Delighting in Instruction

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

(Psalm 1:2)

Here is a man who finds no pleasure in the counsel of the ungodly, the path of the sinner, or the seat of the mocker (v. 1). No, he takes his pleasure elsewhere, in the law of the Lord.

At first glance, it might look like this guy is a serious rule-keeper and point-scorer, that he is all about the “regs” (regulations). But that is to misunderstand what the law of the Lord is all about. Rule-keeping is about the Knowledge of Good and Evil. That’s the death-dealing fruit Adam and Eve partook of in the Garden. But the law of the Lord is about personal relationship with the living God. It is the Tree of Life that Adam and Eve chose not to eat.

We have been conditioned, largely by the translation of the Hebrew word torah as “law,” to think in terms of rules and regulations instead of relationship. We also have a negative idea of what law is all about, so we tend to think of the law of the Lord as that set of rules God is waiting for us to violate, so He can zap us.

Not so!

The Hebrew word torah, can just as well be translated as “instruction,” “direction,” or “teaching.” The law of the Lord is not about God waiting to drop the bomb on us, but it is His direction, to help us live effective, productive, even joyful lives. It is His instruction manual for planet earth, the manufacturer’s guide for optimum performance.

We think of this law, primarily, as the “Ten Commandments.” But that is not what the Scriptures call them. In Hebrew, they are the “Ten Words.” We also think of them as “thou shalt nots.” But these are ten words of love, ten words of covenant. They begin with, “I am the LORD your God.” When we understand that we are in covenant with the Lord and Creator of the universe, the “thou shalt nots,” become more like “you don’t have to’s.” We don’t need any other gods to take care of us; we can call on the name of the Lord, and He is more than sufficient for every need we could ever have. So we don’t have to kill, steal, lie, or covet to live a rich and satisfying life. In fact, doing those things actually take away from the good life. The Ten Words are actually ten words of promise and blessing.

No wonder the man in Psalm 1 delights in the law of Lord and talks about it to himself all the time; it leads him to success, prosperity and a fruitfulness that will not fade away (v. 3). Those who ignore the instruction of the Lord end up going in the wrong direction, one that leads to their destruction. They do not last, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away (v. 4-5). Not so the righteous, for God has already charted out for them the pathway to blessing (v.6).

In what do you delight, and on what do you meditate (talk about to yourself) all the time? Are they the words of instruction and direction that lead you to success and prosperity? Consider the life-giving Word of God.

We Need the Blessing

Blessed is the man … (Psalm 1:1)

We need the blessing. It is not a luxury, it is a necessity. If we are not living under the blessing, then we are living under the curse. Those are the only choices. So, we need the blessing — not just a blessing, the blessing.

You see, the blessing comes from heaven, from God. It is the power of heaven itself being extended on our behalf. Jesus taught the disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” That is what the blessing is, the kingdom of God coming forth, the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus came and went to the Cross so that we could be delivered from the curse and receive the blessing:

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:13).

God wants us to have the blessing, to live in the blessing, to walk in the blessing, to enjoy the blessing with Him. Because the blessing is all about God.

Prosperity: Doing Good and Doing Well

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.

(Psalm 1:3)

This is a man who is noted for what he does as much or more than for what he doesn’t do. What he doesn’t do is walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the path of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

(Notice that this is not about avoiding the ungodly, sinners and mockers, but about not walking in their counsel, not aligning with their path and not taking the position of a mocker. Choose your companions carefully because we tend to become like those with whom we associate.)

What he does do is delight in the law of the LORD and meditate on it at all times. It is his self-talk. It fills his thoughts. He considers everything in the light of it. He greatly honors it. He loves it because it reveals the heart of God, and it is the heart of God that he is after.

This man is established, that is, he is stable. He is fruitful — his life brings forth sustenance and sweetness. He remains fresh and flourishing, full of life and vitality. And everything he does prospers — moves forward, succeeds, advances, breaks out, comes mightily, goes over the top and is profitable.

As in everything, this is all about God, and God is good. So prosperity is about doing good. You cannot do evil and prosper. You may have a measure of success and gain by doing evil, but what you do cannot be called is prosperous. It simply will not last because it does not come from God.

The ungodly are not so,
  but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
  Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous,
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
  But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

(Psalm 1:4-6)

True prosperity is about doing good and doing well at it.

Rooted and Established

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

(Psalm 1:3)

This is talking about the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful. Instead, he delights in the Word of God, and he is always meditating on it, pondering it by speaking it to himself over and over.

To be planted, in this Hebrew context, is to be rooted and established. It is not enough to simply dig a hole and drop a tree into it. A tree is not really planted until it begins to extend its roots downward and outward to tap into the moisture of the river. It becomes integrated with the soil so that it cannot be easily blown over or uprooted.

It is only when a tree is rooted and established that it can begin to produce fruit, to be fresh and green, and to prosper. And it can only be rooted and established by staying in one place.

There are many Christians who jump from church to church, from group to group, never staying long enough to become a part of any congregation or fellowship. So they never get rooted or well-grounded. Consequently, they do not bear good fruit, they do not prosper, and they do not stay fresh and green. They begin to wither because they have no stability.

Stability is an important part of discipleship. That is why for centuries monks and monasteries have always had a “vow of stability,” committing themselves to stay in one place and work out whatever differences they might have with their brothers or leaders.

This is a strong feature of Benedictine communities. In The Rule of Benedict, written about the sixth century, Benedict of Nursia featured stability prominently. He noted that there were many monks who went about from place to place, soaking up the benefits of each place, but never becoming a productive member. They went about everywhere, but never became a part of anywhere. He called them gyrovagues. They were pointless wanderers. They had no purpose. They added nothing to the prosperity of a house, spiritually or otherwise, and were really nothing more than parasites.

But those who delight in the Word of God must learn to be a true part of God’s people. For God is love, and love cannot flow in isolation. We must be part of a community of faith in Jesus Christ. That is we will find stability. Then we will begin to see the blessing and power of God’s love manifest in life-changing, world-changing ways. That is where we will find fruitfulness and prosperity, and where we will remain fresh and green.

Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
  Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bear fruit in old age;
  They shall be fresh and flourishing,
To declare that the LORD is upright;
  He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him

(Psalm 92:13-15)