Monday, November 24, 2014

The Happy Life



(#29, Yermo, May 1948; Imperial 1958, 1968)
Read Psalm 1.

The first Psalm presents a contrast between the way of the godly and the way of the sinner.  One is characterized by happiness and blessing and the other by judgment and destruction.

The unsaved are...
w   Separated from God.
w   Sinning against God.
w   Scorning the truth.
The saved are...
w   Separated to God.
w   Serving only God.
w   Searching the truth.

A negative description, v1.
ƒ    Walks not in the council of the ungodly.  He does not accept their advice.  He does not take his measure from their principles.
ƒ    Stands not in the way of sinners.  He avoids doing as they do.
ƒ    Sits not in the seat of the scornful.  The scornful are those that openly defy the Word of God and Christianity.
A positive description, v2.
ƒ    He delights in the Law of God.  He finds his good times in the Word of God.
ƒ    He meditates day and night.  To meditate is to discourse with ourselves concerning the great things of the Word.   By "day and night" we are told that God's thoughts should be interwoven in the business of all the day.

General characteristics...
ƒ    An abundant life (a tree).
ƒ    A settled life (planted).
ƒ    A nourished life (by rivers of water).
ƒ    A fruitful life (bringeth forth fruit).
ƒ    An ordered life (in his season).
ƒ    A beautiful life (leaf also shall not wither).
ƒ    A successful life (whatsoever he does shall prosper).

This Psalm describes the happy man.  Christ was this man, and we can be partakers of Him.

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