Psalm 1 - Delight in God's law.

I’ve been reading one particular psalm in Hebrew over and over, and every time am amazed at the depth, the simplicity of God’s provision, and the overall feel of Psalm 1.

Psalm 1 (NIV)

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

 ² But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

 ³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

 ⁴ Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

 ⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

 ⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

A couple of things pop out quite clearly in Hebrew.  The first is the threefold structure of the things the righteous/blessed man does not do.  He doesn’t 1) walk in the counsel of the wicked.  2) Stand in the way of sinners, or 3) sit in the seat of mockers.  The last phrase can have a broader sense, as the noun “seat” and verb “sit” have the same root word.  The broader sense is sit, reside, dwell or perhaps even to live in some contexts.  Thus, the man who doesn’t sit in the seat of mockers, who doesn’t dwell in the dwelling place of mockers, or live in the residence of mockers – that person is blessed by God.

Another peculiar word that pops out like a sore thumb is “planted” by streams of water.  It is a passive form rarely used, and even sounds a little odd.  The idea that I get is the righteous person doesn’t do the first three things, but does meditate every single time he gets on the Lord and his Torah.  Thus, God pulls out that person from wherever they are, digs out a hole by streams of water, and tucks the roots into the ground and plants that person where he desires.  All because the single thing they desire anyway is to delight in God’s law.  The passive implies God alone does this re-planting, and the righteous simply receive God’s blessing, though they already have by delighting and finding joy in the law of the Lord.

The wicked, however, don’t delight in the law of the Lord.  They will not be able to stand before Jesus Christ, because their sin weighs them down, and ultimately their path leads them to destruction.