Psalm 1
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 its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
lIn 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.
Meditation
What does the life of the blessed look like? According to Psalm 1, the blessed life has a negative and positive dimension. Negatively, the blessed man has no fellowship with sin and evil. Positively, the blessed man delights in the law of the Lord.
The blessed man is like a tree, rooted and fruitful. It is a picture of stability and productivity. In contrast, the wicked are like chaff — blown away when God’s judgment ushers in like the wind.
Did you notice that Psalm 1 speaks in the singular of “the man”? He is like a tree. Who is this man? Martin Luther begins his exposition of Psalm 1 with these words: “The first Psalm speaks literally concerning Christ…” Literally — in other words, the Holy Spirit, who inspired the writing of Psalm 1, intends that we read Psalm 1 as a description of Jesus Christ, the blessed man who like a tree planted by streams of water is planted and fruitful. In fact, if we don’t understand Psalm 1 as literally referring to Christ before applying it to ourselves, we will not be able to make sense of this Psalm.
Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, is the blessed man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and he is abundantly fruitful in his work. All that he does prospers. This is wonderful news — the works of Christ prosper. Luther mentions as chief example of Christ’s work the church that he promised to build by his word and Spirit: “Everything Christ wanted will prosper, even though it looks like the opposite to fools, because his church perseveres against all attacks of the enemies.” Give thanks today that your Christ, the Christ, is the blessed man whose delight is in the law of the Lord and who is abundantly fruitful and productive in all his work.
If Christ is the blessed man, how can we come to share in the life of the blessed? By being united to the blessed man through faith. Christ gives us his own Spirit and makes us free so that we may share in his life. United to him we are able to stand in the judgment because we have been counted righteous in Christ. Furthermore, united to him, we become like him. What does that look like? It looks like the blessed life of Christ described in Psalm 1. We do not take pleasure in sin but in the law of the Lord by which he directs our steps. In the end, Psalm 1 orients us to the grace of our triune God — Christ gives us his Spirit that we may live as free sons and daughters who love the law of our loving Father.
Prayer Based on Psalm 1
Gracious Father, thank you for the law which once condemned us, but now in Christ Jesus, directs our steps. We thank you that Jesus is the blessed man who, throughout the time of his life on earth, did not have fellowship with evil, but delighted in the law, and proved to be like a tree planted by streams of water, bearing abundant fruit, prospering in all his works. And because of your grace to us, we are one with him, indwelled by the same Spirit. So make us like him to shun all evil, to delight in your law, to walk in your ways, and to be fruitful to your glory. When Jesus returns to judge the world, we pray that we may counted among those who are Christ’s, bearing fruit by the Spirit to the glory of your name. Amen.