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THE POWERS OF THE PSALMS- PSALM 1






Listen to Chuck Swindoll’s overview of Psalms in his audio message from the Classic series God’s Masterwork.

Who wrote the book?

Psalms, a collection of lyrical poems, is one of only two Old Testament books to identify itself as a composite work containing multiple authors (Proverbs is the other). Some psalms name their author in the first line or title. For example, Moses wrote Psalm 90. David was responsible for many of them, composing seventy-three psalms. Asaph wrote twelve; the descendants of Korah penned ten. Solomon wrote one or two, and Ethan and Heman the Ezrahites were responsible for two others. The remainder of the psalms do not contain information about their authors.
The book was originally titled Tehillim, which means “praise songs” in Hebrew. The English title of “Psalms” originated from the Septuagint’s Greek title Psalmoi, also meaning “songs of praise.”1

Where are we?

Individual psalms were written as far back in history as Moses’s time, through the time of David, Asaph, and Solomon, to the time of the Ezrahites who most likely lived after the Babylonian captivity, meaning the writing of the book spans one thousand years. Some of the psalms attributed to David have additional notations connecting them with documented events in his life (for example, Psalm 59 is linked with 1 Samuel 19:11Psalm 56 is connected with 1 Samuel 21:10–15Psalm 34 is associated with 1 Samuel 21:10–22:2; and Psalm 52 is linked with 1 Samuel 22:9).
The psalms are organized into five books or collections. They were probably collected gradually, as corporate worship forms developed along with temple worship. It is likely that by the time of Ezra, the books of the Psalter were organized into their final form. Each section concludes with a doxology, with the entire Psalter capped by Psalm 150, a grand doxology.

Why is Psalms so important?

The psalms comprised the ancient hymnal of God’s people. The poetry was often set to music—but not always. The psalms express the emotion of the individual poet to God or about God. Different types of psalms were written to communicate different feelings and thoughts regarding a psalmist’s situation.
Psalms of lament express the author’s crying out to God in difficult circumstances. Psalms of praise, also called hymns, portray the author’s offering of direct admiration to God. Thanksgiving psalms usually reflect the author’s gratitude for a personal deliverance or provision from God. Pilgrim psalms include the title “a song of ascent” and were used on pilgrimages “going up” to Jerusalem for three annual festivals. Other types of psalms are referred to today as wisdom psalms, royal psalms (referring to Israel’s king or Israel’s Messiah), victory psalms, Law psalms, and songs of Zion.
The psalms include unique Hebrew terms. The word Selah, found seventy-one times, is most likely a musical notation added by worship leaders after the Israelites incorporated the psalm into public worship. Scholars do not know the meaning of maskil, found in thirteen psalms. Occasionally, a psalm appears with instructions for the song leader. For example, we see instructions such as “For the director of music” (occurring in fifty-five psalms [NIV]); “To the tune of ‘Lilies’” (similar references found in Psalms 45606980 NIV); “To the tune of ‘The Doe of the Morning’ ” (Psalm 22 NIV); “To the tune of ‘Do Not Destroy’ ” (Psalms 57–5975 NIV). These and others can refer to melodies used with the given psalm or perhaps to suggestions for liturgical use.

What's the big idea?

The book of Psalms expresses worship. Throughout its many pages, Psalms encourages its readers to praise God for who He is and what He has done. The Psalms illuminate the greatness of our God, affirm His faithfulness to us in times of trouble, and remind us of the absolute centrality of His Word. As the Psalms present a clear picture of God lovingly guiding His people, the responses of praise and worship to God are never far from the psalmists’ pens. The portrayal of worship in the Psalms offers us glimpse after glimpse of hearts devoted to God, individuals repentant before Him, and lives changed through encounters with Him.


How do I apply this?

Read Psalm 1, then Psalm 150. Thank God for allowing you to express your deepest emotions to Him. If you are hurting, use Psalm 13 as a guide and write your own lament to God. If you are rejoicing, meditate on Psalm 30 and echo the praise found there. No matter your circumstance, the psalms contain a corresponding word that will help you share your heart with the Lord.




PSALM 1 – THE WAY OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WAY OF THE UNGODLY

Verse six presents a key to understanding Psalm 1“For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” In this psalm, the way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly are contrasted.

A. The way of the righteous.

1. (1) What the righteous man does not do.

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
a. Blessed is the man: The Hebrew word esher is here translated blessed, which has the idea of happiness or contentment. Esher is a form of the Hebrew word ashar, which in its root means “to be straight” or “to be right.” Blessed is the man speaks of the happiness, the blessedness, the contentment in the life of the man or woman who is right or “straight” with God. The righteous man will be a blessed man, a happy man.
i. “Blessed means supremely happy or fulfilled. In fact, in Hebrew the word is actually a plural, which denotes either a multiplicity of blessings or an intensification of them.” (Boice)
ii. “It is not ‘Blessed is the king, blessed is the scholar, blessed is the rich,’ but, ‘Blessed is the man.’ This blessedness is as attainable by the poor, the forgotten and the obscure, as by those whose names figure in history, and are trumpeted by fame.” (Spurgeon)
b. Walks not…nor stands…nor sits: The blessed man does not do certain things. There is a way he will not walk, a path he will not stand in, and a seat he will not sit in.
i. We can say these speak of thinkingbehaving, and belonging. The righteous man and the ungodly man are different in how they think, how they behave, and to whom they belong.
ii. Others have also seen in this a progression of sin. “The great lesson to be learned from the whole is, sin is progressive; one evil propensity or act leads to another. He who acts by bad counsel may soon do evil deeds; and he who abandons himself to evil doings may end his life in total apostasy from God.” (Clarke)
c. Walks not in the counsel of the ungodly: The ungodly have counsel, and the righteous man will not walk in it. With all the advice that comes to us, from so many different sources, the righteous man knows how to stay away from the counsel of the ungodly.
i. First, it means the righteous man knows how to discern the counsel of the ungodly. Many fail at this point. They do not even consider if counsel is godly or ungodly. They hear advice, or theories about their problems, and they find themselves agreeing or disagreeing without considering, “Is this godly or ungodly counsel?”
ii. The righteous man is also discerning enough to know the counsel of the ungodly can come from one’s own self. Our own conscience, our own mind, our own heart, can give us ungodly counsel.
iii. The righteous man knows where to find completely godly counsel: Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors (Psalm 119:24). God’s word is always the best counselor, and godly counselors will always bring the truth of God’s word to help someone who wants counseling.
d. Nor stands in the path of sinners: Sinners have a path where they stand, and the righteous man knows he does not belong on that path. Path speaks of a way, a road, a direction – and the righteous man is not traveling in the same direction as sinners.
i. The righteous man is not afraid to take a less-traveled road, because he knows it leads to blessing, happiness, and eternal life. Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it (Matthew 7:13).
ii. The righteous can have the confidence of Psalm 16:11You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. God has a path, and it is a good road to take.
e. Nor sits in the seat of the scornful: The scornful love to sit and criticize the people of God and the things of God. The righteous man will not sit in that seat!
i. When others are putting down Christians, it is easy to sit with them and criticize them. It is easy because there are many things to criticize about Christians. But it is wrong, because we are then sitting in the seat of the scornful.
ii. Instead, we should be proud to follow Jesus Christ. “Be out-and-out for him; unfurl your colours, never hide them, but nail them to the mast, and say to all who ridicule the saints, ‘If you have any ill words for the followers of Christ, pour them out upon me…but know this – ye shall hear it whether you like it or not – ‘I love Christ.’” (Spurgeon)

2. (2) What the righteous man does.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
a. His delight is in the law of the LORD: Throughout Psalms, the phrase law of the LORD is used to describe God’s entire word, not only the “law” portion of the first five books of the Bible. The righteous man is delighted with the word of God!
i. What makes you happy? What gets you excited? This is a good way to see what is important to you. If personal pleasure is the only thing that makes you happy, then you are a selfish, self-centered person. If being with your family or friends delights you, that can be better, but it still falls short. The righteous man finds his delightin the law of the LORD.
ii. Martin Luther said that he could not live in paradise without the word of God, but he could live well enough in hell with it.
iii. “Man must have some delight, some supreme pleasure. His heart was never meant to be a vacuum. If not filled with the best things, it will be filled with the unworthy and disappointing.” (Spurgeon)
iv. If a person delights in something, you don’t have to beg him to do it or to like it. He will do it all by himself. You can measure your delight for the word of God by how much you hunger for it.
b. In His law he meditates day and night: The righteous man ponders the word of God. He does not just hear it and forget it; he thinks about it. Christians should meditate on God’s word!
i. In eastern meditation, the goal is to empty the mind. This is dangerous, because an empty mind may present an open invitation to deception or a demonic spirit. But in Christian meditation, the goal is to fill your mind with the word of God. This can be done by carefully thinking about each word and phrase, applying it to one’s self, and praying it back to the Lord.
ii. “Meditation chews the cud, and gets the sweetness and nutritive virtue of the Word into the heart and life: this is the way the godly bring forth much fruit.” (Ashwood, cited by Spurgeon)
iii. Many lack because they only read and do not meditate. “It is not only reading that does us good; but the soul inwardly feeding on it, and digesting it. A preacher once told me that he had read the Bible through twenty times on his knees and had never found the doctrine of election there. Very likely not. It is a most uncomfortable position in which to read. If he had sat in an easy chair he would have been better able to understand it.” (Spurgeon)
iv. The righteous man only has God’s word on his mind two times a day: day and night. That about covers it all!

3. (3) How the righteous man is blessed.

He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
a. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water: A tree by a river has a continual source of water. It will never wither away, because it is always getting what it needs. If we are constantly needy, it may be worth examining if we are planted by the rivers of water or not.
i. This would also be a tree that is strong and stable, sinking down deep roots. The life of the righteous man is marked by strength and stability.
b. That brings forth its fruit in its season: The righteous man bears fruit, such as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The fruit comes naturally from this tree, because it is planted by the rivers of water. It is abiding in a life-source. As Jesus spoke of bearing fruit in John 15:5, as we abide in Him. Fruit also has a season. Some get discouraged when they begin to walk as righteous men, and fruit is not immediately evident. They need to wait until they bring forth fruit in its season.
i. “There are no barren trees in God’s orchard, and yet they may have their fits of barrenness, as an apple tree sometimes hath; but they will reflourish with advantage.” (Trapp)
c. Whose leaf also shall not wither: Brown, dead, withered leaves are signs of death and dryness. The righteous man does not have these signs of death and dryness; his “leaves” are green and alive.
d. And whatever he does shall prosper: It isn’t that the righteous man has a “Midas Touch,” and everything he does makes him rich and comfortable. But in the life of the righteous man, God brings forth something good and wonderful out of everything. Even tough circumstances bring forth something that shall prosper.

B. The way of the ungodly.

1. (4) The dangerous place of the ungodly.

The ungodly are not so,
But 
are 
like the chaff which the wind drives away.
a. The ungodly are not so: Everything true about the righteous man – stable as a tree, continual life and nourishment, fruitful, alive, and prosperous – is not so regarding the ungodly.
i. 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.
b. Are like the chaff which the wind drives awayChaff is the light “shell” around a kernel of grain, which must be stripped away before the kernel of grain can be ground into flour. Chaff was light enough that it could be separated from the grain by throwing a scoopful into the wind and letting the wind drive away the chaff. This is how unstable, how lacking in substance, the ungodly are.
i. Spurgeon on chaff: “Intrinsically worthless, dead, unserviceable, without substance, and easily carried away.” There is a huge difference between a tree and chaff.

2. (5) The dangerous future of the ungodly.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
a. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment: Because the ungodly have no “weight,” they will be found lacking on the day of judgment. As it was said of King Belshazzar in the book of Daniel, You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting (Daniel 5:27).
b. Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous: This is true in the future, because sinners will not share the same glorious future of the righteous. It is also true in the present, because sinners sense they do not belong in the congregation of the righteous if they insist on remaining sinners.

3. (6) Summary: The way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly.

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
a. The LORD knows the way of the righteous: The righteous can have peace because a loving God in heaven knows their way, and will protect and preserve them.
i. “Or, as the Hebrew has it yet more fully, ‘The Lord is knowing the way of the righteous.’ He is constantly looking on their way, and though it may be often in mist and darkness, yet the Lord knoweth it.” (Spurgeon)
b. The way of the ungodly shall perish: The way of the ungodly leads to destruction. They are on a broad path that may seem comfortable now and the path gives them lots of company, but in the end they shall perish.
c. At least four times in the Book of Acts, Christianity is called the Way. Certainly, it is the way of the righteous, not the way of the ungodly. Which way are you on?
(c) 2020 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com
LINK:


What is the main idea of Psalm 1?
Numerical sayings • Admonitions to “sons” • Blessing formulas • Emphasis on the law Similar to the book of Proverbs, these psalms focus on the value of wisdom and living a wise, Godly life as opposed to an ungodly life. Psalm 1 gives a clear distinction between the righteous and the wicked.

There are 5 kind of psalms: praise, wisdom, royal, thankgiving, lament. There are 4 kinds of prayer: adoration, contrition, thankgiving, supplication. Can you define each kind of psalms and each kind of prayer?  


LITTEACHER8 eNotes educator | CERTIFIED EDUCATOR
Wow, those are detailed questions and answers.  I think that you need to remember that you will choose the psalms and prayer based on the occasion.  There are this many so that you will be able to find the one you need based on when you need it.
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KMCAPPELLO eNotes educator | CERTIFIED EDUCATOR
A psalm is a type of sacred song or poem, and the most famous psalms can be found in the Bible.  Though there are many subcategories, the five that you mention are the most popular.  Psalms of praise are also known as hymns, and were written in order to celebrate God.  Psalms of wisdom have a moral or teach a lesson.  The royal psalms are about kingship and how kings can help their people be closer to God. Psalms of thanksgiving are written to thank God for something he has done.  Finally, psalms of lament are about a painful experience or event.  They are written as a way of bearing the pain associated with that event.
The types of prayer you refer to are those typically recognized by the Catholic church, though there are certainly many different types and ways to pray.  In Catholic doctrine, prayers of adoration are similar to psalms of praise; they pay tribute to the wonder of God.  Prayers of contrition allow a person to acknowledge their sins and ask for forgiveness.  Prayers of thanksgiving, like psalms of thanksgiving, are a way of saying "thanks" to God.  Prayers of supplication or petition are the most common; they allow a person to ask God for help with something.
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MSHARGADEN eNotes educator | CERTIFIED EDUCATOR
The book of Psalms contains 150 poems meant to be heard out loud and maybe set to music as part of a religious service.  Traditionally, they were thought to have been written by David, but modern scholars tend to think that they were composed by many different individuals over the course of many years.
Psalms of praise generally focus on the nature of God and not on specific things He has done.  They tell about God's attributes and encourage the believer to praise Him for his goodness, righteousness, judgement, and wisdom.  They often refer to playing music or singing and rejoicing.
Psalms of wisdom contain teachings and wise advice that are similar to the book of Proverbs, but in the form of a psalm.  In studying the Psalms, we must remember that they were originally intended to be heard aloud, and perhaps set to music. These general principles are meant to instruct believers on how to live a Godly life.
Royal Psalms express the belief that God does His will and good works through the authority a king.  Sometimes,  royal Psalms celebrate the coronation or good works of an earthlt king.  Other Psalms compare God to an earthly king and even point to the coming of God's son, Jesus.
Psalms of thanksgiving offer the believer's praise and thanksgiving for what God has done for him or her.  Sometimes this is a specific good that God has granted, but sometimes thanksgiving for God's goodness in general.
Psalms of lament respond to a crisis, grief, or despair.  They are intended to move a believer from hurt to joy.  This type of Psalm expresses that God is present even when human beings cannot discern His presence in the world due to their own sufferings.

Adoration prayers express the believer's love of God and reverence for His goodness, wisdom, might, power, love, awe-inspiring nature.  This is sometimes considered the purest and highest form of prayer.
Contrition prayers express sorrow for sins that the believer has committed.  They are an important part of Catholic history, often used in the sacrament of penance.
Prayers of thanksgiving express the believer's gratitude to God for specific blessings He has given to the individual or humanity, or for His goodness, holiness, and strength.
Prayers of supplication express the believer's wish that God provide him or her with something he or she needs or desires.  This is the most common form of prayer.  Often a prayer of supplication requests health and healing for the sick.



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