Good evening. If you turn in your scriptures to Matthew’s gospel this evening, we’ll begin there in chapter 4. I think that’s on page 901 of your Pew Bibles. And then we’ll head to Psalms after we read this portion of Matthew’s Gospel. Let’s give attention to the very Word of God. Matthew chapter 4. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, If you are the Son of God, Command these stones to become loaves of bread. But he answered, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple. And said to him, if you are the son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, he will command his angels concerning you. And on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus said to him, again, it is written, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test. Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their glory. And he said to him, all these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.
Then Jesus said to him, Be gone, Satan, for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only you shall serve. Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. Now if you turn to Psalms, this evening we’ll read the first one. I believe that’s on page 568 of your Pew Bibles.
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 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.
As far in the reading of God’s word. Amen. Would you pray with me? Father in our God, we come now and seek your guidance. By your spirit, Lord God, lead us in this study tonight. that we might open your word and wring out of it all that you have for us, that you’d use your word tonight as the spirit takes it up and plants it deeply within us to continue to change us, mold us, and shape us, and as we learned this morning, increase our faith. Help us now. Guide and direct us for your glory and for the exaltation of your son and the praise of the spirit. We ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen. What is your foundation? What was the Israelites’ foundation, their longing, their desire, as they entered the Promised Land?
If you know that account in Joshua, where the Israelites were to go in and take Jericho. They had a command. Even before they got close to the city of Jericho, that command was that this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night. But then as they got close to Jericho, there was another command.
And that was that the things within the city were to be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Everything. All silver, gold, every vessel of bronze and iron are holy to the Lord. They shall go into the treasure of the Lord, but everything else was devoted to destruction. They were not to take anything. And if you know the account, you know that there was one man who did take a cloak, 200 shekels of silver and 50 shekels of gold.
He coveted them. And he buried them under his tent. Literally, those things became his foundation. And if you know the account, you know what happened to Achan as a result of his sin As a result of his coveting these things and planting them under his tent, keeping them, longing to have them for himself, his foundation was not the Word of God. His happiness was crushed, so to speak, under the weight of stones because he was stoned to death by all Israel. He was like that foolish man who built his house on the sand. Achan founded his life upon the things of the world, not upon the Word of God.
And in a sense, that brings us to Psalm 1 this evening. It’s the beginning of the Psalms. And as Leupold writes, it seems to be that these first two psalms have a purpose of emphasizing certain fundamentals that we see throughout all of the psalms. Spurgeon writes that this psalm may be regarded as the preface psalm, that it was the psalmist’s desire to teach us the way to blessedness. I think Spurgeon’s right. So there’s the question.
What is it to be happy? This word blessed is the man, could be translated happy is the man. What is it to be happy? The world has its own definition of that. Happiness is obviously the objective of life. If we were to go out today and ask people, what’s the purpose of life? Many would just say to be happy, the ultimate in living. Happy in school. happy with your selection of a career, happy with your spouse, happy with your children. If you’re not happy, it’s likely because you just don’t have enough of the things of the world, like Aiken. But what is biblical happiness? What is God’s definition of blessedness? What does the scripture have to say?
So I’m returning to Psalm 1 this evening. And I’d like us to see tonight that a life of happiness is founded in knowing and following the Word of God. A life of happiness is founded in knowing and following the Word of God. We’ll see that in two simple points tonight, the blessed way of those made righteous, and then finally the cursed way of those remaining in rebellion. As we go through this passage tonight, Again, I’d like you to be asking yourself, what is my foundation? What is my foundation?
Well, first, the blessed way of those made righteous. This is a wonderful beginning to all the Psalms. 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. Blessed is the man, or Webster’s as Webster’s puts it, happy, prosperous, heavenly felicity. That’s the idea. Heavenly blissfulness. What does that mean?
Psalmist first puts it in the negative, doesn’t he? Blessed is the man who walks not. walks not. This man, as he lives his life here in the temporal world amongst those who love God and amongst those who do not love God or who hate God, how is this one walking? How is this one living? With whom does he associate? With whom does he surround himself?
Is it not the company that we keep and associate with and participate with that indicates the condition of our hearts? There may be an intended progression here, walking, standing, sitting, but I think it’s better to understand that this is a comprehensive view of the entire life of one whose heart has been changed. All of these mentioned, wicked, sinners, scoffers, are those who remain in rebellion against God, who hate him, who hate his law, who constantly seek to oppose him and to thus to oppose his very word. So this one who’s blessed in all aspects of his life, he’s walking, standing, sitting comprehensively.
He remains outside of the world’s sphere of influence over him. He’s separated. That’s the idea. Separated from wicked sinners and protected. There’s protection set forth in this passage. There’s a positive idea. It’s set forth in the negative, but there’s the positive idea of being protected.
The spirit is protecting this one, not permitting that which is around him to infiltrate, to penetrate his heart, to lead him astray. This man’s heart has been anchored in the company of righteous and guiding him to surround himself with opposite of those who are listed. This is seen throughout God’s word. throughout his precepts.
In Proverbs 1, my son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. That’s the idea. Proverbs 13, he who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companions of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 14, leave the presence of a fool, or you will not discern the words of knowledge. Or Proverbs 22, do not associate with a man given to anger. or with a hot-tempered man, or you will learn his ways.” And then finally, not just the Old Testament, but Paul in Ephesians writes this, do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness. That seems to be the idea. Do not participate in them.
And so there’s this separation, isn’t there? Separation from evil. that we see throughout the history of redemption. We see it even in Genesis as the two lines, the two seeds are set forth. The line of Cain versus the line of Seth, a separation immediately appearing after the fall from grace. And there’s the separation of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, isn’t there?
Consider Abram called to separate himself from his family, from his community, to go out. He didn’t even know where he was going, but he was called to separate himself. That’s the plan for the people of God. Consider King Solomon. He was called. to separate himself from foreign women, but he failed to do so. You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after other gods. It’s exactly what Solomon did. He allowed his heart to be turned away. Why? Because he associated, he married women who were outside of the church, so to speak. That’s the call of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, isn’t it?
There’s a call to be separate. Go forth from your country, the 12 tribes of Israel, to separate from Egypt, from the nations that occupied the promised land. Separate yourselves from them. Do not intermarry with them. And then even, again, in the New Testament, with regard to ecclesiastical discipline, Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.
The church is called to be separate. Now, we have to be careful. There’s a distinction to be made, isn’t there? We have to ensure that, as believers, we’re not participating with those who relish sin. That’s the idea. to ensure the purity of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we don’t keep in the church those who are unrepentant of known sin. But Jesus ate with tax collectors. Jesus ate with sinners. Why? To proclaim the truth to them. He was not counseled by them. He did not sit with them to hear their words of wisdom. He did not immerse himself in their works. No, Jesus chose 11 men out of the world who would follow him.
It’s not that Christians are called to separate themselves wholly and completely from the world to live in communes. We’re called to live in the world. But we’re called to be lights to the world. To be a sweet aroma to those who are in darkness, drawing them to Christ. Isn’t that why Jesus taught his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount, you are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men. See, that’s the idea. Let your light shine. And so there’s happiness, there’s blessing in living this way.
It’s stated in the negative, does not, does not, does not, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffer, does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. And it’s stated in the negative because it’s even more powerful that way. True, eternal happiness, blessedness is not and will never be found in what the wicked, the sinful, the scoffers would counsel. It’s not found in following the way which opposes the living God.
How could there be? How could there be happiness in following those who oppose the living God? For to do so is to live in conflict, constant conflict with the plan and the purpose and the design and the intent of the one who made you. No true eternal happiness may only be found as you pursue the way of righteousness, the way of the Lord Jesus Christ.
See, that’s why we read Matthew 4. Did you notice that every single time that Satan tempts him, what does he do? He goes to the Word of God. He’s immersed in the Word of God. It is filling his body and soul such that every time Satan addresses him, it just comes out, it flows out. That’s the way of the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s the way the creator of all things That’s why Jesus said, follow me.
Well, we don’t have only the negative set forth here, we have the positive as well. Positive activity. His delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night. He doesn’t walk in the council of the wicked, he doesn’t stand in the way of sinners, he doesn’t sit in the seat of scoffers, but this is what he does. He delights in the law, and he meditates on it day and night. That’s a positive activity.
He’s delighting, he’s meditating on the law, and that’s certainly a reference to scripture. Is it just a reference to Moses and the Ten Commandments? I don’t think so. But whatever it is, it’s a reference to the word of God. And this one is delighting in it. It’s just delight.
You think of this one who comes home from work and he can’t wait. He can’t wait to get into the word of God. When this one wakes up in the morning, he can’t wait to open up the scriptures. What does God have for me today? Even as he’s sleeping, as he wakes up in the middle of the night, the words of God come to his mind, come to his heart. He’s meditating. It’s a blessing.
Consider that. Before you were converted, was that your delight? Absolutely not. You ran from it. If somebody opened it up for you, couldn’t wait for it to be shut. But now this one described by the psalmist has been drawn to love the word of God. It’s not our natural inclination. As we’re born in Adam, that’s not what we desire. We desire to run from that. The natural man does not accept the things that are of the Spirit of God. They’re foolishness to him.
But as the Lord works, as the Spirit converts, there’s this growing love, growing delight for the Word. Did you notice how this really is a description of the Lord Jesus Christ? Again, that’s why we read Matthew chapter 4. His delight is in the law of the Lord. And on his law, he meditates day and night. That’s Christ. The psalmist is opening up Christ for us.
The tempter came to him and said, if you are the son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread. But he answered, it is written. It is written. Think of that. He hadn’t eaten for 40 days. His body was probably screaming to him, yes, yes, let’s make a loaf of bread. And yet what came to his heart powerfully was the word of God. It is written. But as this is applied to you and me tonight, The Word of the Cross has become the power of God.
The Spirit has not only caused one to have eyes to see and hear, he’s also created a deep appreciation and love for the Word of God. So much so that you delight in it. Listening to his words, his wisdom, his perfect guiding hand, his loving watch care, in his inscripturated word, that this one would so delight in the voice of his master, his savior, his God, that he would want to hear it day and night, at which brings knowledge and wisdom and comfort and peace akin to a lullaby, wooing a child to a perfect, restful sleep. The Word of God is perfect law, peaceful, joyful voice, a calming hand in a cursed world full of sin and turmoil and trouble. Become a delight, a joy to those who’ve been given ears to hear.
What’s the result? Look at verse three. It is a result, isn’t it? As a result of delighting in the law, as a result of meditating upon it day and night, this one becomes like a tree, a healthy tree, planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, and its leaf does not wither. What a picture. He prospers. Is that the basis for a health, wealth, and welfare gospel? No. No, absolutely not. Think of Joseph, sold into slavery.
Now his master saw that the Lord is with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands. The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s charge because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made to prosper. Same Hebrew word used here for Joseph that we read here in Psalm 1.
He prospers. Think of the affliction that Joseph was going through. And yet he was like a tree planted by streams of water. He was prospering. Even in his affliction. That’s the idea. Jeremiah writes, for he’ll be like a tree planted by the water that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes. Its leaves will be green. It will not be anxious. In a year of drought, nor cease to yield fruit.
That’s the idea. Prospering. seeking and doing the will of God because you’re immersed, you’re meditating upon the law day and night, you’re delighting in it, you wanna do it, give me more. Is that what you cry out for? Give me more, more of your word. Is that how you define happiness? Let me be in your word more often, more frequently. Give me more understanding that I might be that very tree. That would be fruitful.
You see, that’s where the fruit comes from. It doesn’t come from our good works. It doesn’t come from our intelligence. No, it comes from being in the word of God. That’s the fruit. That’s where he produces the fruit in and through you. That brings us then to the cursed way. You’ve seen the blessed way. He’s just skimmed over it.
But there’s a contrast set forth here in this psalm. powerful contrast between the one who’s blessed or happy and the one who’s cursed, the wicked. And Alistair Begg points out there’s only two. There isn’t a third, just two. Verse four, the wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Now, I’m not a farmer.
I don’t know much about it. But my understanding that chaff is that thing that surrounds a husk of grain. And as the grain is processed, that husk is driven off. It’s crushed off. And it becomes very flaky and can fly about. And so when they were threshing the grain, my understanding is that they would crush it with a big wheel, and the chaff would be ripped off, so to speak, but the wind would just blow it away. That’s the idea. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. A mere two words in English, but these two words carry so much weight.
The wicked indeed are by nature, because of their unrepentant, unchanged, corrupt inclinations, they do walk in the counsel of other wicked. They do stand in the path of sinners. They do sit in the seat of scoffers. They surround themselves, and they join in, and they participate with those of like-mindedness. They’re attracted to and remain with and in the company of these who hate God, those who love and remain in rebellion, those who hate neighbors and love themselves. That’s the idea.
The wicked do not delight in the law of the Lord. They do not meditate upon it day and night. They have no delight in the law of God. They hate it. They reject it. They rebel against God as he has set himself forth down in these 66 books. They have no foundation, no support, like that house built on the sand.
Isn’t that the idea? Isn’t that what Jesus is speaking about as he ends the Sermon on the Mount? You either have a house built on the rock or you have a house built on the sand, and the wicked are like those who have absolutely no foundation, not like this tree planted by streams of water yielding fruit in its season. No, they’re not so. The righteous are the tree planted by God, firmly planted. That’s what the NASB adds.
Whereas the wicked, in action of themselves, they’re not planted by God, they’re planted in the place that they have chosen, not in fertile soil, not by streams of water, They’re acting without his counsel, in opposition to his will. They’ve determined where to plant themselves and by their own actions.
They’ve placed themselves where the soil is dry, the land is parched, the nutrients are gone, the streams of water have dried up. There’s no hope for growth in this place where they planted themselves. They’ve strayed from the truth. They’ve strayed from the word of God.
They cannot and will not have any foundation. The rebellious one has no foundation. There’s no possibility for roots to grow deeply. There’s no expectation of prospering. And thus, like chaff, they’re blown in the wind. Nothing to keep them anchored. Nothing will keep them stayed.
Not their own strength, not their belief in themselves, not their happiness in their sinful ways, not the lust of the world, not their love or stockpile of money. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Chaff is being separated from the good wheat, from the true seed. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
You see that concept of separation once again in verse 5. Thus is applied to the wicked, those who will be separated as being comparatively worthless. Pointing the reader to the fact that in glory there will be no sin and thus no sinners. That’s the idea. They will not stand in judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. Separated forever if they remain in their unrepentance.
What was Achan’s life founded on? As he buried those things that he coveted under his tent, he literally founded his life upon the beautiful cloak, the silver, the gold, which he took and coveted in opposition to the express command and will of God. He lived his life in opposition to God. His foundation was sin.
And as a result, Achan became as chaff, no foundation in the word of God, no delight in the law of God, only scoffing or hating the very word of God. And so Achan took up his own word as he lusted after the world, not knowing the delight of the law nor meditating upon it.
In God’s wisdom, he has brought this particular psalm at the beginning of the 150 psalms, calling upon his children to meditate upon his word, to delight in his word. Tonight, you’ve been challenged, at least I hope you’ve been, to be more Christ-like. As I indicated earlier, I think A portion of this psalm, a significant portion of this psalm is pointing us to Christ. This is a description of Christ. He’s the one who delights in the law. He’s the one who never sets it down. He’s the one who meditates upon it day and night. He is that tree.
Constantly producing fruit. Never a time in Jesus’ life when he was not producing fruit. been challenged. Will you meditate upon the law of God day and night? Will you make the word of God your foundation to dwell on it? That’s how Webster’s defines meditation, to dwell on anything in thought, to contemplate, to study, to turn, to revolve any subject in the mind. That’s the idea, to ponder it, to sit upon it, to stand upon it, to be founded in it, to be conformed to it continually.
You might be thinking, well, I’ve got other things to do. I’ve got a home to take care of. I’ve got children to watch over. I’ve got school to attend to. I have my work. Yes. Yes, you do. I don’t believe the psalmist was expecting that the reader would be encouraged to give up employment or sleep such that the meditation would just continue 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I don’t think that’s the idea.
But I do think the idea is that as one is in the word, as one continues to meditate upon it, to keep it within your heart, your mind, that’s how you’re sanctified. The Spirit takes it up and continues to work it in you, that you mull it over, that you ponder it, that it’s constantly before you. I think that’s what Paul wrote of as he wrote to those in Rome, the saints, following this precept laid down in this psalm. Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. so that you may prove what the will of God is. In essence, I think Paul is taking Psalm 1 and he’s writing it in the language of those in Rome at that time that they would understand, oh, this is what it means to meditate upon the word of God day and night. It’s transforming my mind, my heart constantly. Why? so that you may prove what the will of God is. Please don’t miss that tonight.
Wasn’t that Jesus’s longing, his desire? In the Garden of Gethsemane, wasn’t that what he pled for? Not my will, but your will be done. Where does that come from? It’s meditation. upon the Word of God has brought him to that point. He so longed to stay with his father, to be in communion with his father, that anything that would interrupt that communion, he wanted to cast off. Isn’t there some other way? But he knew. Because he had been meditating day and night upon the Word of God, which brought him to the point where he could say, not my will, but your will be done. He knew the will of his Father.
And you see, by meditating upon the Word of God day and night, it renews your mind. You see, what happened in the fall was your mind was corrupted completely. And as you’re regenerated, as you’re brought to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as you’ve been given a new heart, what’s happening? Your mind is being renewed day by day to be more like Christ’s. So the psalmist here is saying, here’s how you do it.
Meditate. Delight in the law. Ponder it. Mull it over. Sit on it, stand on it, be founded in it, be conformed to it. Be immersed in it. Turn it over in your mind, revolve, let it revolve again and again and again. See the different facets, the new insights, the mercy of God being applied daily, freshness, newness every day. There’s some practical things you can do. Take out a three by five card, put a scripture verse on it, carry it about. Memorize it. Use it in family worship. Take five minutes, five minutes a day. Open the word of God at the breakfast table, at the dinner table. Individually setting aside a particular time of day to open the word of God every day, same time.
Making time. Brothers and sisters, I understand we’re constantly on the go. Many, many, many things to do. And you say, well, this was written a long time ago. They didn’t have as many things as I have to do. I don’t know. I think they had a lot of things to do.
It’s a matter of the heart. Yes, we’re busy. But the Lord will give you time if you ask for it. If you plead with him, Lord, help me. I’m weak. I’m frail. I’m drawn away in this direction, in that direction. I have so many things to do. Give me time to be in your word. Light up on my heart. Change my heart. Help me to meditate upon it day and night. Lead me. Help me. Humble me.
Sincere, heartfelt, pleading with God that He would have His way with you is the way to begin, delighting in the law and meditating upon it day and night, that your mind would be renewed and you would know the will of God. This life of happiness is founded in knowing and following the Word of God. Achan. Achan looked in the wrong place for happiness. We know the right place. Oh, Holy Spirit, guide and direct our hearts that we would be those to meditate and delight in your word. Amen. Would you pray with me? Our God and our Father, we thank you so much for Jesus Christ.
We thank you so much for his example, and that’s to put it very lightly. We thank you so much for his love for your word, I thank you that he indeed was immersed in it. It is his word and so he knew it. So much so that there was nothing that came from his heart or mind as Satan tempted him but your very word.
And so we ask even now, Lord, help us to be more like Christ. Guide and direct our hearts that we would set aside time be in your word, to meditate upon your word, to ponder your word, to sit upon it, to stand upon it, to be founded in it. Help us, Lord. Guide and direct our hearts. We ask all this in Jesus’s precious name. Amen. Brothers and sisters, as we close our day in worship, let’s stand and sing one