Some twenty years ago I was attending a
pastors’ conference in California with about 2,000 pastors in attendance. It was a new experience for me to hear that
many pastors sing some of the great hymns of our faith. After a good message, we had a twenty-minute
recess. A lot of us did not leave the auditorium, but just stood up and
visited. We were commenting on the
wonderful singing when one well-known pastor made this comment: “I don’t think
the average Christian could sing the first verse of the first sacred hymn with
a sincere heart.” I thought that was a
strange statement. Joy bells were still
ringing in my head from the great hymns we had heard an hour before. Later when I was alone with another pastor, I
mentioned that I didn’t understand why the pastor made that statement. He said, “Oh, I can tell you. He’s not talking about the hymn books here in
back of the pews. He is talking about
Psalm One.” To tell you the truth, I was
somewhat shocked, but I didn’t want anyone to know it. The first chance I got to be by myself, I
opened the Bible to the book of Psalms and read the first verse: "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.”
Psalm
One is introduced with the words
“Blessed is the man.” We need to
understand what this phrase means.
“Blessed” here means “happy” or “joyful,” but it is more than that. This
is a declaration about a person who is godly. The godly man is “BLESSED” with an intimate
relationship with God. The godless man
(Psalm 1:3-6) is not blessed with this relationship, but he is still blessed. "For he [God] maketh his sun to rise on
the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Mt. 5:45b).
I. THE FELICITY OF THE GODLY MAN -
Psalm 1:1
“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” (Psa.1:1).
A. The Godly Man Does not Conform to the Council
of the Ungodly – Psalm 1:1a
"Walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly" (1:1a)
The phrase “walketh not” conveys the
idea that the Godly person does not conform to the council of the ungodly
because he does not listen to them nor does he learn from them.
(1 Pet 4:1-4) "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered
for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that
hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; {2} That he no longer should
live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the
will of God. {3} For the time past of our life may suffice us to
have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness,
lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
{4} Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot,
speaking evil of you:"
(1 John 2:6)
"He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk,
even as he [Christ] walked."
(2 John 1:4)
"I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in
truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father."
(3 John 1:3)
"For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of
the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth."
(1 Th 4:1)
"Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by
the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to
please God, so ye would abound more and more."
(Acts 9:31 ) "Then had the churches rest throughout
all Judaea and Galilee
and Samaria
B.
The Godly Man Does not Have Communion
with Sinners – Psalm 1:1b
"Nor
standeth in the way of sinners" (1:1b).
The idea of “nor
standeth” is that the Godly man does not linger in the company of sinners.
I remember when I was in high school that the kids who
wanted to talk about football would huddle somewhere at recess and those who
wanted to talk about girls would be together on another part of the
grounds. Even as an unsaved person I
noticed them gathering in groups for different reasons.
(Eph 5:5-11)
"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor
covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ
C. The Godly Man Does not Congregate with the Scornful
-
Psalm 1:1c
"Nor sitteth in the seat of
the scornful (1:1c).
The expression here, “nor sitteth” conveys the idea of
joining with or even judging with the scornful.
For instance, he would not join their congregation or go to the extent
of becoming a leader in that kind of church.
Jesus gives us a negative example of this in Matthew 23:1-3: "Then
spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, {2} Saying, The
scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: {3} All therefore
whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye
after their works: for they say, and do not." They should have judged according to Moses,
but they didn’t.
(2 Cor 6:11 -18) "O ye Corinthians, our mouth is
open unto you, our heart is enlarged. {12} Ye are not straitened in us,
but ye are straitened in your own bowels. {13} Now for a recompense in
the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. {14} Be
ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with
darkness? {15} And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what
part hath he that believeth with an infidel? {16} And what agreement
hath the temple
of God
(2 Pet 3:3)
"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
walking after their own lusts,"
The song is talking about the influence of the world
in the lives of Christians. Worldly
influence always drags the saved person downward. The
progression of influence that Satan uses goes from conversation to communion
to congregating. Let us look
at the three lines of the first verse of the song again:
1. The Godly Man Does not Conform to the Council of the Ungodly – Psalm 1:1a
2. The Godly Man Does not Have Communion with Sinners – Psalm 1:1b
3. The Godly Man Does not Congregate with the Scornful - Psalm 1:1c
1. The Godly Man Does not Conform to the Council of the Ungodly – Psalm 1:1a
2. The Godly Man Does not Have Communion with Sinners – Psalm 1:1b
3. The Godly Man Does not Congregate with the Scornful - Psalm 1:1c
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