notes

Main point summary

The righteous man is a blessed man because he takes his greatest joy and nourishment from the Word of God, which shall stand forever, and by it he shall be known by God, but the wicked man shall be cast out forever.

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Psalms 1:1-6

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mine

Blessed is the man 1

This psalm is about the blessed man

who a walks not in b the counsel of the wicked,

The blessed man does not walk in the advice of evil people

nor stands in c the way of sinners,

WHICH RESULTS in being constricted in standing with the actions of other people

nor d sits in e the seat of f scoffers;

THEN WHICH RESULTS in MORE constriction in sitting with a poor attitude to the law of God

progression

actionresult

but his g delight is in the law 1 of the Lord ,

RATHER, blessed is the man who takes joy in the Word of God

and on his h law he meditates day and night.

IN OTHER WORDS, he is constantly thinking deeply and acting upon it

ideaexplanation

negativepositive

He is like i a tree

The Blessed Man is JUST like a tree

planted by j streams of water

MORE SPECIFICALLY, this tree has a constant stream of nourishment

that yields its fruit in its season,

WITH THE RESULT that it has a plentiful harvest

and its k leaf does not wither.

AND WITH THE RESULT that it does not die

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l In all that he does, he prospers.

THEREFORE, this man shall succeed in everything he attempt (because His delight in what God sees is good - and God shall succeed)

inference

The wicked are not so,

CONVERSELY, the wicked do not delight in the law of the Lord/prosper in all they do

but are like m chaff that the wind drives away.

RATHER, like chaff they are easily blown away, they are useless and easily disposed of

Therefore the wicked n will not stand in the judgment,

THEREFORE, the wicked will be condemned and shall fall/be blown away

nor sinners in o the congregation of the righteous;

IN OTHER WORDS, sinners will not receive the inheritance of the righteous

for the Lord p knows q the way of the righteous,

BECAUSE the Lord knows and loves the man who is righteous

but the way of the wicked will perish.

ON THE OTHER HAND He shall cast out those who are evil

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Notes

*Notes that I took during a sermon preached on July 15, 2018 by Alex Philip , which have aided my arc (not my own sermon) - to Mr. Philip: I am indebted to you for showing me the many riches of God's Word and for teaching me what it means to pursue Him, His gospel, and His glory all the days of my life.* Psalms 1's progress of the Blessed Man - 1) what he is not and what he does not do, 2) what he is and what he does do, and 3) What he is like (a tree in a barren wasteland that has an infinite supply of nourishment by a stream to which it is rooted - this is an eternal and fully nourishing stream), and what shall become of him (he shall blossom, and provide fruit for others). Psalms 1's progress of the Wicked Man - 1) What he is not and what he does not do, 2) what he is and what he does do (not like the blessed man - walks in the advice of evil, acts in the same way of sinners, and has a poor attitude of the law of God), and 3) what he is like (useless and insignificant like chaff compared to the wheat) and what shall become of him (destroyed). Note the verbs of what the blessed man is not/what the wicked man is: he starts by walking, then he can only stand, then he can only sit - the world tells us that embrace of sin shall result in more freedom, when the Word of God shows that the embrace of sin is to restrict and enslave the self/become less mobile (walking, then standing, then sitting - resulting, eventually, in death and not being known by the Lord ). We are the wicked. We walk in the counsel of wicked, we stand in the way of sinners, we sit in the seat of scoffers. We are like the chaff - nothing to contribute - easily crushed and discarded - we are insignificant, and provide no nourishment. Christ is the blessed man - he is the only one not to walk, stand, sit like sinners. Furthermore, he is the only man who delighted in the law of God above all else - take for example the temptations of the devil, and Christ's recitation of the scripture as the remedy for the devil's bribes. How do we become blessed? We are to be united to Christ. What does it mean to be united with Christ? It means to receive all that he deserves and shall be awarded, like a commoner who marries a prince/king. If we trust in Christ and love His law, we shall receive His every inheritance. What is to become of the wicked man? For those who believe in Christ, He has united Himself to us - He has taken our sins, He has paid for our wrath, He has atoned for us unto freedom and blessedness. Our union with Christ means that we do not have to perish. But if we reject Christ, then He promises that on the day of judgment, He will not know us, and we will be cast out like useless chaff.