Psalms 1 & 2
First Christian Church, Owensville, IN
Bart W. Newton, Preaching Minister
(Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.)
(Note: I received much of the Psalms-specific information shared in this sermon during an intensive Psalms Learning Retreat led by Dr. Jody Owens. I am grateful for the insights and facts he taught me regarding Psalms. BWN)
Psalms 1 and 2 serve as an introduction to the Book of Psalms (Psalter)
The purpose of the Psalms is to model a way of interacting and praying to God that leads to a blessed and holy life.
• Psalms serves as a guide to the “blessed life”.
Psalm 1:1 & 2:12 introduce the blessed life theme:
1:1: Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked…
2:12: …Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Three sections of the Hebrew Bible:
• Law (Books of Moses: Genesis through Deuteronomy)
• Prophets (with Joshua being the first book)
• Writings (with Psalms being the first book)
All three sections emphasize the Law of Moses.
Law Section Example:
• When Moses was reviewing the Law with the Israelites before they crossed over the Jordan into the Promised Land, he gave them instructions about the time when they would have a king:
Deuteronomy 17:14-20: 14 “You are about to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, ‘We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’ 15 If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the Lord your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.
16 “The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ 17 The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.
18 “When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. 20 This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel. (NLT)
Kingship Law of Deuteronomy 17:14-20: The king is to read the law so that he can have a right relationship:
• with God: …he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.
• with himself: This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud…
• and with others: and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens.
• The king was to model what the blessed life looked like.
Prophets Section Example:
• After Moses died, Joshua was commissioned to lead Israel into the Promised Land. Consider what God told Joshua about the Book of the Law:
Joshua 1:4-9: 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (ESV)
• Samuel’s words concerning Israel’s first king, Saul:
1 Samuel 12:13-15: 13 And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. 15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king. (ESV)
Writings Section Example (which begins with Psalms):
Psalm 1:1-2: 1Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night. (ESV)
The Psalms are arranged to connect or set side-by-side two kinds of psalms:
• Law (Torah) Psalms and Kingship (Royal) Psalms
Alternating emphasis on Law (Torah) psalms and kingship (royal) psalms expressed the expectation that the king would be a “keeper” of the Law in accordance with Moses’ command in Deuteronomy 17:14-20.
Psalms is arranged to do two things:
• Create the expectation of an expected king who will be the perfect keeper of the law.
• Encourage faithfulness to the law for those who read them.
The king was to model for his subjects what a blessed life looked like.
• He was to set the pace for keeping the law and living the blessed life.
• Part of living the blessed life is when we fail, we confess and God restores. For example, Psalm 51.
Psalm 51 is an example of how no OT king fully kept the Law of Moses.
But what about Jesus?
Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (ESV) (make them come true, GW; came to accomplish their purpose, NLT)
Jesus is the King who did what all the prior kings failed to do!
John 19:28-31: 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (ESV) (See Psalm 22:15b, 69:21b)
Jesus provided that which no one else could provide.
• John 14:6: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (ESV)
• “Walking in the way” used by Scripture writers to describe the person who is in deep communion with God.
• Psalm 119:2-3: 2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways! (ESV)
• Jesus is saying “I am the way of God.”
• Christians were called “the Way” because they walked with God in deep communion! (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 24:14, 22)
• The blessed life is the life that gives full allegiance to King Jesus Who is the perfect way of God!
• Titus 3:4-8a: 4But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, 5he saved us not by the works that we did in righteousness, but in accordance with his own mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the new birth and the renewal of the holy spirit, 6which was poured out richly upon us through Jesus, our king and savior, 7so that we might be justified by his grace and be made his heirs, in accordance with the hope of the life of the age to come. 8aThe saying in sure. (KNT)
Let’s spend some time reflecting on what God’s Word has shown us, using the acronym SPECKS:
• Sin to confess?
• Prayer, promise or praise to hold onto?
• Example to follow?
• Command to obey?
• Knowledge to retain?
• Share the passage with whom?