Title: Oh, the Blessedness!
Text: Psalm 1: 1-6
Date: July 21, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Our text will be Psalm 1. Let’s read it together. As the Psalmist enjoins the believer to “not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of those who proudly mock, but instead delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on his Word” so we will walk through this Psalm in the counsel of God our Savior.
The counsel of Christ himself concerning the whole volume of scripture is this: “they are they which testify of me.” Psalm 40: 7, Christ speaking, says, “in the volume of the book it is written of me” (Ps. 40:7.)
When reading the Psalms (along with all the scriptures) we must always first look for Christ Jesus our Light. Then in the Light of Christ, we walk in his Light, heeding the instruction as the Spirit of God makes it effectual in our hearts.
The book of Psalms is a book praising God in Christ Jesus for the very blessedness which Christ is, and gives, to his people. It ends with the 150th Psalm with these words, “Praise ye the LORD.” And Psalm 1:1 begins praising the LORD.
Psalm 1:1: Blessed is the man…or “Oh the blessedness of that man!”
Do you remember how Paul expressed his praise for the Father’s electing grace, in Ephesians 1?
Ephesians 1: 3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,…
Psalm 1: 1 is the same expression of praise to Christ. “Blessed is the Man…”…“Oh the blessedness of that Man!”
Proposition: This blessed Man is Christ Jesus.
Psalm 72: 17: His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.
The literal translation of verse 1 is, “O the happiness of that One, who Hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked. And in the way of sinners hath not stood, And in the seat of scorners hath not sat;”
Who among men has never done this? Only the God-Man, Christ Jesus, our Mediator and Savior NEVER did these things.
Walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly—The counsel of Satan tricked Eve—through her Adam disobeyed God and plunged the whole human race into spiritual death. We are born walking after his council. Christ was tempted in all points as we, yet he NEVER walked in the counsel of the ungodly.
Application: When will a sinner cease heeding the vain wisdom of the wicked? Of the self-righteous who would have the sinner to mingle grace and works? Of the world whose wisdom is foolishness? When of God, Christ is made unto us Wisdom—all the Counsel of God! Oh, happy is that man. He walks in Christ the Covenant, the Light, and no more in the counsel of the wicked.
Nor standeth in the way of sinners---Christ took upon him the likeness of sinful flesh. Christ walked among sinners. Christ ate with publicans and sinners. Christ laid down his life as the substitute of sinners. Christ receives sinners. But Christ never stood in the sinners way!
Hebrews 7: 26: For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Application: When is a sinner sanctified from our broad way of destruction? From the way that seems right to a man but ends in death? When of God Christ is made THE WAY! When the power of the Father “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” When the Spirit of God makes us to rest by faith in Christ, trusting that by his one offering, he has made us meet—fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light (Colosians 1: 13.) Then we stand no more in the way of sinners but in Christ the Way.
Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful--The scornful are proud and consider others beneath them. Mocking God as the Pharisee’s did Christ. But this was the mind of Christ:
Philippians 2: 6: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Application: Who among us has NEVER sat in the seat of the scorner? When will a sinner be humbled from his lofty throne of mockery? When will we be sickened by our own pride? Cease looking to a scripture like this and exalting ourselves over another? When Christ puts us in the dust like he did Saul on the road to Damascus! When we are made the chief of sinners.
Matthew 5: 3: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4: Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Psalm 1: 2: But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psalm 40 is Christ speaking. Psalm 40: 8: I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. Christ fulfilled the Father’s word—his will…given him to fulfill before the world began.
1. For God--he fulfilled the holy law declaring God just and the Justifier—
2. For his people—he fulfilled the holy law—
Matthew 5: 17: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18: For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (who fulfilled it? He did!)
The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us by what Christ did, NOT by what we do—by FAITH we establish the law (Romans 3: 21.)
ROMANS 8: 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
He is the fulfillment of the righteousness of the law to everyone that believeth.
Romans 10: 4: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. 5: For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6: But the righteousness which is of faith (is this)…9: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
3. Christ preached this very gospel because it was the Father’s word given him
John 12: 49: For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50: And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
Psalm 40: 8: I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 9: I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. 10: I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
4. Christ fulfilled all that was written of him in the prophets—“that the scripture might be fulfilled”—even this very scripture in Psalm 1—his delight was in fulfilling the will of God--he mediated upon this word day and night! “not my will but thine be done!”
Application: When will we cease delighting in our vain word, making our vain boast, and keep his commandments—coming unto him, delighting that IT IS FINISHED and love those begotten of him? When will we do so? When by his Word we are born anew!
Psalm 1: 3: And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Christ is the Tree of Life. He bringeth forth is fruit in HIS SEASON. Christ shall never wither—the same yesterday, today and forever. Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper—the LORD said, “He shall not fail.”
Application: In the season of his love he shall bring each of his children forth as his fruit. The Spirit of God engrafts us into Christ the Vine. When the blessedness of this Holy and Righteous One is made our Righteousness and Holiness--we bring forth this fruit—we praise him and rejoice saying, ‘Oh the blessedness of that man--WE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM!”
Now will you hear this solemn word from the Lord, dear sinner?
Psalm 1: 4: The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5: Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6: For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Are you yet walking in the counsel of men who advise you to look to yourself, your will, your wisdom, your works—to make yourself perfect with God? Are you yet standing in the way of sinners? the way of the ungodly shall perish. Are you seated in the seat of the scorners? Pretending to serve God but mocking Christ? Beware of the progression of those words—walking, standing, seated.
2 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
The wind shall drive away the chaff! Our Savior said, “Every plant, that my Father bath not planted, shall be rooted up” (Matt. 15:13).
But hear this word of salvation!
Psalm 1: 6:..the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous:
You know why the Father receives all who trust in his Son? The Father knows Christ. God knows the Way in which the believer comes to him. What blessedness—to rest and rejoice in the same one who God the Father rested and rejoices in. “Oh, the blessedness of that man!”
AMEN!