BACKGROUND
Psalm 1 is undated but is usually thought to have been written late in Israel's history, perhaps after the exile. The time of Genesis is probably NOT the time for Psalm 1, but it is so perfect for kicking off the first month of the Bible Book Club and realizing the importance of God's Word in our life!
You will get through the whole book of Psalms by the end of YEAR TWO of the Bible Book Club. They are all mixed up in the schedule. If you prefer to read the Psalms in numerical order, go to Psalms in Numerical Order at the top of the blog page, but it is so much more fun to read them in their historical context!
Here are definitions of a few Hebrew words in Psalm 1 with most from The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
unless otherwise specified:Blessed ('asar) - This "blessed" in not like the Hebrew word barak which is used by God when He blesses someone and we bless Him. 'Asar is reserved for man, and a word of "envious desire." So, another way to say Psalm 1:1 would be: ". . . to be envied with desire is the man who trusts in the Lord."
Wicked (rāšāʿ) - This means "hostile to God. People described by rāšāʿ are not in covenental relationship with God; they live according to their passions. They are not godly. They may do kind and charitable deeds, but God's evaluation of them is that they are without eternal merit" (The Bible Knowledge Commentary).
Stand (amad) - remain, continue, abide
Sit (yashab) - dwell, have one's abode
Scoffers (liyliyth) - "Lilith" is the name of a female goddess known as a night demon who haunts desolate places of Edom.
Meditates (hagah) - to devise, muse, imagine. Implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply.An English dictionary can be helpful in understanding also. The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition
says meditate means "to engage in contemplation or reflection, to focus one's thoughts on, reflect on or ponder over, to plan or project in the mind." Ponder means "to weigh in the mind: appraise, to think about, to reflect on; to think or consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeply."REFLECTION
We have seen two lines going in two different directions in our Genesis reading: one line "walked with God" and one went "the way of Cain" (Genesis 4:8; Jude 11; 1 John 3:12). Psalm 1 punctuates this by contrasting the "blessed man" and the "wicked."
In 1981, I spent five weeks in an intense summer training program at Multnomah School of the Bible where the theme was "The Word." We immersed ourselves in it "day and night." We worked together (painted the buildings) and played together too, but our whole time was centered around time in God's Word. At the end of the time, my parents picked me up and took me down to California for a little vacation. We had such a delightful time together before I went back to Oregon. At the end of the time, they said, "You are a different person, Carol. What has happened to you?" I could only attribute the growth and change in me to that extended time in God's Word allowing the Holy Spirit to change me. It was there and then that I decided that my path of life would be one that included a passion and love for God and His Word; spending time meditating on it and applying it to my life.
APPLICATION
This Psalm says it all; we need to "extend our roots by the stream" of God's unlimited, life-giving Word to bear fruit. Let's apply this throughout our time in the Bible Book Club and beyond!
Meditation can be such a rewarding experience. I wrote "Five Meditations for Cultivating the Abiding Life" many years ago. There are many "meditation modes" that you might like to try.
My oldest son memorized this Psalm when he was six years old. The picture of him in our hot Southeast Asian school room acting out this Psalm will be burned in my memory forever. I wish I had recorded it. It is a crack-up! He used his stuffed animals as the fruit from his arms extended as branches.
I have also illustrated this chapter on several occasions.
A wonderful way to meditate on God's Word is by writing poems. Below are two of them derived from Psalm 1 from two former Bible Book Club members, Becky and Susanne!
Psalm 1 by Becky
Parched ground,
Withered tree,
Water near,
How can it be?
Roots grow deep;
Water seeps.
Never fear
God is here.
Leaves do show;
Fruit will grow.
Dig in deep.
You will reap
Fruit that feeds,
Brings forth seed,
Leaves to heal,
Spirit's seal.
Musings on Psalm 1 by Susanne
My delight springs
from His Holy Word.
As the cooling waters
of His Truth
envelop my roots,
I am blessed --
renewed --
strengthened --
enabled to stand firmly
against wind and storm.
Reaching toward the Light,
my leaves stretch forth
with surety and wellness,
anchored by the Word made Flesh.
PRAYER
"Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts" (Jeremiah 15:16). Lord, I pray that You will teach us more and more how to delight and drink deeply in Your Word so that we might be transformed from the inside out. Amen
A wonderful way to meditate on God's Word is by writing poems. Below are two of them derived from Psalm 1 from two former Bible Book Club members, Becky and Susanne!
Psalm 1 by Becky
Parched ground,
Withered tree,
Water near,
How can it be?
Roots grow deep;
Water seeps.
Never fear
God is here.
Leaves do show;
Fruit will grow.
Dig in deep.
You will reap
Fruit that feeds,
Brings forth seed,
Leaves to heal,
Spirit's seal.
Musings on Psalm 1 by Susanne
My delight springs
from His Holy Word.
As the cooling waters
of His Truth
envelop my roots,
I am blessed --
renewed --
strengthened --
enabled to stand firmly
against wind and storm.
Reaching toward the Light,
my leaves stretch forth
with surety and wellness,
anchored by the Word made Flesh.
PRAYER
"Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts" (Jeremiah 15:16). Lord, I pray that You will teach us more and more how to delight and drink deeply in Your Word so that we might be transformed from the inside out. Amen
18 comments:
The most vivid picture in my mind connected with these verses is of a man very special to me in college. He and his wife were my spiritual parents in many ways. They made me part of their family. When she died unexpectedly (I was married with young children by then), it hit me hard! I traveled to the funeral, and saw him sitting there...he looked like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, yielding his fruit, with not one leaf withering. His branches spread out to care for those around him...literally his arms were around his children, but figuratively they were around us all. He was hurt, but I never once saw him wither. From my perspective, he was SO firmly planted that this unexpected, devastating turn of events did not shake him. I wondered at the time how many years it would take me to get to that spot, my roots so deep that I am always nourished and never wilt. Words don't really convey what I saw in him...the strength and ministry in the midst of grief. It made a permanent picture in my mind.
Here's my poem that came from meditating on Psalm 1. Please read it with grace!
Parched ground,
Withered tree,
Water near,
How can it be?
Roots grow deep;
Water seeps.
Never fear
God is here.
Leaves do show;
Fruit will grow.
Dig in deep.
You will reap
Fruit that feeds,
Brings forth seed,
Leaves to heal,
Spirit's seal.
Becky
Laura, I had a similar experience seeing how "firmly planted" my Grandma was when Grandpa died. It affected me immensely.
On to Psalm 1. Sorry--let me warn you now this is long! But I had so much fun with these psalms this morning!
I’ve heard Psalm 1 summarized like this: Meditate on God’s word and then God will watch over you and bless you. But if you don’t delight in the law of the Lord, you will perish.
But there’s so much more of God’s goodness in this Psalm, more than an if/then! Like, you said, Carol, this psalm hearkens back to the two lines of Genesis: those who walk with God (who find favor) and those who follow the way of Cain. It also evokes the garden and the fall, images which mean a lot to me since I’m a gardener who has to sometimes fight this cursed ground to get my plants to grow. The “healthy tree” image of Psalm 1 parallels the “healthy humans/healthy creation” image of the Garden. The garden is a place of blessedness, fruitfulness, and perfect communion with God. Outside of the garden, the forces of corruption and decay steal away perfect health, causing that which was created good to wither and die. The contrast to the line of blessedness (favor, health, vigor, fruitfulness, delight—in short, the joy of being in relationship with God) is the way of Cain (rebellion, mocking, withering, chaff blowing away in the wind, perishing, alienation from the presence of God.)
Even more than a prescription for blessedness, this psalm is to me a description of it and a description of what it’s like to be outside the favor of God. Delight and meditation are a marker of one who is planted by streams of water (a metaphor for an existence within the “God” garden rather than the “Cain” garden) as well as a means for going deeper. I see delight and meditation as fertilizer for making stronger roots and fruit, but even more as the fruit itself. They come from the soil they are planted in and the water and care they receive, just like apple trees can only make good apples if they have fertile soil, water, care, and protection from the harmful forces of nature. An apple tree planted in sand won’t produce apples, won’t be able to keep its leaves healthy (if they come out at all, they’ll dry up and blow away) much less produce fruit, and in fact won’t even continue to stand. It will eventually topple over dead.
Thinking about all this, I prayed that I would be the healthy tree—fruitful, strong, hardy, with deep roots, delighting in God, going deep into him in my thoughts and understanding, planted firmly in God, thriving the way a tree thrives by a stream—but then it hit me how very unlikely this is. I’m out of the garden now. The soil here isn’t fertile like it was created to be. Harsh winds blow; water is not plentiful. The very ground is cursed, a metaphor for the way sin destroys and hinders and corrupts a fruitful life with God. How can I get this health? How can I stand tall and take delight in ANYTHING while living in a desert? The answer is in verse 6; “For the LORD watches over the righteous…” The Lord is the gardener who protects and feeds and waters, who creates a place of blessedness near streams of water. This psalm becomes messianic here; it promises and describes protection from the curse and desolation and corruption of the fall, and it offers a different way from the way of Cain. How does the Lord watch over the way of the righteous? By coming into our world (Cain's desolation) as the man Jesus, who is our only shelter and our only water. (Help-hold me back! Don't let me veer off into water metaphors--you know, floods, baptism, living water, water into wine--we'll be here all day!)
So to me Psalm 1 gives a picture of health in the garden, the prosperity and blessedness of God’s goodness and the assurance that it is God who provides this (How? In JESUS!!). It’s a promise of restoration to healthy life (erasing of the fall and curse) and therefore is a promise of a Messiah. And then comes Psalm 2 for the next chapter in the story, and I’ll hopefully have time later to say more about it!
Becky, I love your poem! The contrast of the parched ground, then the progression from roots to leaves, then fruit, then seed is wonderful.
Psalms 1 is one of my most favorite passages in the Bible. Every time I read it or ponder on it, the Holy Spirit enlightens me further to more applications for my own life as well as understanding those around me-those who are firmly planted in God's word as well as those I see who are blown from one frantic search for happiness to another, just like chaff in the wind. (btw, in case you didn't know, chaff is the light weight casing around the actual grain.) I read Psalms 1 not too long ago and the following is what the Holy Spirit taught me on that particular day.
Vs.1 tells us what not to do-listen to advice from those whose motivation is wickedness(i.e. anything not glorifying God) or hang out with/be influenced by those who are “spitting” in the face of God. Vs. 2 tells us what TO DO-DELIGHT in the law of the Lord. When reading our Bibles, studying the passages and learning from a pastor-teacher becomes a delight, then it is just natural to meditate on it and think about the truths found there all the time. This can only be achieved by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. That delight in the Word becomes a natural part of our conversations with people-that tends to weed out those who fall into the category described in vs. 1 as well as vss. 4, 5 &6. (My own idea of the wicked/sinners referenced here are those who reject God and are hardened in their hearts, not the sinners that we all are who have been saved by grace and make it a habit of utilizing I Jn 1:9.) Those people get really uncomfortable around someone who loves the Lord and His word, even though you don’t mean for them to and that is NOT your motivation in sharing God’s word. The promise of verse 3 is our reward. That’s the part I’m still meditating on and learning about it ramifications. “Firmly planted by streams of water”-the water is the obvious-the word of God referred to in vs. 2. “Which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In whatever he does he prospers.” That brings to mind a whole list of things which result from delighting in the Law of the Lord and being firmly planted in it-living life according to God’s plan, fulfilling God’s plan in His timing (not mine), saying the right thing at the right time, having a source of strength for the times when adversity is intense,…I’m sure the Holy Spirit will continue to show me more. “Prospers” The only prosperity that lasts-living a life that glorifies God. Once again, that is just a natural occurrence when vs. 2 is fulfilled.
This morning as I read Psalms 1 again, another principle that the Holy Spirit brought to my mind is found in Ps. 16:8 "I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." The ONLY way to continually set the Lord before me and therefore not be shaken is to to "delight in Law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night."
Hi, all ~ I wanted to mention that I shared some thoughts in Carol's post of yesterday. I was hoping the opening chapters of Genesis would lead to some discussion about the "sticky-wicket free will" questions and was surprised none of those tough issues were raised. Does anyone have some thoughts to share about those questions? For example, Carol asked what we'd say to a non-believer who asked where Cain's wife came from. I am wondering, too, if most of the people posting here are interpreting the opening passages of Genesis as literal in nature. I'm enjoying reading the conversations thus far!
Cheers,
Colleen
Becky, Since you are the one the Lord used to teach me to appreciate poetry, you know just how much 'work' the Lord has been doing in my life. That being said, i just loved your poem, especially the first stanza. How often do we find ourselves "dying of thirst" when the "life giving water" is sitting on our coffe table or even worse stuffed behind the "worry of the world or the deceitfulness of wealth" (Matt 13:22) on the shelves of our own mind.
I also loved Rachel's comment "I see delight and meditation as fertilizer for making stronger roots and fruit, but even more as the fruit itself." That is just one more "extremely cool" aspect of God's working. The very act of obdience produces more desire to be obdient.
Upon reading everyone's comments on a firmly planted tree vs. one that withers I immediately thought of the verse in Is. 58:11 "You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."
Jan
Wow! The people east of the westerners have been up and buzzing. Thanks for all the good things to chew on. I loved the "real life analogy" from Laura,the poem from Becky (can I post it on the main blog, pretty please?), the thorough and thoughtful in-depth analysis by Rachel, the practical apply to life analogy of Joy, and Colleen's good reminder that Genesis 1-8 had some unanswered questions that she would like to explore!
I loved everything you all wrote. One thing you might not notice is that many of the "west coasters" will make comments after you people to the east have gone to bed. So, don't forget to read "back" a day so they feel included in the dialogue!
Love mulling over this day and night. This is so good for me!
YES Jan! That is a great cross reference for this passage! Another one that came to mind for me was Jeremiah 17:5-8
"Curse is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD. For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; buts its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit."
Oh, how I love the Psalms! I am also reading through Psalm 119 during this first month of the year. Each day I read the next section of this acrostic psalm - each section is delineated by the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 1:2 - "his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." - speaks to me of that consistent "walk in the law of the Lord!" from Ps. 119:1 and following verses. To seek him with my whole heart, to do no iniquity, to keep his precepts diligently, to not be ashamed...only can happen by being firmly planted by the streams of water of His Word. May we all be so blessed!
Lisa P.
One thing you might not notice is that many of the "west coasters" will make comments after you people to the east have gone to bed. So, don't forget to read "back" a day so they feel included in the dialogue!
Thanks for the reminder, Carol. I hadn't thought of that. One thing that helps me keep track of new comments is to subscribe to have followup comments emailed to me. I'm so glad we have that option! So whenever I post a comment, I click that option so all the new comments will come to my email and I don't have to keep going back to the individual post's comments. I think it only works for threads I've commented in, though, so I still check back for new comments to old posts I haven't participated in yet.
Rachel, how do you subscribe to new comments? That would be great. And thanks for the reminder, Carol. I will check back.
Colleen, I take it all literally. I mean I believe that Adam and Eve actually existed, as did Cain and Abel, Seth, Noah and the rest. I believe the flood happened, for many of the same reasons Carol mentioned. I will go back and read your earlier question. Were they the sticky wicket free will questions? (Not sure what those are!) I tend not to ask why God did something this way or that way. Well, it's not that I don't wonder about it, but I'm not sure we'll ever completely understand some things and when we try to figure it out and put in definitive words we probably have it wrong. If something is, it is. He is God and I'm not. My job is simply to trust Him and live as much as I can in faith and obedience. (Which I don't always do very well.)
Oh and about what I'd say to someone about who Cain married? I'd probably say I don't know! Because I don't. It could have been one of his sisters. It could have been a niece. The verses about the sons of God and the daughters of men and the Nephilim are very mysterious. Maybe that's part of the explanation.
I'm posting hoping there's not some big typo in this!
Oh... Carol. Feel free to post my poem. Thanks for wanting to.
Colleen, I'm still thinking on "knowing good and evil" myself. Listening to the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde soundtrack has fed right into the conversation with myself! That could be a loooong discussion in and of itself... I'll try to go back in the next day or two to comment on your questions, but I'm working weirder hours than usual this week, so may need another nudge!
Musings on Psalm 1 (rough draft)
My delight springs
from His Holy Word.
As the cooling waters
of His Truth
envelop my roots,
I am blessed --
renewed --
strengthened --
enabled to stand firmly
against wind and storm.
Reaching toward the Light,
my leaves stretch forth
with surety and wellness,
anchored by the Word made Flesh.
Lovely Susanne. May I put that on the main blog next time we do "Psalm Monday"?
Rachel, as a fellow gardener, I'm tracking with you here. I love that there are so many analogies in the Bible to the natural world.
Becky, there's a box to check if you want follow-up comments emailed to you ~ it's just a bit above the bar you click to publish your comment. Like you, I take the stories in Genesis literally, although I don't subscribe to a "young earth" belief. (And in the grand scheme of things, I don't think the age of the earth is of particular import.) I would also answer, if asked, that I don't know who Cain married. My older boys have asked this, though, and we wondered aloud if perhaps there were other people God created, early on, who simply aren't mentioned in the account. I know some might balk at that theory, but maybe we just aren't told every jot and tittle of the story. : )
Here I am 15 years later looking at all of this! I miss all of you who once participated in this grand experiment of the Bible Book Club. I love meditation in the word. These verses say it all. It isn't about READING for INSIGHT but MEDITATION leading to ENCOUNTER with the living God. I do this as my job now as a spiritual direction, and it is fabulous! I added "Cultivating the Inner/Abiding Life" meditations. This is something I developed for a leadership curriculum I wrote in 2005 and updated when I developed resources for international workers last year. LOVE the poems still!
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