Psalm 1

Book One

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

1   Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
  nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
  but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.
  He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
  that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
  In all that he does, he prospers.
  The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
  for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

(ESV)

Psalm 1 Commentary

by Brad Boyles

Regarded as the Psalm of Psalms, this opening chapter sets the table for the entire book. Psalms seeks to encourage us in the ways of the Lord and discourage us from the wickedness of sin. It’s a beautiful opening which drives home the main idea of these 150 chapters.

The word blessed is a familiar word in Christian circles. We use it for all kinds of situations. In fact, although the Scriptures use it repeatedly to describe God’s unbelievable gifts, our world most often uses it to describe material possessions. Here, in Chapter 1, we get a context for the blessings of God.

We must ask ourselves, why is the man in this Psalm considered blessed? We look to the metaphor of a tree.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.  4  The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

Psalms 1:3-4 NASB

True blessings come from being rooted in Christ. From that, an outpouring of fruit will grow, which is the greatest blessing of this life. Our ultimate satisfaction comes from loving and being loved by God. The opposite of experiencing this blessing is walking in disobedience. From this short chapter, we are reminded that blessing comes in two ways. It comes first through obedience and seeking Christ. However, it also comes through the self-control of the Spirit which guides us away from wicked behavior. Naturally, if we plant ourselves on the foundation of Christ, we will avoid the pitfalls of disobedience and evil.