Psalms will provide us with several points of Biblical
interpretation. There will be a direct interpretation based on the specific
historical context and meaning of the writer. There will be a prophetic
interpretation based on future events in history. There will be a personal
interpretation where the reader will draw wisdom for themselves and their own
time from the text of the Scripture. I will try to suggest all three.
Psalms, chapter 1 (We
don’t know who wrote Psalm 1. Perhaps it was King David, who wrote many of
them.)
Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that
walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the
law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted
by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf
also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so:
but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not
stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the
righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Here, David, if I’m correct in my presumption of his
authorship makes some important points regarding his own walk with God. This
Psalm is in keeping with many other comments by David and others in the Psalms
which you and I will see later on. Here are some cross-references.
Psalm 17:4 As
for the deeds of men--by the word of Your lips I have avoided the ways of the
violent.
Psalm 26:4 I have not sat with vain persons,
neither will I go in with dissemblers. 5 I have hated the congregation of
evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.
And from Solomon;
Proverbs 1:7 ¶
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 My
son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 For
they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about
thy neck.
10 ¶
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If
they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the
innocent without cause: 12 Let
us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into
the pit: 13 We
shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast
in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15 My
son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For
their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely
in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18 And
they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for
their own lives. 19 So are the
ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life
of the owners thereof.
Verse 2 in this passage has some great
cross-references. Just some examples should do here to get the frame of mind that
David (see the heading of Psalm 110) has regarding God’s words and
commandments.
Psalm 119:14 I
have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all
riches. 15 I
will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. 16 I
will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
Verse 3 is a simile which uses like or as to link one
thing to something else that we don’t usually associate with each other. They
are not synonymous or meaning the same but a parallel is being drawn between
them See Psalm 92, a prayer of Moses as per Psalm 90, a Psalm or Song for
the Sabbath Day, my Cambridge Bible says at its heading.
Psalm 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the
palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those that be planted in the house
of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit
in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; 15 To shew that the
LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no
unrighteousness in him.
The ungodly in verse 4 are destined to destruction. A
similar thought is offered by David in other Psalms. For example;
Psalm 37:38 But
the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be
cut off.
Verse 5 might be a reference to eternity, to heaven,
in that it appears to be constructed as a statement that these wicked people
that are like the wind-driven chaff will not stand in the congregation of
the righteous in the time of judgment. See confirmation in the
following;
Who could the congregation of the righteous be, if
that is a correct interpretation of the verse, but the spirits of just men and
women made perfect by God?
Hebrews 12:23 To the general assembly and church of
the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to
the spirits of just men made perfect,
Verse 6 recalls many similar thoughts but one example
can suffice for David.
Let’s now review this Psalm and consider its prophetic
value. When someone is blessed by God this does not necessarily mean they have
a pleasant outcome in life but it often does. It does mean they are happy in
the Lord and in the Lord’s will, and that they are approved by God.
Genesis 30:13
And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she
called his name Asher.
Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
The righteous will not follow the counsel of the wicked,
stand with them, or sit with them in judgment. This teaches a separation of the
Godly Christian from the carnal Christian and the world that latter Christian
compromises with and the wicked people around him.
The righteous take delight in God’s Law and in His
standards. Notice what is said in Revelation.
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here
are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do
his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may
enter in through the gates into the city.
Compare verse 3 to the verse just mentioned in
Revelation 22:14. Note the greater context in comparison.
Revelation 22:1 And he shewed me a pure
river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God
and of the Lamb. 2 In
the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was
there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner
of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of
the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And
there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in
it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And
they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their
foreheads. 5 And
there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the
sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and
ever.
6 And
he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord
God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things
which must shortly be done.
7 Behold,
I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the
prophecy of this book.
8 And
I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I
fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these
things. 9 Then
saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and
of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book:
worship God.
10 And
he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the
time is at hand. 11 He
that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be
filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that
is holy, let him be holy still.
12 And,
behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man
according as his work shall be. 13 I
am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they
that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may
enter in through the gates into the city.
Pay attention also to chapter 20 of Revelation.
Revelation 20: 11 And
I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth
and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And
I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened:
and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead
were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to
their works. 13 And
the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the
dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their
works. 14 And
death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of
fire.
From a prophetic standpoint look at God’s
foreknowledge in verse 6 and in the condemnation of the wicked at the Great
White Throne.
Now, let’s apply it directly to us. A man is blessed
who does not follow the advice of the worldly, nor follow in their way, nor sit
in judgment with them. We are told not to have church fellowship with the
wicked.
1Corinthians 5:9 ¶ I wrote
unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of
this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or
with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
11 But now I have written unto you not
to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or
covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with
such an one no not to eat. 12 For what
have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are
within? 13 But them that are without God
judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
Indeed we are even told not to unite with them in agreement for
any reason.
2Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not
unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with
darkness?
For the ways of the world and the ungodly are not the ways of God.
1John 2:15 Love not the
world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. 16 For
all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment