Just Compensation

This morning, I would like to begin a study of the Psalms. And since there are, as you know, 150 of them, I make no promise whatsoever that we will go straight through from the beginning to the end. At the very minimum, that would be at least three years worth of sermons. We may need a break after 10 or 20 or we may well just press through them all, I don’t know. And I wasn’t even sure that I could get this project off the ground this past week, and so we will have to trust the Lord to guide us. The Psalms in its entirety is classed among what is known as the wisdom literature, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and quite often the Song of Solomon being the others. The word Psalm refers to poetry, poetry set to music, in other words, a song. We might even translate the original Hebrew title, Praise Songs. That makes this collection effectively Israel’s hymnal. As such, the Book of Psalms is among the very favorite portions of scripture for so many believers.

One noted scholar, Charles Briggs, who produced one of the greatest commentaries on the Psalms, said very glowingly, the Psalter expresses the religious experience of a devout people through the centuries of communion with God. I cannot explain either Gospels or Psalms except as books of God, as products of human religious experience inspired and guided by the divine spirit. Well, the Psalms were not all written or compiled at once.

It was a gradual process of collection. Translations from The original Hebrew in which the Psalms were written are many. There is the Greek Septuagint, one of the first, the Latin Vulgate. Other translations followed, and it wasn’t translated into English until the 1500s. The arrangement of the Psalms varies very greatly, historically speaking.

Rabbis and scholars began with smaller collections of these poetic writings and our current arrangement of 150 Psalms is really arranged into five groupings. Book one, Psalms one through 42, primarily are Psalms of David and those that are directed to Yahweh or Jehovah. Book two is a mixed gathering of authors that focus their attention on Elohim. Book three, book four, book five, all return again to the primary reference of Yahweh or Jehovah. Psalms 73 through 89, book three, a great quantity of what are known as masculine psalms, more contemplative psalms.

Book four, the most general book of all five, various authors, various themes, and then finally book five, with which so many are familiar, are primarily psalms of praise and assent. So each of the five books of the Psalms have a very distinctive character.

Now, we don’t know the author or the, pardon me, the editor or editors, plural, of this current version of 150. What we do know is that arranging them chronologically or according to author was not a priority. For instance, that first book of the Psalms, which I mentioned, one through 42, has the greatest concentration of Davidic Psalms, but not exclusively.

37 of the 40 are his. In the second book, only 18 of the 30 are David’s, and in the third, only one each for David. And in the fifth and final book, only six of the 44. There are other subtle differences between these books. Most often, the name that is prominently used in four of the five books, as I said, is Yahweh or Jehovah. Elohim is in that second book, as I mentioned. One of the strong arguments for the five-book arrangement of the Psalms is that each of the books concludes with a doxology.

And if you would, I want to take you through them very briefly. If you would turn to Psalm 41. Psalm 41, and when you get there, go to the end to verse 13. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and amen. Turn, if you would, to Psalm 72 and verse 18. Psalm 72, verse 18. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone works wonders, and blessed be his glorious name forever. And may the whole earth be filled with His glory.

Amen and amen. Psalm 89, if you would, and to verse 52, which reads, blessed be the Lord forever. Amen and amen. Psalm 106 and verse 48. Psalm 106, verse 48, blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting, and let all the people say amen. Praise the Lord. And then finally, to the very last Psalm, Psalm 150.

In its entirety. Praise the Lord, praise God in His sanctuary. Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds. Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise him with trumpet sound. Praise him with harp and lyre. Praise him with timbrel and dancing. Praise him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise him with loud cymbals. Praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Well, I would like to begin our study of the Psalms. back in Psalm 1, if you would turn there, to one of the clearest dichotomies in all of scripture. A contrast between people who love God and people who don’t. There are many such contrasts presented in scripture. terms and labels that are used to distinguish God’s people from the people of the world, light and dark, saved and unsaved, godly and ungodly, natural and spiritual, saints and sinners, redeemed and those of the world, believers, unbelievers, righteous and the unrighteous. Psalm 1 is just one of many such contrasts. Would you follow along as we read Psalm 1?

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. 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. The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

In this initial psalm, the writer sets forth this dramatic contrast between the godless people of the world, which he refers to as the wicked, and those who love God, who delight in God and his word, whom the psalmist calls the righteous. We might even arrive at a descriptive theme for this psalm, the great divide. There is no middle ground.

The unique psalm, there are many different authors of the psalms, Moses, Solomon, Haman, the Israelite, the sons of Korah, King David. Psalm one is unique in that we don’t know its author. It’s not indicated in the text, the heading of the psalm. There’s no legend or tradition as to who wrote it. It’s one of God’s many mysteries. Psalm one is unique. There are many different kinds of psalms.

A miktam is a psalm that is referred to as golden or priceless. A maskil is a meditative or contemplative psalm. A mismor is a psalm that is set to musical accompaniment as opposed to being sung a cappella. A metered psalm are those that are set, if you will, to a certain beat.

Alphabetic psalms are just that, psalms which the first few lines begin with the sequential letter of the Hebrew alphabet. There are a number of beautiful psalms. Psalm 1 is unique. It isn’t any of these things. There are different types of psalms as well. Songs for varying occasions. There are halal songs, songs of praise. There are songs of ascent as people were going to the temple. There are imprecatory psalms, those which plead for judgment on God’s enemies and for His righteousness to prevail.

Psalm 1 is unique. It really doesn’t fall into any of those categories either. Nor do we know the exact writing date or the context of Psalm 1. One commentator called it an orphan psalm. What is more, Psalm 1 wasn’t in some of the earlier collections of the psalms. It was most likely one of the last psalms written. But over the centuries, this has led many scholars to suggest that this psalm was written as kind of an introduction or a prologue to the entire book of psalms. Psalm one is a very unique psalm. But it’s very simple to outline.

Blessings or cursings. Blessings upon those who delight themselves in the Lord and cursings upon those who do not. It’s a contrast and a stark contrast at that. In this same short psalm said Puritan Thomas Watson, is the quicksand where the wicked sink down into perdition and the firm ground on which the saints tread to glory. Psalmist paints a graphic picture of the righteous one. Look at verse one, if you would.

Who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. The righteous person does not love the world nor the world’s ways. He or she is not a friend to those who hate God. There is an obvious progression here when the psalmist says, walk, stand, sit. The word walk describes the inevitable and occasional interaction that the believer is going to have with people of the world.

It’s unavoidable. Paul counseled the Corinthian church in the same regard, the same difficulty. 1 Corinthians 5, 9, I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people. I did not at all mean with the immoral people of the world, or with covetous, or swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. It’s impossible not to interact with the people of the world. It’s unavoidable. We cannot avoid hearing them speak. Hearing them spew their thoughts and ideas, their so-called advice.

This doesn’t mean that if we need our car’s engine tuned, that we have to find a Christian mechanic. It doesn’t mean that We shouldn’t listen to a medical doctor just because he or she is not a Christian. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t ask our waiter what he or she might recommend on the menu. No, what the psalmist is talking about here is moral advice, ethical direction, spiritual counsel. From those who do not know or love God, there we draw the line. If a man is not a Christian, we cannot seek his counsel on prayer or doctrine.

Paul says it so directly in 2 Corinthians 6, do not be bound together with unbelievers, for what partnership has righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? We do not utilize the same moral compass. We have nothing in common, spiritually speaking. Well, here in verse one, as I suggested, there’s a progression, walk, stand, sit. And that progression, in that progression, there is a cowardly consistency to the one that doesn’t heed this caution.

The careless man, though he will certainly cross paths with such people, fails to break company with them, and upon hearing their foolish and often blasphemous thoughts, begins to stand with them. Not so the righteous. When the righteous hears the foolish nonsense come out of the mouth of the sinner, he recoils and he withdraws from him. In the psalmist words, he does not stand with him.

That word stand indicates a pause, it’s a befriending, it’s an entertaining of the advice of the world. It’s an acceptance of their counsel, their mindset. The righteous man stands guard. He avoids this foolishness. Upon hearing the ungodly talk, the wicked, the righteous person extricates himself from this nonsense. He or she knows the truth of God’s word and will have nothing else.

Would you note the third phase of the person of the world’s negative influence, walk, stand, sit. Ungodly talk is heard in the course of walking. It’s potentially entertained as pictured by the word standing. Only the righteous person refuses to stand in the sinner’s path and he or she does not settle in. does not sit in the seat of the scoffer.

The sitting now speaks of that settling in, even a preference for such counsel, embracing it as satisfactory, good enough. The scoffer is that person of the world whose mind is made up about God. They have fully formed their opinion of him and it is not good. They turn the wonderful things of God into a joke, an object of ridicule and derision. Nothing is spared. The idea of sin and hell and judgment, the idea of Christ’s atonement on the cross, even the God of creation himself. This shouldn’t surprise us. The soldiers.

The Jewish leaders, even the Roman rulers, mocked Jesus to his face. The Gentiles first considered the gospel foolishness. The apostles were ridiculed at the giving of the Holy Spirit, suggesting they were drunken. Paul was belittled by the philosophers at Athens, calling him an idle babbler.

Peter says that in the last days, this kind of thing will become commonplace. Where’s the promise of his coming? They mock. So why would we as believers settle in, sit next to, sit down with people like that? The righteous man or woman avoids all of that foolishness. Up to now, the description of the godly man has been from a negative perspective. You note that. What the person is not. But now, here in verse two, the psalmist switches his approach to describe the righteous individual from a positive standpoint.

His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law, he meditates day and night. When the psalmist here refers to the law of the Lord, he isn’t limiting the godly man’s desire only to the first five books of the Bible, the Torah, the law. The law of the Lord is a frequent way of referring to the totality of scripture. Psalm 19, seven. The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The Bible that is in view, Psalm 119, verse one, the very first verse of that lengthy psalm, how blessed are those whose way is blameless who walk in the law of the Lord.

The godly man touched and saved by God longs to hear his father’s voice through the scripture that was given for that very purpose, to guide him by divine instruction. For such a person, reading God’s word is not drudgery. It’s not some kind of duty. It’s the believer’s source of life. He or she delights in the scriptures as the rule of life.

He desires to read the scriptures. He looks to them. He clings to them. He or she lives by them and obeys them. What is more, the godly person meditates on the truths of the Bible constantly. We know that this meditation is not the mindless activity engaged by some religions. Instead, it is the deep and serious contemplation about the things that we read in the Bible. When Joshua was commissioned to take over Moses’ place of leadership, this was one of the very first commandments that God gave to him.

Joshua 1.8, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous. Then you will have success. Our physical bodies do the same thing with the food that we eat. Savoring it first and then extracting all the nutrients by which we live. so it is with God’s word for the believer. We ponder the things that we read in the Bible so that we may better understand them, so that we may obey them, and ultimately, so that we may communicate them.

Well, as I’ve already indicated, there are two people mentioned in Psalm 1, the wicked and the righteous, The psalmist has set up a contrast and he tells us that there is going to be a just, that is fair compensation to each. God is going to return to each person appropriately. And he begins with the righteous. Those who love and look to God are first of all joyful. Would you look again at verse one?

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. Such a man is blessed. He’s happy. What the word means, it is well with him. The same term is at the head of each of the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter five, blessed, blessed, blessed, oh, how very happy.

You see, most people are in the midst of an intensive and never-ending pursuit of happiness, right? They’ll try anything. And they insatiably search for happiness through an unending number of ways. But in contrast to the perpetual search for happiness by countless means, the person who delights in God and in his word and in his provision for redemption, he discovers the secret storehouse, a divine treasures, happiness. The word translated here is blessed in the plural. It’s not one blessing, but many, a myriad of blessings into which the child of God comes.

Think of the spiritual blessings that come to the person who loves God and his word. Forgiveness, spiritual peace. You’re at peace now with a holy God if you placed your faith in Christ. the peaceful fruit of righteousness, doing what’s right, and you have the affirmation of the Holy Spirit within you. Love for God and love for others, a clear conscience, biblical wisdom, and as the psalmist says here, blessedness, true inimitable happiness. So as sure as we find a person who is genuinely happy, It is certain that he or she can trace that joy directly back to their relationship with God. The person who loves and lives for God is first of all a happy person.

Secondly, the second blessing that comes to the person that is truly a lover of God is that they are fruitful. Would you look at verse three? 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. Not only is the child of God happy, but he or she is fruitful. Listen to how the psalmist describes it here.

Like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, And it’s unfortunate that so many commentators took the time to argue whether this was an intentionally planted tree by some farmer in his orchard. We don’t know if it was an orchard owner or if it was God himself through the natural process of nature by which this tree was planted. The important thing is not who planted the tree, but where it was planted. It was planted near streams of water.

King David, in one of his Psalms, Psalm 65, 10, uses that same word, stream, to paint a beautiful image of this whole process. You visit the earth, you cause it to overflow, you greatly enrich it. The stream of God is full of water. You prepare their grain for thus you prepare the earth. Anyone with any measure of agricultural experience knows that water is life.

So for a tree to be planted adjacent to a consistent source of water, It’s an assurance that this tree is sure to grow. The prophet Jeremiah employs the same illustration with the same exact intent. In fact, would you turn to Jeremiah 17 at the risk of losing you somewhere deep in the Bible. Jeremiah 17. Past Proverbs, past Ecclesiastes, keep going. Jeremiah 17, when you get there, go down to verse five.

You see here, the Lord is declaring a contrast between the man who trusts mankind and the man who trusts in the Lord. Would you look at verse five? Thus says the Lord, cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord For he will be like a bush in the desert, and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without habitation. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose trust is in the Lord, for he will be like a tree planted by the water. that extends its root by a stream, and will not fear when the heat comes, but its leaves will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor cease to yield fruit.”

Back, if you would, to Psalm 1. That’s exactly what the psalmist is telling us in Psalm 1. He’s using the simple agricultural metaphor to refer to the benefits that come to the person who loves and seeks God. the righteous. We know by that little word, like, he or she will be like a tree. It’s not just any tree. And you know, it’s good to remember, I take occasion to remind you of this from time to time, that in the first week of creation, God made basically two kinds of trees.

That’s what Genesis 2.9 tells us. Out of the ground, the Lord caused to grow every tree, one, that is pleasing to the sight, trees that God made just for their aesthetic value. Out of the ground, the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight, and secondly, and is good for food. There was a second kind of tree. God is a God of beauty and aesthetics. He made trees to nourish us and he made trees just for us to visually enjoy.

You think of the aspens in the fall, the mighty oaks, the evergreens. But here in Psalm 1, the metaphor is not used to indicate a tree’s great size or its shade or its beautiful color. The particular illustration here has to do with the vigorous growth of the person. It’s a flourishing tree, a fruit-bearing tree. Psalmist tells us that the person who loves and looks to God and to his word is like that healthy, well-watered tree. Not only vigorously alive and growing, but productive. says two things about the condition of this tree.

Look please at that last line. Its leaf does not wither. I love to garden and you can almost always tell when a plant is stressed. Its poor leaves, even its twigs that bear those leaves fall limp. And you think it’s dead, doomed. Sometimes it is. The plant is in trouble. It’s either stressed or it’s sickly. It may even be dying. Not this tree. Its leaf does not wither. It’s vigorous and strong. It’s drawing water and nutrients from the soil, and it’s growing.

And the psalmist also states the expected. It yields its fruit in its season. It does exactly what it was created by God to do. The tree is not just one of the beautiful trees that God made just to look at. This tree, The tree that the psalmist refers to here is a fruit-bearing tree. It’s good for food. And right on time, in its season, this magnificent tree begins to yield its fruit.

It fulfills its very purpose of existence, such as the child of God, such as the righteous one who loves God and looks to Him. It bears fruit. There’s a third blessing for those who know and love God. We find it at the end of verse three. In whatever he does, he prospers. God is rendering a just compensation here. Those who love and look to God are not only joyful and fruitful, they’re successful. In whatever he does, he prospers.

It’s unfortunate in the extreme, that this truth has become so muddied in our day because of the charismatic health and wealth teachings that have been so prevalent for the last 50 years. Even a simple statement like this one here in Psalm 1 becomes suspect, successful. In the first place, we cannot judge our earthly standing, our station, our status with human eyes.

Jesus said of that poor widow who only put in two small copper coins, she put in more than anyone else. A person may store up great quantities of treasure and yet be poor with regard to God. Proverbs 15, 16 says, better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and turmoil with it. A little with the fear of the Lord is success. Proverbs 16, 8, better is a little with righteousness than great income with injustice. A little bit righteously attained, righteously maintained, righteously used is successful.

And then there’s this, what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? In order to be truly prosperous, we need to see things as God sees them. Success on God’s terms is judged not by bank accounts and net worth, but by the status of the individual’s soul. Is this person truly at peace with God because of Christ’s atonement.

From God’s word, the successful man learns the value of hard work. He learns the value of a dollar and the wisdom to manage his money wisely. From the Bible, he learns of honesty and integrity in his calling. From the Bible, he learns of fairness in his business practices. He learns from the sluggard and he learns from the ant. He learns from God’s word. And he’s successful because of it. Well, all of those things combined to give the man the formula for success. And so we see that with regard to those who look to God and love God, they are joyful, they are fruitful, they are successful.

But we were reminded in this psalm that there is a just compensation for both of these people, not only for the righteous, but also for the wicked. And in verse four, the psalmist takes it up. Those who do not love God, who do not seek God, are also dispensed just compensation. Would you look at verse four? The wicked are not so. Here’s a fascinating thing to observe. Even though the psalmist provides this very detailed description of the righteous, we are made to observe the nature of those whom he calls sinners and scoffers, wicked, in verses four, five, and six.

The word wicked is an oft-used word for unbelievers in the Old Testament. And it simply points to restlessness from the conflict of their soul. The word sinners refers to their unrighteous ways. And the word scoffer just suggests irreverent ridicule, as we’ve already pointed out. The only other hints that the psalmist provides is the description here of what people bring upon themselves.

The reader is led to think of such a one in contrast to the righteous described in verse one. Listen to this. The wicked man does walk in the counsel of the wicked. The wicked man does stand in the path of sinners. The wicked man does sit in the seat of scoffers. The wicked man does not delight himself in the law of the Lord. The wicked man does not meditate on God’s law day and night. The sinner embraces all of the evil things that the righteous person has learned to avoid. And he avoids all the things that the righteous person has learned to embrace.

Their affections are different than those of the righteous. Their behavior is different from those of the righteous. Their habits are different from believers and their recompense. What they reap in return is different from the godly. The psalmist has set forth the blessings that accrue to the godly man, the person who looks to God, trusts in God, loves God.

But here in verse four, he begins a contrast. And his initial statement is simple and stunning. The wicked are not so. And our minds immediately inquire, not so what? Virgin takes note of the way that the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible puts it, not so the ungodly, not so. They do not enjoy the blessings that the righteous enjoy. It is a direct and immediate comparison with all that proceeds.

And in an instant, the statement tells us that the wicked person is not joyful. regardless of whatever outward glee they manifest. The wicked person is not fruitful, not from a standpoint of eternity, and the wicked person is not successful. The wicked person is in the midst of a tumult and they don’t even know it. Catastrophe is looming. Psalmist tells us something else about the wicked. Not only are they not so joyful, fruitful and successful, they are secondly, worthless. That’s a hard thing to even say. But look at the description there in verse four. They are like chaff, which the wind drives away. Chaff is probably not a word that you’ve used of late.

Unless you’re deeply embedded in the ag industry, you may not have even thought about what chaff is. Essentially, chaff is the outer protective coating around an immature seed or grain. Once that kernel matures, and dries and is begun to be processed, that outer coating flakes away, leaving only the edible grain. Often, the way that this chaff is separated is by rubbing it in a large flat basket and then tossed into the air. The heavier kernel falls back into the basket while the lighter chaff is blown aside by the wind.

It’s an amazing image. There’s no purpose, no use for that material. Worthless. And this is a frequently used illustration in the Old Testament to refer to God’s response to his enemies. Listen, Job 21, 18. Like chaff which the storm carries away. Psalm 35, like chaff before the wind.

Isaiah 29.5, like the chaff which blows away.

Hosea 13.3, like chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor. So these ungodly people, the psalmist tells us, are like chaff, which the wind drives away. It is an utterly horrible thought. but one that is absolutely true.

But it’s worse still for the ungodly. There’s a third curse upon them we find in verses five and six. The righteous person is joyful, fruitful, and successful. Those who do not love God, do not look to God, are not so. They’re not joyful, they’re not fruitful, they’re not successful. In essence, they are worthless. And third, they are damned.

The psalmist closes this contrast with some of the most sobering words in the entire Bible. If you look at verse five, therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. The psalmist says the wicked will not stand in the judgment. He points to that great and awful day when God will righteously judge every person. And he will judge in righteousness. There will be no grading on a curve. There will be no favoritism. There will be no faulty assessments. There will be no argument.

Every person’s life will be on full display before God, and he will render to each according to his deeds, as the scripture everywhere declares. Listen to this. Psalm 62, 12, you recompense a man according to his work. Proverbs 24, 12, he will not render a man according, pardon me, will he not render a man according to his work? Romans 14, 12, each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

1 Corinthians 3.13, each man’s work will become evident for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.

2 Corinthians 5.10, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Ephesians 6, 8, whatever good thing each one does, he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. Colossians 3, 25, he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality. Revelation 2, 23, I am he who searches the minds and the hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

These sinners have not embraced Christ’s sacrifice for sinners. And as such, they will not enjoy the promised removal of condemnation. That’s one of the greatest blessings we enjoy, is it not? These sinners have not embraced Christ’s sacrifice for sinners, and as such, they will not enjoy the promised removal of condemnation. Instead, they will face the full fury of wrath for their sin.

The second line of verse five, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous is a simple addition to this The verb is implied, it’s carried over from the first. It essentially says this, nor will sinners stand in the assembly of the righteous. But where is that? The assembly of the righteous in this particular context refers to heavenly glory. Unrighteous sinners will not be raised to glory to dwell in heaven. What an utter tragedy.

The only reason that anyone can stand in righteous judgment is because Jesus Christ has taken their sin. He’s taken their penalty, God’s wrath upon himself. But if in this life a person has ignored, disrespected, or scorned the message of the gospel, Christ’s atonement for sinners, God’s gracious plan of redemption, then they will not stand. They will be summarily judged and condemned. The psalmist summarizes this short psalm with the support of verse five. Why is it that the wicked will not stand in the judgment?

Would you look at verse six? These words are at the same time exceedingly, they’re either exceedingly comforting or they are terribly frightening. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. The Lord knows. He needs no person, no angel to inform him.

Second Chronicles 16.9, the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that he may strongly support those whose heart is completely his. God watches. God sees. Psalm 139, oh Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up. You understand my thoughts from afar. You scrutinize my path, my lying down. You are intimately acquainted with all of my ways. Proverbs 15, three, the eyes of the Lord are in every place watching the evil and the good. Hebrews 4, 13. There is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

We come away from Psalm 1, I hope shaken. There is no middle ground. You are either wicked and standing already in judgment, or you are righteous, and that only by the grace of God. There is no middle ground. But this is not just an Old Testament concept.

Paul’s words of advice Echo the psalmist’s thoughts exactly. That we are those seeking for glory and honor, immortality. We are those that delight and meditate in the law of the Lord. Those who recognize their sinful condition and turn to Jesus Christ in faith will not perish. They will not perish in judgment as do the wicked. And in that Psalm one gives us joy. Would you bow before the Lord? Our gracious God, what a sobering Psalm.

And for so many in this room, Lord, we are so completely thankful for the work that you’ve already done in so many people’s lives. You brought them to an awareness of their sin and a need of a Savior. And then at that perfect moment, you apprised them of the Savior who had already come and paid for their sin by dying on the cross. Mother, thank you for drawing so many to yourself through Christ’s sacrifice. Lord, we thank you and we praise you for the salvation that we have come to enjoy, that we are truly blessed, joyful, and only by your grace are we fruitful. Do we have anything to offer to anyone by way of encouragement or example? Father, If we are in Christ, we are already successful.

Lord, we pray, have pity, have mercy on those in this room who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ. They are in absolute peril. They think they’re happy, they have no joy. They stand already under the righteous judgment of God. We pray, Lord, point them to Christ. Point them to our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Have mercy on them. It’s in Jesus’ name that we pray.