Two Roads, A Book, and a Tree (Thoughts on Psalm 1)
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
The Bible often communicates truth to us in pictures. These visuals help us to remember; they serve to ground the truth into the very fabric of our souls. Psalm 1 is a foundational song, not just because it sits in the pole position in respect to the other 149 psalms, but because it defines reality for us. The three main pictures painted in this psalm are:
TWO ROADS: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers….For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1:1,6)
According to this psalm (and the rest of God’s Word), there are only two possible roads a person may travel in life, the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. In this psalm, the blessed person is the righteous person. The word righteous here does not connote a person’s moral perfection in daily living; this would be an impossibility for even the saintliest among us. Rather, the righteous person is one who trusts wholeheartedly in the Lord, confesses one’s sins, repents of the wickedness in one’s thoughts, words, behaviors, and non-behaviors, and seeks to conform to God’s way of living through the power of the Holy Spirit. In the Apostle Paul’s words, “This righteouness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22).
A BOOK: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night…” (Psalm 1:2)
Notice that the righteous and the wicked are separated by what they love. The righteous delight in God’s law because it reveals the character of God and serves as the guidebook for the pilgrimage called life. Many people struggle spending time in God’s Word because of the busyness of daily schedules. The question to ask oneself is not “Do I have the time?”, but rather “Do I have the love?”
The Hebrew word for meditation is hagah. This word basically means to speak or mutter. It refers to making low or inarticulate sounds. Sometimes hagah is translated “to moan.” Essentially, to meditate on the law of God is to speak to oneself the truths of scripture. Imagine walking around during the course of the day and talking to yourself using the very words of God’s Word! This is the picture the psalmist wants us to see. Meditation leads to assimilating truth which will lead to transformation.
A TREE: “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” (Psalm 1:3)
The life of the righteous person is likened to a tree: strong, stable, well-nourished, fruit-bearing. In contrast, the wicked “are like chaff that the wind blows away” (v. 4). Have you ever tried to dig up a living tree? The picture here is one of solidity; those that seek after God have a strong foundation to their lives that cannot be easily shaken.
Here are a few questions to ponder as you reflect upon Psalm 1:
1) Which road represents your life? The road of righteousness or wickedness?
2) What is the meditation of your heart? Are you delighting in God’s Word and talking to yourself the powerful truths contained therein? Or are you speaking lies to yourself?
3) Is your life like a tree, or like chaff?