Salmos 1
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
Salmos 1:1
Spurgeon writes that... He is a man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. He takes wiser counsel, and walks in the commandments of the Lord his God. To him the ways of piety are paths of peace and pleasantness. His 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. Note next, he standeth not in the way of sinners. His company is of a choicer sort than it was. Although a sinner himself, he is now a blood washed sinner, quickened by the Holy Spirit, and renewed in heart. Standing by the rich grace of God in the congregation of the righteous, he dares not herd with the multitude that do evil. Again it is said, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. He finds no rest in the atheist's scoffings. Let others make a mock of sin, of eternity, of hell and heaven, and of the Eternal God; this man has learned better philosophy than that of the infidel, and has too much sense of God's presence to endure to hear His name blasphemed. The seat of the scorner may be very lofty, but it is very near to the gate of hell; let us flee from it, for it shall soon be empty, and destruction shall swallow up the man who sits therein. Mark the gradation in the first verse: He walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor SITTETH in the SEAT of SCORNFUL. When men are living in sin they go from bad to worse. At first they merely walk in the counsel of the careless and ungodly, who forget God -- the evil is rather practical than habitual -- but after that, they become habituated to evil, and they stand in the way of open sinners who wilfully violate God's commandments; and if let alone, they go one step further, and become themselves pestilent teachers and tempters of others, and thus they sit in the seat of the scornful. They have taken their degree in vice, and as true Doctors of Damnation they are installed, and are looked up to by others as Masters in Belial. But the blessed man, the man to whom all the blessings of God belong, can hold no communion with such characters as these. He keeps himself pure from these lepers; he puts away evil things from him as garments spotted by the flesh; he comes out from among the wicked, and goes without the camp, bearing the reproach of Christ. O for grace to be thus separate from sinners. (The Treasury of David) Adam
Salmos 1:2
Spurgeon - The true aristocracy are believers in Jesus. They are the only Right Honorables. Stars and garters are poor distinctions compared with the graces of the Spirit. He who knows them best says of them, "in whom is all my delight." They are his Hephzibah and his land Beulah, and before all worlds His delights were with these chosen sons of men. Their own opinion of themselves is far other than their Beloved's opinion of them; they count themselves to be less than nothing, yet He makes much of them, and sets his heart towards them. What wonders the eyes of Divine Love can see where the Hands of Infinite Power have been graciously at work. It was this quick sighted affection which led Jesus to see in us a recompense for all His agony, and sustained Him under all His sufferings by the joy of redeeming us from going down into the pit. Pr 3:15 She (wisdom) is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire (Lxx = timios = "absolutely no precious thing") compares with her. Pr 8:11 “For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things (Lxx = timios = "absolutely no precious thing is of equal worth") can not compare with her. Eccl 12:1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”; Eccl 12:10 The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly. Isa 53:10+ But the LORD was pleased (chaphets - desired, delighted! Lxx = boulomai) To crush (Lxx = katharizo = purify, purge) Him (Messiah), putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure (Lxx = boulomai = of one desiring something - wish, desire) of the LORD will prosper in His hand. January 2 Psalm 1:1–2 Separated and Saturated - Warren
Salmos 1:2
Spurgeon wrote that… This was both the effect of his love and the cause of it. He meditated in God's word because he loved it, and then loved it the more because he meditated in it. He could not have enough of it, so ardently did he love it: all the day was not too long for his converse with it. His main prayer, his noonday thought, his evensong were all out of Holy Writ; yea, in his worldly business he still kept his mind saturated with the law of the Lord. It is said of some men that the more you know them the less you admire them; but the reverse is true of God's word. Familiarity with the word of God breeds affection, and affection seeks yet greater familiarity. When "thy law," and "my meditation" are together all the day, the day grows holy, devout, and happy, and the heart lives with God. Bring the fruit of your meditation and offer it to the Lord for His blessing. Ask the Holy Spirit to apply the Word to your heart and enable you to live today in conformity to it. Let the words of my mouth, And the meditation of my heart, Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, My strength, and my Redeemer Psalm 19:14-note Spurgeon commenting on Psalm 19:14 said that this verse is "A sweet prayer, and so spiritual that it is almost as commonly used in Christian worship as the apostolic benediction. Words of the mouth are mockery if the heart does not meditate; the shell is nothing without the kernel; but both together are useless unless accepted; and even if accepted by man, it is all vanity if not acceptable in the sight of God. We must in prayer view Jehovah as our strength enabling, and our Redeemer saving, or we shall not pray aright, and it is well to feel our personal interest so as to use the word my, or our prayers will be hindered. Our near Kinsman's name, our Goel or Redeemer, makes a blessed ending to the Psalm; it began with the heavens, but it ends with him whose glory fills heaven and earth. Blessed Kinsman, give us now to meditate acceptably upon thy most sweet love and tenderness. Hampton Keathley, III in his excellent summary writes that… "Meditation means “the act of focusing one’s thoughts: to ponder, think on, muse.” Meditation consists of reflective thinking or contemplation, usually on a specific subject to discern its meaning or significance or a plan of action. " (click for entire article BIBLICAL MEDITATION - highly recommended) Warren Wiersbe rightly said that… Meditation is to your inner person what digestion is to your body: you make the Word a part of your life and you grow. Ongoing Meditation - Meditation on God’s Word doesn’t have to end when your devotional time is over. You can continue the blessing by taking Scripture with you throughout the day. Some people memorize a passage or write it on a card so they can have it available to read when they get a few moments. An engineer uses his coffee breaks to continue his reflection on God’s Word. Homemakers attach verses to the refrigerator or bathroom mirror. Truckers put portions of the Bible on their dashboard. Leslie B. Flynn tells of a brilliant college student who volunteered to work at a church camp and ended up as the designated potato peeler. A friend who admired her intelligence said, “It’s too bad you had to end up peeling potatoes.” She replied, “I don’t have to think about potatoes while I’m peeling them. So I think about my Bible verse for the day.” We must read Scripture every day And meditate on what God said To fight temptation from the world And live a life that's Spirit led. —Sper Think About It - According to one little boy, “Thinking is when your mouth stays shut and your head keeps talking to itself.” The way our head talks to itself tells a lot about how we are doing morally and spiritually. To guard our mind and to keep out the influences that will hinder our walk with God is to use our mind in the way He desires. The Bible gives us clear guidelines—spelling out the kinds of things we should think about. For example, Psalm 1:2 and Psalm 119:97 tell us to meditate on God’s Word day and night. That should be our first priority in the thinking department. But we have a life to live, and we can’t spend all of our waking moments meditating on Scripture. Yet even when we are thinking about the mundane aspects of life, we need guidance. Paul told us that we should think about things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). In our daily activities, those words should govern what is on our mind. Let us think about what's good— What's right and pure and true; May God's Word control our thoughts In everything we do. —Fitzhugh Right thinking leads to right living. Day and night - Our continual practice. Not our occasional or spasmodic practice! Anytime (every time!) is a good time to meditate on God's Word! If one takes the text literally, it might suggest a good practice would be to begin and end each day by meditating on the Word of God, for a good beginning and ending to each day! Such a practice might take some Spirit enabled discipline but Oh the benefits thereof! Paul calls on Timothy and all believers to… Discipline (Gumnazo [Eng = Gym, gymnastics!] in the present imperative calls for this to be our lifestyle and would include the discipline of meditation) yourself for the purpose of godliness for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (1Ti 4:7, 8-note) TO FACILITATE MEDITATION… RELENTLESSLY QUERY THE TEXT In Paul's last letter before he died, while not using the word meditate, he did command Timothy to… Consider (Think about, carefully consider continually - present imperative) what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. (2Ti 2:7-note) One of the best ways to "think over" the Biblical passage is to interrogate with the 5W/H using questions. As John
Salmos 1:3
Spurgeon has a wonderful exposition on this psalm writing: The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, whose growth may not be so rapid, but whose endurance for centuries is in fine contrast with the transitory verdure of the meadow. When we see a noble palm standing erect, sending all its strength upward in one bold column, and growing amid the dearth and drought of the desert, we have a fine picture of the godly man (Ed: and woman), who in his (her) uprightness aims alone at the glory of God; and, independent of outward circumstances, is made by divine grace to live and thrive where all things else perish. The text tells us not only what the righteous is, but what he shall be; come what may, the good man (woman) shall flourish, and flourish after the noblest manner. He (she) shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. This is another noble and long lived tree. "As the days of a tree are the days of my people", saith the Lord. On the summit of the mountain, unsheltered from the blast, the cedar waves its mighty branches in perpetual verdure, and so the truly godly man (woman) under all adversities retains the joy of his (her) soul, and continues to make progress in the divine life. Grass (see Ps 92:7-note), which makes hay for oxen, is a good enough emblem of the unregenerate; but cedars, which build the temple of the Lord, are none too excellent to set forth the heirs of heaven. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. In the courtyards of Oriental houses trees were planted, and being thoroughly screened, they would be likely to bring forth their fruit to perfection in trying seasons; even so, those who by grace are brought into communion with the Lord, shall be likened to trees planted in the Lord's house, and shall find it good to their souls. No heart has so much joy as that which abides in the Lord Jesus. Fellowship with the Stem begets fertility in the branches. If a man (woman) abide in Christ He brings forth much fruit. Those professors who are rooted to the world do not flourish; those who send forth their roots into the marshes of frivolous pleasure cannot be in a vigorous condition; but those who dwell in habitual fellowship with God shall become men (women) of full growth, rich in grace, happy in experience, mighty in influence, honored and honorable. Much depends upon the soil in which a tree is planted; everything, in our case, depends upon our abiding in the Lord Jesus (Jn 8:31, 32, Jn 15:7, 1Jn 2:14, 2Jn 1:1,2), and deriving all our supplies from Him (Jn 15:5). If we ever really grow in the courts of the Lord's house we must be planted there, for no tree grows in God's garden self sown; once planted of the Lord, we shall never be rooted up, but in His courts we shall take root downward, and bring forth fruit upward to His glory for ever. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. Nature decays but grace thrives (cp 2Cor 4:16-note). Fruit, as far as nature is concerned, belongs to days of vigor; but in the garden of grace, when plants are weak in themselves, they become strong in the Lord, and abound in fruit acceptable with God. Happy they who can sing this Sabbath Psalm (Ps 92:1), enjoying the rest which breathes through every verse of it; no fear as to the future can distress them, for their evil days, when the strong man fails, are the subject of a gracious promise, and therefore they await them with quiet expectancy. Aged believers possess a ripe experience, and by their mellow tempers and sweet testimonies they feed many. Even if bedridden, they bear the fruit of patience; if poor and obscure, their lowly and contented spirit becomes the admiration of those who know how to appreciate modest worth. Grace does not leave the saint when the keepers of the house do tremble; the promise is still sure though the eyes can no longer read it; the bread of heaven is fed upon when the grinders (teeth) fail; and the voice of the Spirit in the soul is still melodious (Eph 5:19-note) when the daughters of music are brought low. Blessed be the Lord for this! Because even to hoar (to those whose hair is gray, white with age) hairs He is the I AM, who made His people, He therefore bears and carries them (cp Ps 68:19-note). They shall be fat and flourishing. They do not drag out a wretched, starveling (lean) existence, but are like trees full of sap, which bear luxuriant foliage. God does not pinch His poor servants, and diminish their consolations when their infirmities grow upon them; rather does He see to it that they shall renew their strength (Isa 40:31-note), for their mouths shall be satisfied with His own good things. Such an one as Paul the aged would not ask our pity, but invite our sympathetic gratitude; however feeble his outward man may be, his inner man is so renewed day by day that we may well envy his perennial peace. (cp 2Cor 4:16-note) This mercy to the aged proves the faithfulness of their God, and leads them to show that the Lord is upright, by their cheerful testimony to His ceaseless goodness. We do not serve a Master Who will run back from His promise. Whoever else may defraud us, He never will. Every aged Christian is a letter of commendation to the immutable fidelity of Jehovah. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Here is the psalmist's own seal and sign manual; still was he building upon his God, and still was the Lord a firm foundation for his trust. For shelter, for defense, for indwelling, for foundation, God is our Rock; hitherto He has been to us all that He said He would be, and we may be doubly sure that He will abide the same even unto the end. He has tried us, but He has never allowed us to be tempted above what we are able to bear: He has delayed our reward, but He has never been unrighteous to forget our work of faith and labour of love (1Th 1:3-note). He is a Friend without fault, a Helper without fail (Heb 13:5-6-note). Whatever He may do with us, He is always in the right; His dispensations have no flaw in them, no, not the most minute. He is true and righteous altogether, and so we weave the end of the psalm with its beginning, and make a coronet (crown) of it, for the head of our Beloved. It is a good thing to sing praises unto the Lord, for "He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him." Yields its fruit in season - The blessed man who abides in the Word (cp John 15:5 with John 1:1, Col 3:16-note cp Jn 8:31, 32), the "Seed" (Mt 13:23, Lk 8:15, cp 1Pe 1:23-note), can expect to bear fruit. The more we converse with the word of God the better prepared we are for every good work (2Ti 3:16, 17-note). Note the recurring biblical principle: First the root, then fruit. First hearing and doing of the Word (James 1:22-note, James 1:25-note) and then the bearing of fruit. The sad truth is that many Christians are more concerned about the "leaves" and neglect the root, the most important part! Unless we spend time daily in the Word, intentionally setting aside time to allow the Spirit to feed us (1Cor 2:10-16, 1Jn 2:20, 27), we will wither spiritually and bear little if any fruit. We may have spiritual life, but we will not experience it abundantly (Jn 10:10b, cp Mk 4:8, 20, 2Pe 1:8-note, 2Pe 1:10, 11-note). Note that the promise is not just for "reading" the Word, but for meditating on the Word, taking time to "chew before you swallow" so to speak, so that you might digest the spiritual truth that you have read. While I applaud "through the Bible in a year" reading programs, the danger, if you will, is that one can become so focused on keeping up with the reading schedule that they do not take the time to meditate on what they are reading. One verse meditated upon is far better than one chapter hastily read. THOUGHT: If you are reading too fast, one of best ways to slow down and facilitate meditation on the Scripture is to read the Bible inductively taking time to carefully observe the text, establishing the context, taking time to note the terms of contrast, terms of conclusion, terms of explanation, expressions of time, terms of comparison such as similes and metaphors, and interrogating each of these "finds" with the 5W/H'S. The discipline of reading inductively takes an some time to learn, but the benefits of your investment will be last forever and ever! Season (eth) is the appointed time, the proper time, the right time and is translated in the Lxx with kairos which describes a specific period of time that lasts for a season. In other words, kairos refers to a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for or a strategic point in time -- the "opportune time." Kairos is occasionally translated opportunity in the NAS. (See related word eukaira translated "good opportunity" in Mt 26:16, Lk 22:6) The English word opportunity has a fascinating origin. Hundreds of years ago when living by the sea was critically important to everyday business and industry, the word opportunity was first coined. Time-tables for everything from commerce to transportation depended on the rise and fall of tides. The specific time when the water was deep enough to sail out to sea was known as ob portu, the time when time and tide converged. As believers, our lives are filled with God given opportunities, those moments for example when an urgent need converges with your ability to help meet that need. If you have the eyes to recognize that opportunity (eg, you have been "marinating" your mind with God's Word and you spiritual senses are on "high alert"), you can seize the moment and redeem the time, the opportunity, (Eph 5:16-note) for the glory of God, joining Him where He is at work. As we learn to recognize and choose to join God when He presents us with an ob portu moment, we begin to enter into the fullness of the blessed, blessed ("blessed" in Ps 1:1 is plural!) life the psalmist is describing! See Related Study - Redeem the Time Shakespeare alluded to the idea of ob portu when he wrote the classic lines… There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. (Julius Caesar, 4.3.217) Pritchard - To speak of “fruit in its season” means that the tree produces fruit that expresses its true inner character. How do you spot an orange tree? By the oranges it produces. And how do you spot an apple tree? Look for the apples. Whatever is on the inside must eventually be seen on the outside. Applied to the spiritual life, this means that when our roots are deep in the Word, we will be given whatever we need, whenever we need it. If we need love, from the Word of God will come the strength to produce the fruit of love. If we need a forgiving spirit, from the Word of God will come the strength to forgive. If we need courage, we will produce the fruit of courage. If we need patience and perseverance, the Word of God will produce it in us. This sort of supernatural life is available to every believer, but it will only be fully realized over time as we continue to walk with the Lord and to delight in his Word. (see also study of the fruit of the Spirit - see notes Galatians 5:16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26 -- see notes Galatians 5:16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26) David Dickson (1834) - The man that makes the word of God his delight, shall be made fruitful in every good work, as opportunity is offered to him A W
Salmos 1:4-6
Spurgeon - In this verse the contrast of the ill estate of the wicked is employed to heighten the coloring of that fair and pleasant picture which precedes it Note that it takes two verses to describe the secret of the godly life but it only takes two words to describe the life of the ungodly - not so! The English rendering of the Greek Septuagint is even stronger - Not so, the ungodly, not so! Not so - Not what? They are led by the counsel of the wicked, in the way of sinners, in the seat of scoffers. Not blessed. Not like trees firmly planted. Not bearing (spiritual) fruit in season. Not remaining "green" in times of drought. Not prospering in all they do (speaking primarily of spiritual prospering for the things of this world will pass away, but only those things done in the saint abiding in the Vine of Christ Jesus will endure. Cp John 15:5) What a contrast. Godliness is gain here and glory hereafter. Purity pays in this world and paves the way to Paradise in the world to come. Guzik -Everything true about the righteous man (stable as a tree, continual life and nourishment, fruitful, alive, and prosperous), is not so regarding the ungodly. It may often seem like the ungodly have these things, and sometimes it seems they have them more than the righteous. But it is not so! Any of these things are fleeting in the life of the ungodly; it can be said that they don’t really have them at all. Ray Pritchard - The whole truth about the human race is found in just two words: “Not so.” Not so the wicked. They are not like the righteous and therefore have no part in the promised blessing. Because they do not follow God’s Word, but have chosen a different path, God’s estimation of them is entirely different. Steven
Salmos 1:4-6
Spurgeon writes… And we are hereby to understand that whatever good thing is said of the righteous is not true in the case of the ungodly. Oh! how terrible is it to have a double negative (Not so the ungodly; not so) put upon the promises! and yet this is just the condition of the ungodly. Mark the use of the term "ungodly," for, as we have seen in the opening of the Psalm, these are the beginners in evil, and are the least offensive of sinners. Oh! if such is the sad state of those who quietly continue in their morality, and neglect their God, what must be the condition of open sinners and shameless infidels? The first sentence is a negative description of the ungodly, and the second is the positive picture. Here is their character—"they are like chaff," intrinsically worthless, dead, unserviceable, without substance, and easily carried away. Here, also, mark their doom,—"the wind drives away;" death shall hurry them with its terrible blast into the fire in which they shall be utterly consumed. Like - Whenever you encounter a phrase introduced by "like" (or "as"), it is most likely a term of comparison, and more specifically a simile. Like chaff - Scripture uses chaff to picture that which is useless, worthless or evil, including (as in Psalm 1) wicked persons that are about to be destroyed. Mt 3:12 "And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Scott Grant - Chaff, unlike a firmly planted tree, is separated from its source of life. A tree bears fruit, but chaff is disconnected from the fruit it surrounded. The destiny of chaff, unlike the leaves of the firmly planted tree, is to wither. The psalmist compares impotent activity with fruitful contemplation. Ray Pritchard - The wicked are ultimately insubstantial. Chaff refers to the husk or hull that surrounds a nut or a kernel. It seems quite strong, but once the nut has been removed, it is light and insubstantial. Take a peanut in the shell and crack it open. After you eat the peanut, what do you do with the shell? If you are at a ballgame, you toss the shells on the ground where they are pulverized into dust. That’s what the wicked are like in the eyes of the Lord. They look so powerful on earth, but to God they are like dust that is quickly blown away. And their “wisdom” is like chaff, changing every day, new theories, new ideas, new beliefs. Nothing solid, nothing definite. Because the wicked live for themselves, they don’t know right from wrong or good from bad. Learn from this that life without God is useless, empty, trivial, and worthless. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. If a man lives for a hundred years and yet does not know God, he is just a piece of useless chaff! Blown away and forgotten! Richard Baxter offers an interesting thought on chaff… Here, by the way, we may let the wicked know they have a thanks to give they little think of; that they may thank the godly for all the good days they live upon the earth, seeing it is for their sakes and not for their own that they enjoy them. For as the chaff while it is united and keeps close to the wheat, enjoys some privileges for the wheat's sake, and is laid up carefully in the barn; but as soon as it is divided, and parted from the wheat, it is cast out and scattered by the wind; so the wicked, whilst the godly are in company and live amongst them, partake for their sake of some blessedness promised to the godly; but if the godly forsake them or be taken from them, then either a deluge of water comes suddenly upon them, as it did upon the old world when Noah left it; or a deluge of fire, as it did upon Sodom, when Lot left it, and went out of the city. Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary has this note on the definition of chaff… 1. The husk, or dry calyx of corn, and grasses. In common language, the word is applied to the husks when separated from the corn by thrashing, riddling or winnowing. The word is sometimes used rather improperly to denote straw cut small for the food of cattle. Martyn. Encyc. 2. Refuse; worthless matter; especially that which is light, and apt to be driven by the wind. In scripture, false doctrines, fruitless designs, hypocrites and ungodly men are compared to chaff. Ps. 1:4. Jer. 23:28. Is 33:11. Mat. 3:12. (Webster, N. Noah Webster's First Edition of An American Dictionary of the English language. Reprint of the 1828 ed) Which the wind blows away - Spurgeon writes that chaff is “Intrinsically worthless, dead, unserviceable, without substance, and easily carried away.”
Salmos 1:4-6
Spurgeon explains that the wicked "shall stand there to be judged, but not to be acquitted. Fear shall lay hold upon them there; they shall not stand their ground; they shall flee away; they shall not stand in their own defense; for they shall blush and be covered with eternal contempt." And so while the wicked will not stand except to be judged by God, saved sinners will stand acquitted before God because the Judge (Christ - 2 Ti 4:1) was judged for them (in their place, as their sinless Substitute) at Calvary. Jude records Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24-25) NOR SINNERS IN THE ASSEMBLY OF THE RIGHTEOUS: Ps 26:9; Mal 3:18; Mt 13:49; 25:32,41,46 The writer of Hebrews describes the assembly of the righteous writing that believers… have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, (Heb 12:22-23 - notes Hebrews 12:22; 23) Instead as Paul explains sinners will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power (2 Thessalonians 1:9) Comment: Here we see the double doom of all sinners - Condemned at the judgment-bar and separated from the Lord's very presence. In the new creation sinners will be excluded from the assembly of the righteous as John explains noting that for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (and) nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it (the holy city, new Jerusalem), but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. (Rev 21:8, 27 - notes Rev 21:8. and Re 21:27) John Trapp solemnly quipped that "The Irish air will sooner brook a toad, or a snake, than heaven a sinner." Pritchard - the righteous will stand because they are like trees by the stream, with deep roots in the Word of God. The tree stands, the chaff disappears. That’s why sinners won’t be in the assembly of the righteous. They won’t be there because the winds of judgment will already have removed them. Matthew
Salmos 1:4-6
Spurgeon explains this straightforward passage writing… Well may the saints long for heaven, for no evil men shall dwell there, "nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous." All our congregations upon earth are mixed. Every Church hath one devil in it. The tares grow in the same furrows as the wheat. There is no floor which is as yet thoroughly purged from chaff. Sinners mix with saints, as dross mingles with gold. God's precious diamonds still lie in the same field with pebbles. Righteous Lots are this side heaven continually vexed by the men of Sodom. Let us rejoice then, that in "the general assembly and church of the firstborn" (see Hebrews 12:23-note) above, there shall by no means be admitted a single unrenewed soul. Sinners cannot live in heaven. They would be out of their element. Sooner could a fish live upon a tree than the wicked in Paradise. Heaven would be an intolerable hell to an impenitent man, even if he could be allowed to enter; but such a privilege shall never be granted to the man who perseveres in his iniquities. May God grant that we may have a name and a place in his courts above! Fruit Or Chaff? - Two well-known people—John Wesley and Mark Twain—vividly exemplify the contrast between the godly and ungodly as portrayed in Psalm 1. When Wesley, who had been joyous, energetic, and effective even in his 88th year, was dying, he suddenly sat up, looked at the people weeping at his bedside, and said, “Best of all, God is with us.” Mark Twain, morose and weary of life well before he died at 75, wrote, “A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle for bread; they squabble and scold and fight; … age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; … those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is turned to aching grief… [Release] comes at last—the only unpoisoned gift earth ever had for them—and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence; … a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever.” If we trust God and live for Him, we will—like Wesley—resemble stately trees that are fruitful through all time and eternity! We will experience joy and peace even in difficult times. If we reject God, though, our lives will resemble windblown chaff, forever empty and unsatisfying. The options are clear. It is either faith and everlasting joy, or unbelief and eternal regret. What will it be for you?— by Herbert Vander Lugt Fill up each hour with what will last; Buy up the moments as they go; The life above, when this is past, Is the ripe fruit of life below. —Bonar He who puts God first will have joy that lasts. Psalm 1:6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (NASB: Lockman) English Translation of the Greek (Septuagint): For the Lord knows the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Amplified: For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly [those living outside God’s will] shall perish (end in ruin and come to nought). (Amplified Bible - Lockman) KJV: For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. NET: Certainly the Lord guards the way of the godly, but the way of the wicked ends in destruction. (NET Bible) NJB: For Yahweh watches over the path of the upright, but the path of the wicked is doomed. (NJB) Young's Literal: For Jehovah is knowing the way of the righteous, And the way of the wicked is lost! FOR THE LORD KNOWS THE WAY OF THE RIGHTEOUS: Ps 37:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,24; 139:1,2; 142:3; Job 23:10; Nah 1:7, Jn 10:14,27; 2Ti 2:19-note JEHOVAH INTIMATE WITH THE RIGHTEOUS For (term of explanation) - Always seek to determine what the writer is explaining when you encounter a "for" (or "because"). In this context, the psalmist is helping us understand the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, elaborating on their respective destinies. In sum the writer he now gives the reason of this great difference between the righteous and the wicked, expressed in the foregoing verses. Knows (yada) can mean simply to know, learn, perceive, discern, experience, to know people relationally, to make oneself known, to make to know. One of the main senses and the one that applies in the present passage is to know relationally and experientially. And so yada is also used for for intimacy between a man and a woman as when Adam knew Eve his wife… And Adam knew (yada'; LXX = ginosko) Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. (Genesis 4:1, KJV) Yada is translated by the Greek verb ginosko in the present tense which speaks of the Lord's continually (experientially) knowing the state of the righteous. Jehovah knew Moses by name and face to face… And the LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight, and I have known (yada') you by name." (Ex 33:17). Since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew (yada'; LXX = ginosko - knew by experience) face to face, (Deut 34:10). Jehovah even knew David’s sitting and arising… O LORD, Thou hast searched me and known (yada'; LXX = ginosko - know) me. Thou dost know yada'; LXX = ginosko - know) when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. (Ps 139:1-2) In sum yada speaks of God knowing man intimately and in Hebrew is a participle which represents an action or condition in unbroken continuity. Knows then pictures God's continuing intimacy with, caring for and watching over His own. As Jesus said in the gospel of John… Jn 10:14 "I am the good shepherd; and I know (ginosko - know) My own, and My own know Me… 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know (ginosko - know) them, and they follow Me Paul echoes the assurance that believers can have that the Lord God knows them and they are safe in Christ… Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness." (see note 2 Timothy 2:19) In Psalm 37 David presents a similar contrast between the fate of the godly and ungodly but that He knows the godly.. The LORD knows (Hebrew = yada; LXX = ginosko - knows by experience) the days of the blameless; and their inheritance will be forever. 19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil; and in the days of famine they will have abundance. 20 But the wicked will perish; and the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures, they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. (Psalm 37:18-20) The prophet Nahum (in the context of a description of the Judgment of God on the earth says) The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge (chacah = flee for protection; confide or hope in; put their trust) in Him. (Nahum 1:7) Job suffered incredible trials and afflictions and in Job 23 even cried out… Oh that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come to His seat! (Job 23:3) Nevertheless Job persevered because he understood the truth in Psalm 1:6 affirming that even though he could not see God, he knew God could see Him declaring… He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold. (see note Job 23:10) Spurgeon elaborates on the phrase "He knows… " writing that in the original Hebrew it reads more fully… "The Lord is knowing the way of the righteous." (In other words) He is constantly looking on their way, and though it may be often in mist and darkness, yet the Lord knows it. If it be in the clouds and tempest of affliction, He understands it. He numbers the hairs of our head. He will not suffer any evil to befall us. He knows the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10) Comment: The Septuagint (LXX) likewise speaks of God's continually knowing, translating the Hebrew verb yada with the Greek verb ginosko in the present tense which signifies that God is continually knowing experientially. He is aware of what is going on in the life of every one of His children. Ginosko conveys the basic meaning of taking in knowledge in regard to something or someone, but it is knowledge that goes beyond the mere factual. By extension, ginosko frequently was used of a special relationship between the person who knows (in this case God) and the object of the knowledge (the righteous). It was often used of the intimate relationship between husband and wife and between God and His people. The way of the righteous - The way refers to their entire life, and they had entered into this life journey through Jesus, the Way. Jesus said to His disciples… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (Jn 14:6)