Bible Book: Psalms
Chapter: 1
Verse: 1
Verse (to): 6
The Book of (150) Psalms can be described as the recording of faithful Jews celebrating God’s covenant, as well as grappling with their personal and Israel’s national disasters in the light of the covenant. This fascinating collection of hymns, laments, songs, thanksgivings, wisdom, liturgies, etcetera, (covering mostly all of life’s seasons and faith’s settings) opens with a psalm that seems quite simple and straightforward.
This psalm is not trying to simplify life’s complexities, difficulties and obscurities. It is, however, calling our attention to the importance of making the right choices. It is not enough to choose your destination; you also need to choose the road you travel on. Authentic life or true faith is about choosing the law of the Lord above bad friends (v 1-2) and this means following the path of the righteous and not that of the unrighteous (v 6).
We can summarise the Psalm by reading the first and last verses together. “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” (v 1), “for the LORD watches over the way of the righteous” (v 6 – NIV). A blessed life is the life where we journey along the road where God daily watches over us, in other words, living under the watchful eyes of the loving God.
Psalm 1 beckons the reader to travel this road.
The parable of Psalm 1 promises that the person walking before God and delighting in his law will be like a fruit tree planted near a constant stream (v 3). Even when life’s dry winds and cold winds blow, the end result will not be like blown away chaff (v 4), but there will still be fruit to sustain and leaves to heal (cf Rev 22:2).
To think about or discuss: How can the church help people who have made good choices to live daily according to these choices?
To think about or discuss: How can the church help people who have made good choices to live daily according to these choices?
Author: N du Toit (Ds)
Language: English