The True Meaning of Psalm 1 & 2

Psalm 1 as Law: The Blessed Man and God’s Standard

I mean, you want to talk about a word of law, like a good word of law to preach? It's that here's the standard, Psalm 1, perfection, man. Never walking in the counsel of the wicked, never standing in the way of sinners, never sitting in the seat of scoffers, always delighting in God's law and meditating on it day and night.

That's what's required of you. And the reality is, as fallen human beings, we've rebelled against God. But here's what you should do. Understand God's holiness and understand God's standard that you haven't met it, and understand that because of that, God's judgment is coming.

And you've committed cosmic treason. And in light of your treachery, you will face condemnation. So here's what you need to do.

Even if, even if, with all your strength, you have tried to become the best, the blessed man. If you did not do it perfectly, you are still in rebellion against God. Even if you've tried your best.

That's right. And so here's the best part of this whole thing. The last line, the last line.

Kiss the Son and Take Refuge in Him

So kiss the son.

So this is verse 12. Kiss the son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way for his wrath is quickly kindled. And then this, blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Come on.

Can we stop and have an applause?

So here's the deal. How does, remember, all of the units, Psalm one and two. How does Psalm one begin? Blessed is the man. How does it end? Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Blessed is the man. Here's the righteous one.

His name is Jesus of Nazareth. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. That's gospel there, friends. That is like, that's rock of ages cleft for me. That image of refuge is beautiful. You know, I'm preaching in Exodus right now and just got done preaching the plagues.

And man, in the seventh plague with the hail, you know, there's the warning, there's God's law, right, that goes out. Like this is what's going to happen in any man or beast that's in the field is going to die.

And some of the servants of Pharaoh even heed that warning and take shelter, right? And you're sheltered from the wrath and from the judgment and from death, right? Like that image of taking refuge, you preach the law and then we exhort sinners.

We herald Jesus and say, hide yourself in him, right? Rock of ages cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee, right?

Come on.

Let the water and the blood from thy wounded side which flowed be of sin the double cure, right? Save from wrath and make me pure. I mean, this is the good news. And so when we preach Psalm one and two, we preach law in good ways, but we preach Jesus as the blessed man.

We preach the reality of our sin and judgment. And then we herald it from the rooftops. Blessed are everyone who take refuge in him. And when you hide yourself in Jesus, everything that's true of him is true of you.

He is like an oak of righteousness planted beside a stream of water. He is the one who's never done any of these bad things and always meditates on the law of the Lord and delights in it day and night.

And in him, the same is true of you as for us. The way the Lord views you, man. That is the doorkeeper of the Psalms and we should preach it that way. Rather than, hey, here's righteousness, here's wickedness, choose righteousness.

That's not the point.

Real Law-Gospel Preaching and the Doorkeeper of the Psalms

Justin, it's such a beautiful example of what real law gospel looks like.