“For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” (Vs.6)
Introduction:
Moses spoke the following words to the people of Israel; “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today; that I have set before you; life and death; the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).
Moses had given the people the word of God’s covenant to them he had received from God at Mt Sinai and as Moses was about to die he renewed the covenant promises with them. Moses knew that once they were in the land they would come up against the evil lifestyles of the pagan Canaanites whose wicked ways were a stench in the nostrils of a Holy and righteous God who did not want His people falling into idolatry and all of the wicked depraved and perverted ways and practices that accompanied it. (Deuteronomy Chapter 29).
If the Israelites sought to obey God’s Commandments then He would keep them in the land, however, if they disobeyed He would scatter them to the nations, in fact Moses already had the revelation from the Spirit of God that a time would come when the Israelites would be scattered, but that at the end of their exile He would bring them home to the land of Israel and circumcise their hearts by the Holy Spirit enabling them to obey God’s laws and commandments. The Holy Spirit would write God’s law on the hearts (Deuteronomy 30:1-20) (Jeremiah 31:31).
Now we know from the Word of God that He makes a distinction between the righteous and the wicked and that living righteously brings down God’s blessings but living wickedly brings down His judgement. Right through the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation we see there are only two ways to live; either we live God’s way or Satan’s way and there is no grey zone. There is no sitting on the fence with one foot in this world and the other in the gathering of His people.
In this psalm when the LORD speaks about the righteous He is speaking about those who have been born again by the Spirit and, who, through faith, have been declared righteous in God’s sight, and by keeping in step with the Spirit empowered to produce the fruits of that righteousness in their life (Galatians 6:22-25). When the LORD speaks about the wicked He is speaking primarily about the unsaved in the world who have not been born again but still in their sins and under the power of the wicked one and without spiritual sight (2 Corinthians 4:4). They have not chosen God but Satan.
In this Psalm from His perspective God is speaking to us as His people to instruct us in discerning the way of the righteous from the way of the wicked. It is not what we confess, although this is important, but also how we line up our daily conduct with our confession and this psalm instructs us in this matter. Let’s now look at this psalm to understand more fully the difference between the way of the righteous ones and the way of the wicked ones. In other words there are only two ways to live. Let’s now look at this…
Psalm 1: Exposition
The Way of the Righteous (Verses 1-3)
“How blessed is the man” The man or woman that walks with God and in step with the blessed Holy Spirit, and who has invited the Lord Jesus into their life to be their saviour and Lord, are blessed by God. The word “blessed” means “happy” or “happiness.” It is that inward spiritual reality and deep assurance that all is well between us and the LORD.
It is not dependent on outward things or favourable circumstances. It is completely different from the world’s idea of happiness which is dependent on their health, their possessions, their personal relationships, favourable external circumstances and their wealth. Take these supports away and the unsaved plunge into the depths of misery and despair, without hope and without God in this world.
While our feelings or emotions can be like a slippery dip that rise and falls, this inner happiness is more like a deep seated peace reflected in the world “Shalom” which is a peace that transcends all human comprehension deep down on the inside of us, a sense of being filled up or complete in our relationship with the LORD despite what is happening around us or inside of us, especially in those times when our emotions are in conflict and when anxiety has reared its head in our soul like a spectre on a dark night.
As Rabbi the Apostle Paul writes; “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard (garrison) your hearts and your minds in Messiah Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). The way to garrison our changing circumstances and feelings and thoughts is to be familiar with the promises of God. At such times of affliction, trials and difficulties through many temptations God’s Word will always say the same thing tomorrow as it does today. God’s Word cannot be changed and is settled forever in heaven (Psalm 119:89).
It is through His Word that God comforts us. As Rabbi the apostle also writes; “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope (Romans 15:4). Comfort is sustained and strengthened by the endurance of faith. So then to be blessed is to possess that happiness and sense of spiritual well-being we experience when we walk in step with the desires of the Holy Spirit even in those times when our prayers seem to go unanswered. Who then is the blessed man, or woman? We are told…
…who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked;” the word “walk” has to do with the manner of life one lives. It is “a continuous action of walking in a certain direction.” It is a word that can be used literally and figuratively. As we read in proverbs; “For as he thinks within himself, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7). As the Lord Jesus Himself said; “The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart, for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). What is in our hearts in abundance and occupies out thoughts will be evident in what comes out of our mouth and reflected in our actions.
The one who is blessed does not walk according to the counsel or the advice of the wicked even if it is well intentioned. The word “wicked” can be used to describe “a criminal, a guilty one who has committed a crime, one who is hostile towards God, guilty of sin against God and man.” Such a man cannot be trusted to give any counsel of a godly nature being devoid of the Spirit of God. While there is human wisdom which at times can be helpful, it cannot match the wisdom from God which we have in the Word of God.
“Nor stand in the path of sinners;” None of us can be immune from the wicked nor from the path that they are taking as we live in this world even though we are not of this world. It is written; “Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33). It is not saying that as New Covenant believers we should not associate with or work alongside with the unsaved or even go to lunch with our unsaved colleagues with whom we work. We are to be the conveyers of spiritual sight and light in the unsaved world, however, we must always guard ourselves from being influenced by their conversation and lifestyles.
When it comes to standing up for what we know is right according to God’s Word then often we will be alienated from those who have no regard for His Word. Of course we should not seek to be contentious or augmentative, but when we take our stand on the Word of God we will sometimes experience marginalization and difficult circumstances and opposition. After all darkness and light have nothing in common!
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! It is one thing to stand in the way of sinners and to “go with the flow” as they say, but something much deeper to sit in the seat of scoffers. The “seat” describes “sitting or dwelling with, or sitting in an assembly of people in a certain situation or location” with those who are scoffers. The word “scoffers” describes “to scorn, to speak arrogantly, to boast, to mock, to deride to show oneself to be a mocker.” We are to avoid such people and not waste our time seeking to relate to them concerning spiritual matters. While we can seek to reach them if there is no tolerance or willingness to accept the truth when they hear it, then we need “to shake the dust off of our feet” and move on (Matthew 10:14) (Luke 10:11) (Acts 13:51).
In these last of the last days scoffers will be numerous when it comes to end-time Biblical prophecy and the Second Coming of the Messiah our Lord Jesus (2 Peter 3:1-8). Even within wider Christendom there are those who have no time for Biblical Eschatology. Today within wider Christendom there is much less interest in Bible prophecy as there was around 30 years or so ago and the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus is much closer now. Those who travel down this road are heading for a stark reality check.
As Rabbi the apostle Paul writes; “For you are fully aware that the Day of the LORD will come like a thief in the night (when He is least expected). While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3). Scoffers are those who have no interest in Biblical truth or even desire it!
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD,” The one our Triune God declares to be righteous by faith will delight in the law of God, in other words he or she will delight in God’s Word. The word “delight” describes “to take pleasure in, to desire with a deep longing, to take good pleasure in, or that in which one takes delight.” When one has this desire deep down on the inside then it will surpass all other interests and pastimes. If we find ourselves more preoccupied with other things, that in themselves may not be wrong, but occupy our time and squeeze out the time spent in God’s Word, then we most certainly are not delighting in God’s Word.
If we persist in this course of allowing other things to encroach on the time we should be into the Word of God ultimately we will end up delighting in wickedness, the end-game of a spiritual backslider who has no spiritual appetite for the Word of God. Such a one is in danger of spiritual deception to the point where God Himself will send them a powerful delusion where they will no longer be able to receive the truth even when they hear it because in their persistent attitude they have refused to love the truth and be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).
The righteous make the reading and study of God’s Word the number one priority in their daily life and constantly seek the Holy Spirit to increase in them that supernaturally imparted delight in the Word of God. It is a spiritual discipline all of us need to cultivate. One of the hindrances to this is the internet with its movies, dramas, sport and other programmes which for the most part pander to and feed the carnal appetites of our fallen nature.
As born again Bible believers we have two natures. One is our own sinful nature and the other is God’s nature infused into our spirit and soul by the Spirit of God and these two are at war with each other and the one we feed the most will be the one that will inevitably control us (Romans 8:5-14).
Since we are spiritually alive by the Spirit and our sinful nature with its fallen passions and desires crucified with the Messiah, we need to walk in step with the Spirit moment by moment by faith, and in doing this we will be able to crucify the flesh experimentally, but it is a daily faith walk and at times an intense battle! (Galatians 5:24-25).
“And in His law he meditates day and night.” One who delights in the law of the LORD will take the time to meditate on its truth. Now the word “meditates” describes one who “mutters under ones breath speaking the promises he is reading, who goes over them again and again that the truth of the Word might take root in the soil of his heart.” It can be likened to a cow chewing the cud over and over.
In the Old Testament when we read about an animal “chewing the cud” it speaks of one who, metaphorically speaking, chews over and over the Word of God and makes it his or her focus in every aspect of daily life. It is a spiritual discipline all of us need to cultivate and maintain day and night to keep us spiritually anchored in our faith which results from hearing the Word of God with a desire to obey what we hear (Romans 10:17).
When we go to bed at night our thoughts need to be regulated by the Word of God and when we wake up in the morning the first thing we need to do is to put our focus on the Word of God. Verbally expressing God’s Word will build us up spiritually and we know from God’s Word that our confession of our faith is part and parcel of our salvation (Matthew 10:32-33) (Romans 10:8-13).
“He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season.” One who delights in God’s Word and chews its truths over deep down on the inside will be like a tree firmly planted in the ground that has roots going deep down into the soil to draw on the nutritious water from the river by which it has been planted. The water comes up through the trees roots and spreads out into its branches producing its fruit. The roots can represent our faith firmly and deeply planted into the soil of God’s Word sown by the Spirit into the soil of our heart being continuously watered by the Holy Spirit, hence causing the tree of our life to bear spiritual fruit in its season. Fruit takes time to grow and to mature but it must be watered.
Notice it is not just the spiritual water of life dwelling within us, but also overflowing to others. The Messiah our Lord Jesus said this would be the experience of all who receive the Spirit of God into their lives by faith. Not only does the Spirit dwell within every born again child of God as a well of living water bubbling over with eternal life, but also overflows when that one is filled to overflowing with the Spirit (John 3:3; 4:13-14; 7:37-39) (Acts 1:8) (Acts 2:4) (Ephesians 5:17-21).
The only thing that will stop the overflow of the Spirit from working in and through us is unconfessed sin and disobedience, but once that blockage is removed through repentance and confession, God’s grace is once more extended towards us and we can continue to walk in step with the desires and the will of the Spirit “because all who are led by the Spirit they are the sons (and daughters) of God” (Romans 8:14). God’s Word is the ammunition we need to launch at the enemy and it is released by the words we speak! (Psalm 8:2) (Psalm 9:1-3).
Indeed as it is written; “The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.” It is part of our spiritual arsenal God has given to us to wrestle with the rulers, to wrestle against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. This is only possible of course through being strengthened in the LORD and endowed with His power as we daily put on the whole armour of God and underpin that power by praying unceasingly in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:10-18). In this way we will be built up spiritually in our most holy faith and kept in the flow of God’s Love while we wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus the Messiah to bring us to eternal life (Jude 1:20-21).
We have a wonderful, wise, divine and very powerful friend in the blessed Holy Spirit who will come to our defence in a time when we are under spiritual attack. As the prophet Isaiah writes; “When the enemy shall come in, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a (battle) standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19b). Now the living water of the Spirit also produces spiritual fruit in our lives. The word “fruit” is singular in that all of the spiritual fruit mentioned in Galatians Chapter five appear at once in the life of the one who is spiritually born again from above. Just as fruit has to grow and mature so it is with our spiritual life.
If we have been born again then we will most certainly have the spiritual fruit from this supernatural experience from God, however, depending on our obedience to the Spirit’s promptings in us will determine how much of it is seen and manifested in and through our live to others. If we live by the Spirit then we must also walk in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-29).
Delighting, meditating and by seeking to bring our lives by faith into line with the Word of God will produce spiritual fruitfulness in abundance in and through us. We always need to keep in mind that we walk by faith and not by sight. Just as we are saved by faith likewise we are filled with the Spirit by faith (Ephesians 5:18) (Galatians 3:14).
When we abide in the Word of God we are abiding in the Lord Jesus who is Himself the living and abiding Word of God that remains forever and never changes, He “who is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). The whole Bible is all about Him! He is the true vine and we are the branches, and apart from abiding and continuously resting in and leaning upon Him moment by moment by faith, we cannot bears spiritual fruitfulness for God in our lives (John 15:1-7).
“And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. The one who is constantly being filled with the Spirit will be producing spiritual fruitfulness in word and deed as by faith they seek to keep in step with Spirit and what He desires to do in them and through them. This person will totally prosper in every area of his life. Everything he says and does will have the touch of God on it. This is the meaning of “whatever.” His life will not wither away being spiritually baron. Whatever he puts his mind to will succeed according to God’s plan. This is true prosperity.
The late Derek Prince addressing this matter of prosperity said that true prosperity is to have successfully completed the will of God for your life. He also said that God’s will is abundance (John 10:10), but not always in the physical and material realm. He said that God does not only meet our needs but gives us more so that we might have that which can supply the needs of others less fortunate in material things.
Of course God’s view of prosperity is different than the unsaved world’s definition of prosperity. While the LORD does materially prosper His people, the emphasis of the Bible especially in the New Testament is a spiritual prosperity which may or may not result in material possessions. God will always give us what we need and that is His guarantee throughout His unchanging Word. This is a subject in itself.
Did not Rabbi the apostle Paul write; “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:6-10).
So in this first part of the psalm we have seen the way of the righteous and it is the way of true blessing from God in all aspects of our daily lives that continues on into eternity! Now we look at the way of the wicked.
The Way of the Wicked (Verses 4-6)
“The wicked are not so,” The word “wicked” is the same word used in the first part of our text. These are guilty of violating God’s Word and casting his Word behind them and trampling underfoot the Word of God; who in their hostility towards Him and His people are rebels and cannot know the blessing of God, but remain under the curse of the law of sin and death unless they repent and believe the gospel in which case the curse over their life will be broken. The unrepentant wicked have no innate ability within themselves to understand spiritual truth. Only those who have the Spirit inside of them can understand the deeper spiritual things of God which are spiritually discerned by those who have the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12-16). What then are their lives like?
“But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.” These are like chaff driven away by a strong wind. Chaff refers to dry, scale-like husks of seeds, particularly in grains, which are separated during the threshing process. Chaff cannot be digested by humans, but it may be fed to livestock, ploughed into soil, or burned. There is no nutritional value in chaff and those who live their lives without God merely exist. They are here today and gone tomorrow.
A man may strive to build his empire whether it is a military one, a governmental one or a corporation, one may seek to acquire wealth, prestige, fame and prominence in society or even in the religious world, but it is all in vain and it will not last. When the wind of adversity strikes, the military power is shattered and its king destroyed, when the government topples overnight, the stock exchange plunges bringing about a recession at every level of society, and wealth, prestige, a personal relationship and fame and fortune of the wicked are blown away, the wicked are desolate with nowhere to turn. They either repent or perish!
It is interesting to note that the word “wind” has several applications. It can also mean; “wind, breath, mind or spirit.” In can be “the wind of heaven” or the word “Spirit” denoting the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, one who in His divine wisdom, foreknowledge and insight of all things in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and who knows the deep things of God, and who sees the thoughts and motives of the heart, deals with them according to the will of God and not according to the will of man! What man proposes God disposes (Daniel 2:21-22); as it is also written; “It is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another” (Psalm 75:7).
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment;” Wherever we see the word “therefore” it always follows what has been said before. In this case it is the wicked blown away by the wind of the Spirit and they will not stand in the time of God’s judgement pronounced on them. These will not be able “to rise up, to endure, to maintain one self, to be established or to be proven valid, to be set and to be fixed.” All arguments and excuses from the wicked will be nullified, having no power to stand before the Triune God of the universe who upholds all things by His powerful Word! (Hebrews 1:3).
As it is also written; “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). The unsaved will be judged for their sin, whereas New Covenant believers will be judged on their works only because their sins have already been judged at the cross, and they have received it as a spiritual reality into their life. They have received the atonement ratified forever in the blood of the Messiah (Revelation 20:11-15) (2 Corinthians 5:10) (Romans 5:10-11).
“Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” All of us by nature and by birth are sinners in God’s sight as all of us have sinned and missed the mark of the standard of righteousness God requires to enter into His eternal kingdom, however, through repentance, and by faith, and because of the redemption provided for sin in the shed blood of Messiah, forgiveness for sin and cleansing from sin is bestowed by the unmerited favour of God (Ephesians 1:7) (1 John 1:7-9; 2:1-2).
Two assemblies or congregational gatherings are mentioned. The ‘sinners’ here are the wicked who have not availed themselves of the redemption that came by the Messiah our Lord Jesus, but have wilfully persisted in their rebellion against God and continued in their violation of His laws and commandments. These will never stand in the assembly or gathering of those who by faith have been made righteous in God’s sight, having been clothed with the garments of salvation and wrapped around with the Messiah’s righteousness.
As Isaiah proclaims; “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).
In contrast to the wicked, the righteous in conduct and character, justified and vindicated in the Messiah, and by His righteousness bestowed upon them by God, are accepted by God in His beloved Son the Messiah our Lord Jesus (Philippians 3:8-9).
“For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.” The LORD knows all things and nothing is hidden from His sight. The word “knows” can be translated “to perceive, to discern, to discriminate” between good and evil, distinguishing between the wicked from the righteous, knowing full well the thoughts and intents of the human heart. The Word of God is the standard by which He will judge men; as it is written; “For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
As the Author of Hebrews writes; “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:12-13).
In His infinite eternal foreknowledge of all things in the universe and beyond the LORD knows the way men take, the road, the journey, the direction, the manner, the habit, the course of their life in this world, and the course of moral character they exhibit. He knows the way of the righteous, but also the way of the wicked that will perish unless they repent.
Epilogue:
The righteousness of God that is bestowed upon the unrighteous when they repent and put their trust in the Lord Jesus to save them by His redeeming, cleansing blood, God declares them to be righteous in His sight as if they had never sinned at all. He credits to their account in heaven the very righteous nature and character of His Son our Lord Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26) (Philippians 3:7-9). When God looks at His redeemed saints He does not see their sin, even though He sees and knows all things, He chooses not to remember them and only sees the righteous nature and image of His Son living in their hearts by the blessed Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:17).
They become partakers of the divine nature. As the apostle peter writes; “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4).
While the righteousness that comes by faith is for all men and women, not all choose it and many even after being offered salvation still choose to continue walking in the way of the wicked. Good works, religious observances, partaking of the sacraments, attending Church and seeking to live a morally upright life cannot save anyone! We cannot be saved by works but only by Grace through faith.
As we read; For by grace (unmerited and undeserved and unearned favour) you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Messiah Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).
It is only by the power of the blessed Holy Spirit that we can walk in the way of righteousness. With man this is impossible due to the rebellious nature of inward sin, but with God all things are possible with Him, and for all those who believe in Him to save them to the uttermost (Luke 18:27) (Hebrews 7:24-26). We need the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to enable us to overcome temptation and the power of sin.
This is why we must be born again because the blessed Holy Spirit, once inside of us, will apply the cleansing power of the Messiah’s blood to the doorpost of our heart, the seat of the affections, and by that same pure blood and the Word of God fused together, cleanse us from all defilement of body and spirit, perfecting in us that holiness of character in the reverence of God, that holiness without which no one will see the LORD, and purging our conscience from works that lead to death, to serve the Living Triune God (2 Corinthians 7:1) (Hebrews 12:14) (Hebrews 9:14).
Consider a balloon filled with oxygen when released into the air. That balloon will start to rise heavenward; however, even though it rises to a great height it will fall down to earth because the law of gravity is stronger than the law of lift. This is like good works, self-will, by trying to obey the Ten Commandments and being engaged in all sorts of religious ceremonies and religious activity of every kind. The downward law of gravity, spiritually speaking being the sinful nature, will inevitably cause the one seeking to be saved by these activities to end up going into Hell and ultimately into the lake of fire. Good works, moral character, religious activity and self- determination cannot save anyone because the pull of sin is too strong. So the way of the wicked will perish.
Consider a balloon filled with Helium when released into the air. That balloon will rise heavenward; and keep on rising into the atmosphere. The law of lift is greater than the law of gravity. This is like the person who has been saved by faith and not by works, and has within them the life giving and spiritually sustaining power of the blessed Holy Spirit. The law of lift being the Holy Spirit Himself is stronger than the downward pull of the sinful nature. Hence the one indwelt by the Spirit of God descends heavenward. It is a supernatural work of the Spirit of God! This is the way of the righteous!
To conclude; this psalm then clearly shows this great spiritual truth. “For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.” Selah.
