Let's Get Started Into the Psalms

A journey into the depths of The Book of Psalms offers us a bountiful supply of topics which touch on nearly every human experience. I started digging deeper into the Psalms while completing an intensive study on the topic of prayer. The Book of Psalms is known as the prayer book of the Bible. The Psalms were written as hymns to be used in the Jewish temple. The Psalms were also to be used to teach the people about the God they served. Let's get started...


Psalm 1 can be considered a preface psalm. The differences between the godly and the ungodly are laid out clearly. The godly are blessed, and the ungodly aren't. The final verse of Psalm 1 states the whole message of Christianity in a nutshell...


"For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish (Psalms 1:6 KJV)."


Psalm 1:1 begins with great promise, "Blessed is the man." The word blessed comes from the Hebrew 'esher. It's a plural word, meaning multiple blessings or exceeding happiness. Now that's good stuff! Who doesn't like such a promise of blessing! But hold on, our promise turns to the negative rather quickly. Let's look at verse 1...


"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."


The verse rapidly dives into the counsel of the ungodly, the way of sinners, and the seat of the scornful. Take note of the grading, or steps, of sin given here. We start by walking in the counsel of the ungodly. We move ahead to standing with sinners. Then we reach the point of sitting with the scornful. How can this be?


Humanity goes from bad to worse when it chooses to live in sin. We start by thinking we want to be like everyone around us. We begin listening to the voices of those around us. "Go ahead, do it. You'll feel good." The sin is more practical than habitual at this stage. One gets careless and forgets God. It becomes easier and easier to give in to the temptation as we mover farther and farther away from God. We would do well to heed the advice of Proverbs 1:10 (KJV), "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."


When sinning becomes habitual, we've moved to the next stage. We're standing in the way with sinners. We're sinning by choice. Sinners standing in the way will call out for us to "Cast our lots in with them (Proverbs 1:14)." Again, we must heed the advice given to us in Proverbs 1:15 (KJV), "My son, walk thou not in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path."


Well, if we don't turn away from our sin, we'll get to the point of sitting in the seat of the scornful. We've reached the position of not just being sinners, but willfully calling out to and teaching others to sin. We disdain the commandments of God. We no longer have a fear of God. And to think all this started with a little temptation! Proverbs 1:22 tells us that the scorners delight in their scorning.


Don't give up hope! God calls out to us. He calls for us to repent, to turn away from sin, to change our hearts and our lives. If we will do so, God gives us this promise, "Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you (Proverbs 1:23 NKJV)."


I promise to get back to the positive and the promise of multiple blessing next time. Feel free to post your thoughts and comments. Until then, God bless...