Psalm 1: Blessed is the one

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Blessed is the one who does not join
In the steps the wicked walk; 

Or stand around where the sinners meet,

 Or sit where mockers talk.
For they delight in the law of the Lord, 

Through the day and through the night,
They meditate on the law of God,
Keep his purposes in sight.

They are like a tree by the water’s edge,
Whose leaves don’t fall or fade;
Bears its fruit in time, so God prospers them;
Blesses what his hands have made.
For they delight in the law of the Lord, 

Through the day and through the night,
They meditate on the law `of God,
Keep his purposes in sight.

But the wicked ones they are like chaff,
Which the wind blows clean away.
When the judgement comes they will not stand,
Nor with the righteous stay.
For the Lord keeps watch, guards the path to life,
Which the righteous people take,
But the path to death which the wicked tread,
Brings destruction in its wake.

Comment

Somehow you’d expect the first word of the first Psalm to be God, or perhaps one of his attributes – righteousness or holiness for instance. Instead you’ve got that unexpected word “blessed” which can be translated as happy. Not only that, the first line of this first Psalm gives us wise council about blessed happiness, by telling us where we WON’T find it. When the American constitution was drawn up, it spoke of mankind’s ‘unalienable rights’ to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. .A few years ago, there was a popular movie and book called The Pursuit Of Happyness. Doesn’t that title speak volumes about humanity’s main preoccupation – how to be happy? But where do we find instruction? We have a tendency to take advice from flawed people, perhaps as we relax before the TV. Here in this psalm, we have different counsel. We are told to find our delight in the God-breathed precepts and instructions of scripture, habitually day and night meditating on God’s word. For if we do and we allow the spirit of God to wash through us as we meditate, we shall be like that tree that does not wither but matures into a strong, fruitful faith. This is not like the disobedient ones living without God. They will die and wither away and they will not be able to stand on the day of judgement nor mingle with the congregation of those, who have through Jesus, had righteousness credited to them.

Jeff Lowe: lead vocal, backing vocals, guitars, keys, percussion
Dave Pickering: mandolin, bodhran