The Bible Bloke

Before we move on to the next Psalm which will expand our vision to more distant horizons, it seems fitting to come back to the very first verse of the first Psalm and ask the question who is this "blessed man."1 First impressions would tell us that he is a symbol of universality, a representation of the generic believer, whatever that might be. Relying on first impressions the idea of, the meaning of the word “blessed.” This is the ‘man’s’ clear state of being. Is this the same man that David is referring to in Psalm 32 verse 1? Here the man’s transgression is forgiven, whose “sin is covered.” Surely this can happen only through Christ? This is where I get caught on thorns for I have to read this in terms of my 21st century context. I have to ask: Don't the Psalms predate Jesus? So my question is how can I hope to find Christ here? To find an answer to this point of tension we need to think about the nature of Scripture: God breathed, inspired by the Holy Spirit, ...

So what does Psalm 1 tell us about God?  The water that flows by the tree today is not the same water that flowed past it yesterday although it has the same source.  The chaff that was winnowed out yesterday is not the same as the chaff that needs winnowing today!  The blessed man did not follow the path of the wicked yesterday, but the temptation for him to do so is there today!  The mockers haven't moved on. Their voices are still in his head. They are still beckoning to him.  Think about the Lord's Prayer. It's not something that should be prayed once and that's it, we have lifetime blanket covering!  Not so.  It is something we need to pray each and every day. Deliver us from evil. Protect us O Lord from the evil one and his schemes. Satan want's nothing more that to trap us and trip us up, to bring us into the company of the wicked so that we turn away from God.  Like the tree, goodness is something that grows, each day, fed...

In thinking about this first Psalm, and how it relates to all the Psalms that follow it, we must be mindful of two things.  The first is the joy of the man who delights in the Lord. It's that joy which wells up from the deepest heart-space, filled with the presence of Christ.  The other thing is the disposition of the wicked, the sinners and the mockers.  Good character is rewarded. As readers we feel a deeper sense of empathy for the upright man, the blessed man, rather than for the wicked.  When I read this Psalm I feel uncomfortable, as I would if I passed these people on the street and heard their jibes and felt the sting of their criticism.  But why do I need to feel anything other than the delight the Lord has promised? These sinners offer nothing of any value. After all they are likened to chaff that is to be winnowed away from the grain.  We have to put aside first impressions, for we are told first up what the good man isn't. What doe...