My Calvinism is apparent more and more these days. But maybe Calvinism is the wrong word... maybe the characteristic of God called "sovereignty" is better, yes... sovereignty.
While I don't have the time today to write about all that's happened in my life recently, I can't help but see the sovereignty of God so clearly in all of that. The Lord has brought me a wonderful woman in a way that defies logic, conservative Christian expectations, the dating culture, and my own imagination. It was her and I's final semester at Moody Bible Institute. She'd been away for a semester or two studying in Israel. We met at the Senior Retreat the beginning of that semester (during the time she was praying about another guy). Neither of us expected to develop real friendships with that Senior class. We were the 2010 class, not the 2011 class. We talked a bit over that weekend, went for a walk to the bonfire for S'mores with the rest of the group, and had cappuccino in the retreat cafeteria one night. It was dinner time and we talked to the point that everyone else had left the large cafeteria and it was quiet... except for us two talking. Covered a wide range of subjects in that conversation. I told her how much it bugged me that in our American dating culture when you have a conversation with someone of the opposite sex for 30 minutes or more... people throw up red flags and think you like them. Though as I said this... I admit that I felt like quite the hypocrite. For some reason I couldn't explain, I found myself thinking about her often after we returned to campus. When she told me God closed the door on the other guy, I began thinking about pursuing her. We talked on facebook a bit, exchanged numbers (with the help of my meddling roommate... to whom I am now thankful!), and began sitting together at Missions Conference a couple times. We went out for coffee a couple times to talk about the possibility of being more than friends. The whole time I'm shocked that all this happening (why is she responding to what I'm doing?! Girls don't do this!! They usually decide beforehand, don't they?! They don't give us an objective chance!!) We had coffee the first time and she told me no. I suggested a negotiation that brought us to coffee again. I didn't want her to slip away that easily! She said she'd think about it and a couple days later returned with another "no." Shortly after this we began studying together as friends a few days a week. She sat with my roommate and I in chapel and we hung out or talked nearly every day until the end of the semester. My head was spinning with "why," but was I going to refuse her company? Of course not! We talked about personality types. I helped her look through the doctrinal statement of a church she was thinking joining back home in NY. We talked about a cover letter she was writing to apply for a job back home after she graduated. There was even a day when I was sick and she knew I was sick and then she asked... "So you wouldn't want to go ice skating tonight then with my roommate and another guy from our brother floor?" Was I going to say no? I'd been ice skating once in my life, but did that matter? I did alright though... and her, her roommate, and I had coffee afterward. It was a memorable night.
My roommate and I walked her to the train at the end of the semester as we both finished our time at Moody, though there was no graduation ceremony for December graduates. It was a hard goodbye for me that night. Spent some time with the Lord in the Culby 2 prayer chapel. What was going on I wondered? Am I obsessed as some would probably label me? After all God had shown me in the past year or so at school... after how He helped me to finally purge the idolatry of romance... why was this so hard? After we each got home we soon continued talking again through text, email, or skype every day. Up until this point we had just grown to be good friends, but I was still thinking about her a lot. I then told her one day that I would need some space because it was getting hard for me. We didn't speak for 2 weeks and she was house sitting for her pastor during that time. She went back to God in prayer about me during that silence. When God helped me to accept the fact that it may not ever be more than friends, I reopened communication. Somewhere around this time she again said she didn't see us being together and essentially gave me another "no." From this point on she began really thinking about me a lot more. We continued talking regularly, skyping for 2-3 hours at a time, sometimes studying and discussing Scripture together.
It came to a point where I couldn't maintain so much communication if we were just friends. I still liked her a lot (and she was beginning to like me), but we were talking so much that we were saying good morning and goodnight and I just couldn't invest emotionally that much in 3 "no's.". She asked for a couple days to pray about the possibility of us again. She came back with another no (that made 4 no's) and asked for some space herself. We didn't talk for a week. We then exchanged some pretty honest emails and a phone call about how we felt, all that was going through our minds, and how things had been going. I encouraged and challenged her about a few things we'd talked about that she was wrestling with. She began wondering again if she was wrong about God showing her it was a No. This whole time her focus was on the will of God. What was God showing her and how was He leading her? She wrestled with things, but ultimately wanted God's will first. We both were praying for each other constantly through all of this and spoke freely about everything, yet she just wasn't sure if she was ready to agree to a relationship. I told her to take her time, not to be rushed into a decision or to feel she had to decide by May of this year when we would both return to Chicago for the formal graduation ceremony when we would see each other again and I'd meet her family.
It all culminated in one night shortly after that. We skyped for a couple hours and talked about Mr. Naaman the Leper. You see her pastor preached in this story in 2 Kings 5:1-14 recently. Naaman was asked to dip in the Jordan 7 times to cure his leprosy, but to him this was crazy and illogical. It also wasn't the way Naaman EXPECTED to be healed. God often works outside of our desires, preferences, and expectations doesn't He? And He also asks us to take steps of faith that seem illogical to the human mind doesn't He? She was wondering if God was asking the same of her when it came to being with me. We got offline, and at about 12:30 her time that night she called me to tell me she's done fighting God. She said He had been showing her all kinds of things that she hadn't told me about that pointed her to me and she couldn't ignore them any longer. She then told me yes and agreed to take the step into a relationship. I spoke to her father and he gave his blessing on the relationship, though it would be LONG distance. I continue to chat with her family and look forward to graduation a few weeks away from now.
Oh and did I mention that a church in Albuquerque, NM is flying me out next week to interview to be their Senior Pastor? They've narrowed their one year search down to myself and one other guy. We'll see what God does. I want His will more than anything else. God is good and I'm glad He's working all this because I've proven that if it's of me it will mess up every... single... time.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
A Glimpse Into a Shepherd's Heart
I'm here after midnight studying in Psalm 6. Verse 7 says, "My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes." As I'm consulting the notes/commentary of Albert Barnes I'm reading along through each verse until I came to this one and on it he says the following...
"Even while I am writing this I am called in my pastoral visitations to attend on a young lady lying on a bed of languishing, and probably of death, one of whose symptoms is a quite diminished, and indeed almost total loss of vision, as the effect of trouble and disease."
As I read this I found myself in the shoes of Albert Barnes. I was sitting in my study writing a commentary about Psalm 6 (as I'm also doing now) and my study of Scripture brings to mind the people to whom I minister and who are in need of encouragement. I could picture myself walking into the hospital to see that young lady... who was soon to die without having lived a full life. What would I say to her? What COULD I say to her? Would opening my mouth do more harm than good?
Barnes wrote this tiny note into his commentary without fear of seeming unprofessional or not scholarly. He included it because the Lord laid it on his heart and it wasn't edited out later. It is truly a pastor's heart to be studying the Word and immediately to relate it to those in need. It's SO the heart of a shepherd to think of his people during his study. Yes he has to think of them to prepare a sermon, but by his very calling he simply can't help it... at any stage of preparation. He's always thinking of how the Word will come to bear on those who need It. We tend to read commentaries forgetting there are real people behind them who are in the middle of real ministry as they write them. It makes me wonder what else were pastors going through as they penned the words of a commentary. How did God use what they were studying at that time in their own personal ministries? I don't know much about Albert Barnes. I just use his notes because E-Sword provides them to me for free. But I do know that he has taught me something tonight about the heart of a shepherd.
"Even while I am writing this I am called in my pastoral visitations to attend on a young lady lying on a bed of languishing, and probably of death, one of whose symptoms is a quite diminished, and indeed almost total loss of vision, as the effect of trouble and disease."
As I read this I found myself in the shoes of Albert Barnes. I was sitting in my study writing a commentary about Psalm 6 (as I'm also doing now) and my study of Scripture brings to mind the people to whom I minister and who are in need of encouragement. I could picture myself walking into the hospital to see that young lady... who was soon to die without having lived a full life. What would I say to her? What COULD I say to her? Would opening my mouth do more harm than good?
Barnes wrote this tiny note into his commentary without fear of seeming unprofessional or not scholarly. He included it because the Lord laid it on his heart and it wasn't edited out later. It is truly a pastor's heart to be studying the Word and immediately to relate it to those in need. It's SO the heart of a shepherd to think of his people during his study. Yes he has to think of them to prepare a sermon, but by his very calling he simply can't help it... at any stage of preparation. He's always thinking of how the Word will come to bear on those who need It. We tend to read commentaries forgetting there are real people behind them who are in the middle of real ministry as they write them. It makes me wonder what else were pastors going through as they penned the words of a commentary. How did God use what they were studying at that time in their own personal ministries? I don't know much about Albert Barnes. I just use his notes because E-Sword provides them to me for free. But I do know that he has taught me something tonight about the heart of a shepherd.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Lately
“I’ve been wonderin bout the road ahead of me, wonderin bout the things you said to me, wonderin if these dreams will ever do… and I’m wonderin bout the way I spend my days, wonderin if it’s even worth the chase, wonderin if they’re stealin me from you…”
-Wonderin’ By Toby Mac
I have a handful of hours before work tonight. I was able to get a few extra hours this week. I'm somewhat thankful for that. I've really enjoyed working part time since I've been home from school. My dad is gracious enough not to charge me rent, though I think he's just a pushover. Partly for that reason, partly for my testimony in the home, and partly because of my work ethic I've decided to enlist my sister to help me clean the house once a month. For some time my dad has been the only one cleaning anything. His "girlfriend" is pretty much bed-ridden due to some kind of disability. Part of me wonders how much of it is real, though she seems to keep getting doctor's appointments and the doctors say she's got some validity. I just remember when she first got here and was helping out with household chores pretty well when now she just lays in bed, smokes 2 packs of a cigarettes a day, and has occasionally sold pain killers to her friend and (I think) some neighborhood kids. I suspected it for a bit and when I found out it was true I asked her to get off the phone for a minute so we could talk. Told her if I found out about it again that I wouldn't hesitate to call the police. I won't live in a house with a drug dealer. I don't play around with that stuff. She was almost talking over me to say she wouldn't do it anymore. We'll see. So we had our first cleaning earlier this month because of the shorter February. We'll do it again soon. We vacuumed the house, mopped the kitchen floors, cleaned the microwave, did the dishes, cleaned the bathrooms, and dusted the house. The bigger jobs will be to clean the giant black stains out of the carpet, clean the major bedroom, and clean the garage. I'm gonna try to tackle the carpet stains a couple at a time.
As I've started cleaning and thinking more about my car maintenance, I've been transitioning into taking life a little slower. Before when I just came home from school for breaks I barely had time for slowing down. I just worked as much as I possibly could, I ate everything microwaved unless dinner was cooked for me, didn't work out at all, did almost no ministry, did little more than dishes and trash around the house, and didn't pay much attention to my car unless it was summer. Now I help my dad with car insurance and pay for my own monthly cell phone plan. I've so enjoyed taking on these household and financial responsibilities because it feels more like I'm living on my own. I still don't spend much time with my dad really though. We've almost always had kind of a working relationship. I don't think he ever really knew how to express love to us. He didn't understand how to express kindness or encouragement. He's just provided financially and for us to live. We kinda have our own lives in the house, except for my sister and I of course. We stay pretty close. As I begin to slow down more and am working less though I find myself really appreciating just enjoying life. It also further confirms that I could never work in the retail grocery business as my career. I don't freak out and scramble anymore when they tell me some big manager might be coming by. I just do my job and stay aware of what they would look for. There's no need for the unnecessary stress. Those managers are trained to find problems to be fixed when they walk in. We'll never be perfect in their eyes so why kill myself trying to be?
I've also been working out pretty regularly. I shoot for 4 days a week, but it's often more. I never thought I'd enjoy running as much as I do. I have an app. on my phone that tracks my distance, time, and speed. I bought a new mp3 player with tax return money and an arm band that fits it perfectly. I've also enjoyed serving at church. The pastor has asked me to teach a men's discipleship group. We've been learning how to study the Bible. I've really had a burden to bring the Bible college education to the lay people. I don't want to dumb it down too much like so many churches do. I believe if you raise the bar for learning, that many will rise to the expectations. This is especially true for the real dedicated ones and the ones who don't know they're dedicated yet. I think God brings those diamonds out of the rough at just the right time. Those are the ones who have great leadership potential. I want to cultivate and develop those people so the church can grow in Christ-likeness and God can be glorified by their service. If I'm gonna put the cookies on the bottom shelf... I want them to be REALLY GOOD cookies. So we're nearing the end of the group. We only have a few more weeks left. We've looked at observation principles and spent significant time thinking through Psalm 1. We’re now looking at Interpretation principles. I’m gonna expose them to commentaries and other secondary resources then teach them how to do a Word study. After that we’ll look at principles for application. It’s been so cool to spend more time with the guys, though I really should stay after more to talk instead of rushing home. Need to try harder to remember names. Need to initiate conversation more. Need to greet different people on Sunday mornings. Need to meet more people for coffee. Lord, help me to do these things because when I’m a pastor I won’t have as many options. I won’t have the luxury of ducking out or taking my own time whenever I want. I’ll need to be more of a shepherd. I get to preach soon too. It’s currently scheduled for March 13th, but it may be pushed to the following Sunday. I’ve chosen to preach on Psalm 6. God hears our honest prayers and receives them in our times of pain. May God use it in our church to His glory and their encouragement.
I continue to think often about when God will bring the woman He has for me. I continue praying for my sisters each week and reading Proverbs 31 to God as a prayer that He will, in His grace, bring a woman like that to me. Through all that happened in my last semester at Moody and even afterward I can say what I’d like to happen, but I can’t presume to say what will happen. It’s been an interesting time for me. Exciting and frustrating at the same time. Full of suspense and yet confusion. Maybe that’s a good place to be. Maybe God gets the most glory when we don’t know when or where He’ll move next. I’m thankful though my desire for marriage and family is strong and my loneliness nags at me sometimes that God has continued to sustain me as He did during that last semester with my mom. He’s granted a real joy and endurance to continue working out, studying Scripture, and living life. I’m more content than I’ve ever been and yet my desire is as strong as it’s ever been. I keep looking up and asking, “Lord, what are you doing in my life? And Lord… why is it taking so long!!?!?” It’s not easy to make sure your head and your heart are on speaking terms. I’ve realized more than ever though that I can’t let this dominate my thinking. I can’t presume to know what God is working and what He isn’t. If nothing else that’s been the clearest to me lately. The time will come when He wants it to and how He wants it to and with who He wants it to. I just need to keep my eyes open as I live the life He’s given me to live TODAY and not tomorrow. I can no longer burden myself with what could be when it isn’t. I can no longer invest myself in What if. It’s just not worth the heartache if there’s nothing more I can do.
“Lord, protect my heart. Help me to trust you more than ever before. Help me to continue spending time with You because regardless of who comes into my life, regardless of even after marriage… You will always be my constant source of strength. You will always be my refuge. When my future wife displays her humanity in all its imperfect glory… You will remain perfect and be the One to grant me the strength to love her still. When my future ministry bears upon me and it doesn’t feel like I’m doing what You’ve called me to and the joy is almost gone… You’ll be there to carry me. When I’m living the life I’ve wanted for so long and it all feels like it’s gonna fall over on me… You’ll remind me that the grass is never greener on the side, No, You’ll remind me that YOU are and always have been my only Hope. Lord draw me near to You in this season of life and help me to do all You have for me to do right now… and do it faithfully.”
-Wonderin’ By Toby Mac
I have a handful of hours before work tonight. I was able to get a few extra hours this week. I'm somewhat thankful for that. I've really enjoyed working part time since I've been home from school. My dad is gracious enough not to charge me rent, though I think he's just a pushover. Partly for that reason, partly for my testimony in the home, and partly because of my work ethic I've decided to enlist my sister to help me clean the house once a month. For some time my dad has been the only one cleaning anything. His "girlfriend" is pretty much bed-ridden due to some kind of disability. Part of me wonders how much of it is real, though she seems to keep getting doctor's appointments and the doctors say she's got some validity. I just remember when she first got here and was helping out with household chores pretty well when now she just lays in bed, smokes 2 packs of a cigarettes a day, and has occasionally sold pain killers to her friend and (I think) some neighborhood kids. I suspected it for a bit and when I found out it was true I asked her to get off the phone for a minute so we could talk. Told her if I found out about it again that I wouldn't hesitate to call the police. I won't live in a house with a drug dealer. I don't play around with that stuff. She was almost talking over me to say she wouldn't do it anymore. We'll see. So we had our first cleaning earlier this month because of the shorter February. We'll do it again soon. We vacuumed the house, mopped the kitchen floors, cleaned the microwave, did the dishes, cleaned the bathrooms, and dusted the house. The bigger jobs will be to clean the giant black stains out of the carpet, clean the major bedroom, and clean the garage. I'm gonna try to tackle the carpet stains a couple at a time.
As I've started cleaning and thinking more about my car maintenance, I've been transitioning into taking life a little slower. Before when I just came home from school for breaks I barely had time for slowing down. I just worked as much as I possibly could, I ate everything microwaved unless dinner was cooked for me, didn't work out at all, did almost no ministry, did little more than dishes and trash around the house, and didn't pay much attention to my car unless it was summer. Now I help my dad with car insurance and pay for my own monthly cell phone plan. I've so enjoyed taking on these household and financial responsibilities because it feels more like I'm living on my own. I still don't spend much time with my dad really though. We've almost always had kind of a working relationship. I don't think he ever really knew how to express love to us. He didn't understand how to express kindness or encouragement. He's just provided financially and for us to live. We kinda have our own lives in the house, except for my sister and I of course. We stay pretty close. As I begin to slow down more and am working less though I find myself really appreciating just enjoying life. It also further confirms that I could never work in the retail grocery business as my career. I don't freak out and scramble anymore when they tell me some big manager might be coming by. I just do my job and stay aware of what they would look for. There's no need for the unnecessary stress. Those managers are trained to find problems to be fixed when they walk in. We'll never be perfect in their eyes so why kill myself trying to be?
I've also been working out pretty regularly. I shoot for 4 days a week, but it's often more. I never thought I'd enjoy running as much as I do. I have an app. on my phone that tracks my distance, time, and speed. I bought a new mp3 player with tax return money and an arm band that fits it perfectly. I've also enjoyed serving at church. The pastor has asked me to teach a men's discipleship group. We've been learning how to study the Bible. I've really had a burden to bring the Bible college education to the lay people. I don't want to dumb it down too much like so many churches do. I believe if you raise the bar for learning, that many will rise to the expectations. This is especially true for the real dedicated ones and the ones who don't know they're dedicated yet. I think God brings those diamonds out of the rough at just the right time. Those are the ones who have great leadership potential. I want to cultivate and develop those people so the church can grow in Christ-likeness and God can be glorified by their service. If I'm gonna put the cookies on the bottom shelf... I want them to be REALLY GOOD cookies. So we're nearing the end of the group. We only have a few more weeks left. We've looked at observation principles and spent significant time thinking through Psalm 1. We’re now looking at Interpretation principles. I’m gonna expose them to commentaries and other secondary resources then teach them how to do a Word study. After that we’ll look at principles for application. It’s been so cool to spend more time with the guys, though I really should stay after more to talk instead of rushing home. Need to try harder to remember names. Need to initiate conversation more. Need to greet different people on Sunday mornings. Need to meet more people for coffee. Lord, help me to do these things because when I’m a pastor I won’t have as many options. I won’t have the luxury of ducking out or taking my own time whenever I want. I’ll need to be more of a shepherd. I get to preach soon too. It’s currently scheduled for March 13th, but it may be pushed to the following Sunday. I’ve chosen to preach on Psalm 6. God hears our honest prayers and receives them in our times of pain. May God use it in our church to His glory and their encouragement.
I continue to think often about when God will bring the woman He has for me. I continue praying for my sisters each week and reading Proverbs 31 to God as a prayer that He will, in His grace, bring a woman like that to me. Through all that happened in my last semester at Moody and even afterward I can say what I’d like to happen, but I can’t presume to say what will happen. It’s been an interesting time for me. Exciting and frustrating at the same time. Full of suspense and yet confusion. Maybe that’s a good place to be. Maybe God gets the most glory when we don’t know when or where He’ll move next. I’m thankful though my desire for marriage and family is strong and my loneliness nags at me sometimes that God has continued to sustain me as He did during that last semester with my mom. He’s granted a real joy and endurance to continue working out, studying Scripture, and living life. I’m more content than I’ve ever been and yet my desire is as strong as it’s ever been. I keep looking up and asking, “Lord, what are you doing in my life? And Lord… why is it taking so long!!?!?” It’s not easy to make sure your head and your heart are on speaking terms. I’ve realized more than ever though that I can’t let this dominate my thinking. I can’t presume to know what God is working and what He isn’t. If nothing else that’s been the clearest to me lately. The time will come when He wants it to and how He wants it to and with who He wants it to. I just need to keep my eyes open as I live the life He’s given me to live TODAY and not tomorrow. I can no longer burden myself with what could be when it isn’t. I can no longer invest myself in What if. It’s just not worth the heartache if there’s nothing more I can do.
“Lord, protect my heart. Help me to trust you more than ever before. Help me to continue spending time with You because regardless of who comes into my life, regardless of even after marriage… You will always be my constant source of strength. You will always be my refuge. When my future wife displays her humanity in all its imperfect glory… You will remain perfect and be the One to grant me the strength to love her still. When my future ministry bears upon me and it doesn’t feel like I’m doing what You’ve called me to and the joy is almost gone… You’ll be there to carry me. When I’m living the life I’ve wanted for so long and it all feels like it’s gonna fall over on me… You’ll remind me that the grass is never greener on the side, No, You’ll remind me that YOU are and always have been my only Hope. Lord draw me near to You in this season of life and help me to do all You have for me to do right now… and do it faithfully.”
Sunday, February 6, 2011
My Concise Doctrinal Statement
The Bible
I believe every and all words of Scripture are inspired by God (Verbal-Plenary) (Luke 24:25-27, Matthew 22:41-45). God superintended the writings of men to communicate His truth being in total control of the process without violating the human authors' role and personality (2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is completely without error in the original autographs. The Bible affirms nothing false and only all that is true. Scripture holds absolute authority because it is the very Word of the only true God (Matthew 4:4,7,10; John 10:35). It is sufficient and the final standard for all of life and practice of the believer (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
God
God has revealed Himself logically and biblically (Psalm 105:4) as a Spirit, infinite (1 Kings 8:27), eternal (Psalm 90:2) and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. His attributes are not component parts of God. Each describes His total being. Some of them can be seen in us insofar as we are made in His image. Others we cannot possess; omnipresence (Acts 17:24-28), omniscience (Psalm 147:4), omnipotence (Genesis 17:1). There is one God who exists eternally as three persons; Father (John 6:27), Son (John 20:28), and Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4), yet all are of one substance, fully God (Deut. 6:4, Matt. 28:19).
Jesus Christ
If the Father is the One Who wills things to happen, the Son is the One Who carries them out. The person of Jesus Christ existed before His earthly birth and will exist forever (John 8:58, Isaiah 9:6). The apostles testified to the deity of Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3). He performed divine works of creation, preservation, revelation, forgiveness of personal sin, raising of the dead, and sending the Holy Spirit. He also displays the divine attributes of immutability, omnipresence, and omnipotence. Christ was born of a virgin (Matt. 1:22-23). He came "in the flesh" (incarnation) and is one person yet with two natures; He has undiminished deity (100% God) and perfect humanity (100% man) (Phil. 2:5-7). He had to be God in order to bear the world's sin upon Himself and He had to be man to be a sufficient sacrifice on behalf of the human race (1 Peter 4:1, Heb. 9:22; 10:1-10). He is the only means by which anyone can enter heaven (Acts 4:11-12, John 14:6). He died a penal substitutionary death, taking the wrath of God upon Himself and standing in our place when we were to receive that wrath (2 Cor. 5:21, Mark 10:45, Rom. 5:18). Christ was raised from the dead on the third day after He died (Luke 24, John 20, 1 Cor. 15). His raising from the dead was not unto another dying earthly body. He was the '"first fruits (1 Cor. 15:20,23) of a new kind of human life, a life in which His body was perfect..." His body was physical and real (Matt. 28:9, John 20:20, 27).
The Holy Spirit
If the Son carries out the Father’s will, the Spirit provides the power for His will to be carried out. The Holy Spirit is not an "it" but is revealed as a person in that He has intellect (Rom. 8:27), emotions (Eph. 4:30), and will (Acts 16:6-11). He is included with the other members of the Trinity (Matt. 28:19). He has titles reminiscent of deity (Heb. 9:14). He displays divine attributes (Job 33:4). He performs divine works (Gen. 1:2) and He is called God (Acts 5:3-5). He teaches (John 14:26, 16:13), testifies about Christ (John 15:26), affirms our salvation (Rom. 8:16), leads believers to live a holy life (Rom. 8:14), convicts of sin (John 16:7-8), commands believers (Acts 8:29; 13:2; 16:7), intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26), regenerates (John, 3:6, Titus 3:4-5), sanctifies (2 Thess. 2:13, Rom. 1:4), and bestows spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:4, Hebrews 2:4).
Man
Man was made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). The image was partly retained after the fall of man, but it was marred (Gen. 5:1). It can be partially restored by salvation through Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:10). Man willfully sinned against God (Gen. 3), thereby bringing all mankind into a state of sin (Rom. 3:23; 5), separation from God, and subjection to the power of Satan. We are not “all children of God,” but rather all those who are not born again are children of Satan (John 8:44, 1 John 3:10, Eph. 2:1-3). Man is born into a sinful nature (Psalm 51:5, Eph. 2:1-3) with a natural propensity to act in opposition to God and His Word (Rom. 8:7). This sinful nature makes man a slave to sin and dead in sin without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (John 8:34, Rom. 6:6; 6:16, Col. 2:13-14).
Salvation
Salvation is a gift of God by His grace alone and is not attained by works or human merit of any kind (Eph. 2:8-10, Titus 3:5). Salvation comes by repentance toward God and personal faith/trust in Christ alone (Acts 20:21, John 3:16, Eph. 2:8). Repentance is also gift of God (Acts 11:18, 2 Tim. 2:25). By repentance I mean a conscious turning from a self-orientation driven by sin to a God-orientation driven by a desire for holy living. This means an initial change of mind and heart that is more than simply mental assent to the facts of the gospel. It's an internal surrender and dying to self (Matt. 16:24). This brings a movement from slavery to sin toward slavery to Christ (Rom. 6:18-19, Eph. 6:6), without which it would not be evident a change of heart ever took place in the Christian's life (1 John 3:9) nor that the believer was now given a new nature and is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). I do not mean cleaning up one's life before being saved or becoming more moral to commend oneself to God nor am I saying a believer can reach perfection this side of heaven or doesn't struggle in the Christian life (1 John 1:8-10). Saving repentance and faith occur together in response to the gospel message. We see this clearly in the evangelistic preaching of Jesus and the apostles (Acts 26:16-20, 1 Thess. 1:9-10, Acts 14:15, Acts 2:38, Mark 1:14-15). At the moment of salvation God declares (justifies) a believing sinner (Romans 3:26; 5:9) to be righteous in His sight. This is the imputation of our sins to Christ (Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24) and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Those who saved are the elect of God, chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, Rom. 9:6-24) and are predestined of God for eternal glory (Romans 8:30).
Baptism and Communion
Baptism was instituted and modeled by Christ to symbolize the work of the Spirit identifying the believer with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Baptism is commanded by Christ in the Great Commission and was practiced by the NT Church. It’s to be done by immersion after conversion (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:38-44, 10:33, 43, 47, 48, Romans 6:3-7, Colossians 2:12). Water Baptism is an outward representation of an internal invisible transformation. To explore if anything "happens" in the act of baptism is to lift and emphasize baptism beyond the place the Apostle Paul did (1 Cor. 1:7). To say there is any "saving aspect" to the earthly act of baptism is to walk a line that begins to introduce works into salvation by grace alone. To treat baptism as a symbol is not to diminish it, but it is to place it on a level clearly distinct from religions and denominations which hold to any form of baptismal regeneration and to give it an appropriate place in the life of a Christian. The Lord's Supper was instituted as a remembrance and a symbol, instructing the body by focusing worship upon Christ and His atoning work on the cross. Each believer is personally and individually responsible to not partake of the bread and the cup unworthily (Luke 22:7-38, 1 Corinthians 11:20-34). We are commanded to observe the Lord’s Supper continually (Matthew 26:26-30, Mark 14:22-26). We simply must confess we are eating and drinking substances produced by this world and manufactured in our day. They simply are not and never will be literally Christ Himself. Communion should only be partaken of by Christians who can do so with pure motives, all known sin confessed, therefore being in right relationship with the Lord. Unbelievers or those unsure of their salvation should not participate because they would be celebrating the death of a Savior whom they are rejecting. They would be explicitly celebrating the salvation of others and implicitly celebrating their own condemnation.
The Perseverance and Eternal Security of the Believer
When someone is saved by the power of God they cannot nor would they desire to un-save themselves. Salvation can never be lost. Once they are saved, they will persevere to the end (Rom. 8:1, John 6:37, John 10:27-29, Ephesians 1:13-14, Jude 1:24, Revelation 3:5, 1 Peter 1:4-5). The NT speaks of "eternal life" about 43 times and John 6:47 says, "He who believes has everlasting life." This is life that clearly lasts forever and is unconditionally based upon the irrevocable declaration of righteousness by God Himself.
Last Things
I am Premillenial, Pretribulational, and Progressively Dispensational. A day presently unknown to us will come when the children of God are caught up to heaven (Matt. 24:36). This is called the Rapture (1 Thess. 1:10, 1 Thess. 4:16-17, Rev. 3:10). After this a 7 year period of trial called the Tribulation will come. During this Tribulation there will be a span of judgments on the earth and those left in it. This period will be climaxed by the physical literal return of Jesus Christ (2nd Coming) (Rev. 1:7). At His return He will introduce the millennial age, bind Satan, restore Israel to her own land, give her the realization of God’s covenant promises, and bring the whole world to the knowledge of God (Ezekiel 37:21-28, Matthew 24:15-25, 46; Acts 15:16-17; Romans 8:19-23; 11:25-27). After Christ’s literal 1,000 millennial reign, Satan will be released and finally cast into the lake of fire. During this time also all those who rejected Christ will stand before the Great White Throne to receive final judgment and be thrown into a literal Hell, the 2nd death, the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10-15). The reality of Hell is a conscious experience of everlasting torment (Rev. 14:9-11, Matt. 25:41, Mark 9:43). The Church and Israel are distinct and yet both the people of God. Israel and the Church will share in some of the same promises and future blessings in the sense that they are unified by salvation through Christ and will be unified in the end before God in worship (Rev. 7:9). They are distinct in that to enter the church one must be baptized into it by the Holy Spirit. This could only first occur beginning at the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. The church and Israel cannot be one people of God without any distinction because to be considered a part of the church you needed the baptism of the Spirit contained in the order of salvation. No one could be a part of the church prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit. Progressive Dispensationalism is further confirmed by the “now, not yet” idea of the Kingdom of God presented in Scripture (cf. Luke 17:21; 22:18).
I believe every and all words of Scripture are inspired by God (Verbal-Plenary) (Luke 24:25-27, Matthew 22:41-45). God superintended the writings of men to communicate His truth being in total control of the process without violating the human authors' role and personality (2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is completely without error in the original autographs. The Bible affirms nothing false and only all that is true. Scripture holds absolute authority because it is the very Word of the only true God (Matthew 4:4,7,10; John 10:35). It is sufficient and the final standard for all of life and practice of the believer (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
God
God has revealed Himself logically and biblically (Psalm 105:4) as a Spirit, infinite (1 Kings 8:27), eternal (Psalm 90:2) and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. His attributes are not component parts of God. Each describes His total being. Some of them can be seen in us insofar as we are made in His image. Others we cannot possess; omnipresence (Acts 17:24-28), omniscience (Psalm 147:4), omnipotence (Genesis 17:1). There is one God who exists eternally as three persons; Father (John 6:27), Son (John 20:28), and Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4), yet all are of one substance, fully God (Deut. 6:4, Matt. 28:19).
Jesus Christ
If the Father is the One Who wills things to happen, the Son is the One Who carries them out. The person of Jesus Christ existed before His earthly birth and will exist forever (John 8:58, Isaiah 9:6). The apostles testified to the deity of Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3). He performed divine works of creation, preservation, revelation, forgiveness of personal sin, raising of the dead, and sending the Holy Spirit. He also displays the divine attributes of immutability, omnipresence, and omnipotence. Christ was born of a virgin (Matt. 1:22-23). He came "in the flesh" (incarnation) and is one person yet with two natures; He has undiminished deity (100% God) and perfect humanity (100% man) (Phil. 2:5-7). He had to be God in order to bear the world's sin upon Himself and He had to be man to be a sufficient sacrifice on behalf of the human race (1 Peter 4:1, Heb. 9:22; 10:1-10). He is the only means by which anyone can enter heaven (Acts 4:11-12, John 14:6). He died a penal substitutionary death, taking the wrath of God upon Himself and standing in our place when we were to receive that wrath (2 Cor. 5:21, Mark 10:45, Rom. 5:18). Christ was raised from the dead on the third day after He died (Luke 24, John 20, 1 Cor. 15). His raising from the dead was not unto another dying earthly body. He was the '"first fruits (1 Cor. 15:20,23) of a new kind of human life, a life in which His body was perfect..." His body was physical and real (Matt. 28:9, John 20:20, 27).
The Holy Spirit
If the Son carries out the Father’s will, the Spirit provides the power for His will to be carried out. The Holy Spirit is not an "it" but is revealed as a person in that He has intellect (Rom. 8:27), emotions (Eph. 4:30), and will (Acts 16:6-11). He is included with the other members of the Trinity (Matt. 28:19). He has titles reminiscent of deity (Heb. 9:14). He displays divine attributes (Job 33:4). He performs divine works (Gen. 1:2) and He is called God (Acts 5:3-5). He teaches (John 14:26, 16:13), testifies about Christ (John 15:26), affirms our salvation (Rom. 8:16), leads believers to live a holy life (Rom. 8:14), convicts of sin (John 16:7-8), commands believers (Acts 8:29; 13:2; 16:7), intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26), regenerates (John, 3:6, Titus 3:4-5), sanctifies (2 Thess. 2:13, Rom. 1:4), and bestows spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:4, Hebrews 2:4).
Man
Man was made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). The image was partly retained after the fall of man, but it was marred (Gen. 5:1). It can be partially restored by salvation through Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:10). Man willfully sinned against God (Gen. 3), thereby bringing all mankind into a state of sin (Rom. 3:23; 5), separation from God, and subjection to the power of Satan. We are not “all children of God,” but rather all those who are not born again are children of Satan (John 8:44, 1 John 3:10, Eph. 2:1-3). Man is born into a sinful nature (Psalm 51:5, Eph. 2:1-3) with a natural propensity to act in opposition to God and His Word (Rom. 8:7). This sinful nature makes man a slave to sin and dead in sin without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (John 8:34, Rom. 6:6; 6:16, Col. 2:13-14).
Salvation
Salvation is a gift of God by His grace alone and is not attained by works or human merit of any kind (Eph. 2:8-10, Titus 3:5). Salvation comes by repentance toward God and personal faith/trust in Christ alone (Acts 20:21, John 3:16, Eph. 2:8). Repentance is also gift of God (Acts 11:18, 2 Tim. 2:25). By repentance I mean a conscious turning from a self-orientation driven by sin to a God-orientation driven by a desire for holy living. This means an initial change of mind and heart that is more than simply mental assent to the facts of the gospel. It's an internal surrender and dying to self (Matt. 16:24). This brings a movement from slavery to sin toward slavery to Christ (Rom. 6:18-19, Eph. 6:6), without which it would not be evident a change of heart ever took place in the Christian's life (1 John 3:9) nor that the believer was now given a new nature and is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). I do not mean cleaning up one's life before being saved or becoming more moral to commend oneself to God nor am I saying a believer can reach perfection this side of heaven or doesn't struggle in the Christian life (1 John 1:8-10). Saving repentance and faith occur together in response to the gospel message. We see this clearly in the evangelistic preaching of Jesus and the apostles (Acts 26:16-20, 1 Thess. 1:9-10, Acts 14:15, Acts 2:38, Mark 1:14-15). At the moment of salvation God declares (justifies) a believing sinner (Romans 3:26; 5:9) to be righteous in His sight. This is the imputation of our sins to Christ (Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24) and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Those who saved are the elect of God, chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, Rom. 9:6-24) and are predestined of God for eternal glory (Romans 8:30).
Baptism and Communion
Baptism was instituted and modeled by Christ to symbolize the work of the Spirit identifying the believer with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Baptism is commanded by Christ in the Great Commission and was practiced by the NT Church. It’s to be done by immersion after conversion (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:38-44, 10:33, 43, 47, 48, Romans 6:3-7, Colossians 2:12). Water Baptism is an outward representation of an internal invisible transformation. To explore if anything "happens" in the act of baptism is to lift and emphasize baptism beyond the place the Apostle Paul did (1 Cor. 1:7). To say there is any "saving aspect" to the earthly act of baptism is to walk a line that begins to introduce works into salvation by grace alone. To treat baptism as a symbol is not to diminish it, but it is to place it on a level clearly distinct from religions and denominations which hold to any form of baptismal regeneration and to give it an appropriate place in the life of a Christian. The Lord's Supper was instituted as a remembrance and a symbol, instructing the body by focusing worship upon Christ and His atoning work on the cross. Each believer is personally and individually responsible to not partake of the bread and the cup unworthily (Luke 22:7-38, 1 Corinthians 11:20-34). We are commanded to observe the Lord’s Supper continually (Matthew 26:26-30, Mark 14:22-26). We simply must confess we are eating and drinking substances produced by this world and manufactured in our day. They simply are not and never will be literally Christ Himself. Communion should only be partaken of by Christians who can do so with pure motives, all known sin confessed, therefore being in right relationship with the Lord. Unbelievers or those unsure of their salvation should not participate because they would be celebrating the death of a Savior whom they are rejecting. They would be explicitly celebrating the salvation of others and implicitly celebrating their own condemnation.
The Perseverance and Eternal Security of the Believer
When someone is saved by the power of God they cannot nor would they desire to un-save themselves. Salvation can never be lost. Once they are saved, they will persevere to the end (Rom. 8:1, John 6:37, John 10:27-29, Ephesians 1:13-14, Jude 1:24, Revelation 3:5, 1 Peter 1:4-5). The NT speaks of "eternal life" about 43 times and John 6:47 says, "He who believes has everlasting life." This is life that clearly lasts forever and is unconditionally based upon the irrevocable declaration of righteousness by God Himself.
Last Things
I am Premillenial, Pretribulational, and Progressively Dispensational. A day presently unknown to us will come when the children of God are caught up to heaven (Matt. 24:36). This is called the Rapture (1 Thess. 1:10, 1 Thess. 4:16-17, Rev. 3:10). After this a 7 year period of trial called the Tribulation will come. During this Tribulation there will be a span of judgments on the earth and those left in it. This period will be climaxed by the physical literal return of Jesus Christ (2nd Coming) (Rev. 1:7). At His return He will introduce the millennial age, bind Satan, restore Israel to her own land, give her the realization of God’s covenant promises, and bring the whole world to the knowledge of God (Ezekiel 37:21-28, Matthew 24:15-25, 46; Acts 15:16-17; Romans 8:19-23; 11:25-27). After Christ’s literal 1,000 millennial reign, Satan will be released and finally cast into the lake of fire. During this time also all those who rejected Christ will stand before the Great White Throne to receive final judgment and be thrown into a literal Hell, the 2nd death, the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10-15). The reality of Hell is a conscious experience of everlasting torment (Rev. 14:9-11, Matt. 25:41, Mark 9:43). The Church and Israel are distinct and yet both the people of God. Israel and the Church will share in some of the same promises and future blessings in the sense that they are unified by salvation through Christ and will be unified in the end before God in worship (Rev. 7:9). They are distinct in that to enter the church one must be baptized into it by the Holy Spirit. This could only first occur beginning at the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. The church and Israel cannot be one people of God without any distinction because to be considered a part of the church you needed the baptism of the Spirit contained in the order of salvation. No one could be a part of the church prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit. Progressive Dispensationalism is further confirmed by the “now, not yet” idea of the Kingdom of God presented in Scripture (cf. Luke 17:21; 22:18).
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Thinking Through Psalm 1
Psalm 1 (English Standard Version)
VERSE 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;
VERSE 2: but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
VERSE 3: He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
VERSE 4: The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
VERSE 5: Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
VERSE 6: for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Footnotes:
Psalm 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person;
Psalm 1:2 Or instruction
Verse 1:
The verse opens on the positive note of the “blessed” man. It begins explaining why/how the man is blessed. So the implied question the Psalm intends to answer is, “How is a man blessed?” We don’t know yet what this blessing looks like/what it is, but we know the Psalm is going to give a recipe of sorts for blessing. Someone who is blessed does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. Walk is the first of 3 action verbs in this verse. Walking is an everyday activity of our lifestyle. It’s not all of what we do, but without it we’d get little done. The one who is blessed doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked. This isn’t “council” like a board of directors, but rather refers to trusted advice as from a close friend (this is based on the context and message of the psalm not word study). You may picture the closeness involved in a relationship where a person is walking alongside someone else giving or receiving counsel. The blessed man doesn’t do this with these people. Walking could also imply a carrying out/moving forward with the counsel. The blessed man though doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked. Even in the English of our Bibles this psalm is speaking to the individual blessed man (singular) as he is compared to the wicked (plural). This already places emphasis on the blessed man and makes the “wicked” a broad category that’s mentioned merely to compare them with the blessed man, who is the primary one in view here. This blessed man also doesn’t stand in the way of sinners. Stand is the second of the 3 action verbs in the passage. Standing is also something we do in daily life, but it (like walking) doesn’t describe the whole of our daily life. This person doesn’t stand in the way of sinners. This brings to mind phrases like, “It’s just not our way to _________.” The blessed man doesn’t stand in the way/path of these people. He doesn’t take/ask for their counsel as he would a close friend nor does he stand in the same way/path of life they do. Here they’re called sinners. So the wicked are also sinners. These may be referring to both the same group broadly. People are wicked because they sin for sure, but here they’re used as synonyms. They’re also both plural and both negative in usage. The blessed man also doesn’t sit in the seat of scoffers. With sit we come to the final action verb in this verse. The author doesn’t mention laying down as elsewhere in Scripture, but it seems with these 3 actions he’s trying to portray the full spectrum of the daily actions of the righteous man. He doesn’t sit in the seat of scoffers. In each of these 3 descriptions of the righteous man are given something that belongs to the wicked (their counsel, their way, their seat). It’s implied that the righteous man isn’t to involve himself in these things because they don’t belong to him. They aren’t a part of his consideration. In other words, the righteous man shouldn’t do these things because they belong only to the wicked and should stay that way. Scoffers is the third synonym for the wicked and is also plural like the other 2. To imagine a person scoffing is to picture them perhaps shouting things from their chair without good reason or without getting up from their chair to act on or sufficiently support what they’re scoffing about. Do wicked people always openly scoff? Can we call them scoffers without question? In some form or fashion they always eventually will. Their heart at its core wars against the things of God and it therefore argues with them and lashes out at them… often verbally.
Verse 2:
But begins a contrast from what has just been said. If the righteous man doesn’t do the things mentioned above, what does he do? His delight is in the law of the Lord. Delight is a joyous word. In The Chronicles of Narnia: Lion, Witch and Wardrobe… there’s a reason the dessert Edmond wants is called “Turkish Delight.” The righteous man actually delights in the law of the Lord. The implication is that the wicked does not delight in it. Instead his delight is in sinning and scoffing at the law of the Lord. The contrast is crystal clear. A word we’d have to study further is law. The footnotes of the ESV say this could be taken as “instruction.” God’s instruction is found in Scripture. If someone delights in something they will surround themselves with that something. They will pour time and energy into it. They will invest in it. It will be hard to stop thinking about it. What does the righteous man do? He meditates on God’s law. This “on” departs from the “in” used so much in verse 1. He meditates on this law. For God’s child to meditate is not the same way a Buddhist or a Hindu might meditate. This meditation is simply deep thought. It’s thinking through the instruction of God. It’s spending time with the Lord and loving Him with all of your mind. He meditates on it day and night. This is a phrase we’d have to study elsewhere in Scripture. It gives us a time frame. Day and night cover both broad phases of the day. He doesn’t stop thinking on the Word of God.
Verse 3:
This righteous man is like a tree. Like is a simile. A tree is something that’s stable, sturdy, and lasts for a long time… generations in some cases. By implication the wicked are then unstable and not study because they do not meditate on the Word of God. This is a tree that’s planted. Being planted is significant because it contributes the stability of the tree. This is no potted plant. For something to be planted it has to be done with purpose. It has to be done intentionally. Trees don’t plant themselves. They need someone to do it for them. It’s planted by streams of water. The by informs us of proximity. A tree can be planted in a number of locations, but this tree is planted by streams of water. Notice this isn’t just one stream of water, but many. It’s plural. Water is the primary source of nourishment and survival for a tree. This tree has all the food it needs to maintain its stability and lasting characteristics. This is a tree that yields its fruit in its season. This tree does what it’s expected to do. It yields its fruit (not another tree’s fruit) in its own season (not a different tree’s season). This is the natural effect of a stable vibrant tree. It isn’t irregular, but it produces as expected. And its leaf does not wither. This however is not something natural for a tree. It’s supernatural. The leaves of trees usually wither and fall off. It’s part of the changing seasons. This tree however has leaves that never wither. It remains vibrant and living. The righteous man is compared to this tree. He soaks up the abundant nourishment of the “law of the Lord” as he meditates on it. This brings him the stability like that of a tree. It sustains him. He brings forth spiritual fruit/growth just as would be expected from someone who constantly soaks up and is thinking on Scripture. But because Scripture is supernatural in nature and has power to bring an unearthly endurance, this man remains stable when everyone else around him is not. When their leaves are falling off and withering… his are not. The final line in this psalm provides the point/explanation of the imagery. In all that he does, he prospers. This is neither a possible nor an ideal all that is never reached and always only hoped for. This is not some, but all. This all is connected to what he does. This is his actions/his lifestyle. The doings of his daily life are affected by his meditation on God’s Word. As the Word soaks into a person’s mind and heart their actions begin to reflect the principles of Scripture because they have hidden It in their heart. Notice that the actions in v.1 that represent the daily life could all be affected in a positive way when the righteous man meditates on the Word instead of being affected in a negative way if he were to walk, stand, and sit with the wicked. Instead he walks, stands, and sits with his mind on the Word of God throughout his day and it affects all he does. How are his doings affected? He prospers in them. Biblical prosperity is not what the TV preachers tell us. It’s not primarily financial (while this verse doesn’t necessarily exclude that). This prosperity happens as a result of the supernatural effects of the Word of God working within a person and shaping them in unseen ways. The effects of this working come out externally and result in prosperity. Aside from that logical connection, there’s something to be said for the fact that God will show favor in a broad sense to those who constantly think on what He has said. The Spirit of God working with the Word of God will transform the life of the child of God to make evident the prosperity of God in their lives in general. This is how and why he is blessed and the original question implied in v.1 is now answered.
Verse 4:
All of what’s been said has been primarily descriptive of the blessed/righteous man. The wicked are not so the Bible says. They are not stable like a tree. They are up and down. The solidity of their opinions is dependent on where the wind is blowing their feelings. They aren’t planted by a constant source of divinely revealed nourishment. They’re left to the devices of this world and to their own way (the way the righteous man doesn’t need because he ahs the Word of God). If they’re not like the tree what are they like? But they are like chaff. But brings the contrast in this verse. It could just as easily have been placed at the beginning of the verse, though with the discussion of the wicked before the but we could tell there was a contrast already. We’d need to study this word chaff, but it’s contrasted with the stability of the tree. How is it unstable? It’s chaff that the wind drives away. It doesn’t simply say the wind blows it away or tosses it away, but it drives it away. There seems to be a force to this word that is anything but casual. The wicked are not stable and in one place where they cannot be moved, but rather they’re pushed along the wind never settling down, never finding rest in a source of lasting food, and always being irregular in some form.
Verse 5:
Therefore brings us to the conclusion and consequence of all that’s been said above. It brings the final word about the wicked. They will not stand in the judgment. We’ve seen “stand” before in this passage. Notice that the wicked/sinners may stand in their own way/path for a season, but they won’t stand in a way that matters in God’s eyes. We need to consult other translations and study the judgment being referred to here. This could refer to the place of the righteous when they will play a part in judging the ungodly in the end of the world. But this is unlikely. The next line could give us a clue and serve to repeat or further define the first line as is common in Hebrew poetry. They won’t stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. Here again if there was any doubt that sinners and the wicked were the same group they seem to be used as synonyms again here. We would need to ask some interpretive questions here about the implications this has for unbelievers in church. When we read “congregation” we tend to think “church.” This seems to be saying the wicked aren’t in the same place as the righteous. These two statements are about location. They don’t stand alongside the righteous. This is presumably because of who they are… their wickedness, their sin, their scoffing, their lack of meditation (or even desire to meditate for that fact) on the law of God. Where are they and what is the point of this entire psalm?
Verse 6:
For begins this verse. For can be taken as “because” giving the reason for what preceded, but as is most often used… here it’s likely an explanation of the concluding “therefore.” For says in essence, “In explanation of the last verse…” the Lord knows the way of the righteous. This knowing is usually an intimate knowledge. If we were to do a word study we’d likely find that it’s the same word used when the Old Testament speaks of a man “knowing” his wife in reference to sex. Obviously God doesn’t have sex with us. It would be irreverent to even explore that idea. Yet He knows us intimately. How can He know us? He knows us by our fellowship with Him through the meditation on His Word mentioned earlier. The righteous man prospers in all he does and in this whole process enjoys intimate fellowship with God. Here we’re told God knows the way of the righteous. In this talk of the way of sinners mentioned in v.1 we’re forced to ask if God doesn’t know the way of the wicked. Does He not know what they do? Of course He does. Does He know it intimately? There’s nothing He doesn’t know. The important difference however is that the relationship is different. God knows the way of the righteous intimately in fellowship and love, but God’s knowledge of the way of the wicked is given to us in the final line of Psalm 1. But the way of the wicked will perish. The but again gives us a contrast. It’s about to tell us how God’s knowing differs between both groups. We’d have to study what’s meant by perish. Does it simply mean death or more than that? When we do study it we’d find that it’s eternal death in a literal hell. God knows the way/path/lifestyle of the wicked very intimately, but only with a view toward their eternal judgment in hell. It’s a different knowing. Verse 6 serves as something of a thesis to the entire psalm. It could be rephrased as: The righteous man enjoys prosperity and intimate fellowship with God through meditation on His Word, but the wicked don’t experience this and instead perish in hell where there is no fellowship with God or prosperity.
VERSE 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;
VERSE 2: but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
VERSE 3: He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
VERSE 4: The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
VERSE 5: Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
VERSE 6: for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Footnotes:
Psalm 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person;
Psalm 1:2 Or instruction
Verse 1:
The verse opens on the positive note of the “blessed” man. It begins explaining why/how the man is blessed. So the implied question the Psalm intends to answer is, “How is a man blessed?” We don’t know yet what this blessing looks like/what it is, but we know the Psalm is going to give a recipe of sorts for blessing. Someone who is blessed does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. Walk is the first of 3 action verbs in this verse. Walking is an everyday activity of our lifestyle. It’s not all of what we do, but without it we’d get little done. The one who is blessed doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked. This isn’t “council” like a board of directors, but rather refers to trusted advice as from a close friend (this is based on the context and message of the psalm not word study). You may picture the closeness involved in a relationship where a person is walking alongside someone else giving or receiving counsel. The blessed man doesn’t do this with these people. Walking could also imply a carrying out/moving forward with the counsel. The blessed man though doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked. Even in the English of our Bibles this psalm is speaking to the individual blessed man (singular) as he is compared to the wicked (plural). This already places emphasis on the blessed man and makes the “wicked” a broad category that’s mentioned merely to compare them with the blessed man, who is the primary one in view here. This blessed man also doesn’t stand in the way of sinners. Stand is the second of the 3 action verbs in the passage. Standing is also something we do in daily life, but it (like walking) doesn’t describe the whole of our daily life. This person doesn’t stand in the way of sinners. This brings to mind phrases like, “It’s just not our way to _________.” The blessed man doesn’t stand in the way/path of these people. He doesn’t take/ask for their counsel as he would a close friend nor does he stand in the same way/path of life they do. Here they’re called sinners. So the wicked are also sinners. These may be referring to both the same group broadly. People are wicked because they sin for sure, but here they’re used as synonyms. They’re also both plural and both negative in usage. The blessed man also doesn’t sit in the seat of scoffers. With sit we come to the final action verb in this verse. The author doesn’t mention laying down as elsewhere in Scripture, but it seems with these 3 actions he’s trying to portray the full spectrum of the daily actions of the righteous man. He doesn’t sit in the seat of scoffers. In each of these 3 descriptions of the righteous man are given something that belongs to the wicked (their counsel, their way, their seat). It’s implied that the righteous man isn’t to involve himself in these things because they don’t belong to him. They aren’t a part of his consideration. In other words, the righteous man shouldn’t do these things because they belong only to the wicked and should stay that way. Scoffers is the third synonym for the wicked and is also plural like the other 2. To imagine a person scoffing is to picture them perhaps shouting things from their chair without good reason or without getting up from their chair to act on or sufficiently support what they’re scoffing about. Do wicked people always openly scoff? Can we call them scoffers without question? In some form or fashion they always eventually will. Their heart at its core wars against the things of God and it therefore argues with them and lashes out at them… often verbally.
Verse 2:
But begins a contrast from what has just been said. If the righteous man doesn’t do the things mentioned above, what does he do? His delight is in the law of the Lord. Delight is a joyous word. In The Chronicles of Narnia: Lion, Witch and Wardrobe… there’s a reason the dessert Edmond wants is called “Turkish Delight.” The righteous man actually delights in the law of the Lord. The implication is that the wicked does not delight in it. Instead his delight is in sinning and scoffing at the law of the Lord. The contrast is crystal clear. A word we’d have to study further is law. The footnotes of the ESV say this could be taken as “instruction.” God’s instruction is found in Scripture. If someone delights in something they will surround themselves with that something. They will pour time and energy into it. They will invest in it. It will be hard to stop thinking about it. What does the righteous man do? He meditates on God’s law. This “on” departs from the “in” used so much in verse 1. He meditates on this law. For God’s child to meditate is not the same way a Buddhist or a Hindu might meditate. This meditation is simply deep thought. It’s thinking through the instruction of God. It’s spending time with the Lord and loving Him with all of your mind. He meditates on it day and night. This is a phrase we’d have to study elsewhere in Scripture. It gives us a time frame. Day and night cover both broad phases of the day. He doesn’t stop thinking on the Word of God.
Verse 3:
This righteous man is like a tree. Like is a simile. A tree is something that’s stable, sturdy, and lasts for a long time… generations in some cases. By implication the wicked are then unstable and not study because they do not meditate on the Word of God. This is a tree that’s planted. Being planted is significant because it contributes the stability of the tree. This is no potted plant. For something to be planted it has to be done with purpose. It has to be done intentionally. Trees don’t plant themselves. They need someone to do it for them. It’s planted by streams of water. The by informs us of proximity. A tree can be planted in a number of locations, but this tree is planted by streams of water. Notice this isn’t just one stream of water, but many. It’s plural. Water is the primary source of nourishment and survival for a tree. This tree has all the food it needs to maintain its stability and lasting characteristics. This is a tree that yields its fruit in its season. This tree does what it’s expected to do. It yields its fruit (not another tree’s fruit) in its own season (not a different tree’s season). This is the natural effect of a stable vibrant tree. It isn’t irregular, but it produces as expected. And its leaf does not wither. This however is not something natural for a tree. It’s supernatural. The leaves of trees usually wither and fall off. It’s part of the changing seasons. This tree however has leaves that never wither. It remains vibrant and living. The righteous man is compared to this tree. He soaks up the abundant nourishment of the “law of the Lord” as he meditates on it. This brings him the stability like that of a tree. It sustains him. He brings forth spiritual fruit/growth just as would be expected from someone who constantly soaks up and is thinking on Scripture. But because Scripture is supernatural in nature and has power to bring an unearthly endurance, this man remains stable when everyone else around him is not. When their leaves are falling off and withering… his are not. The final line in this psalm provides the point/explanation of the imagery. In all that he does, he prospers. This is neither a possible nor an ideal all that is never reached and always only hoped for. This is not some, but all. This all is connected to what he does. This is his actions/his lifestyle. The doings of his daily life are affected by his meditation on God’s Word. As the Word soaks into a person’s mind and heart their actions begin to reflect the principles of Scripture because they have hidden It in their heart. Notice that the actions in v.1 that represent the daily life could all be affected in a positive way when the righteous man meditates on the Word instead of being affected in a negative way if he were to walk, stand, and sit with the wicked. Instead he walks, stands, and sits with his mind on the Word of God throughout his day and it affects all he does. How are his doings affected? He prospers in them. Biblical prosperity is not what the TV preachers tell us. It’s not primarily financial (while this verse doesn’t necessarily exclude that). This prosperity happens as a result of the supernatural effects of the Word of God working within a person and shaping them in unseen ways. The effects of this working come out externally and result in prosperity. Aside from that logical connection, there’s something to be said for the fact that God will show favor in a broad sense to those who constantly think on what He has said. The Spirit of God working with the Word of God will transform the life of the child of God to make evident the prosperity of God in their lives in general. This is how and why he is blessed and the original question implied in v.1 is now answered.
Verse 4:
All of what’s been said has been primarily descriptive of the blessed/righteous man. The wicked are not so the Bible says. They are not stable like a tree. They are up and down. The solidity of their opinions is dependent on where the wind is blowing their feelings. They aren’t planted by a constant source of divinely revealed nourishment. They’re left to the devices of this world and to their own way (the way the righteous man doesn’t need because he ahs the Word of God). If they’re not like the tree what are they like? But they are like chaff. But brings the contrast in this verse. It could just as easily have been placed at the beginning of the verse, though with the discussion of the wicked before the but we could tell there was a contrast already. We’d need to study this word chaff, but it’s contrasted with the stability of the tree. How is it unstable? It’s chaff that the wind drives away. It doesn’t simply say the wind blows it away or tosses it away, but it drives it away. There seems to be a force to this word that is anything but casual. The wicked are not stable and in one place where they cannot be moved, but rather they’re pushed along the wind never settling down, never finding rest in a source of lasting food, and always being irregular in some form.
Verse 5:
Therefore brings us to the conclusion and consequence of all that’s been said above. It brings the final word about the wicked. They will not stand in the judgment. We’ve seen “stand” before in this passage. Notice that the wicked/sinners may stand in their own way/path for a season, but they won’t stand in a way that matters in God’s eyes. We need to consult other translations and study the judgment being referred to here. This could refer to the place of the righteous when they will play a part in judging the ungodly in the end of the world. But this is unlikely. The next line could give us a clue and serve to repeat or further define the first line as is common in Hebrew poetry. They won’t stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. Here again if there was any doubt that sinners and the wicked were the same group they seem to be used as synonyms again here. We would need to ask some interpretive questions here about the implications this has for unbelievers in church. When we read “congregation” we tend to think “church.” This seems to be saying the wicked aren’t in the same place as the righteous. These two statements are about location. They don’t stand alongside the righteous. This is presumably because of who they are… their wickedness, their sin, their scoffing, their lack of meditation (or even desire to meditate for that fact) on the law of God. Where are they and what is the point of this entire psalm?
Verse 6:
For begins this verse. For can be taken as “because” giving the reason for what preceded, but as is most often used… here it’s likely an explanation of the concluding “therefore.” For says in essence, “In explanation of the last verse…” the Lord knows the way of the righteous. This knowing is usually an intimate knowledge. If we were to do a word study we’d likely find that it’s the same word used when the Old Testament speaks of a man “knowing” his wife in reference to sex. Obviously God doesn’t have sex with us. It would be irreverent to even explore that idea. Yet He knows us intimately. How can He know us? He knows us by our fellowship with Him through the meditation on His Word mentioned earlier. The righteous man prospers in all he does and in this whole process enjoys intimate fellowship with God. Here we’re told God knows the way of the righteous. In this talk of the way of sinners mentioned in v.1 we’re forced to ask if God doesn’t know the way of the wicked. Does He not know what they do? Of course He does. Does He know it intimately? There’s nothing He doesn’t know. The important difference however is that the relationship is different. God knows the way of the righteous intimately in fellowship and love, but God’s knowledge of the way of the wicked is given to us in the final line of Psalm 1. But the way of the wicked will perish. The but again gives us a contrast. It’s about to tell us how God’s knowing differs between both groups. We’d have to study what’s meant by perish. Does it simply mean death or more than that? When we do study it we’d find that it’s eternal death in a literal hell. God knows the way/path/lifestyle of the wicked very intimately, but only with a view toward their eternal judgment in hell. It’s a different knowing. Verse 6 serves as something of a thesis to the entire psalm. It could be rephrased as: The righteous man enjoys prosperity and intimate fellowship with God through meditation on His Word, but the wicked don’t experience this and instead perish in hell where there is no fellowship with God or prosperity.
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