Psalm 1 - Two Ways

1 Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.

4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 1 introduces a very simple view of humanity. There are two ways through life, the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. These two paths are in direct response to God.  They are the ways of those who do God's will and those who do not. There is no grey area. There is only the will of God revealed through Moses in the Torah (the biblical books of Genesis - Deuteronomy). If you are faithful to the morality and religious observances of these books then you are righteous. If you do not then you are wicked.

The righteous of course fail at keeping the law, so God gave them a means of atonement to deal with their transgressions. The sacrifice of animals covered over their sin so that they might rejoin the assembly of God's holy people. The wicked could care less and do not seek God's approval or forgiveness.

I remember hearing the punk rocker Patti Smith sing, "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine." Her rebellion helped a generation of disenchanted young Americans express their fury, but I think such a sentiment is a slogan for the so called wicked. There is no accountability before God. Indeed, there is a refusal to believe in God or God's ultimate justice. The psalms will give voice to the wicked again and again. We will see how their self-seeking actions harm others. and we will understand the pain and anguish expressed i the psalms by their victims.

The way of the righteous is nourishing and persevering strength. They are like tress planted by the water. They lack no good thing. God provides for them. The righteous love God's word and read it and learn it and live by it. Their T-shirts might read a slogan,

"God's Word: Learn it! Love it! Live it!!!"

The righteous know the providence of God and they trust that God is with them guiding them. This ought to make us want to learn God's word and love God through learning the Scriptures. The way of the righteous responds this way. Which way will you choose?