Psalm 1:3 The Blessed Man

Psalm 1:3 The Blessed Man

Dissected and Defined.

Please see the previous posts concerning The Blessed Man.



Psalm 1:3 (KJV) 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.
C.  The Results of Living Psalm 1:1-2

In verse 3 the results of living life seperated from the world, and living life delighting and meditating on God's Word are given.

     1.  The blessed man shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.

...like a tree:  Is a symbol of blessing. It indicates beauty, majesty, and strength.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (KJV) ⁷ Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. ⁸ For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

...planted:   Not one growing wild, but carefully planted. This tree is one carefully planted and secured from the last terrible uprooting. Matthew 15:13 (KJV) ¹³ But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

It indicates ownership.  The tree was bought and planted.

...the rivers of water:   Note it is multiple rivers, if one river dries up there are others. This is a reference to the Eastern method of irrigation.  Rivers of water are made to flow between the rows of trees and thus the trees receive a constant supply of water.

Spurgeon said; the rivers of pardon and the rivers of grace, the rivers of the promise and the rivers of communion with Christ, are never-failing sources of supply.

2.  The blessed man is fruitful.

...bringeth forth his fruit in his season:   The promise of God is that the separated man who delights and meditates in God's Word will produce fruit. 

John 15:4-5 (KJV) ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

The blessed man brings forth patience in the time of suffering, faith in the day of trial, and joy in the hour of prosperity.  Fruitfulness is the characteristic of the blessed man and his fruitfulness will be seasonable.

3.  The blessed man is consistent.

...his leaf also shall not wither:  There are two kinds of trees.  Decidious trees that annually loose their leaves and evergreen trees that have needles that remain green all year long. 

The blessed man is not affected by the season or the circumstances of life.  He is consistent, like the tree whose leaves do not wither. 

His faintest words shall be everlasting; his little deeds of love shall be had in rememberance.  Not simply shall his fruit be preserved, but his leaf also.  He shall neither lose his beauty nor his fruitfulness.  CH Spurgeon.

4.  The blessed man prospers.

...and whatsover he doeth shall propsper:  The word prosper means to push forward, to grow or increase. 

The blessed man is growing, increasing; spiritually alive and thriving.  He is producing much fruit to the glory of God.  His prosperity is of God and it contains no sorrow.  God's prosperity is in all areas of his life.

Wrestling with God

Genesis 32:26 (KJV) ²⁶  And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

Jacob would not let the angel go unless he blessed Jacob. Jacob prevailed.  He received a blessing.  He would no longer be called Jacob.  Jacob in the Hebrew means one who follows on another's heel or supplanter. A supplanter is one who undermines or overthrows.  It is certainly not a term of endearment.   It speaks of one who is corrupt.  However, God is able to change any life, and He changes this one.  Jacob would now be called Israel.  The name Israel means something much different.  It means prince of God; one who fights victoriously.  Jacob's wrestling with God resulted in victory.  He was on longer the undermining schemer, but one who is walking in victory!

Years ago I attended the funeral of the mother of a dear man who went to our church.  After the funeral he told me how his mother and step-father came to know Christ as their Savior in an old fashioned revival meeting in a little Pentecostal Holiness church in Rock Hall, MD. They both immediately fell under conviction concerning their addictive and sinful habit of smoking cigarettes.  They tried to quit many times, but failed.  One Sunday morning they walked the aisle of their little country church and told the Pastor they were giving up cigarettes.  They told him they had tried many times to quit and failed. The Pastor said, "meet me tonight at 11:00 at the church".  They thought it odd, but returned to the church at 11:00 that night.  The Pastor invited them to the altar and stated; "we are going to wrestle with God until God gives you the victory over smoking".  And they did.  They began praying and continued praying until in the wee hours of the morning, God granted the victory.  They never smoked again!

Do you need to hear from God?  May I suggest to do what Jacob did, get a hold of God and do not let him go until He blesses you!

Anger: Forgiveness

Anger: Forgiveness

Chapter 9

I.         What is Forgiveness?

Mark 11:25 (KJV) ²⁵  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

To forgive means the one offended cancels the debt, and releases the offender from any obligation to pay back or make restitution.

It is always welcome when the offender asks for forgiveness and offers to make restitution.

HOWEVER, FORGIVENESS IS NOT BASED ON THE ACTIONS OF THE OFFENDER, BUT THE HEART OF THE OFFENDED.

Ill:           Fishing and Forgiveness

The fisherman casts the line, the fish is hooked and its on!  The fish is offended and the fisherman is the offender.  The more the offended fish fights back at the offending fisherman, the more the hook is set and the easier time the fisherman has landing the fish.  However, as any fisherman will tell you, if the fish swims directly toward the fisherman the line will slacken and the hook will release itself.  The fish’s freedom is not gained by pulling but by slacking the line.  Forgiveness is slackening the line!

II.        The Results of not Forgiving?

1.            Your pain is compounded.

The pain you initially felt because of the offense is compounded when we choose not to forgive.

2.            Remaining angry at the offender brings torment to your own soul.

The torment takes shape as residual anger, resentment, and bitterness.  We think if we remain cold and distant from the person we are somehow punishing them for what they have done. We think that getting even with them will make us better. 

Romans 12:17-21 (KJV) ¹⁷  Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. ¹⁸  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. ¹⁹  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. ²⁰  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. ²¹  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

III.      Forgiveness Precedes Freedom

When you forgive it frees you, but it will not necessarily heal you emotionally.  You may still have emotional wounds and scars from the offense. 

Isaiah 61:1 (KJV) ¹ The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Psalm 34:18 (KJV) ¹⁸ The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Jesus promises to heal our hearts.  How long will it take?  It depends how deeply you were hurt and how long you harbored unforgiveness in your heart.

IV.       Why should I Forgive?

Why should I let the offender off the hook?  Because in reality it is you who is getting off of the hook.  Are there consequences for the offender?  Is the offender getting away with it?  The answer is NO!

Hebrews 10:31 (KJV) ³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

V.        Not only should We Forgive, but We should Pray and ask Mercy for the     Offender.

Matthew 5:44 (KJV) ⁴⁴ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Matthew 6:12-15 (KJV) 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 Here in Matthew 6 your eternal destiny is not affected.  Jesus died and forgave your sin on Calvary’s cross.  However, you will lose the victory and the daily blessing in your walk with God.  God’s working in your life is hindered by your unforgiveness.

VI.       Forgiveness does not mean Forgetting

Hebrews 10:17 (KJV) ¹⁷ And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

This is not saying God forgets.  It is saying that God will no longer hold our sins against us.  He forgives and treats us as forgiven. God could not forget, because God is omniscient.  He knows all!

The more you are hurt and the longer you have chosen to hang on to unforgiveness, the harder it may be. 

Ill:  Like Climbing a Mountain

The view at the top is worth the climb!

VII.     Forgiveness must be from the Heart.

Matthew 18:35 (KJV) ³⁵ So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

To do this we must face the hurt and hate and ask the Lord to reveal all hurts and pain.  We must then agree with God and proclaim that we forgive the offender.  We must be emotionally honest.

VIII.   We all live with the Consequences of Other People’s Sins

We all live with the consequences of other’s sins.  Our choice is to live with the consequences of other’s sins in the bondage of bitterness and anger or in the freedom of forgiveness.

We are all living with the consequences of Adam’s sin. 

Jesus thru the cross removes the consequences of Adam’s sin and Jesus enables us to forgive removing the consequences of the offender’s sins.

Isaiah 53:4-6 (KJV) ⁴ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

IX.       Unforgiveness opens the door to Satan.

Ephesians 4:26-27 (KJV) ²⁶ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: ²⁷ Neither give place to the devil.
2 Corinthians 2:11 (KJV) ¹¹ Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Unforgiveness is a tool the devil uses to take advantage of us.  Unforgiveness is cancer to our soul.

X.        Forgiveness is Commanded

Ephesians 4:32 (KJV) ³² And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Psalm 1:2 The Blessed Man

The blessed man is described by what he does and does not do.

B. What He Does Do (2)

The blessed man has a different counselor than the ungodly man, he keeps different company than the sinful man, and he has a different cause than the scornful man.  His great love is for the Word of God.

1.  All things are well with the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD.

Delight=  pleasure, desired.   To affect with great pleasure; to please highly; to give or afford high satisfaction or joy; as, a beautiful landscape delights the eye; harmony delights the ear; the good conduct of children, and especially their piety, delights their parents. Webster's 1828 Dictionary

Law of the Lord= statutes or precepts of the Lord.  The Word of God.

The blessed man rejoices in the teachings of the Word of God. 

He is not under the law as a curse and condemnation, but he is in it, and he delights to be in it as his rule of life.  Spurgeon

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. 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. He looketh 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. Adam Clark

Psalm 119:16—I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Psalm 119:47—And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.

Psalm 119:77—Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

Romans 7:22—For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

2.  All things are well with the man who in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Meditate= "to hum, muse, think out loud, turn over in one's mind, to murmur or ponder." This same Hebrew word is translated "studieth" in Proverbs 15:28 or "imagine" in Psalm 2:1.

Proverbs 15:28—The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

Psalm 2:1—Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

The blessed man delights in God's Word, he desires God's Word, and he is dedicated to God's Word.  He meditates in it by day and night.  The Law of The Lord is the daily bread of the believer.  In his day of prosperity he sings praises out of the Word of God, and in the night of his affliction he comforts himself with promises out of the same book.

Several questions are raised by this verse.  Are we student's of God's Word?  Is our delight in God's Word?  Do we make it our companion each day and night?  Is it our guide book?

Psalm 1:1 The Blessed Man

Psalm One:

Psalm 1 is the Hebrew hymnbook.  Psalm 1 is the Preface Psalm.  It notifies us of the overall intent of the book.  Psalm 1 begins with a blessing and ends with a curse.  It is essentially a psalm of Christ, and shows the meditation of the godly.

Blessed = The original word is plural.  It is the same word Jesus used to open His Sermon on the Mount. It refers to multiple blessings or blessedness. One could say it this way; All things are well with that man who. It's simple translation is happy.  There are two Hebrew words for bless or blessed in OT Scripture.  One is barak and it used by God when He blesses someone.  The other is ashar and refers to man.  Barak is initiated from God and God can give His blessing even when man is undeserved.   On the other hand to be blessed (Ashar), man has to do something.  

The blessed man is described by what he does and does not do.

A. What He Does not Do: (1)

1.  All things are well with the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

• Walk = repeated steps in a specific direction.
• Counsel= advice, advisement, purpose.  Listen.
• Ungodly= morally wrong, wicked, sinful.

The blessed man's footsteps are ordered by the Word of God.  He is not persuaded by the wisdom of this world.  He does not listen to the cunning and wicked instruction of carnal men.  He does not seek the advice of those living a life not dedicated to Jesus Christ. It is a sign of the change that salvation brings to one's life when the outward walk is changed, and the ways of this world forsaken. The man who will be blessed falls out of step with the world and in step with the Word!

2.  All things are well with the man who does not standeth in the way of sinners.

• Standeth= to stand, abide, remain, continue, present.
• Way= road, course of life, mode of action.
• Sinners= criminal, or one accounted as guilty. One who misses a mark. One who fails to observe God's law. One who sins.

The first thing a blessed man is not to do is listen to the ungodly. The second thing he is not to do is participate in their sinful activities.

The word "standing" indicates a close association in sinful behavior. Here it means to not follow a moral path. Walking in the counsel of the ungodly involves the acceptance of advice; standing involves living in a sinful way. "Counsel" is the principle or the thinking and "way" is the practice or behaving in a sinful manner. The "way of sinners" means "the manner of life of sinners or their lifestyle."Mattoon's Treasures

3.  All things are well with the man who does not sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

• Sitteth= to sit down, to dwell, to remain.
• Seat= chair, dwelling, assembly.
• Scornful=  extreme contempt, mock. holding Scripture in contempt.

Notice the progression of sin.  It starts first with listening to the advice of the ungodly.  It progresses to participating in sinful activities and culminates in a lifestyle of sin. 

Sitting indicates a lifestyle.  A lifestyle so dedicated to sin that it is also involved in enticing others to join you.  It is when a person's life is completely identified, and at home with sinful actions.  It is when one calls right wrong and wrong right, and when one is mocking those who love and live for God.

The counsel refers to wrong principles; the way of sinners  refers to wrong practices; the seat of the scornful refers to wrong partnerships.

The blessed man is separated from the world in thought, deed, and associations.

Anger: God's Will vs. God's Expectations

Anger: God’s Will vs. God’s Expectations

Recall the last incident that made you angry: (Write it down)

 

Why do we get angry?

 

God’s Command:

James 1:19-20 (KJV) ¹⁹ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: ²⁰ For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Ecclesiastes 7:9 (KJV) ⁹ Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Psalm 37:8-9 (KJV) ⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

Ephesians 4:31-32 (KJV) ³¹ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: ³² And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Why People get Angry:

1.           Injustices in Life:

o   Anger over Sin.  God’s anger is over sin or injustice. 

o   More mention of God’s wrath in the Bible than man’s anger.

2.           Do Not Get Your Way:

1 Kings 21:1-4 (KJV) ¹ And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. ² And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. ³ And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. ⁴ And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

3.           Jealousy:

·        Saul became angry with David when Saul became jealous of David.

·        Jealousy is the intense interest for another’s honor or prosperity.

·        Jealousy is the apprehension of superiority.

1 Samuel 18:7-9 (KJV) ⁷ And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. ⁸ And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? ⁹ And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

4.           Things Seem Out of Your Control / Need to Control

·        Your Children

·        Your Reputation

·        Your Security

 

Need to Control…we use anger to control others!

6.           Response to Hurt or Mistreatment:

·        Vengeance anger grows little by little over the years of mistreatment.

·        The slightest mistreatment or hurt can unleash anger reactions.

Ill:           David and Nabal I Sam 25

Nabal was a wealthy land owner.  His flocks and lands were protected by David and his mighty men. He sought food for his men and Nabel said no.  David in anger wanted to take his men, and slay Nabal.

7.           Wounded Pride:

·        Spiritual progress can lead to pride.

·        Pride, wounded, can lead to anger.

Ill:           King Asa

Incident 1:  Faced Ethiopians that outnumbered him two to one.  Asa humbly sought the Lord and the Lord gave Asa victory and brought a great revival to Israel. 

2 Chronicles 15:9 (KJV) ⁹ And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

Incident 2:  Baasha came against Asa.  Asa this time paid the Syrian King Ben-hadad to make a new union with Asa. It worked, but the prophet of God Hanani rebuked Asa for not relying on the Lord.  Asa’s response: 

2 Chronicles 16:10 (KJV) ¹⁰ Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

Asa’s pride led to anger.

8.           Spill Over from Unresolved Guilt:

·        A person with guilt often wields a critical tongue.

·        A person with a sin problem is often harsh at home with spouse and children.

Ill:  David and His Guilt

What was David’s response when Nathan told him the story of the man who took advantage of the poor man?

9.           Physical Conditions (Acute, Chronic Pain, Weariness, Sickness)

10.         To Set Things Right

·        This can be a righteous anger.  When things are wrong, anger can be a motivation to correct things. 

·        Think of Jesus at the Temple with the moneychangers.

Notice all 10 reasons are related to other people or circumstances.

Rectifying God’s Will vs. Godly Expectations

1.           God’s Will:

·        God’s will is basically anything that reflects God’s purpose for our lives, independent upon people or circumstances beyond our ability to control.

·        God’s will for our lives is for us to become more and more like Jesus Christ. This is called sanctification. 

1 Thessalonians 4:3 (KJV) ³ For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

·        We are the only ones who can keep us from doing God’s will in our lives.

·        God’s will does not depend on other people or favorable circumstances.

2.           Godly Expectations:

·        A Godly expectation does depend on favorable circumstances or the cooperation of other people.

·        The problems come when we equate a Godly expectation with God’s will for our lives.

Ill:           Dinner @ 6 with Wife.

Stop for gas, backed up…old man taking his sweet time putting gas in the car, checking the oil, windshield.  He is ruining your Godly expectation of dinner @ 6 with wife!

The old man does not determine who you are, your response to him does.  It reveals the will of God…sanctification…Christlikeness.

Ill:           Godly Expectation of a Loving, Happy, Godly Home!

Who can mess with that Godly expectation?  Everyone in your home!  You cannot control what your spouse will do or what your children will do, but you can control you.  You can control how you act.

What to Do?

1.           Focus on Doing God’s Will!

·        The person or circumstance that tempts you to be angry is an opportunity to do the will of God. 

·        Remember the will of God is to respond like Jesus.  It is to respond in the Spirit of God, the fruit of the Spirit.

2.           You can do the will of God.

·        God’s will is doable.

·        Christ enables us to do God’s will.

Matthew 19:26 (KJV) ²⁶ But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Philippians 4:13 (KJV) ¹³ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

3.           You can’t control People or Circumstances

·        Trust God!

·        Have faith in God!

4.           Manage your Godly Expectations

·        God is not going to make every circumstance and person to your liking.

·        Don’t measure your life by your circumstances, but by your Christlikeness.

·        God’s greatest ministry is in your heart.

5.           Trials are Opportunities to do God’s Will.

Romans 5:3-5 (KJV) ³ And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; ⁴ And patience, experience; and experience, hope: ⁵ And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

·        Each trial is an opportunity to experience the love of God.

Let Go of the Nuts!

Proverbs 13:19 (KJV) ¹⁹ The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil.

:but it is abomination (disgusting, detest, abhor, loathe) to fools (one who lives life rejecting God and His Word) to depart (decline, to turn off, remove) from evil (bad, morally wrong, wicked, corrupt).

The fool hates to stop doing what he is doing. He despises turning from his sin to God. The wicked man detests giving up the evil to which he clings so tenaciously.

You can't have your sin and freedom too!

The trappers in Africa trap monkeys using this principle. They place nuts in a jar with a narrow neck and ties the jar securely in place. A monkey comes, sees the nuts, and plunges his hand into the jar. However with the nuts in the monkey's hand his fist doubles in size and will not pass through the neck of the jar. The monkey has a problem. If he releases the loved nuts, he can withdraw his hand. If he hangs onto the nuts he is trapped. The monkey chooses to hang onto the nuts. When the trapper shows up, the monkey will chatter with rage, fear, and frustration, but he will not let go of the nuts, not even to save his life. Likewise a fool hangs onto his sins. He is mastered by his lusts, held fast by his evil desires.

Jesus Christ can free us from the power of sin. We must repent of our sin. Repent is simply to change your heart and mind concerning your sins.

1 John 1:9 (KJV) ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness