- Blessedness
Psalm 1:1-2
Blessed is the man
That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the Law of Yahweh, And in His Law doth he meditate day and night.
A conditional promise: if you do not associate with bad people and if you are in the Word on a regular basis then you will be blessed.
Blessedness will mark and color the life of the person who loves God’s Word and spends much time studying and reflecting on the Bible. The believer has vast treasures of good things in possession and in prospect. Blessedness is a general promise covering every aspect of life with the good things that people need for all around happiness: physical health, financial stability, emotional well being, social amiability, family joy, and a generally happy life; in other words, life is good. Blessedness in every way that an individual defines it according to God’s good and gracious will is guaranteed for the one who meets the conditions. The outcome of a life spent in God’s Word and way and the avoidance of the world’s ways will most surely and definitely result in a good and happy life. Blessedness is a guarantee and such a person can hold the Lord accountable to His Promise. He will make it happen. There is no question. You can count on it and you can even tell the Lord so.
Ah yes, the conditions are stringent, but they are worth it. First, the negative condition: do not join in with the groups of worldly sinners who say and do things the way the world thinks and acts. The world is under the control of the prince of the power of the air and influenced by the Evil One; his temptations, when yielded to, will always have terrible and unblessed, though unintended, consequences. These temptations are more irresistible and powerful when presented within a peer group of sinful people, whatever the group may be. If the group is generally without God in their thought, speech, and behavior the devil will enter and direct the group’s thinking and activities. The words “council, assembly and session” sound almost like semi-official groups like gangs and clubs, but the words “enter, stand and sit” are the keys to avoidance, that is, do not join. One does not need to be told which groups are dangerous for he already knows if he is willing to listen to his own conscience. And he will also know what and whom to avoid if he is engaged in the second condition, being in the Word.
Second, the positive condition: enjoy the Word of God and reflect on the words of the Bible daily and nightly. Grace thrives on meditation. This does not mean just spending a certain daily time in the Bible and prayer as a duty to perform and get it over with, but it means spending lots of time in the “Law of the Lord.” “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” You enjoy the Word and the activity brings joy and lifts the spirit; you delight in the Word. This person wants to learn as much about God’s law and the right ways of living simply because God is fun to be with, not to mention that good and blessed consequences will result; this kind of self-loving can mess up your motivation, for the true “delighter” focuses on God, not what he can get from him. The Word is a delight for two reasons: one, in God’s Word you will hear good news of love, forgiveness, and wonderful promises from God in Christ Jesus, which fills the soul with joy and peace; two, in the Law of the Lord you will learn practical ways of living and behaving that will always lead to good consequences, even if unintended. The implication of delighting and meditating on the Law is not just to know it well but to also want to keep it and actually follow it. Obeying is the delight. All the blessings of Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26 will be realized. The reason for spending time in the Word is to know it and love it and keep it. Then, “Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it.” (Jesus).
The guaranteed results of delighting and meditating in the Word is blessedness. In the Psalmist’s time the Law of the Yahweh is The Torah (the Pentateuch), the Law of Moses. Torah means Instruction. These five books are summarized in the Ten Commandments; this summary comes after the Gospel is proclaimed: “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” I did this all for you, now this is what you will do for me: Thou shalt…. When you do these things for Me you will have a good life and consequent blessings will be poured out upon you. This is the Covenant: I already saved you forever; now if you want to enjoy that new life I gave you, you will live like this in order to enjoy further blessings in this life on earth. There are wonderful consequences for believing and obeying. In the Torah, it is also written: “Yahweh is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression.” When man forgets to do, and he most certainly will, repentance and forgiveness is available from God’s faithful Love. This Gospel is also part of the Torah of Yahweh, which is a delight to meditate over. This is where the motivation and ability to live a better life comes from. Blessings follow delighting and reciting.
Hundreds of examples and specifics could be presented as convincing truths regarding the connections between knowing and loving and living God’s way and the blessed life that results from doing so. But the Lord has given us enough in this Psalm to occupy us for a lifetime of joy and blessing.