Sept 2018, rev. May 2019 I. Psalms…an Introduction
Psalm 1 The WAY To Be Blessed Psalm 1 An Introduction to the Book of Psalms Notes…
What? What do we learn in this text? Chapters 1 and 2 are intended to be read together: • Psalm 1:1 begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet; Psalm 2:12 closes with the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. (See Psalm 119: the sections are divided by the letters of the Hebrew alphabet; Ps. 119 also has echoes of Ps. 1). • The first line of Ps. 1 opens with the word “blessed”; the last line of Ps. 2 also opens with the word “blessed”. • Psalm 1 is about learning the Law of God (Torah/first five books of the Bible which are the foundations of God’s people; Psalm 2 is about the Kingdom of God, the inheritance of God’s people. • Psalm 1:2 tells us to meditate on God’s law; Ps. 2 uses the same Hebrew word, translated as “plot”, in defiance against God. • Psalm 1 describes the “way” of the righteous, versus the “way” of the wicked; Ps. 2:12 uses the same word, “way” of those opposed to the LORD. What do we learn about the righteous person (vv. 1-3)… ? What do we learn about… the “wicked” (4X - vv. 1, 4, 5, 6) - the “sinner” (vv. 1, 5) - the mocker (v.1)? “wicked”: res aim | 1:1; 28:3; 92:7] • Begins with an illustration (v. 4) - “chaff - which is blown away by the wind during winnowing”. God’s judgment is like a farmer harvesting his crop! • Life’s outcome for the “wicked/sinners” (v. 5) • they will not stand in the judgment • they will not stand in the assembly of the righteous So what? • The righteous prosper (v. 3); the wicked perish (v. 6). Now what? How do we apply this text?