Happiness is for YOU The Book of Psalms presents happiness or blessedness in its highest degree and purest form. The Hebrew hymnbook begins with an exceedingly expressive word: BLESSED, or HAPPY! This implies a plurality of blessedness, for the word, “blessed” is a PLURAL, and so it emphasizes, “OH, What blessednesses are heaped up one upon the other upon the man who delights in God’s Word!” This blessed man is still a man. That means this blessed man knows all the weakness and trouble of the world, the flesh and the devil. He understands the common sorrows of the human race. He suffers pain and sickness. He endures losses and crosses, and lives in the same ho-hum, hum-drum world as you and I. Yet he is happy! Notice how this song begins. Blessed is the MAN. And it ends with a very sobering thought: the way of the ungodly shall perish. Will you be happy and blessed or will you perish? This Psalm naturally divides into two parts, the Righteous man, v.1-3 and the Ungodly man, v.4-6. This article will focus on the first three verses and see the characteristics of a godly person who is filled with happiness, in the “highest degree and in the purest form.” Yes, blessed is the MAN, the normal person. This man need not be a king, or famous, or rich. Not blessed is the homeowner, the married person, or the one with children. Not blessed is the one who is released from prison, either. This blessedness is attainable for any man. Are you unknown, forgotten, or obscure? Happiness is for you! Psalm 1:1 says, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel fo the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. This man is blessed because of his PROPER ASSOCIATIONS. He is blessed because what he renounces, refuses, abandons, or avoids! His renunciation is seen in that he does not walk, stand or sit with the wrong crowd. To be happy you will have to learn to avoid certain things that are in this world. It does not matter if you lived in Jerusalem with David in around 1000 BC or if you live in New York City in the 21st Century. A child of God who is truly righteous will have to learn to renounce and refuse certain things that are here by the very nature of the curse of sin upon the earth. How instructive are these verbs! The progression of them shows a downward spiral into control by the worldly and vain ways of this world. Notice too that they are negative. We learn from them that the ungodly person has his purpose to live by, the sinner has his way to live in, and the scorner has his seat to rule over others. He godly man refuses to WALK in the counsel of the ungodly, so he is not DOUBLE-MINDED. The ungodly may be very respectable people, but it speaks of one who is guilty of a trespass. This word is most often translated “wicked” in our King James Bibles, and it appears three more times in verses 4, 5 and 6. It is used by Moses to speak of Korah, who was destroyed and swallowed up by the earth for his rebellious attitude: Numbers 16:26; Moses said: Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of their’s, lest ye be consumed in all their sins. These are the ones who do not know God personally. They are not righteous, or saved. And they have something to teach you. Do not walk or buy into their teaching or their advice. Or do not walk according to the purpose they have. This world is driven by a definite purpose, and their purpose runs in the opposite direction of those of God. This word “counsel” is used about eleven times in the Psalms. Here is a sample: Psalm 14:6 says of the ungodly person, Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge. Psalm 33:10 says that this counsel of the heathen is brought to nothing, but “the counsel of the LORD standeth for ever. Yes, the blessed man says in contrast, “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” A person cannot walk in the purposes and Lord and the purposes of the ungodly at the same time. A blessed person is not double-minded, walking according to the advice of the wicked and trying to walk in the commandments of the Lord at the same time. The godly man abandons to STAND in the way of Sinner, so he is not DECEIVED. To “stand” means to remain and continue in the way of sinners. True, all have sinned and come short of God’s glory, but this blessed man is a sinner saved by grace and washed in the blood of the Lamb. The “way” of the sinner speaks of the practical day to day life of the unsaved, their way, road, path, journey, direction, manner, habit or the course of life. It also speaks of their moral character, in this case, the character of the sinner. A sinner is one who breaks God’s law and offends God’s holiness. The way of the sinner is a way of selfishness and pride, of rebellion, drunkenness, and fornication and stealing and lying. The way of sinners is again contrasted in the Psalm 5:8, Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. And he begs God to show him his way rather than the way of sinners in Psalm 25:4; Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach me in thy paths. God’s way is in the sanctuary and in the sea, and his footsteps are not known (Psalm 77:13, 19). The word “way” is found in Joshua 1:8; This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Prosperity in your “way” will be found in obedience to God’s Word. If you first walk according to their purposes, you will next stand with them in their habits. The blessed man is not double-minded, but neither is he deceived to stand in their way. The godly man avoids SITING in the seat of the scorner, and he will not be DESTROYED! This scorner’s seat is lofty in the eyes of the world. A seat here stands for the teacher, the instructor, or the one with decision-making powers. It is the academic chair at the prestigious university; it is the seat of political powers in great nations. It may be the seat of the atheistic scoffer and intellectual mocker. The scorners seat may be admirable, but it is near to the gate of hell. Who is a scorner? This word appears most in the Proverbs. Proverbs 1:22; the scorners delight in their scorning… This verse indicates the progressive nature of sin. At first, it seems fun and pleasurable, so one may walk in it. They one becomes more careless and then a person begins to stand in the midst of it. Soon the bars of habitual practice become built into one’s mind and then the wicked are enslaved. Do not be deceived, for God is not mocked. Once you yield to one sin, another follows and another after that. Once one sin is embraced, it never weakens its grip; it will only get stronger. Sin is like a cheap street drug. Initially it gives you a buzz, but after a few uses, the high diminishes and a stronger dosage is needed for the equal effect. Soon, the user is hooked but the drug is no longer a high but just a vicious, destructive habit that in the end leads to death. But the godly man is not enslaved. He is not double-minded. He is not deceived. Lastly, he is not destroyed by the scorners. This man is also blessed because of his PERSISTENT MEDITATION. He is blessed in what He thrills: the Word of God! Psalm 1:2; But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. His pleasure, delight, enjoyment, and thrill is the law of the LORD. The “delight” speaks of what one longs for, desires, and takes pleasure in. Psalm 119:24 says, Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors. Notice that the Scripture is a love letter from heaven. We can read it but think on it all the day long, and when we go to our beds, we can be pondering its truths so that our soul can be nourished day and night. Do you ever take a verse with you through the day and think on it and sing it? David did not have nearly all of the Scripture we have and yet it satisified him day and night. How much more should we love the Word of God! We can delight in the Scripture because of its antiquity, even from eternity this book written, and now it has found its way to earth by divine inspiration. It is a book of perfect love, found in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for the sins of the world. It is a book of perfect justice. If we all lived this book as God meant it to be lived, there would never be a war, there would never be a divorce, there would never be abuse, a lie, a murder, or a theft. It is a book of lofty wisdom. It tells us God’s perspective and point of view. It is true, and more pleasant than all the gold or sweetness of earth. Notice also the word “meditate.” This word meditate is translated a number of ways in the Hebrew text: meditate 6, mourn 4, speak 4, imagine 2, study 2, mutter 2, utter 2, roaring 1, sore 1, talk 1 (25 times in all). The godly man is blessed because he keeps his mind fixed on the Lord. This same word is used in Psalm 2:1 that the heathen rage and imagine, or meditate on vain and useless things. We will either meditate on truth or error. What we meditate upon determines the state of our mind, our affections, and ultimately our actions and destiny. This word is also closely connected to the tongue and what comes out of our mouth. This should not surprise us because out of the heart and mind the mouth speaks. If I am delighting in the Word, I will speak of the Word. Psalm 35:28; My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long. Psalm 37:29; The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. Psalm 38:12 tells us that the wicked “imagine deceits all the day long.” We see that when we meditate on the Lord in a godly and right way, it will give us a heart that bubbles up with praise that comes forth from the mouth: Psalm 63:5,6; My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 6When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Whose idea is it to meditate on the law of the Lord continually? Is this just a good idea or an opinion of man? No! David got his idea from God himself who had told Joshua that this was the pathway to real success and prosperity: No doubt Joshua was such a blessed man. God directly told him: Joshua 1:7-9: Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Thirdly, this man will be blessed in his PROSPEROUS EXPANSION. Notice how he prospers! Psalm 1:3; And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. His prosperity is in the totality of his life. God compares this blessed man who continually delights in the Word of God to a tree planted by an ever-flowing, never ceasing river of sufficiency. If the tree is the man, the river is the Word of God. The unseen part of the tree are the roots which speak of the meditation of the godly man. This man is PLANTED and STABLE. How we need stability while trying to live in a body of sinful flesh, in a world under a curse! Through Christ, we can be stable in our faith and doctrine and not blown here and there with every new wind of teaching. In a world where people are depressed, we can be stable in our emotions and in our decisions! We are not up and down, depressed one moment and the next moment elated because of a change in our circumstance. Stability in our families! We are not running from divorce court to divorce court just because our spouse gets a bit on our nerves on occasion! This man brings forth fruit. God’s grace works in us fruit at the proper season. Patience is brought forth in the time of suffering. Love in the time of difficulty. Faith in the season of trial. Goodness in the season of temptation. God’s grace and fruit in our lives comes forth at the right time. This man prospers in all of his ways. Although it seems that the wicked prosper in their way (Psalm 37:7), true prosperity comes through the Lord. Joseph was a man who prospered in his way, because of the Lord. King Uzziah sought for the Lord, and God made him to prosper. The godly man cries out to God, Psalm 118:25; Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. May God help you to be this man, heaped with happiness in all of your ways! |