June 22 Introduction to the Psalms[1]
Lesson: Psalm 1
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INTRODUCTION:
How Sweet[2]
An elderly gent was invited to an
old friends' home for dinner one evening.
He was impressed by the way his
buddy preceded every request to his wife with endearing terms such as: Honey,
My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, Pumpkin, etc.
The couple had been married almost
70 years and, clearly, they were still very much in love.
While the wife was in the kitchen,
the man leaned over and said to his host, 'I think it's wonderful that, after
all these years, you still call your wife those loving pet names'
The old man hung his head. 'I have
to tell you the truth,' he said, 'Her name slipped my mind about 10 years ago
and I'm scared to death to ask her what it is!'
Blessed is the person who
remembers
I.
Psalm 1.1 Blessed
is the person
A.
This Psalm has no title, and has been generally
considered, but without especial reason, as a preface or introduction to the
whole book.
B.
The word that is translated blessed.
1.
It is properly in the plural form, blessednesses.
2.
It may be considered as an exclamation produced by
considering the state of the person who has taken God for his portion; O the
blessedness of the man!
C.
And the word is emphatic: that person; that one among a
thousand who lives for the accomplishment of the end for which God created
them.
1.
God made us for happiness.
2.
Every person feels a desire to be happy.
3.
All human beings abhor misery.
4.
Happiness is the grand object of pursuit among all people.
5.
But so perverted is the human heart, that it seeks
happiness where it cannot be found; and in things which are naturally and
morally unfit to communicate it.
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MAIN
BODY
II.
The true way of obtaining it is here laid down.
A.
That walks not in the counsel of the ungodly—
B.
There is a double climax in this verse, which it will be
proper to note:—
C.
There are here three characters, each exceeding the other
in sinfulness.
1.
The ungodly to be unjust.
a.
Giving to no person what is due.
b.
Withholding from God, society, and himself, what belongs
to each.
c.
Ungodly—he who has not God in him; who is without God in
the world.
2.
Sinners “to miss the mark,” “to pass over the prohibited
limits,” “to transgress.”
a.
This person not only does no good, but does evil.
b.
The former was without God, but not desperately wicked.
c.
The latter adds outward transgression to the sinfulness of
his heart.
3.
Scornful “to mock, deride.”
a.
He who has no religion; lives in the open breach of God’s
laws, and turns the things of God into ridicule.
b.
He is at least a deist, and attempts to dissolve, as much
as he can, the bonds of moral obligation in civil society.
c.
As the sinner exceeds the ungodly, so the scornful exceeds
both.
D.
The second climax is found in the words,
1.
Walk
2.
Stand
3.
Sit
E.
Which mark three different degrees of evil in the conduct
of those persons.
1.
Observe,
a.
The ungodly man—one uninfluenced by God.
b.
The sinner—he who adds to ungodliness transgression
c.
The scornful—the deist, atheist, etc., who make a mock of
every thing sacred.
F.
The UNGODLY man walks, the SINNER stands, and the SCORNFUL
man sits down in the way of iniquity.
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III.
Mark certain circumstances of their differing characters
and conduct.
Buy Out[3]
A very successful
businessman had a meeting with his new son-in-law.
"I
love my daughter, and now I welcome you into the family," said the man.
"To show you how much we care for you, I'm making you a 50-50 partner in
my business. All you have to do is go to the factory every day and learn the
operations."
The
son-in-law interrupted, "Oh, um, I actually hate factories. Can't stand
the noise."
"I
see," replied the father-in-law. "Well, then you'll work in the
office and take charge of some of the operations."
"I
hate office work, too" said the son-in-law. "I can't stand being
stuck behind a desk all day."
"Wait
a minute," said the father-in-law. "I just made you half-owner of a
moneymaking organization, but you don't like factories and won't work in a
office. What am I going to do with you?"
"Easy,"
said the young man. "Buy me out."
A.
The ungodly man has his counsel;
1.
The ungodly man is unconcerned about religion; he is
neither zealous for his own salvation, nor for that of others.
2.
He counsels and advises those with whom he converses to
adopt his plan, and not trouble themselves about praying, reading, repenting,
etc., etc. there is no need for such things.
3.
If you live an honest life, make no fuss about religion,
and you will fare well enough at last.
4.
Now, “blessed is the man who walks not in this man’s
counsel;” who does not come into his measures, nor act according to his plan.
B.
The sinner has his way:
1.
The sinner has his particular way of transgressing; one is
a liar, another dishonest, another covetous.
2.
Few are given to every species of vice.
3.
There are many covetous men who abhor lying; many liars
who abhor covetousness; and so of others.
4.
Each has his easily besetting sin; therefore, says the
prophet, let the wicked forsake HIS WAY.
5.
Now, blessed is he who stands not in such a man’s WAY.
C.
The scorner has his seat.
1.
The scorner has brought, in reference to himself, all
religion and moral feeling to an end.
2.
He has sat down is utterly confirmed in impiety, and makes
a mock at sin.
3.
His conscience is seared; and he is a believer in all
unbelief.
4.
Now, blessed is the man who sits not down in his SEAT.
D.
See the correspondent relations in this account.
1.
He who walks according to the counsel of the ungodly will
soon,
2.
Stand to look on the wages of sinners; and thus, being off
his guard, he will soon be a partaker in their evil deeds.
3.
He who has abandoned himself to transgression will, in all
probability, soon become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin; and sit down
with the scorner, and endeavor to turn religion into ridicule.
E.
The last analogy we find is:
1.
The seat answers to the sitting of the scornful.
2.
The way answers to the standing of the sinner; and
3.
The counsel answers to the walking of the ungodly.
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IV.
The great lesson to be learned from the whole is, sin is
progressive; one evil propensity or act leads to another.
Tennis Ball Lesson[4]
A college professor had the mysterious habit of walking into the lecture hall each morning, removing a tennis ball from his jacket pocket. He would set it on the corner of the podium. After giving the lecture for the day, he would once again pick up the tennis ball, place it into his jacket pocket, and leave the room. No one ever understood why he did this, until one day. . . .
A student fell asleep during the
lecture. The professor never missed a word of his lecture while he walked over
to the podium, picked up the tennis ball and threw it, hitting the sleeping
student squarely on the top of the head.
The next day, the professor walked
into the room, reached into his jacket, removed a baseball. . . No one ever
fell asleep in his class the rest of the semester!
A.
The wise person does not sleep, but learns how to do good.
B.
The one who acts by bad counsel may soon do evil deeds.
1.
The one who abandons himself to evil doings may end his
life in total apostasy from God.
2.
“When lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and when
sin is finished, it brings forth death.”
C.
As the blessedness of the man is great who avoids the ways
and the workers of iniquity, so the wretchedness is great of the one who acts
on the contrary.
V.
Psalm 1:2 But his
delight is in the law of the Lord, his will, desire, affection, every motive in
his heart, and every moving principle in his soul, are on the side of God and
his truth.
A.
He takes up the law of the Lord as the rule of his life;
he brings all his actions and affections to this holy standard.
1.
He looks into the perfect law of liberty; and is not a
forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word; and is therefore blessed in his deed.
2.
He not only reads to gain knowledge from the Divine
oracles, but he meditates on what he has read, feeds on it; and thus receiving
the sincere milk of the word, he grows thereby unto eternal life.
B.
This is not an occasional study to him; it is his work day
and night. As his heart is in it, the employment must be frequent, and the
disposition to it perpetual.
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VI.
Psalm 1:3 Like a
tree planted—Not like one growing wild, however strong or luxuriant it may
appear; but one that has been carefully cultivated, and for the proper growth
of which all the advantages of soil and situation have been chosen.
A.
If a child be brought up in the discipline and admonition
of the Lord, we have both reason and revelation to encourage us to expect a
godly and useful life.
Mom's
Impressive Job Description[5]
Author and preacher Tony Campolo said that when his wife, Peggy, was at home full time with their children and someone would ask, "And what is it that you do, my dear?" she would respond, "I am socializing two Homo sapiens into the dominant values of the Judeo-Christian tradition in order that they might be instruments for the transformation of the social order into the kind of eschatological utopia that God willed from the beginning of creation."
Then
Peggy would ask the other person, "And what do you do?"
1.
Where religious education is neglected, alas! what fruits
of righteousness can be expected?
2.
An uncultivated soul is like an uncultivated field, all
overgrown with briers, thorns, and thistles.
B.
By the rivers of water, the streams or divisions of the
waters.
C.
His fruit in his season—In such a case expectation is
never disappointed.
1.
Fruit is expected, fruit is borne; and it comes also in
the time in which it should come.
2.
A godly education, under the influences of the Divine
Spirit, which can never be withheld where they are earnestly sought, is sure to
produce the fruits of righteousness.
a.
The one who reads, prays, and meditates, will ever see the
work which God has given to be done.
b.
The power by which the work is to be performed will be
provided.
c.
The times, places and opportunities for doing those things
by which God can obtain most glory, his own soul most good, and his neighbor
most benefit will become plain.
3.
The leaf also shall not wither.
a.
The profession of true religion shall always be regular
and unsullied; and faith will be ever shown by good works.
Trust[6]
As a new school Principal, Mr.
Mitchell was checking over his school on the first day. Passing the stockroom,
he was startled to see the door wide open and teachers bustling in and out,
carrying off books and supplies in preparation for the arrival of students the
next day.
The school where he had been a
Principal the previous year had used a check-out system only slightly less
elaborate than that at Fort Knox.
Cautiously, he asked the school's long time Custodian, "Do you think it's wise to keep the stock room unlocked and to let the teachers take things without requisitions?"
The Custodian looked at him
gravely. "We trust them with the children, don't we?"
b.
As the leaves and the fruit are the evidences of the
vegetative perfection of the tree; so a zealous religious profession,
accompanied with good works, are the evidences of the soundness of faith in the
Christian man.
D.
Whatever is done shall prosper
1.
The tree is always healthy; it is extending its roots,
increasing its woody fibres, circulating its nutritive juices, putting forth
buds, blossoms, leaves, or fruit; and all these operations go on in a healthy
tree, in their proper seasons.
2.
So the godly person is ever taking deeper root growing
stronger in the grace that has been already received, increasing in heavenly
desires.
3.
Under the continual influence of the Divine Spirit, the
person is forming those purposes from which much fruit to the glory and praise
of God shall be produced.
VII.
Psalm 1:4 The
ungodly are not so
A.
There is nothing solid in these persons.
1.
There is nothing good in their ways.
2.
They are not of God’s planting; they are not good grain;
they are only chaff, and a chaff that shall be separated from the good grain
when the fan or shovel of God’s power throws them up to the wind of his
judgments.
B.
The manner of winnowing in the eastern countries is nearly
the same with that practiced in various parts of these kingdoms before the
invention of winnowing machines.
1.
They either throw it up in a place out of doors by a large
wooden shovel against the wind; or with their weights or winnowing fans shake
it down leisurely in the wind.
2.
The grain falls down nearly perpendicularly; and the
chaff, through its lightness, is blown away to a distance from the grain.
VIII.
Psalm 1:5 Therefore
the ungodly shall not stand
A.
This refers to the winnowing mentioned in the preceding
verse.
B.
When they come to be judged, they shall be condemned.
C.
They shall have nothing to plead in their behalf.
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CONCLUSION:
IX.
Psalm 1:6 ...for
the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will
perish.
A.
Such PEOPLE are under the continual eye of God’s
providence.
B.
God knows the way that they take.
C.
God approves of their motives, purposes, and works,
because they are all wrought through himself.
D.
He provides for them in all situations
E.
God defends them both in body and soul.
X.
The way of the ungodly shall perish--Their projects,
designs and operations, shall perish!
A.
The ungodly follow the way of spiritual laziness.
B.
The righteous follow the way of righteousness, right
doing, doing that requires hard work.
Alligator Teeth[7]
A tourist was admiring the
necklace worn by a local Indian.
"What is it made of?" she asked.
"Alligator's teeth," the
Indian replied.
"I suppose," she said
patronizingly, "that they mean as much to you as pearls do to us."
"Oh no," he objected.
"Anybody can open an oyster."
C.
What
are we wearing?
Amen!
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[1]I am indebted to the commentary of
Adam Clarke for much of this sermon. What I did was use his commentary, with
many modifications, to create an exposition of the first Psalm.
[2]Received from Betty Shultz
[3]Mikey's Funnies [funnies‑owner@lists.MikeysFunnies.com]
[4]Pastor Tim
[posts@cybersaltlists.org]
[5]John Ortberg and Ruth Haley, An Ordinary Day with Jesus
(Zondervan, 2001), p. 122; submitted by Dave Slagle, Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Church Laughs Newsletter [churchlaughs‑html@lists.christianitytoday.com]
[6]Pastor Tim
[posts@cybersaltlists.org]
[7]Received from Thomas Ellsworth.
The Good, Clean Funnies List [gcfl‑info@gcfl.net]