How should a man live, and what should be the preoccupation of his heart and mind? These questions are at the heart of the first psalm, and a clear binary exists. A man shall either live a blessed or wicked life, though many would like to pigeonhole themselves in between.
Verses 1-2
The first two verses offer insight into how the two differ in conduct.
A blessed man neither listens to the counsel of the wicked, for doing so would lead to wickedness. He neither stands in the path of sinners, lest he cross their path or begin to walk in their manner. Lastly, he does not mock others, for he is not puffed up with arrogance, nor does he desire to be made a mockery.
No, a blessed man loves the Lord with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength. Second, he loves his neighbour and does to them as though it were himself; he never mistreats another person but deals with them graciously in all ways. But such is not the nature of man. However, he shall be blessed if he carefully meditates on this law, calling upon the Lord to renew his soul.
A certain degree of hopelessness has befallen mankind at this point. It would be wise to heed this psalm's advice: Read our Bible at least twice daily and pray continuously! We should pray before, during, and after we read. When our thoughts and deeds are misaligned with what we have read and when our actions do not spring forth from a heart of love, we should pray. Men and women who neglect to meditate more readily behave wickedly and hasten to excuse themselves rather than seek the Lord and be scorned.
Verses 3-4
What can be said about such men? On the one hand, we have a healthy plant that is blessed by itself and, by its virtue, offers blessings to others. Whereas the other is like chaff, there is no life in him, and any or all the value he may have once had is taken away.
Here, God's judgement is like a great wind. The blessed man is well-planted and deeply rooted, but the wind drives away the wicked man. Our Lord Jesus often used the metaphor of chaff being thrown into a furnace, though both ultimately depict the same thing: an evil man cannot withstand the pending judgement of the Lord.
Verses 5-6
What, then, shall a man do? How might a blessed or wicked man respond?
A wicked man ought to acknowledge how fruitless his efforts are and how temporary his spoil is. The book of Ecclesiastes cuts to the heart of the matter and offers a remedy for such a man. As the teacher clarifies, a man toils much and gains little; what little he gains will be taken from him and given. It is good for a man to suffer a little in his short life and achieve many blessings through God, who promises to give abundantly to those who love him.
And what of the blessed man? He shall continue to be zealous in his reading and pray fervently. He should be vigilant in all that he thinks and acts, careful not to cross paths with sinners who let cares of the world deceive themselves, and slow to speak lest his heart betray him by mocking others.
Can man do these things alone? No, never. But it is the will of the Almighty God that we should be perfect as he is perfect, pure as he is pure, holy as he is holy. Having received a sacrifice for the propitiation of our sins, we offer thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. May he who has blessed us richly through Christ Jesus sanctify us day and night so that we may fight the good fight and stand firm in the faith.
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