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Archive for January, 2024

D12M, Ways of the Wicked

Posted in Blessing, Consequences, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Sanctification, tagged , , , , , , on January 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »

In Psalm 1:1, the psalmist lists three ways of the wicked to be avoided: “counsel…path…seat.”

Counsel is the advice or wisdom of the wicked, and therefore of the world. Walking in their counsel means that you have more than heard it or considered it. It means you are heeding it and have more than your toe dipped in this way. If you are day and night meditating on God’s Word, I cannot see how you would get past the considering and rejecting it phase.

Path or way is the rut or habit that sinners run in. We should not even stand there, let alone walk or run there. Keep your way far from that way, even if you must bushwack across country to avoid it. In reality, however, heed “Thus says the Lord, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls.”” (Jeremiah 6:16)

Seat is a place of repose. In their self-satisfied, self-important perspective, scoffers mock the righteous and anyone who would dare to seek for truth. Do not take up your repose nor linger in their presence, but rather run out of earshot.

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D11E*, “The Assembly”

Posted in General on January 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.” (Psalm 1:5)

Many in present society would say that it is cruel and condemning to talk about Hell and the judgment of sinners, but it is a kindness on the part of God and His witnesses to warn people of the result of their rejection of Him. Revelation 22:14-15 one last time contrasts the righteous and the wicked: “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.” They will not be with the righteous, in the presence of God, in eternal bliss. They will be where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12, 13:42,50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30)

Conversely, the righteous are “a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes,…” (Revelation 7:9) It is not too late for you to be included in this assembly, worshipping the Lord Jesus. Submit to Him now; worship and serve Him now; He saves those who trust in Him.

*Oops, missed another one

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D10E, “Law of the LORD*”

Posted in Blessing, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Sanctification, tagged , , , , on January 10, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The Law of the LORD has several nuanced meanings referring to the total body of God’s commands and instruction, to the narrower part of that body-the Pentateuch or first five books of the Moses, or simply the Ten Commandments. When God commanded Joshua to meditate on “the book of the law”, it undoubtably meant the five books of Moses. By the time of the psalmist, it would have included the histories of Joshua and Judges and perhaps some part of the Samuels and Chronicles.

Among its many purposes, the law reveals God’s righteousness and our wickedness, God’s will and our resistance to it, the way of life and of death, and points us to Christ (Galatians 3:24-25). We have so much more in the canon of God’s completed revelation, and by the Holy Spirit we are enabled to fulfill the works of the law (Romans 8:3-4). We are no longer under the curse of the law, but the law of liberty or law of Christ (James 1:25, Galatians 3:13, 6:2). These direct us. The New Covenant law is not different than the Old Covenant moral law in content, only deeper as it includes matters of the heart- intentions. We may and should meditate on the Law of the LORD both day and night so that “He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.” (Psalm 37:6, KJV)

*LORD- YHWH (Yahweh), the I AM (self-existent) covenant keeping God

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D10M, Cart or Horse?

Posted in Blessing, Faith, God's Law, God's Word, Gospel, Grace, Piety, Sanctification, tagged , , , , on January 10, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Psalm 1 lays out an overview of the characteristics of the righteous and the wicked. Do the characteristics listed in verses 1-3 make a man righteous or do those made righteous do these things?

Verse six says, “The Lord knows (approves, has regard to (1)) the way of the righteous.” Does that mean that the sinner is saved by keeping the law or that the one declared righteous lives rightly and is approved?

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2:16) Are these two passages contradictory, or were Old Testament saints saved by a different means than we are today?

No, these two passages agree but one speaks of cause and the other effect. God saved by the same means in the Old Testament. In Habakkuk 2:4 the Lord says to the prophet, “Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith.” God is referring to those who would judge Israel, as He said, “I am raising up the Chaldeans.” (Habakkuk 1:6) But anyone is a “proud one” who seeks to make his own way apart from God, so He states how one lives (is saved, justified, continues)- by faith.

The whole of Scripture agrees: “For by grace 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 Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) Works is excluded (Romans 3:27-28). So where do works come in? They are the effect, or result. Those made righteous by “grace… through faith” will demonstrate it by their works (James 2:18-26).

  1. NASB 1995 center notes

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D9E, “Firmly Planted”

Posted in General on January 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water.” (Psalm 1:3)

Only the NASB of the English translations inserts the word “firmly”. The question is why? The “NAS Exhaustive Concordance” defines the word as simply “planted”. I believe it is an interpretative translation (1) based on the good watering (“by streams of water”) and other Scriptures that confirm the idea by similar metaphors. For example, Psalm 92:12-14 speaks of the “righteous…planted” as flourishing, being substantial tree palms and cedars, yielding fruit, full of sap, and green. Such vigor supports the idea of being firmly planted. Jeremiah 17:7-8 uses similar language with the addition of “extends its roots by the stream”. (v.8) “It is planted in good soil beside abundant waters.” (Ezekial 17:8) And all of the references tout the fruitfulness and drought resistance of this planting. I think the metaphors support the idea but the Hebrew does not support the addition of the word.

  1. I do not like it. Why not have a side note with reasons and other Scriptures supporting why the planting is substantial, as I have done, rather than adding to the Word with an interpretation.

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D9M, “Blessed”

Posted in Blessing, General, God's Law, God's Word, Joy, Piety, Sanctification, tagged , , , , on January 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“Blessed is the man who does not…does” (Psalm 1:1,3)

Blessed in a biblical sense is to be “granted special favor by God resulting in joy and prosperity.” (1) That it is granted clearly shows that this blessedness results from God’s grace. The Hebrew word is “baruch” meaning “to increase (in joy, in peacefulness)” (2)

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:

The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’

So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.”

(Numbers 6:22-26) God commanded the priests through Moses to speak this blessing over the Israelites. God has the intention of blessing His people, and more so those who delight in Him.

“It [blessing] bestows on a person the honor of experiencing God’s presence, His care and His favor.” (2)

The word “How” (v.1) emphasizes the overwhelming extent of the blessing. I want Your presence, care, and favor in my life, Lord.

  1. biblestudytools.com/blessing/
  2. firmisrael.org/learn/the-hebrew-meaning-of-blessed/

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D8E, “Day and Night”

Posted in Blessing, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Sanctification, tagged , , , , on January 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“And in His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:2)

How often do I forget You, Lord? How few and how shallow are my thoughts about You? How selfish and self-absorbed are my thoughts and utilitarian and pragmatic requests of You?

I want to be more consumed by thoughts of You and Your Word so that my every reaction and intention pleases You and is guided by You.

Joshua and elders of Israel did not inquire of the Lord concerning Ai. (Joshua 7) So many times I have not inquired of God, or I thought or said that I was when I was interjecting my own desires. Guard me, O Lord, from presumptuous thoughts and actions by giving me a desire and habit of meditating in Your Word day and night and acting accordingly.

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D8M, “Nor sinners”

Posted in God's Law, God's Word, Judgment, tagged , , , , on January 8, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous” (Psalm 1:4)

Presently many unsaved sinners do than in the assembly of the righteous and sometime lead. “But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.” (Matthew 13:26) But that is not how it will end: “So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.” (Matthew 13:40)

The phrase being considered is a parallel thought to “wicked will not stand in the judgment.” (v.4) Because they have no hope in the judgment, then there is no hope of them being among the righteous. The consequence for them will be dire, eternal separation from God. The consequence for those of us who believe is that they will not be among us any longer inciting us to evil, deceiving us with falsehood, or leading us astray.

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D7E, “Not Stand”

Posted in General on January 7, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“The wicked will not stand in the judgment” (Psalm 1:4) “Behold, these are the wicked…I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction” (Psalm 73:12,17-18) By the grace of God through faith in Jesus’s substitutionary death your end can be far different.

“The servant…will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.; (Romans 14:4) How? “the gospel…in which you stand.” (1 Corinthians 15:1) We participate in standing, though it is positively in his strength: “It was for freedom that you were set free, therefore keep standing firm.” (Galatians 5:1) Furthermore, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil…, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:11,13)

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D7M, “Seat of Scoffers”

Posted in Blessing, General, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Sanctification, tagged , , , on January 7, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“Blessed is the man who does not… sit in the seat of scoffers.” (Psalm 1:1)

What is the problem causes one to be a scoffer and what is the result? “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling (a fall, KJV).” (Proverbs 16:18) Perhaps that is the reason that they stay seated. In reality, I think they are armchair quarterbacks for life. “They continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people…” (2 Chronicles 36:16) But life is no game, and neither is scoffing. “Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you.” (Proverbs 9:8) “…if you scoff, you alone will bear it.” (Proverbs 9:12) There are many such judgments proclaimed upon scoffers in Proverbs. Not merely wicked action is judged but also wicked, proud, derisive speech is an abomination to God that portends a bad end for scoffers. Jesus suffered at the hands and mouths of scoffers, as Luke 18:32 says, “He…will be mocked and mistreated.” He patiently bore their abuse “yet He did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7) While witnessing to others, I must share in His suffering by not reacting to their abuse other than with love and truth. It is a balancing act, because I must discern when to “not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7:6) Do not be surprised by such treatment because “in the last days mockers will come…” (2 Peter 3:3).

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D6E*, “Knows”

Posted in General on January 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“The Lord knows the way of the righteous. v.6

“knows” (approves) (NASB), “watches over” (NIV),

“I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me and I know the Father.” (John 10:14) “….even as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” (v.6) It is an intimate, kindly knowledge. God knows of the wicked and will judge them, but He neither reveals Himself to them nor is He known by them.

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D5E, Contrast

Posted in Blessing, God's Law, God's Word, tagged , , on January 5, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff.” (Psalm 1:4)

Everything grand and beautiful and secure and well provided for and productive about the righteous man tree is not so of the chaff of the wicked man. He is insubstantial, soon forgotten, of no consequence, useless, to be rid of, and bothersome. Chaff is a worse than useless, dead and dusty off casting of anything of value. The grain is taken into the barn; the chaff is blown away, trampled, or burned. Do you want to feel and be helpless, hopeless, and purposeless? Then pursue evil.

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D5M, “Blessed”

Posted in Blessing, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Sanctification, tagged , , , , on January 5, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I can’t get enough of this “blessed” idea.

Consider the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12: “Blessed are [the righteous]…for…kingdom of heaven…comforted…inherit the earth…satisfied…receive mercy…see God…sons of God…kingdom of God reward in heaven is great.” And “everyone who has left…for My sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29) It is inescapable from Psalm 1, these verses, and many others that the blessing of prospering will include physical, mental, and spiritual elements even though Scripture teaches that we are not earning God’s blessing and we will experience loss, too.

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D4E2 (1), “Prospers”

Posted in Blessing, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Sanctification, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 4, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“In whatever he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:3)

Just a few ways the righteous prosper:

“He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:6

He will give you “length of days…and peace.” (Proverbs 3:2)  

“You will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man.” (Proverbs 3:4)

“Healing…and refreshment” (Proverbs 3:8) are yours.

Physical prosperity by way of “barns…filled.” (Proverbs 3:10) This is not Prosperity Gospel. The Christian will have trials and “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12)

And some of the difficulty comes from God for our good through “trials…testing of your faith produces endurance…[so that you are] lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4) And “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (Hebrews 12:11)

Regardless of the good or bad, Jesus says, “I am with you always.” (Matthew 28:20), so that “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

  1. Day 4 Evening #2 Entry: I forgot that I had already written reflection on that evening and wrote again later.

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D4E, “He Does”

Posted in Blessing, Faith, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Sanctification, tagged , , , , on January 4, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“In whatever he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:3)

“He does” denotes an active faith over a conceptual one. “Prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (James 1:20) The “effectual doer” is “blessed in what he does.” (James 1:25)

Know the Word, do the Word, and be blessed by and through the Word.

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D4M, “Whatever”

Posted in Blessing, Delights, God's Law, God's Word, Joy, Piety, Sanctification on January 4, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“In whatever he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:3)

But of course, his “whatever” is formed, informed, directed and constrained by his delight and meditation upon Bod’s law. As in Psalm 37:4-5,

“Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.”

The desires of my heart and God’s accomplishing of it proceeds from my delighting in Him and committing my way to Him. We are on the same page, or far more accurately, I am on His page, and He is pleased to delight His child.

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D3E “Does not”

Posted in Blessing, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Sanctification, tagged , , , on January 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The righteous one “does not walk…stand…sit.” Deuteronomy 6:7: “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” In the way you act in your personal life will train your children. You add words by teaching and talking in order to explain how and why you “sit…walk…lie down…rise up.” God’s commands should be on your heart and your lips rather than the “counsel…path…seat” of the wicked (Psalm 1:1)

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D3M “Does”

Posted in Blessing, General, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Sanctification, tagged , , on January 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“In whatever he does, he prospers.” verse 3

What do the righteous do? They delight in and meditate on God’s law, His Word. What one delights in he spends time with, thus day and night. There is not an ounce of passiveness in this pursuit but all intentionality and passion as with a first love.

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D2E* “How Blessed”

Posted in General on January 2, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Continuing reflection on Psalm 1, I wondered…

How blessed?

A “tree” is substantial, long-lived. Though the word “firmly” is not there in the original, the implication of “planted” is not easily pulled up, pushed over, or beaten down. Being “by streams of water” means it does not suffer drought, is always supplied, and has confidence in that supply. “Yields fruit” communicates that the tree is useful, has purpose, supplies others, nourishes, and is sweet to those who feed from it. “In season” says that the fruit is ready at the appropriate time and patient with full confidence of yield. When a “leaf does not wither”, it is always growing, not threatened, fresh and supple rather than dried and brittle, and must be evergreen, not experiencing autumn. “Whatever he does” will be by God’s will and power, and aptly led by the Spirit. “He prospers” because God has promised it, even as He did to Joshua: “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” (Joshua 1:8). In a word, tremendously blessed.

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*Yes, other than outright missing 4 days, I also missed writing twice daily several times, so there is no D2M, Day 2 Morning.

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Psalm 1 D1E Contrasts

Posted in Blessing, General, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Sanctification, tagged , , , on January 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Day 1 Evening reflection:   Preliminary Contrasts:

tree vs. chaff; firmly planted vs. blown away;  blessed vs. not so; 

nor stand in the path of sinners vs. nor sinner [stand] in the assembly of the righteous

LORD knows the vs. way will perish;  yields fruit vs. [worthless] chaff

prosper vs. perish

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