Study Through the Gospels: Luke 1:5-7

Proverbs 1:7

 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
   Fools despise wisdom and instruction”

We come to an important concept in the book of Proverbs: the fear of the LORD. The fear of the LORD is an inclusion in the first nine chapters of Proverbs (cf. 9:10 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”) which form a unit. It is also an inclusion for the entire book (cf. 31:30 – “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised”). So the fear of the LORD begins and ends the first section of Proverbs as well as begins and ends the book. It is also a prominent theme within the book itself.

The fear of the LORD...

• • is the beginning of knowledge (Prov 1:7, 29; 2:5)
  • is the beginning of wisdom (9:10; 15:33),
  • instills confidence (14:26)
  • makes rich (22:4).
  • prolongs life (10:27),
  • is a fountain of life (14:27),
  • leads to life (19:23),
  • is rewarded with life (22:4).
  • is to hate the evil God hates (8:13; 16:6; 23:17).

No wonder that “Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and turmoil with it” (15:16)! So if we gain anything, let us gain the fear of the LORD.


What does it mean to fear the LORD? There are three basic meanings to the Hebrew word “fear.” It can mean “terror” or something of which one is afraid. Or is can mean to be awed by something. Or it can mean to revere or respect something. There is certainly an element of each. The LORD is fearsome in power and might. He is totally righteous and justly angry with sin. Sinners should certainly fear Him and His judgment. But those who have been saved by His great grace have confidence and will not shrink away from Him (1 John 2:28). We also stand in awe of who He is. We are amazed at His power and might. We wonder at the great love which He has shown us in salvation. It is also true that we revere Him. We respect Him. And we submit unto Him.

When we fear God, we have nothing else to fear! We stand before God in reverence, seeking to honor His name and exalt Him. Acquiring the fear of the LORD is the most important thing we will ever do. It is the first step toward true knowledge, because God is truth. If one does not have God, he has nothing; and if he does have God, he has everything he needs for life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3). He is led into all knowledge by the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:27). Those who do not have God may know some true things (by God’s grace), but their worldview is complete folly, because they have not believed the true God. Their worldview is not built upon the truth of God’s Word. They have traded the truth of God’s Word for foolishness. The fool despises the wisdom and instruction that comes from God.

Psalm 1:6 - God Knows His Children

God knows His children. Isn’t that a wonderful sentence? God knows His children. This is the truth expressed in the final verse of Psalm 1. In direct contrast to the destruction of the wicked on the day of judgment in verse 5, verse 6 says that “the LORD knows the way of the righteous.” 

This is the ultimate reason why the righteous person is blessed: because the LORD knows him. He knows His children. This is more than a knowledge of their existence, for God knows all things. This is a statement of intimacy. God knows personally those who are His. In fact, the psalmist uses the personal name of God (LORD in all capital letters stands in place of the divine name Yahweh/Jehovah) demonstrating His intimacy with those whom He knows. To them He extends His grace and lovingkindness that they would not perish on the day of judgment but dwell in the house of the LORD forever and ever.

If we have believed in Jesus Christ, we can know with certainty that we will never face the wrath of God, for this is what is means to know God. Jesus is the way to gain access to the Father (John 14:6). He is the only way to have fellowship with the Father (1 John 2:23). We must believe God’s testimony concerning His Son which was passed down through His apostles to us today in the form of the New Testament and was promised beforehand in the prophets of the Old Testament. If we believe in the Son of God, we also have the Father. And this is eternal life: to know the Father and the Son whom He sent (cf. John 17:3).

Dear child of God, the Father knows you. Fear no wrath, but keep yourself in the love of God. Be sure that you delight daily in God through His Word and prayer, and you will be like a tree planted by many streams of water, yielding fruit in abundance, blessed by God.

"But the way of the wicked will perish." Do not let this be the way you choose. Choose the way of life through Christ Jesus. For all those who are not in Christ on that day, they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. I urge you to believe in Jesus and trust God for forgiveness of sins. Be known by God.

Study Through the Gospels: Luke 1:1-4

Psalm 1:5 - One Way or the Other

It has been some time since I last wrote here. We were meditating on Psalm 1 one verse at a time. And we come to the penultimate verse today.

“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.”

That is not seeker friendly, is it? It is blunt. It is a hard truth. It is something that we shy away from talking about. But it is true. And we must be bold to meditate and proclaim those things that are difficult. We love to preach the glories of heaven (and we should!). But we cannot neglect to speak of the horrors of hell.

One day, God will judge the world through Jesus Christ. And all those who have believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ—that He died to take the punishment of sin and that He was raised again on the third day, indicating that God accepted and was pleased with the atonement of Christ—will enter into His rest. But those who have not believed in Jesus will be thrown into the lake of fire.

The psalmist puts it this way: “Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,” because the wicked do not stand on every word of God, but proclaim themselves wise (when they are really fools) and exchange God’s glory for whatever pleases their heart (cf. Rom 1). Because they have not honored God or believed His Word, they are chaff which will be scattered at the judgment. “He will be summoned to the great white throne there to find that the heaven and the earth have fled away. Everything familiar will be gone. Everything he has sought to build, everything in which he has invested his time and his talents—gone! He has nowhere to stand. He has built his house upon the sand and the judgment has swept it all away.” (Phillips, 21).

Sinners will not stand in the judgment nor in the assembly of the righteous. There is no fooling God. You are either with Him or against Him. You are either of Christ or you are of the Devil. There is no other option. Will you be chaff that is scattered? Will you be weighed in the scales on that day and be found wanting? If you do not stand in Christ, you will not stand at all.

If you are in Christ, you will indeed stand on that day. You will be part of the righteous assembly worshipping the Lamb forever and ever. Let this verse make us hunger for the conversion of souls. Let us go out daily fishing for those who will turn to Jesus and be saved. Let us proclaim our great Savior among those who are wicked sinners who scoff at righteousness. Let us call those who are dead in sins to life in Christ.

Psalm 15 Scripture Reading and Prayer

Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiyjtuzq6HXAhVBUmMKHa7iA0EQjxwIAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTabernacle&psig=AOvVaw3KC0BAeTP7qMPtZX1OUD45&ust=1509761865525171

My System for Reading

I want to take some time from the devotional posts that I usually do, and talk about reading. The most frequent questions that I am asked is: “How do you read so many books?” And, “How do you remember what you read?” In this post, I want to show you my system for reading as much or as little as needed or desired. I am mostly writing about how to read non-fiction books, although this system can work for fiction as well.

The Desire
Most people want to read. If they do not want to read, they at least want to be able to say that they have read a lot of books. Christians want to be able to say that they have read theological writings far and wide in pursuit of gaining insight into the Christian life and the Scriptures. If you are anything like me, you have a pile of books that you want to read, but it never seems like a book makes it OUT of the pile and back on the shelf with the satisfactory change of status to “read.” Most of us just laugh it off, and say that we will get to it whenever we have some extra time. But face it. There is no such thing as “extra time” in our day and age. So if we are going to be readers, it is going to be in spite of a busy schedule.

That is a fact that I had to learn in seminary. At the beginning of the semester, I would face thousands upon thousands (usually 6,000) of pages in the “to-read” pile. And if I wanted to pass my classes, those books needed to steadily move into the “read” pile. For the first two years of seminary, I tried to read as much of one or two books per day as I could. But I would finish the book without much confidence about the subject matter. I had just gone through the motions and not retained much of what I had read. Talk about a waste of time! I knew that I needed a better system. So this is what I did.

The Principle
I had an epiphany one day. It is one of those realizations that makes you embarrassed that it wasn’t so obvious beforehand. I realized that a 300-page book could be finished in 30 days just reading 10 pages a day. 300 pages—especially nonfiction—sounds painful…right? But 10 pages is doable. This is where I encourage people to start. If you are not reading at all, just start reading 10 pages out of one book every day. Take a pencil and mark where you stopped, and pick up right where you left off the next day.

Expanding the Idea
I need to read much more than one 300-page book every month. In seminary, 300 pages was a week’s worth of reading, and I had very little time to do this reading. What to do? The next realization came after reading 10 pages per day out of several books. Switching books after 10 pages kept my focus on what I was reading and helped me to see progress as I moved from book to book.
So I started reading 10 pages out of 5 books every day. That is 50 pages per day, and 350 pages per week! That comes out to 1,500 pages in 30 days. If the average length of a book is 250 pages, it comes to about 6 books in a month.

In Practice
I have kept this going with up to 10 books at a time. That is 700 pages per week and 3,000 pages per month (12 average-sized books). I reserve such a load for when it is necessary (like now, when I am doing a ton of reading in preparation to preach Genesis). For the most part, I read somewhere between 5 and 7 books at a time. Using this method, I remember what I read—although it can be hard to recall where I read something.

This is fairly easy to accommodate to a busy schedule. When I was doing a lot of driving each week, I either had my Kindle read to me or I had audiobooks playing. Even now, I have Kindle read to me while I fold laundry or mow the lawn. But mostly, I read physical books with a pen in hand, and I sprinkle my 10-page spurts throughout the day. That keeps me thinking about what I just read for a while.

Take This!
Most people do not need to read 3,000 pages a month. You may not even have a need to read 1,500 pages per month. And that is ok. But I encourage you to read, and especially to read good theology. My copy of J.I. Packer’s book, Knowing God, is 254 pages. At 10 pages per day, that will take about 26 days to read slowly and meditatively. You could add John Piper’s book, Desiring God, and read its 307 pages in 31 days. So in one month, you could read two good-sized volumes about the Christian life and be challenged and encouraged in your walk with God. You will find that if you leave your reading to some imaginary day when you have a bunch of free time, you will probably never get anything read. Reading is worth taking the time amid a busy schedule. Especially in this day when we have so many resources available to us.

Psalm 1:4 - The Great Contrast

In the first three verses of Psalm 1, we saw that the blessed person was characterized by delighting in and walking according to the Word of God. As we move into the fourth verse, we see a stark contrast. Emphatically, the psalmist states, “It is not so with the wicked.” The Septuagint (the LXX – the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) translates this as “Not so the ungodly, not so.” Just as the darkness makes us appreciate the light, so does wickedness make us appreciate righteousness. This picture of the wicked vivifies the metaphor in verse three.

The wicked are not so,
The wicked is the person who does not delight on the word of God. Spurgeon wrote that “we are hereby to understand that whatever good thing is said of the righteous is not true in the case of the ungodly.” All throughout the Old Testament, the wicked are the direct opposite of the righteous. The word ‘wickedness’ denotes evil thoughts, words, and deeds that are contrary to God’s character and hostile toward mankind.

Since wickedness is contrary to God’s nature, He takes a stand against it. David writes that “The wicked spies upon the righteous and seeks to kill him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand Or let him be condemned when he is judged” (Psa 37:32-33). But “[The LORD] will condemn a man who devises evil” (Prov 12:2). God takes a stand against the enemies of His servant: “Behold, the Lord GOD helps Me; Who is he who condemns Me? Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; The moth will eat them” (Isa 50:9). In the future Millennial Kingdom, God will defend His people: “‘No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn, This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,’ declares the LORD” (Isa 54:17).

But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
While the righteous are like a thriving tree, the wicked are pictured as chaff. Chaff is the worthless husk that must be separated from grain. When wheat was harvested, the harvesters would crush the wheat with a threshing sledge. They would then throw in into the air in a breezy location. The wheat would fall the ground, but since it is lighter, the chaff would be blown away. This is a picturesque way of saying that the wicked have no value and will be removed.

That the chaff will be driven away by the wind “shows the vehement tempest of death, which sweeps away the soul of the ungodly,” writes Spurgeon. “Death shall hurry them with its terrible blast into the fire in which they shall be utterly condemned.” But the good news is that there is still time to repent. For the moment, chaff can still become grain. The wicked can become righteous. God sent His Son in order to redeem the wicked, and if any will but repent of sin and embrace Him as Lord, they will certainly be saved. We are all chaff when we enter this world. But through the grace of God, through the death of Jesus, we may become grain that will never see the fires of condemnation. Praise be to God who rescues sinners from the dark dominion of this world!

Sir Richard Baker wrote: “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.”

Proverbs with a Purpose (Proverbs 1:2-6)

The Book of Proverbs begins with a list of benefits and purposes. While the form of a Proverb may be a bit fuzzy, they serve a very distinct role in life. I think that it is safe to say that without the study of proverbs, we are impoverished today. We learn many facts, but we are never tantalized with the riddles and paradoxes that are presented in proverbs.

To Know Wisdom and Instruction
The first purpose of learning Proverbs is “to know wisdom” (v. 2). This word ‘know’ in this instance has the connotation of ‘to gain knowledge of’ or ‘to become wise in.’ This sort of knowing comes through experience. The purpose of proverbs is not just for one to come to know wisdom, but to put to practical use the wisdom that is acquired. The term ‘wisdom’ could be defined as a ‘valuable skill.’ That is, it is a skill that produces something of value. It is used of seamen (Ps 107:27), weavers (Exod 35:26), administrators (1 Kings 3:28), or craftsmen (Exod 31:6). It can also be used to refer to the skill of godly living, which is valuable because of the lasting benefit produced in one’s life.

Along with wisdom, one also comes to know instruction. Since instruction and wisdom are parallel, the idea is moral training. The Septuagint (LXX – the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) translated this term as “child-training.” This sort of instruction consists of wisdom that is attained through observation of the consequences of actions that others do. It can also refer to the discipline one receives from God.

In summary, the first purpose of Proverbs is that we learn wisdom that results in skillful living. It should be the goal of every believer to live in a way that pleases God. Proverbs gives us the tools to produce such skillful living within ourselves. Through studying the Proverbs we will come to know wisdom and instruction.

To Discern the Sayings of Understanding
The Hebrew word for discern is closely related to the preposition ‘between’ and the noun ‘space between.’ So the verb ‘to discern’ means distinctions between things or to evaluate them. ‘Sayings of understanding’ could be woodenly translated as ‘words of discernment.’ To discern words of discernment (or wise sayings, sayings of understanding) is the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood.

This is a much needed ability in our generation where truth is thought to be relative. There is so much information available today, and we are in dire need of the ability to discern between truth and falsehood. The church desperately needs to know how to discern truth from error, because there is so much falsity that passes for truth. Discernment is indeed the great need of the hour.

To Receive Instruction in Wise Behavior, Righteousness,  Justice, and Equity
The third purpose of Proverbs is for the student to receive something that is worth having. The word ‘receive’ is used in a parallel construction with ‘store up’ in 2:1. The disciple is to receive instruction in wise behavior. This wise behavior is better known as prudence. Abigail is described as a prudent woman. That is, she was a woman of good sense and understanding while her husband, Nabal was described as a fool.

The student who receives instruction in prudent behavior will manifest this prudence in their life. Proverbs says this will be seen in righteous conduct. It will also be evidenced by justice, the ability to make a good decision. Lastly prudence will be shown by equity. Equity has the idea of being upright. It refers to activity that is proper and moral. It could be paraphrased as “the straight and narrow.”

To Give Prudence to the Naïve, To the Youth Knowledge and Discretion
From the perspective of the instructor, proverbs are to give prudence and discretion to the naïve youth. The noun translated as ‘prudence’ here means ‘craftiness’ or ‘cleverness.’ The naïve are to be given a shrewd plan of action. The term can be used negatively (Gen 3:1; Josh 9:4), but here it is used to speak of a morally prudent lifestyle. Pictured here is the wide-eyed youth who is easily enticed and deceived. We need proverbs to instruct us to “be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” because we are sent out “as sheep in the midst of wolves.” (Matt 10:16).

The Proverbs give a young person knowledge and discretion. The word translated ‘discretion’ means ‘a plan’ or ‘discretion’, and has in mind the ability to reach a goal in the best and most direct way. Together with knowledge, the youth benefits from the Proverbs by gaining the ability to plan his/her steps in a wise and skillful way in order to reach a favorable goal.

Instruction to the youth is a major focus in Proverbs (count the number of times he says ‘my son’). It is necessary to impart the knowledge and discretion that Proverbs provides to the next generation. As the world becomes more confusing and chaotic, these proverbs will provide an anchor for learning to live godly in an evil age. We must make the Proverbs a portion of our daily meditation so that we learn this wisdom in order to live skillfully in a dark world.

A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel
Like all of Scripture, the message is not just for one group. Solomon pauses to include those who are already wise and understanding. Literally, the text reads, “Let the wise hear and add instruction.” Where the simpleton and the youth were addressed before, those who are characterized by discernment are here addressed. Proverbs speaks to everyone. No one can say that they have nothing to learn from the Proverbs.

Even the wisest and the most discerning have more to add. The famous violinist, Jascha Heifetz, was known to say, “There is no top. There are always further heights to reach.” From a human perspective, that is true, for even if we lived as long as Methuselah, we could never learn all of the wisdom that there is. There is only One who possesses wisdom in its entirety. ‘Wise counsel’ comes from a word that originally meant ‘the direction of a ship by pulling ropes on the mast.’ In Job 37:12, God is described as guiding the clouds: “It changes direction, turning around by His guidance, That it may do whatever He commands it.” So it is with the wise and discerning. As they study the Proverbs, they acquire guidance for their life.

To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles
Here is the fifth and final purpose of the Proverbs. These are the benefits of the Proverbs from the perspective of the reader. The reader will gain the ability to discern the meaning of a proverb and a parable (the noun refers to a saying with a hidden meaning). The sayings of the wise and their obscure sayings (riddles) will become understandable.

Let us pace ourselves in our study of Proverbs and drink deeply of its wisdom! Let us glean all that we can. Make this book a part of your daily meditation. Do not read too quickly, but ponder over the words. Search out the meaning, and apply it prayerfully. Then you will see these five benefits in your life.

What is a Proverb?

There is no definitive definition of a Proverb. The root idea of the word is “likeness.” A proverb gives a description of something by way of comparison. There are many ways that this can take place. We are most familiar with the short two-liners: (e.g. “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight.”) This teaches a practical truth in a pithy and thought provoking way. Yet we are also familiar with extended proverbs like the parables of Jesus. Parables also teach a core truth in a thought provoking way.

Proverbs employ poetry to establish their meaning. Hebrew poetry does not rely on meter or rhyme like some English poetry. Instead, two or more lines are stated in a way that the meaning is deepened by the relationship between the lines.

The first line may state a truth that is reinforced through synonymous language in the following line(s). This is called synonymous parallelism. For example: “My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof” (Prov 3:11).

The following line(s) may reinforce and deepen meaning of the first line by use of contrast. This is antithetical parallelism. For example: “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of conduct will die” (Prov 19:16).

Sometimes the other line(s) of the proverb extend, develop, supplement, or complete the thought.  This is synthetic parallelism. For example: “The sluggard does not plow after the autumn, So he begs during the harvest and has nothing” (Prov 20:4).

Other times the following line(s) employ(s) symbolic language. This is emblematic parallelism. For example: “Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters” (Prov 25:13).

There are also different types of proverbs. There are discourse proverbs. These are found primarily Proverbs 1:8-9:18. There are short proverbs which are primarily found in 10:1-31:9. There is also an acrostic proverbial poem in 31:10-31.

Proverbs 1:1 - Wisdom for Us?

The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.

As we approach the book of Proverbs, we need to understand the nature of the book. The first thing that we must know is that this is a book of proverbs that were primarily written by King Solomon. Solomon was the son of David, and succeeded David to the throne (1 Kings 1:39). 1 Kings 4:32 tells us that he wrote and collected more than 3,000 proverbs. The Holy Spirit has not preserved all the proverbs that Solomon ever wrote, for there are only about 800 verses in the book of Proverbs. So these are selected proverbs. Chapters 1-24 are a collection of proverbs that was probably collected during the time of Solomon. Chapters 25-29 were collected and published under King Hezekiah. Chapters 30 and 31 contain proverbs written by Agur and Lemuel respectively, and may have been collected by Solomon. Some have even speculated that “Lemuel” is another name for Solomon. But in any case, Solomon played a prominent role in writing and collecting these proverbs.

Now, Solomon was a good king who walked after the LORD…for most of his life. God prospered Solomon and the kingdom of Israel. The LORD appeared to Solomon and asked him what He should give to him (1 Kings 3:5). Solomon replied, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:6-9).

As a young man, Solomon knew that many challenges awaited him during his reign. He had seen the struggles that David had as he ruled the kingdom. So he does not ask God for money or for land or for victory over his enemies. He asked God for the wisdom to rule God’s chosen people. And God replied that He was pleased with this. He then said, “I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you” (1 Kings 3:12). God told him also, “If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days” (1 Kings 3:14).

But Solomon did not always walk with the LORD. Solomon married many foreign women, totaling 700 wives and 300 concubines, “and his wives turned his heart away” (1 Kings 10:3). That is the reason that God commanded the kings of Israel not to marry foreign wives (Deut 17:17). “For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not follow the LORD fully, as David his father had done” (1 Kings 11:4-6). Tragic. The wisest man. The wisest king. And he became a fool (in his own words in the Proverbs) and followed after other gods.

So can we still trust the Proverbs if they were written by a man whose heart was turned away from God? This is a fair question. It does seem that Solomon returned to the LORD toward the end of his life. We do not know how long Solomon was turned away from the LORD, but it was enough that God “was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the LORD had commanded” (1 Kings 11:9-10). Yet we find in Ecclesiastes that Solomon looks back on his life and concludes that all is vanity (Ecc 1:1) and all that matters is to “fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Ecc 12:13-14).

I think we can be encouraged by Solomon. God used him to give us three wisdom books in the Bible. He greatly blessed him with vast wisdom. But yet even this wise man gave into temptation. And we do too. Maybe not to the degree that Solomon did. Maybe we are not punished as severely as God punished Solomon. But even that wise king was just a man who struggled to live in a wise way. As we study these Proverbs, it is important to not just assent to their truth. It is important to live them. Use them to guide your walk, and ask the Lord to strengthen you as you do. These proverbs, if used in a wise way, will help us to walk in a manner worthy of our Lord to please Him in all respects (cf. Col 1:9-14). 

Psalm 1:3 - Blessed Beyond Measure

Psalm 1:3 – “He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.”

In studying this Psalm, we have seen what the blessed person does not do (v. 1). We have also seen what the righteous person does do (v.2). Instead of being enamored with the wisdom of the world, the blessed person delights in the Word of God. It holds his attention. It is a light to the feet (Psa
119:110). And it is always on his mind. “He meditates on it day and night” (1:2).

I can see the effects of meditation on the Word in my own life. When I am regularly reading, meditating, and praying through Scripture, I find that I am more heavenly minded. But when I neglect Scripture, I am more prone to focus on the things on earth (cf. Col 3:1-2). Being a pastor now, with Sunday coming quickly every week, I am in Scripture most of the day. That is one of the benefits of always preparing sermons, blogs, devotionals, etc. But I have not been a pastor for long. Before full-time ministry (especially in seminary!), I found it very difficult to keep my attention on Scripture. Our lives tend to be so busy. Time with God gets crowded out by so many trivial things. And it is to our detriment. Whenever I take time from a busy schedule to meditate and pray through the Scriptures, I always see benefit.

When I was first preparing sermons, I used to find myself spinning my wheels. Sometimes I would get nowhere for hours! Then I would realize that I was doing this all in my own strength. I was not meditating on the Scriptures. I was not praying through the Scriptures. Over the years, I have learned that those two are essential for sermon preparation. It is essential for life too!

What does the life of the blessed person who meditates on Scripture day and night look like? This psalm compares the blessed person to a tree. And not some dead and unkept tree. He is like a tree that has been transplanted. It is cared for. It is loved. The owner found it, and transplanted it next to channels of waters so that it would flourish. The abundant waters cause the tree to bring forth fruit in its time. Notice, the tree does not always bear fruit. There are regular periods when there is no fruit produced. But it always comes in its time. Even though there is not always fruit, there are always leaves. And they do not wither.

What does the symbolism mean? The blessed person is the tree which has been transplanted. God found us and transplanted us to His orchard where the streams of His Word flow. We are made to flourish there from the nourishment of the Word. And fruit is produced in its time. “He is not a freak. There are times for fruit-bearing just as there are times for growth and times for rest. So long as we are abiding in the Spirit we need not worry about the fruit. It will come in its season” (Phillips, 20). And we will never wither away spiritually. If we remain in the Word, constantly nourished by its waters, our spirit will always thrive. “If a tree is alive and being watered, it will show the proper growth; likewise if true believers are in the word, they will produce righteousness” (Ross, 190).

To elucidate this further, the psalmist gives us the final phrase of verse three. This is called emblematic parallelism (Ross, 190). The symbolic (or emblematic) language in the first half is now explained by a parallel statement. It is well-known that parallelism is an integral part of Hebrew poetry, and there are many kinds of parallelism. The psalmist explains the symbolic language by stating, “and all that he does prospers.” This is the reality intended by the simile of the tree. “This is not a blanket statement promising unlimited success; the context itself restricts the application. If the righteous meditate in God’s word, they will live in obedience to it—and doing that is what will succeed” (Ross, 191).

When we are nourished by the Scriptures, we will not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the path of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers (cf. v. 1). Instead, we will delight in the words of God, and we will be blessed and made to prosper. There will be times of pruning. And that hurts. But it is for our good. Our Father always works everything for good to those who love Him (Rom 8:29).

Psalm 1:2 - The Righteous Person Does...

In the previous blog post, we saw that the person that is under God’s blessing does not “walk in the way of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers.” Those are characteristics that negatively define the righteous man. The first three lines of Psalm 1 tell us what the blessed person does not do. We can turn them around and make them positive. The blessed man walks in the way of the righteous, stands in the path of the godly, and sits in the seat of believers. This person follows the advice of the saints, and rejects the counsel of the wicked. This person observes the ways of the godly, but is not associated with the wicked. This person learns from believers and not from the scoffers.
The blessed person does these things, because he drinks deep of the Word of God. “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night” (Psa 1:2). This blessed man discerns righteousness and unrighteousness, because he holds everything to the teaching of Scripture. He delights in the law of the LORD. This is a person who has faith in the salvation of the LORD. He trusts that God will be true to His promises. And the blessed man delights in God’s law. Literally, he delights in the Torah. Of course, the first five books of the Bible are known as the Torah. But Torah means instruction or precepts. Abraham was said to have kept God’s Torah (Gen 26:5). Speaking of the Passover, God said “it shall be for a sign unto you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law (Torah) may be in your mouth: for with a strong hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt” (Exod 13:9). When the Israelites complained that they wanted food, God told Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction (Torah)” (Exod 16:4). This word is used more than 40 times in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It is in the instructions and precepts of God that the righteous person delights. “I love your law” (Psa 119:113b). Why? Because “Your law is truth” (Psa 119:142b). Thus, the righteous person loves the instructions that God has revealed to us in His Word. That is why God’s word is so precious to us. Because it reveals His instructions to us.
The righteous so delights in the Word of God that “he meditates in it day and night.” To meditate does not mean to empty our minds. In biblical terms, it means the opposite. It means to fill our minds with truth by repeating the truth over and over. The blessed man does not fill his mind with the teachings of man. He fills his mind with the teachings of God. He repeats the Words of God over and over to himself. And he doesn’t do this for a small portion of his day. He does not allocate fifteen minutes to this. He meditates on the Word of God “day and night.” This is poetic language that describes the idea of constantly. The righteous person constantly meditates on the Word of God. Perhaps the Bible is not always open, but the words are constantly running through his mind. In this way, he stands firm again the scoffing of the wicked.
Let us always be meditating on Scripture, savoring every word over and again. In doing so, we will find ourselves much enriched. We will find our prayers more enriched. Our speech will take on the flavor of God’s Word. And our thoughts will be more like God’s thoughts.

Psalm 1:1 - The Righteous Person Does Not...

I. The Righteous Live Wisely According to God’s Word (1-3)
IA. The Righteous Avoid Living According to the Sinner’s Philosophy

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
People have their opinions. They come to their opinions through many influences in their life. Their parents are a big influence, especially early in life. Teachers have a lot of influence in the lives of young people, and due to the expansion of education, the influence of teachers continues well into adulthood. A person’s friends are an influencing force. The literature read and the media consumed are a major emphasis on a person’s opinions. Advertisements, whether we are conscious of it or not, shape our opinions.
When we have no opinion on a matter, or we suspect ours to be wrong, we consult others to ask them for their counsel. We search the internet for blogs and forums that will help us to form an opinion on a matter so that we will know how to respond. This is how our worldview is shaped.
According to Scripture, there are only two worldviews: the worldview of the lost and the worldview of the righteous. Notice that Psalm 1 begins with the word “blessed” and ends with the word “perish.” Those are the options. The worldview of the righteous person has God’s blessing upon it. The worldview of the wicked person brings God’s wrath. The righteous person in this Psalm avoids the counsel of the wicked. He does not walk according to their counsel, he is not associated in their paths, and he is certainly not seated among scoffers.
Because the righteous person avoids these, he is blessed. The word “blessed” “refers to the joyful spiritual condition of those who are right with God and the pleasure and satisfaction that is derived from that. It is an abstract plural, stressing the fullness of joy” (Ross, 185). One of the blessings of being in covenant relationship with God through His Son is that we experience the blessings of God. And the blessed believer is characterized by walking in the light (1 John 1:7) and not in the darkness.
The wicked, sinners, and scoffers are all in the group who practice unrighteousness. It is used of those who are outside of the covenant of God. These are the unsaved. Those who walk in this world. The unsaved listen to themselves. They do not listen to those who speak God’s Word. They scoff at those who abide by the counsel of God (cf. 1 John 4:5-6).
What we take into ourselves is very important. It is said “You are what you eat.” In the realm of the mind, it could be said, “You are what you listen to.” Christians need to be very discerning in what they are listening to or watching. This is especially difficult in this digital age where information comes at us faster than we can take it in. Let us be very careful what we look at and listen to.

Why We Should Study Proverbs

The Bible is the revelation of God that is about God and about how He would have us live life. God is the Creator of all things, and therefore He is infinitely superior to them. There is no one like Him. No one has the infinite knowledge or wisdom that He has. We are limited by our creatureliness. He, as the Creator is unlimited. We are limited by the effects of the Fall, namely sin. He, as the pure and righteous King, is unlimited.

Through His Word, God has revealed His eternal plan of redemption through His Son Jesus Christ. He has revealed that one day, Jesus Christ will return and vanquish His enemies in order to rule over a kingdom of righteousness. And He has revealed that the righteous will participate in this Kingdom while the unrighteous are thrown into the Lake of Fire.

What does it mean by “righteous?” Who are the righteous ones? If “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23), and if “the wages of sin are death” (Rom 6:23); who can stand in the day of judgment? Praise be to our God and Savior “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col 1:14). “It is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8). Being a gift, it is not on account of our works (cf. Eph 2:9), for “to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Rom 4:4-5).

So there is no work that we do in order to be saved. No amount of works can save us. Ephesians 2:1 says that all people are dead in sin, only walking “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience” (Eph 2:2). It takes a divine act of God to “[make] us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and [raise] us up with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:6-8).
What do those who are thus redeemed look like? They repent of sin (Acts 17:30), and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 13:39). This is the message we preach: redemption from sins comes only to those who believe that Jesus Christ died to take away sin (1 John 3:5). Romans 10:9 says that salvation is only by confessing with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing that God raised Him from the dead.

And the life of the believer is then marked by godliness. 1 John 3:5 also says that “in Him there is no sin.” “We walk in the Light as [God] Himself is in the Light” (1 John 1:7). How do we do this? We meditate on the Word of God (Ps 1:2). He has given us His precepts that we might walk according to their light. Psalm 119:105 says that God’s Word “is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Yes, it guided us to salvation. It guided our feet to the narrow path. And now it also gives us instruction that we might walk in a manner that is worthy of our Lord and pleasing to Him in every respect (Col 1:10).

One of the most practical books in all of Scripture is Proverbs. It instructs us in wise living. It teaches us how to live in light of the revelation of this great and almighty God. Being one of the most beloved books by all who read the Bible, it is amazing how few resources there are to help us meditate on the Proverbs. And fewer still delve into this precious book verse-by-verse. But that is how the Proverbs are to be studied. They are to be savored section by section and proverb by proverb. I believe that if our churches took the time and put in the (indeed massive) effort to examine the Proverbs, much of the foolish living that so characterizes our churches would be cured. If we all took time each day to mull over a proverb—not read a whole chapter in a hurry—we would find ourselves filled with practical instruction for godly living.

Let us apply ourselves to this end. It is my hope that this blog series will enrich your understanding and help you to think through the Proverbs and how they apply to your life.