1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel
of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the
LORD,
and on his law he meditates day
and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by
streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
– Psalm 1:1-3
Three major movements to this passage are as follows:
- Remove participation
- Refocused participation
- Results
The verbs used within the first verse encompass all waking positions of mankind: walk, stand, sit. That’s a sermon by itself. In the second verse, the participation is constant as it encompasses day and night. If we overlay Jesus’ words in Matthew 7, we find that Jesus fulfilled the law, and so we can substitute “Jesus” for law: our delight must be in Jesus, and it is upon Jesus which we meditate day and night.
Verse three gives us a simile to show our plant-likeness. The roots of the tree by a stream drink in the nutrients provided in the flow. The part that hit me recently had to do with yielding fruit in season. As in–it doesn’t necessarily produce fruit immediately; at least not mature fruit. In Leviticus, the Israelites were to regard any fruit from overtaken lands as forbidden for some years before they were to partake:
When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the Lord your God.
– Leviticus 19:23-25
Saul, turned Paul, spent 14 years “somewhere” between his conversion and ministry as an apostle. Jesus spent about 18 years from the last time we hear about him as a 12-year-old until his ministry around 30 years of age with the only description: Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). David spent about 15 years between the time he was anointed to the time he became king. Joseph spent around 13 years in Egypt between the time he told his dream and was subsequently sold by his brothers to the time the opportunity came for the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream. Moses is close to 40 years old when he tries saving the Israelites in his own strength. He spends another 40 years in the desert before God empowers him to lead Israel out of Egyptian slavery. Almost 20 years pass from the time Abraham is promised offspring to the time Isaac is miraculously born. There are about 24 years between the time Jacob steals Isaac’s blessing from Esau and when God blesses him and renames him Israel.
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
– Colossians 2:6-7