January 19, 2024 by creatorworship
“…nor does not stand in the path of sinners” (Psalm 1:1)
“Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) What level of association with unbelievers is corrupting? Does it have to do with the intentions for Gospel witness or the watchfulness or the agreement on the part of the unbeliever to avoid crude action and speech? Marriage and business covenants are precluded by 2 Corinthians 6:14, but are friendships and shared recreational, education, or political pursuits also disallowed?
“They themselves are in the world” and “I also have sent them into the world.” (John 17:11,18) “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.” (1 Corinthians 5:9-11) So, we associate with the worldly ones because Jesus sent us for the purpose of witnessing to them by our lives and words. We are not to associate with those claiming to be believers whose life denies it- hypocrites. But out associations must be measured and careful because “Bad company corrupts good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)
Believers, check your intentions and any changes that may creep in and hear the counsel of fellow believers if they perceive you bending to the ways of the world.
Posted in Consequences, God's Law, Influence, Psalm 1, Witness | Tagged Association, Bad Company, Corrupting Influences, Influence, Psalm 1 | Leave a Comment »
January 19, 2024 by creatorworship
Re-evaluate what counsel you walk in. Does it claim to be wise only to really be worldly wise? Does it claim to be biblical when in reality it is tainted by cultural thinking and tradition? Does it claim to be Christian though wrapped in secular theory, education, or psychology? Does it claim to be healthy and profitable but turns out to only be the schemes of man? It is not enough to stand still and be a spectator with regards to counsel. Walk in God’s counsel found in God’s Word, meditating on it and praying for good application of it for your circumstances. May God help us to hear the “voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues.” (Revelation18:4)
Posted in Blessing, Consequences, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Psalm 1, Sanctification, Wickedness | Tagged Counsel, Godly Counsel, Psalm 1, Purity, Wisdom, Worldly Counsel | Leave a Comment »
January 18, 2024 by creatorworship
There are no more than two options, two types of people, righteous and wicked. There are no disinterested or OK or “good people” or as yet undecided or ignorant. And even if you fancied yourself in one of these categories, you are no longer. “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
God saves all of those who come to Him, who trust Him to save them from their sin.
Posted in Faith, Psalm 1, Wickedness | Tagged Psalm 1, Righteous, Salvation, Wicked | Leave a Comment »
January 18, 2024 by creatorworship
“Therefore” Psalm 1:5
Not because “they are like chaff” (v.4). That is a metaphor the result of their conduct and belief, not the cause. They shall not “stand in the judgment…” (v.5), because they do not delight in God’s law (v.2), and therefore not in Him or His salvation. God said, “I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts, a people who continually provoke Me to My face.” (Isaiah 65:2-3a) “…They refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to repent.” (Jeremiah 5:3) “But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing.” (Zechariah 7:11) God’s wrath upon them is fully justified and justice demands it, because of their refusal to listen or believe in God and their participation in evil. (v.1)
Posted in Consequences, General, God's Law, Psalm 1, Wickedness | Tagged Psalm 1, Refusal, Responsibility for sin, Wickedness | Leave a Comment »
January 17, 2024 by creatorworship
I have two sons who can memorize long dialogues in movies by just watching it several times. I am not so gifted. However, if you repeat something long and often enough, it eventually sticks. This day I realized that I had memorized a bit more than the first three verses of Psalm 1.
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. For he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and its leaf does not wither, and in whatever he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so.” Psalm 1:1-4a
Posted in Blessing, Delights, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Psalm 1, Sanctification, Wickedness | Leave a Comment »
January 17, 2024 by creatorworship
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord.” (Psalm 1:2)
It is not enough to not “walk…stand…[or]sit” (v.1) in wickedness. We need God and His Word daily. And because it is a relationship, apathy or lack of passion cools or destroys the relationship. Where is your delight? Perhaps a better question, which delight(s) are you developing?
Posted in Blessing, Delights, God Thoughts, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Psalm 1, Sanctification, Wickedness | Tagged Delight, God's Word, Psalm 1, Wickedness | Leave a Comment »
January 16, 2024 by creatorworship
The whole of Psalm 1 is about contrasting ways. One establishes, blesses, makes righteous and eternal the traveler. The other brings death, that is, separation from God, the righteous, life, and blessing. The starkness of the contrast is meant to warn the sinner and saint away from the one and toward the other, for their good.
Posted in Blessing, Consequences, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Psalm 1, Sanctification, Wickedness | Tagged Blessing, Consequences, Contrast, Psalm 1, Righteousness, Warning, Wickedness | Leave a Comment »
January 15, 2024 by creatorworship
What is scoffing but saying with derisive passion that it is not so? (1) And about what are they scoffing? Is it not about the truth of God’s Word, the veracity of His promises, the wonder of His grace, the miracles of His workings, the condition of man, the hope of salvation, and the wisdom of living a godly life?
“A scoffer does not love one who reproves him, he will not go to the wise.” (Proverbs 15:12)
“Judgments are prepared for scoffers, and blows for the back of fools.” (Proverbs 19:29)
“Drive out the scoffer and contentions will go out, even strife and dishonor will cease.” (Proverbs 22:10)
- Dictionary definition- “contemptuously ridiculing or mocking someone or something”
Posted in God's Law, God's Word, Psalm 1, Wickedness | Tagged Psalm 1, Scoffers, Wickedness | Leave a Comment »
January 15, 2024 by creatorworship
“The counsel of the wicked” (Psalm 1:1)
Is wicked counsel limited to those actively pursuing evil, or does it include seemingly benign culture wisdom like “it’s just the way its always been done.”
Jephthah of Judges 11 was desperate and vowed a foolish thing when he tried to buy God off instead of resolving to serve Him all of his life. David could not give up numbering the people even when warned not to (2 Samuel 24), and he had the ark carried on a cart (1 Chronicles 13). These seemed like the thing to do but people were killed because of them. And so, it was with Joshua and the elders who only sent a few thousand men to fight at Ai without inquiring of the Lord (Joshua 7). Had they inquired, God would have showed them Achan’s sin. More people lost their lives. Let us take heed not to walk in the counsel of wicked, be it ever so benign, passive, or non-threatening. Walk in God’s counsel watching, waiting, and inquiring of the Lord.
Posted in Blessing, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Sanctification | Tagged Godly Counsel, Psalm 1, Wicked Counsel, Worldly Counsel | Leave a Comment »
January 14, 2024 by creatorworship
“He will be like a tree firmly planted…in whatever he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:3)
The psalmist moves smoothly into and out of the metaphor, transitioning from he to tree and tree to he. It all points to the righteous prospering. Why does he prosper? In the metaphor, the tree prospers because it is rooted in the Source, the Living (flowing) Water of Life. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that the water He gives prevents thirst and springs up to eternal life (John4:14). The righteous man rooted in this Source is in a perpetual state of fruitfulness, undeterred growth, and prosperous activity.
Posted in Blessing, God's Law, God's Word, Metaphor, Piety, Sanctification | Tagged Blessing, Metaphor, Psalm 1, Rooted, Source | Leave a Comment »
January 14, 2024 by creatorworship
“Nor stand in the path of sinners” (Psalm 1:1)
The path or way of a man speaks of more than habit, procedure, lifestyle, or perspective. It is the very course of his life. Therefore, it will perish with him. The righteous, declared so by God, are under the blood of Christ, a strong umbrella shielding them from the wrath of God. The wicked are out in the open, unprotected from God’s judgment. God cares and He wants us to care, too: “Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter, oh hold them back.” (Proverbs 24:11)
Posted in General, Judgment | Tagged Judgment, Psalm 1, Wickedness | Leave a Comment »
January 13, 2024 by creatorworship
“The wicked will not stand in the judgment.” (Psalm 1:5)
“Not stand” is a metaphor perishing, being destroyed, or falling when The Judgment comes. And if you are not in the assembly of the righteous, then you are delegated to the assembly of the wicked with the devil and his angels in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10-15).
Posted in Consequences, God's Law, Judgment | Tagged Judgment, Psalm 1, Wickedness | Leave a Comment »
January 13, 2024 by creatorworship
“He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water.” (Psalm 1:3)
God fully supplies the needs of His own with an overflowing abundance. Do you suffer, particularly for His cause and as a believer? Yes, but even then He provides comfort, confidence, and purpose. Tap into the Source that never runs dry.
Posted in Blessing, General, Grace, Sustaining | Tagged Abundance, Psalm 1, Supply, Sustaining | Leave a Comment »
January 12, 2024 by creatorworship
Psalm 1:1- “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, not stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.” “wicked…sinners…scoffers.”
In regard to intention, action, and speech, these people are at odds with and God and man. Their counsel is destructive; their way is away from God; their conversation is demeaning, if not degrading.
It occurs to me after making these statements, that frequently these people seem to be nice, helpful, well educated, and well-spoken, but spiritually their conduct may simultaneously be destructive, away from God, and demeaning.
Posted in Blessing, God's Word, Implications, Piety, Sanctification | Tagged Psalm 1, Wickedness | Leave a Comment »
January 12, 2024 by creatorworship
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.
Posted in Blessing, Consequences, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Sanctification | Tagged Blessing, Counsel, God's Law, Piety, Psalm 1, Righteousness, Wickedness | Leave a Comment »
January 11, 2024 by creatorworship
“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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January 10, 2024 by creatorworship
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
Posted in Blessing, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Sanctification | Tagged Law, Law of the Lord, Psalm 1, Purpose of the Law, Righteousness | Leave a Comment »
January 10, 2024 by creatorworship
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).
- NASB 1995 center notes
Posted in Blessing, Faith, God's Law, God's Word, Gospel, Grace, Piety, Sanctification | Tagged Faith, Grace, Righteousness, Salvation, Works | Leave a Comment »
January 9, 2024 by creatorworship
“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.
- 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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January 9, 2024 by creatorworship
“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.
- biblestudytools.com/blessing/
- firmisrael.org/learn/the-hebrew-meaning-of-blessed/
Posted in Blessing, General, God's Law, God's Word, Joy, Piety, Sanctification | Tagged Blessing, Grace, Joy, Peace, Psalm 1 | Leave a Comment »
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