Blessed is the Man, Psalm 1:1, Part 2

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.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3And 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.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

In the last entry we looked at the beginning of this psalm. We explored the beginning of verse 1.1; specifically, what is meant by being blessed. We discovered that being blessed covers a whole range of things including: consecration/sanctification, happiness, prosperity, protection, benedictions, and divine favor to name but a few and that was just what was gleaned from the English (we didn’t even look at the original languages: Hebrew or Aramaic). Now we will look at the rest of that verse and explore some of the reasons why the “Blessed man” is blessed.

We saw from the previous entry that the first verse had four parts:

1. Blessed is the man…
2. that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly…
3. nor standeth in the way of sinners…
4. nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful

This verse specifically identified the object for the entire psalm as the “Blessed Man.” The rest of the of verse one of Psalm 1 identifies and describes by contrast – the “Blessed Man” vs. the unblessed. It identifies specific behaviors to be eschewed (avoided) and it compares the respective fates of the blessed to the unblessed.

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.

Well we can see that the rest of verse one identifies three persons who are included among those who are not and will not be blessed:

• The Ungodly
• The Sinners
• The Scornful
  

Along with these people, verse 1:1 explicitly tells us of the behaviors of these folks, which we should avoid. The bible does not tell us to completely avoid the unsaved, but it does instruct and admonish us on how to behave toward them and how to interact with them. From this single verse we can reap an abundance of wisdom…. The blessed man is blessed because he does not do the following:

• …that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly
• …nor standeth in the way of sinners
• … nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful
  

According to some online resources: The American Heritage Dictionary online(1), the WordNet (2), and YourDictionary.com (3), the folks are defined thusly:

1. Ungodly: impious. irreverent (to God)1, sinful, wicked 2, outrageous3
2. Sinners: one who sins, a wrongdoer
3. Scornful: lack of disrespect coupled with dislike1; open disrespect or disdain 2; to reject with scorn3

All of these terms are synonyms for each other to one degree or another. The second, the sinners could be viewed as the large category [Romans 3:23], while the other two could be classified as subcategories of sinners. Never the less, they are all associated with actions and attitudes which should not be named among believers.

The definitions above tell us that the ungodly are irreverent, sinful, and outrageous. We can further extrapolate that they do not value the things of God, the people of God, the Word of God, nor the principles and precepts of godly living. They may even have a distinct dislike for any or all of these. They will often with outrageous/blatant sinfulness oppose God. They have no shame. [Jude 1:18]

Furthermore, the Word tells us this regarding the ungodly:

• They do not love God. [2 Chronicles 19:2]
• Some ungodly do prosper in this life, but their ultimate fate is not to be envied [Psalm 73:12]
• They dig up evil (i.e., they go looking for evil &/or dirt) [Proverbs 16:27]
• They scorn /despise judgment (the law, authority) [Proverbs 19:28]
• The law of God was made for the ungodly [1 Timothy 1:9]
• They follow their own lusts [Jude 1:18]
• Many of them have been condemned/predestined to judgment and perdition [2 Peter 2:5-6, Jude 1:4]
  

Sinners, are those who do wrong. The bible tells us that anyone who is not a believer, who has not accepted Jesus as his or her personal savior is still a sinner. This is because the word tells us that all have sinned an come short of the glory of God. [Romans 3:23] Now, I said still because the word of God tells us that once we have made the decision to make Jesus the head, the Lord of our lives, our slate is wiped clean. We become new creatures (creations/ a new sinless species).[ 2 Corinthians 5:17] God no longer sees or counts (accounts) us as sinners. [Romans 3:23, Psalm 103:12]

Along with these people, verse 1:1 explicitly tells us about aspects of their behavior which we should avoid. The Bible does not tell us to completely avoid the unsaved or the sinner (after all, were that the case multitudes of folks would not get saved and Jesus, our perfect example, didn’t avoid them but rather compassionately dealt with them) [Matthew 11:19], But it does instructs and admonishes us on how to interact with and/or how to behave toward them. From this single verse we can reap an abundance of wisdom…. The blessed man is blessed because he does not do the following:

• …that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly
• …nor standeth in the way of sinners
• … nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful

A cursory examination of this bit of scripture could lead us to jump to some very obvious conclusions and to snatch some low hanging fruit:

1. …that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly
   a. We as saints should not be walking (fellowshipping) with ungodly folk on a regular basis [2 Corinthians 6:14]
   i. In some circumstances, it is fellowshipping with the ungodly is unavoidable: may be married or related to them, or may work with or for them. [1 Corinthians 10:23, 27, & 31-32, James 2:11-13]
   ii. But as a general rule, they should not be our first choice of folk to hang out with [Proverbs 23:20, Proverbs 22:24-25, Proverbs 29:22, Proverbs 29:3, Proverbs 29:3, Ephesians 5:11, 1 John 1:6-8]
   b. We as saints should not primarily be taking their counsel or advice [Deuteronomy 32:28, Psalm 33:10]
   


2. …nor standeth in the way of sinners
   a. We as saints should not be standing with (in agreement) them [Amos 3:3, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Matthew 18:19]
   
3. ... nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful
   a. We as saints should not be sitting with them (be associated with them)

However, a deeper look reveals so even more! Follow along with me as we delve little deeper:

The second thing is that each of these actions (walking, standing, sitting) identify an increasing degree of ease &/or comfort with the world and the worldly (the unsaved or the carnal). The progression or transition as identified is from walking, to standing, to sitting.

It begins with; walking brings to mind “walking with the world.” “Walking with the world” can be defined as going along with them; agreeing with them; approving of or participating in their actions and attitudes. This could be just holding on to worldly pursuits, behaviors, and/or actions, i.e., fearfulness, unbelief, unforgiveness, anger, gossip, jealousy, back-biting, addictions: drinking, smoking, partying, sexual sin, etc., etc., etc. [Leviticus 26:12, Leviticus 26:21] Next, a walk is a manner of life, i.e. even the world is familiar with the phrase: “talk the talk but walk the walk”, meaning it is not enough to speak of a thing, but rather the thing of greater valuable is to live the reality of it. However, in Christian circles, these phrases are often spoken: “walking it out” or “This Christian walk”, both implying a process. The first phrase is a specific path of growth and development, while the second implies the whole of a Christian’s life (from the point of salvation to the final call home).

The second action is standing. Specifically, we’ll look at what is it to be standing with the sinners. When anyone is standing with sinners, they are actively/deliberately thinking like them or in agreement with them. For example, they are actively, deliberately, side (agree or condone) with sinful behavior(s) – be it their own or that of others. This can also include making excuses for sinful behavior or to be (actively or tacitly) agreeing with bad decisions, judgments, or policies. For example, saying something like: “I need a drink to unwind” or supporting candidates, governments, or regimes known to support policies which are against the Word of God – gay rights; abortion; or inhumane treatment, unjust, or genocidal diplomatic processes, actions, policies, etc., etc., etc. [Deuteronomy 27:19, 1 Corinthians 10:6-14, Ephesians 5:3]

Finally, is sitting. This is indicative of a level of familiarity with and to the world that causes a saint to be virtually indistinguishable from the aints. Sitting with or being associated with them (the non-believer) to this degree, implies that such folks (saints & aints) have become so comfortable together, so homogeneous, that it is hard to tell one from the other. [Matthew 13:24-31] It is at this level of comfort, that the worldly no longer experience conviction while within our presence, there is no perceived need or desire to change… there is so little reality of the Word lived out in the lives of the marginal saints, that there is no credibility of their witness… remember Lot. This is not to say that we need to verbally preach to everyone we encounter every moment of the day, but rather our lives should be doing the bulk of our preaching for us… the testimony of a virtuous life in Christ with all of it’s attendant blessings should be causing those who know us to desire what we have &/or convicting them to the point that they are uncomfortable within our presence. [Romans 11:14, John 8:9]

The final set of spiritually nutritious morsels that this scripture presents to us are regarding the objects that those actions (walk, stand, sit). These objects are: the “counsel of the ungodly”; the “way of sinners”; and the “seat of the scornful.”

The “counsel of the ungodly” has multiple interpretations. First, “counsel” can mean advice, opinions, or decisions. Within that light it is easy to see that we should never primarily be actively seeking, pursuing, or totally relying on the advice or the opinions of those who are not saved. [Matthew 6:33, Proverbs 1:28, Proverbs 8:17, Isaiah 26:9, James 1:5] That is not to say that the unsaved have nothing of value to impart to the saints [Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 15:22], but rather that whatever they do say and/or advise needs to be diligently prayed over and laid before God. Everything, every action, and or decision should be vetted by the Holy Ghost and the Word of God. [Proverbs 8:13-18, 1 Corinthians 2:16, James 1:5, Psalm 37:23] Ultimately, we should be always be seeking for and submitting to God’s direction and insight in all things. [Judges 18:5, Job 12:13]

Next “counsel” can be defined as someone who represents us, i.e. an attorney or an advocate. Again, it should be obvious that as saints, we should not be so like the world or the worldly that we can be represented (associated or identified) with them. But it should be noted that Jesus is our advocate. [1 John 2:1] He is our perfect sacrifice and is now our defender before the Father and all spiritual principalities and powers. [Hebrews 10:12] When Satan accuses us to God of missing it (and he does, it is his job [Revelation 12:10]); when he and his minions fight us with fear, doubt, and unbelief or unworthiness … it is Jesus who is sitting next to God, the Father, saying: “Father, they’ve repented. They’ve been washed in MY BLOOD… They are one of mine! I have not lost any that You, Oh Father have given me. Neither have they drawn back, therefore, they are righteous and holy.” [1 John 2:1, 1 John 1:7, John 6:37, Jude 1:1, 2 Timothy 2:21, Hebrews 10:38] To which The Father can only reply to Satan: “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have no recollection of that sin.” [Psalm 25:7, Isaiah 43:25, Hebrews 8:12]

The “way of sinners” like the “counsel of the ungodly” also offer us a multiple insights if we look a just a bit closer… First what is the “way”? Well, according to YourDictionary.com, there are over seventeen definitions for the word “way.” We won’t expound on them all, but “way” can mean any of the following:

1. A road, a path, or a highway or
2. To progress or travel along a certain route
   a. We shouldn’t be on or even be considering the same paths as the unsaved [Proverbs 14:12, Matthew 7:13-14]
3. Space to proceed or
4. A Course (i.e.: make way)
   a. According to the Word of God, the way of a righteous person will be made plain (readily apparent, clear) while, those who are unrighteous have just the opposite result – their ways are full of thorns (painful, often destructive hindrances). [Proverbs 15:19]
   b. Likewise, the child of God should expect the way/path before them to be prepared in advanced. They should expect divine grace, they should expect favor. [Genesis 24:40, , Exodus 23:20, Psalm 37:23, Hebrews 1:13-14]
5. A course of conduct or action (i.e.: how something is accomplished)
6. A usual or habitual manner of behavior (i.e.: being curmudgeonly is just his way)
   An individual’s action or manner (i.e.: pleasing or nasty ways)
7. Freedom to do as one pleases (i.e.: had my own way)
   a. Definitions 5 – 8 all have to do with behavior. Our behavior as saints should be decidedly different than that of the unsaved. [Matthew 5:13, Luke 14:34, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 2:15, John 17:14] We should not act or react the way the do. [Ephesians 4:26, Romans 13:10, 1 John 4:7, 1 John 4:12, 1 Corinthians 13:1-8] When they are panicked, we should be at peace. [Psalm 119:165] When they have no faith, or are angry, unbelieving, or confused, we should never be numbered among them. [Ephesians 4:26, Revelation 21:8, Psalm 37:23, James 1:5, Psalm 2:1-5, Proverbs 21:2, 1 John 4:4]
8. Distance (i.e.: came a long way)
9. A direction (i.e.: glanced her way)
10. Vicinity (i.e.: on your way)
    a. 9 – 11 all have to do with location, a space or place. We know that although our physical bodies are located here in the earth, however, our influence and authority transcend beyond this earthly/physical realm. As members of the body of Christ, we are seated together (in and with) Jesus in heaven. [Ephesians 2:6] Therefore, like Jesus, we have the ability to transcend the earthly, gain insight from an eternal perspective [Philippians 2:5, 1 Corinthians 2:16]; to access the resources of heaven; petition the Father directly [John 3:35]; As such, we have the ability to deploy angels, curse or bless, bind or loose, receive insight directly from God. [1 John 4:17, John 14:13, Ephesians 2:6, Hebrews 1:14, Matthew 16:19, Matthew 18:18]
11. A participant (i.e.: three way conversation)
    a. 1 Kings 8:46, 2 Chronicles 6:36, and Romans 3:23 tell us that at some point we were all participants in sin. But for the believer, this should no longer be the case. First. God has forgiven our sins and removed them from us and from His remembrance. [Psalm 103:12, Micah 7:19, Jeremiah 31:34] This is not to say that we do not slip and miss it from time to time, or that we are perfect, but rather we are continually growing in grace. [2 Peter 3:18, Psalm 138:8] Furthermore, this does mean that when we do miss God, we don’t become discouraged or keep sinning, nor do we (unlike the aints) practice sin (deliberately continue to sin). [1 John 3:9] Rather, we confess it and repent (immediately) and God makes us right (righteous; restored to right-standing with God). [1 John 1:9]
12. A condition (i.e.: in a bad or good way)
    a. By contrast, lets look at the condition of the ungodly vs. that of the righteous:
    i. Ultimate outcome or state:
    1. Revelation 20:15 tells us that who ever is not written in the book of life are destined for the lake of fire. [Job 27:7-23]
    2. While the righteous are ultimately destined for Heaven. We’ve been included in the Body of Christ – when God sees us; He sees Jesus. We are seated in Heavenly places; [John 14:2-4 , Ephesians 1:18-23]
    ii. Blessed vs. cursed:
    1. For the righteous, there are Godly provisions for everything. [Deuteronomy 28:1-14, Psalm 37:4, Isaiah 58:14, Leviticus 26:1-15]
    2. For the unrighteous, there are (eventual) curses for their every endeavor [Deuteronomy 28:14-61, Proverbs 14:12, Psalm 1:5, Psalm 1:6, Psalm 3:7, 1 Peter 4:18, Jude 1:4, Leviticus 26:16-39, Psalm 73:12,17-20 ]

Teach us, Oh LORD, to see all things (ourselves and our circumstances) as you do. Help us Father to deliberately eschew: fear, doubt, despair, apathy and unbelief. Help us, Father to wield skillfully all the resources of heaven, which you have freely put at our disposal; to bring you glory and to gather with us, all those, whom you have called, into your kingdom.

Deliver us from pride Father. Don’t let us be mocking or scornful of those as yet unsaved. Fill us with the compassion of Jesus for this lost, hurting, and dying world. Make us the truly bold lions, which you have said that we are – that we will resist the corruption of the ungodly, scornful, sinners we will encounter daily as we run this race. Let us be embedded in the chief cornerstone, that the world is worn down by your Glory, your Word, and your Anointing manifested through us and not the other way round! Let us be a conduit for you so that even the demons cry out as we walk by!

These things, we earnestly pray, in Jesus’ Name
AMEN!