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Posts Tagged ‘Wickedness’

D21E, The Result

Posted in Blessing, Faith, God's Law, God's Word, Grace, Piety, Psalm 1, Sanctification, Wickedness, tagged , , , , , on January 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I will have to practice by repeating Psalm 1 in order to retain it, but I have memorized it in the process of these 21 days. Reading and reflecting for 21 days has deepened my resolve to focus more on God and His Word. In context, the Scripture says, “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.”” (1) (Galatians 3:18) A desire for God’s law and the totality of His Word is not the way of salvation but a result of it. The righteous are and will be known by these things, but salvation is by grace through faith. This grace separates the saved from the unbelieving lost, resulting in righteousness or wickedness.

I hope that you have benefited even a fraction of the amount that I have from doing this 21-day Psalm 1 Challenge. In some respects, I did it twice, because I read and journaled last month and clarified and deepened it to present to you this month.

  1. Habakkuk 2:4

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D18E, “Therefore”

Posted in Consequences, General, God's Law, Psalm 1, Wickedness, tagged , , , on January 18, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“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)

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D17M, “Delight”

Posted in Blessing, Delights, God Thoughts, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Psalm 1, Sanctification, Wickedness, tagged , , , on January 17, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“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?

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D16E, Contrasting Ways

Posted in Blessing, Consequences, God's Law, God's Word, Piety, Psalm 1, Sanctification, Wickedness, tagged , , , , , , on January 16, 2024| Leave a Comment »

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.

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D15E, “Scoffing”

Posted in God's Law, God's Word, Psalm 1, Wickedness, tagged , , on January 15, 2024| Leave a Comment »

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)

  1. Dictionary definition- “contemptuously ridiculing or mocking someone or something”

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D14M, “Path”

Posted in General, Judgment, tagged , , on January 14, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“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)

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D13E, “Not Stand”

Posted in Consequences, God's Law, Judgment, tagged , , on January 13, 2024| Leave a Comment »

“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).

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D12E, At Odds

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

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.

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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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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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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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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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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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The Psalm 1 Challenge

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

The radio preacher challenged his listeners to read Psalm 1 twice each day for 21 days and journal impressions, adding, “It will change your life.” As best I could, I took him up on that. I began reading the psalm on December 1st and completed my 21 days in the 25th. As, you will see, I also failed to record impressions or read twice each day on four occasions. I was curious to see if non- repeating insight would come 42 separate times (38 in reality since I missed 4 times). I hand wrote my journal which I intend to copy to here with only minor corrections and clarifications. I will be labeling the entries along the following scheme: D1M means Day 1 Morning, etc., and here it is:

v.1-3: does not, does, is

v.4-5: not so the wicked

v.6: both their ways

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