The Man of Psalm One — E.A. Johnston

The Two Men of Psalm One

A saved man is a godly man. A lost man is an ungodly man. Psalm 1 addresses both of these men, the godly and the ungodly. I believe if you live your life by Psalm 1, friend, you can't go wrong. I highly recommend committing it to memory.

It was the first scripture I memorized as a new Christian, and it's gotten me through all my life. Psalm 1 is delineated by four categories. The godly man's defense, the godly man's delight, the godly man's description, the ungodly man's destruction.

The Godly Man's Defense Against Sin

We read in verse 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. Here is the godly man's defense. The man of Psalm 1 walks away from bad influences.

He stays away from bad company. He turns away from bad decisions. He is a man on guard against sin. He is mindful of the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and he is careful to avoid evil in any way, shape, or form.

He is employing good defensive strategies against the opponents who can bring him down into the ditch of compromise and sin. He is a man girded with the Christian's armor from Ephesians chapter 6. He knows his enemy, and he knows himself, and he is aware that he must put on the whole armor of God that he may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Delighting in the Law of the Lord

Verse 2 speaks of our second category, the godly man's delight. Verse 2 declares,. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. So we see that the godly man of Psalm 1 delights in his Lord and delights in his word.

He is regularly hiding God's word in his heart and living in accord with its principles, and because of this he is a blessed man. That word meditate has the connotation of a cow chewing its cud over and over again, and this godly man reads the word of God and contemplates on it.

He turns it over and over again in his heart and mind until God's word is a reality in his life. In fact, he will memorize a verse of scripture and then ask God in prayer to make that verse a practical reality in his life.

Back when I discipled men in my home, one of our most profitable exercises was to memorize scripture on a weekly basis. I believe those men got more out of that discipleship group than anything else was hiding God's word in their heart.

Scripture's Authority for the Man of God

The man of Psalm 1 is a man of the book. We see similarities in 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17, which reads,. All scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

The Godly Man as a Fruitful Tree

Next, we see the third category of the godly man's description. In verse 3 we read,. 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.

This makes me think of Joseph in the house of Potiphar, where God still prospered him in all he did and gave him favor, because he was a godly man. The godly man of Psalm 1 is a blessed man, a prosperous man, because he derives his hope and strength from a power above.

I like the imagery used here, friends, of a tree planted by rivers of water, yielding its fruit in its season and always being in a prospering condition. For the godly man, Jesus is the living water. Jesus is the source of that river.

Jesus is the force of that river. Jesus is the course of that river. In John 7, 37 and 38, we read of these living water. In the last day, that great day, the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Now we come to the fourth and final category of Psalm 1, and it lies in stark contrast to the other three.

The Ungodly Man's Destruction

Oh, it's terrible, friends, to even think about it, for the man of this fourth category has different desires, different behaviors, and a different destiny than the other man. His course of life has him set for destruction.

We see his sad description in verses four through six. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. There is only way, only one way, friends, for the godly man, and there is only one way for the ungodly man. The one way for the godly man is the narrow way, which leads to life.

Jesus as the Only Way to the Father

The way of the ungodly man is the broad way, which leads to destruction. Jesus is the only way, friend. You gotta get on that way. You gotta get to Jesus. You must get to Jesus. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No man cometh unto the Father but by me. Which man are you, friend? Are you the godly man, or are you the ungodly man? Be a godly man for Jesus.