In an attempt to make this accessible to both my children and to others; I am working to create a version of this study to supplement the larger study and post them here as well. I will edit them down (as an example I removed a little over 50% of the original study in 1:1 leaving only the most vital and necessary elements) and remove some of the more technical language that may be a hindrance to the children. Another change will be review questions added at the end of each segment of study. You are welcome to compare against the normal counterpart to ensure you are confident I am still being faithful to the text. My desire is that not only will this expose them to the beauty of the Psalms which is God's word (and this is by far the more important consideration); but, that this too will expose them to some reformed theologians and will help to develop their thought in this area. You do not need any permission to print this and use it if you should choose to do so, feel free.
Title:
Psalms: “Praises”, instituted to praise and give thanks to God for His benefits. 1599 Geneva Bible
Psalmos – a set piece of music, a sacred ode. Strong’s Dictionary
We have now before us one of the choicest and most excellent parts of the OT, nay, so much is there in it of Christ and His gospel , as well as of God and His law, that it had been called the… summary of both Testaments. Matthew Henry
Psalm 1
This Psalm may be regarded as the preface Psalm, having in it a notification of the contents of the entire book. This then… may be looked upon… as the text upon which the whole of the Psalms make up a divine sermon. C.H. Spurgeon
[…] all the Godly must take on the duty of meditating upon the law of God. The sum and substance of the whole is, that they are blessed who apply their hearts to the pursuit of heavenly wisdom; whereas the profane despisers of God, although for a time may reckon themselves happy, shall at length have a miserable end. John Calvin
This is a Psalm of instruction concerning good and evil, setting before us life and death, the blessing and the curse that we may take the right way. The different character and condition of godly people and wicked people… is here plainly stated in a few words; so that every man… may see his own face and read his own doom. The division of men into saints and sinners, righteous and unrighteous... [and] by this men’s everlasting state will be determined, and the distinction will last as long as heaven and hell. MH
"Blessed”
• See how this book of Psalms opens with a benediction (a blessing)… hence we may learn the… blessing which shall rest upon the man whom God has justified, and the perfection and greatness of the blessedness he shall enjoy. CHS
• It was of importance that the righteous should be confirmed in the way of holiness, by the consideration of the miserable condition of all men without the blessing of God, and the conviction that God is favorable to none but those who zealously devote themselves to the study of the divine truth. JC
“counsel of the wicked (ungodly)”:
• When a man hath given once place to evil counsel, or to his own [lust or longing], he begins to forget himself in his sin, and so falls into contempt of God, which contempt is called the seat of the scornful. 1599 GB
• [The Christian’s] footsteps are ordered by the Word of God and not by the cunning and wicked devices of carnal men. It is a rich sign of inward grace when the outward walk is changed, and when ungodliness is put far from our actions. CHS
• … he teaches how impossible it is for anyone to apply his mind to meditation upon God’s law, who has not first withdrawn and separated himself from the society of the ungodly. The first step to living well, is to renounce the company of the ungodly, otherwise it is sure to infect us with its own pollution. JC
• This part of his character is put first, because those that will keep the commandments of God must say to evil-doers Depart from us (Ps. 119:115), and departing from evil is that in which wisdom begins. The ungodly are unsettled, aim at no certain end and walk by no certain rule, but are at the command of every lust and at the beck of every temptation. MH
“he stands not in the way of sinners”:
• The way – customary manner of living. When a person willingly walks after the gratification of his corrupt lusts, the practice of sinning so infatuates him, that, forgetful of himself, he grows hardened in wickedness. JC
“…nor sits in the seat of the scornful”:
• […] those that set their mouths against heaven. These the good man sees with a sad heart; they are a constant [bother] to his righteous soul. MH
Summary:
• The sum of the whole is that servants of God must endeavor utterly to abhor the life of ungodly men. Men do not, at first step, advance so far as a proud contempt of God; but having once begun to give ear to evil counsel, Satan leads them, step by step, farther astray, till they rush headlong into open transgression. We ought carefully to avoid all dangerous society, that we may be kept unstained by its impurities. The prophet not only commands the faithful to keep at a distance from the ungodly, from the dread of being infected by them, but his admonition further implies, that every one should be careful not to corrupt himself, nor abandon himself to impiety. JC
Personal Summary:
We must delineate between ourselves and the world, we must be willing to step out and be different from them. We must differentiate ourselves from the lost world and quite frankly from the religiously incompetent. If the world views God through the prism of today’s Christianity then it is just as lost today as it was before it looked. We do nothing to separate ourselves from the world and the church and the secular have merged into one. Reformed people are running as fast as they can to join the apostate, the heretic, and the blasphemers of our day. So that even within religious circles there is no clear difference between godly doctrines and the doctrines of men.
Yet this Psalm specifically tells us that we must change that, that we must strive for more, and that we must be willing to step out from our comfort zones and reach forward for the sake of God’s glory. MH said, “… departing from evil is that in which wisdom begins” and could he be more right? When we mingle with the world as if we are the same we become like them every time, not once (or rarely for certain) do they become like us. We must step away from the world and allow our light to shine as a city set on a hill that cannot be hid (Matt. 5:14). We must be on guard at work, at school, in friendships, when watching tv, listening to music, or reading books, we must not sit in the counsel of the ungodly. And what if calamity should befall us for our stepping out? Matt. 5:10-12, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” If calamity is coming I say come swiftly! For our reward is waiting, and it is eternal, and it is beyond compare!
The other key factor here is what will happen when we do keep the company of sinners? It leads to evil within our lives as we have all surely experienced. It is gradual, it sneaks up on you, and it is crafty and catches you when you are least aware. We rationalize this sin or that sin based first on the company we keep; and that may be in very small matters. Later, we openly sin… no longer concerned with what people will think and least of all what God Himself thinks. Then in the greatest sign of sinfulness we openly advocate others to do as we have done and to walk in our sinful ways openly defying God. Many a Christian has been in these shoes, the younger you are and less mature in Christ the more apt you are to this error. We must be on guard at all times. We must focus on the Lord at all times. We must be mindful of every person and every activity we allow ourselves to be involved with. For nothing in this world is to further your walk with God apart from the things He Himself has given us. Hold on to those things for dear life! They will be the things that carry you through as you struggle through these issues and strive to be obedient to and please the Lord in your life.
Questions:
Q) What is a Psalm?
A) “Praises”, a set piece of music, the… summary of both Testaments.
Q) What is a benediction?
A) A blessing.
Q) In Psalm 1:1 who receives the blessing and who does not?
A) The righteous receive it while the wicked do not and incur the wrath of God against their sin.
Q) What does it mean to walk in the counsel of the wicked or ungodly?
A) It means to keep company with and receive advice from the lost rather than being obedient to the Word of God which is to be our rule for faith and life.
Q) Does it lead to standing in the way of sinners? Why is this dangerous?
A) Yes. Bad company corrupts good character and by doing this we are ever more inclined to embrace our sin and to defy God and His commandments in our lives. We then find justification to keep company with the scorners of God.
Q) What does scorn mean?
A) To despise or hate. They reject God, they mock Him, and they try to explain Him away.
Q) How should a righteous man react to the behavior of the ungodly as they express their scorn?
A) They should make him sad, even angry; it should bother him to the depths of his soul for they have offended and sinned against his holy God.
Q) When a Christian first starts keeping company with the lost do they immediately see their godly living disappear?
A) No, gradually they will see a loosening of their morals; which, if not corrected, will only lead to more frequent and easy godless living until they have turned their backs on God altogether.
Q) Should we be on guard against the world in all places and at all times?
A) Yes, we are to put on the whole armor of God and never, even for a moment, believe that we are no longer battling the temptations and sin of this world, which the lost embrace.
Q) As we separate ourselves from the influence of the world should we then shine as an example to them?
A) Yes, we are to be examples of God’s grace with every interaction we have with the lost of this world. Our good character, enabled by God, should always stand as an example to the wicked.
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