INTRODUCTION

1. Beginning the New Year

a) In prayer

b) In hope

c) In faith

2. The Blessings of God

a) They are humbly sought in prayer

b) They are to be carefully understood

 

OBSERVATIONS OF THOSE WHO ARE BLESSED BY GOD

1 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;

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2

1. Determination of Rejection of bad company

a) The ungodly and his counsel

b) The sinner and his path

c) The scornful and his seat

2. The Delight of the Blessed of God

a) His delight is in the law of the Lord

b) He sets aside time to read and meditate on God’s Word

 

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PERSON BLESSED BY GOD

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

1. The Imagery of a well-planted Tree

a) It is planted by the rivers of water

b) It is thus, well-watered

2. The Health of the well-planted Tree

a) It will bring forth fruit in its season

b) Its leaf shall not wither

c) It will always be fruitful (“prosper”)

 

AN IMPORTANT CORRESPONDING TEXT

1. A similar description of a person blessed by God

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

And whose hope is the LORD.

8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,

Which spreads out its roots by the river,

And will not fear when heat comes;

But its leaf will be green,

And will not be anxious in the year of drought,

Nor will cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

1. The believer

a) He trusts in the LORD

b) He hopes in God

2. The imagery is similar to what is written in Psalm 1

a) A tree that is well-planted

b) It is planted by the waters

c) Its root system is strong

3. In times of drought

a) It will not fear drought

b) The leaf would always be green

c) It will not cease to yield fruit

 

THE OPPOSITE IMAGERY

4 The ungodly are not so,

But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the ungodly shall perish. Psalm 1:4-6

1. The Imagery of Chaff

a) It is empty

b) It is driven away by the wind

2. It is a description of the ungodly

a) He will not stand in the judgment

b) He will not stand in the congregation of the righteous

 

EXHORTATION

1. The LORD will distinguish between

a) The righteous

b) The ungodly

2. A word of Exhortation

a) To pursue the path of righteousness

b) To reject ungodliness

3. The Blessings of the LORD

a) They will be bestowed on the righteous

b) They will be blessed with the fruit of righteousness