Are You the Blessed Man in Psalm 1 & 2?

The Law, the Gospel, and the Whole Story of Redemption

So the whole Bible is the story of how Jesus redeems. In order for him to redeem, there must be conviction because that means we have been trapped. We've been held back by something. So the law exposes us to our need and Christ shows up as the redeemer to purchase us back and be our imputation, right?

He comes and our sin is put on him and his righteousness is put on us. And that's the whole, so we have that whole story and we understand narrative is the setup for us to learn the nature of God, learn the nature of sin and learn the nature of the gospel.

Reading the Psalms Through Law and Gospel

So when you're reading it, don't necessarily try and go, is this particular verse law? Is this particular verse gospel? Sometimes you'll do that. Leviticus, it's law, but it's law unto what, right? Is that law in its context?

Is that law unto Israel? Is that law unto general? Is this the 10 commandments that we're talking about?

Is it moral law or is it positive law, right?

That's right. So even when we're doing the law gospel distinction, we need to ask ourselves, what kind of law is this, right? Is this third use of the law eventually where if it's lying, then yeah, that can apply to me.

But if it's the blessings that come from the obedience to the law, those blessings in particular, the exact blessings, like for instance, the protection of Yahweh amongst a nation is not necessarily promised.

Like some people wanna claim these type of verses for America or their particular country. That is an improper use of law gospel distinction.

That is an improper

Well, and an improper understanding of the biblical covenants too.

That's right. So let's just, and let's then go into the, let's say something like the Psalms. You and I just did Psalm 1. Why would your argument be not to rehash that Psalm, but in 30 seconds, why is Psalm 1 a law and not a gospel passage as we read it?

I'm gonna actually contend that it's both. If you take Psalm 1 and 2 together.

Ah, well, I was gonna say Psalm 2 separately.

Okay, well, and even in Psalm 1, with the lenses to see it, I think it's both. In that the statement, blessed is the man who, and the implication is like that never has like walked in the way of sinners, sat in the seat of scoffers, et cetera.

And then the statement, the pronouncement of

In its true statement, that would be a law statement.

Oh, sure, totally. Because you are blessed if you perform.

That's right.

If you have lived this way, you are blessed, and this is what you are like. You are like a tree planted by a stream of water, right? I mean, you're an oak of righteousness effectively, and you have life in you if this is true of you.

So that is a law statement. And now where the gospel is found is related to Psalm 2, which Psalm 1 and 2 were written together originally.

That's right.

But if you have eyes to say, who is the blessed man? Well, it's the Messiah that is spoken of so plainly in Psalm 2. Psalm 1 begins with the words, blessed is the man. Psalm 2 ends with the words, blessed are all who take refuge in him.

And so we begin to see this through a law and gospel lens in this way. Yeah, this is true. Blessed is the righteous one, and blessed are all who take refuge in the righteous one who is Jesus of Nazareth.

And now, secondarily, you wanna talk about how you apply the law. It's like, yeah, it is good that I would not walk in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of scoffers, right? It's good that I would meditate on the law of God.

Like I would live in light of God's truth every moment of my life. That's a wonderful thing, you know? Amen, and may that be true increasingly of me as I've been united to Christ and his spirit is at work in me, conforming me into his very image.

Amen, may it be.

But let me find my comfort in knowing that it is absolutely true that blessed is the righteous one, and I am blessed and beloved of God because I am in him by faith, right? That's kind of a law and gospel way to read the Psalms.

But this is what I would call the full circle of the word of God, the full circle of the law of gospel. So you read chapter one, and if you read it appropriately, you should be utterly crushed, meaning I will never be blessed because I can't do that perfectly.

As it pertains to you, you should be crushed.

As it pertains to you, you should be crushed. And then you get to chapter two and you're realizing, oh, I receive all the blessings of chapter, of verse one, chapter one, because of the man in chapter two.

Therefore, my perspective of the law now changes because now I delight in the law because I can see Christ fulfilled it for me, and yet I have a desire to fulfill it as well in Christ. Not under, if I try to do it outside of Christ, outside of gospel, then I have no hope.