFF WHICH THE WIND BLOWS AWAY: Like chaff - Ps 35:5; Job 21:18; Is 17:13; 29:5; Hosea 13:3, Mt 3:12 A STRIKING CONTRAST The wicked - The psalmist addresses them and their effect on the godly and their ultimate fate (Ps 1:1, 4, 5, 6). Clearly the "wicked" represent those who do not believe in Jesus (see their eternal fate in Ps 1:6b). Wicked (07563)(rasha') is an adjective meaning unrighteous, unjust, an evil person, wrong wicked, guilty (legally not innocent of a violation of the law - Ex 23:1, Ps 109:7), in the wrong, criminal, transgressor. Rasha' often describes unbelievers, who hate God and are habitually hostile toward Him. The wicked/ungodly conduct their lives as if God does not exist and with no regard for Him.