A Prosperous Life - Lesson 1 - Walketh Not

Do you still have joy? What truly brings you joy? What is your delight? When do you meditate on that delight? The Lord did not only promise to give us life, but to give it to us more abundantly. Let’s search the scriptures to find out how to bring forth His fruit, in His season
and not wither in the process.

Psalm 1:1-3, ‘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. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 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.’

The Argument - This book of psalms is given to us by the Holy Spirit, to be esteemed as a precious treasure in which all things are contained that bring to true happiness in this present life as well as in the life to come. For the riches of true knowledge and heavenly wisdom, are here set open for us, to take of it most abundantly. If we would know the great and high majesty of God, here we may see the brightness of it shine clearly. If we would seek his incomprehensible wisdom, here is the school of the same profession. If we would comprehend his inestimable bounty, and approach near to it, and fill our hands with that treasure, here we may have a most lively and comfortable taste of it. If we would know where our salvation lies and how to attain to everlasting life, here is Christ our Redeemer, and Mediator most evidently described. The rich man may learn the true use of his riches. The poor man may find full contentment. He who will rejoice will know true joy, and how to keep measure in it. They who are afflicted and oppressed will see what their comfort exists in, and how they should praise God when he sends them deliverance. The wicked and the persecutors of the children of God will see how the hand of God is always against them: and though he permits them to prosper for a while, yet he bridles them, so much so that they cannot touch a hair of ones head unless he permits them, and how in the end their destruction is most miserable. Briefly here we have most present remedies against all temptations and troubles of mind and conscience, so that being well practised in this, we may be assured against all dangers in this life, live in the true fear and love of God, and at length attain the incorruptible crown of glory, which is laid up for all who love the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word which we translate blessed, is properly in the plural form, blessednesses; or may be considered as an exclamation produced by contemplating the state of the man who has taken God for his portion; O the blessedness of the man! And the word for ‘the man’, is emphatic: THAT man; that one among a thousand who lives for the accomplishment of the end for which God created him. 1. God made man for happiness. 2. Every man feels a desire to be happy. 3. All human beings abhor misery. 4. Happiness is the grand object of pursuit among all men. 5. But so perverted is the human heart, that it seeks happiness where it cannot be found; and in things which are naturally and morally unfit to communicate it. 6. The true way of obtaining it is here laid down.


There are here three characters, each exceeding the other in sinfulness.
1. The UNGODLY, to be unjust; rendering to none his due; withholding from God, society, and himself, what belongs to each. Ungodly-he who has not God in him; who is without God in the world.
2. SINNERS, "to miss the mark," "to pass over the prohibited limits," "to transgress." This man not only does no good, but he does evil. The former was without God, but not desperately wicked. The latter adds outward transgression to the sinfulness of his heart.
3. SCORNFUL, "to mock, deride." He who has no religion; lives in the open breach of God's laws, and turns revelation, the immortality of the soul, and the existence of an invisible world, into ridicule. He is at least a deist, and endeavours to dissolve, as much as he can, the bonds of moral obligation in civil society. As the sinner exceeds the ungodly, so the scornful exceeds both.

The second climax is found in the words, 1. Walk; 2. Stand; 3. Sit: which mark three different degrees of evil in the conduct of those persons.

Observe,
1. The ungodly man-one uninfluenced by God.
2. The sinner-he who adds to ungodliness, transgression.
3. The scornful-the deist, atheist, &c., who make a mock of every thing sacred.

The UNGODLY man walks, the SINNER stands, and the SCORNFUL man sits down in the way of iniquity.

Mark certain circumstances of their differing characters and conduct.
1. The ungodly man has his counsel;
2. The sinner has his way; and,
3. The scorner has his seat.

The ungodly man is unconcerned about religion; he is neither zealous for his own salvation, nor for that of others: and he counsels and advises those with whom he converses to adopt his plan, and not trouble themselves about praying, reading, repenting, &c., &c. there is no need for such things; live an honest life, make no fuss about religion, and you will fare well enough at last. Now, "blessed is the man who walks not in this man's counsel;" who does not come into his measures, nor act according to his plan.

The sinner has his particular way of transgressing; one is a drunkard, another dishonest, another unclean. Few are given to every species of vice. There are many covetous men who abhor drunkenness; many drunkards who abhor covetousness; and so of others. Each has his easily besetting sin; therefore, says the prophet, let the wicked forsake HIS WAY. Now, blessed is he who stands not in such a man's WAY.

The scorner has brought, in reference to himself, all religion and moral feeling to an end. He has sat down-is utterly confirmed in impiety, and makes a mock at sin. His conscience is seared; and he is a believer in all unbelief. Now, blessed is the man who sits not down in his SEAT.

See the correspondent relations in this account.
1. He who walks according to the counsel of the ungodly will soon,
2. Stand to look on the way of sinners; and thus, being off his guard, he will soon be a partaker in their evil deeds.
3. He who has abandoned himself to transgression will, in all probability, soon become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin; and sit down with the scorner, and endeavour to turn religion into ridicule.

The last correspondency we find is:-
1. The seat answers to the sitting of the scornful.
2. The way answers to the standing of the sinner; and
3. The counsel answers to the walking of the ungodly.

The great lesson to be learned from the whole is, sin is progressive; one evil propensity or act leads to another. He who acts by bad counsel may soon do evil deeds; and he who abandons himself to evil doings may end his life in total apostasy from God. "When lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and when sin is finished, it brings forth death." Solomon the son of David, adds a profitable advice to those words of his father: "Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men; avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away;" Pr 4:14,15.

As the blessedness of the man is great who avoids the ways and the workers of iniquity, so his wretchedness is great who acts on the contrary: to him we must reverse the words of David: "Cursed is the man who walketh in the counsel of the ungodly; who standeth in the way of sinners; and who sitteth in the seat of the scornful." Let him that readeth understand.

The theme of this psalm is the permanent prosperity and happiness of the righteous, and the certain destruction of the wicked. It stands as an appropriate introduction to the whole book. The righteous man is described here, as often elsewhere, in absolute terms; that is, without any notice of his infirmities and failures in duty; and the promise is made to him in the same absolute way. The meaning of such a promise, when applied to a good man in covenant with God, yet not free from sin, is that God will withhold from him no good thing, Ps 84:11; that he will chasten him, as a father his child, for his instruction and profit, that he may purify him from sin, and thus prepare him for greater prosperity and happiness, Ps 94:12-13; Pr 3:11; 1Co 11:32 Heb 12:6-12; and that he will support him under his trials, Ps 34:17-19, and everlasting blessedness in his presence, Ps 16:11; 17:15; 73:24-26; Re 14:13. Upon this broad principle are to be interpreted all those psalms which describe the prosperity and blessedness of the righteous in unqualified terms; as, for example, Ps 112:1-10; 115:1-18; 121:1-8; 125:1-5; 128:1-6.

Walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly; does not embrace their principles, adopt their maxims, or encourage their practices.

All needless counseling with the wicked should be avoided, as it tends to make us more like them.

Blessed--literally, "oh, the happiness"--an exclamation of strong emotion, as if resulting from reflecting on the subject. The use of the plural may denote fulness and variety (
2Ch 9:7 Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
).

Blessed-The Hebrew words are very emphatical: O the blessedness of that man! Counsel-That doth not lead his life according to their counsel, or manner of living. Standeth-Which notes a more settled abode in it. Way-In their manner of conversation. Seat-Which notes a constant and resolved perseverance in their wicked courses. Scornful-Of those who make a mock of sin, and scoff at goodness and goodmen. Divers observe a gradation in this verse; the following clause still exceeding the former, for standing is more than walking, and sitting more than standing; and sinners in scripture use, are worse than the ungodly, and the scornful are the worst of sinners.

This is a psalm of instruction concerning good and evil, setting before us life and death, the blessing and the curse, that we may take the right way which leads to happiness and avoid that which will certainly end in our misery and ruin. The different character and condition of godly people and wicked people, those that serve God and those that serve him not, is here plainly stated in a few words; so that every man, if he will be faithful to himself, may here see his own face and then read his own doom. That division of the children of men into saints and sinners, righteous and unrighteous, the children of God and the children of the wicked one, as it is ancient, ever since the struggle began between sin and grace, the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, so it is lasting, and will survive all other divisions and subdivisions of men into high and low, rich and poor, bond and free; for by this men's everlasting state will be determined, and the distinction will last as long as heaven and hell.

To meditate in God's word, is to discourse with ourselves concerning the great things contained in it, with close application of mind and fixedness of thought. We must have constant regard to the word of God, as the rule of our actions, and the spring of our comforts; and have it in our thoughts night and day. For this purpose no time is amiss.

Ps 81:12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

Pr 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

He takes wiser counsel, and walks in the commandments of the Lord his God. To him the ways of piety are paths of peace and pleasantness. His footsteps are ordered by the Word of God, and not by the cunning and wicked devices of carnal men. It is a rich sign of inward grace when the outward walk is changed, and when ungodliness is put far from our actions.


Psalm 26:4-5, ‘I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.’
‘I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.’

Vain persons; persons of falsehood.

Disemblers; hypocrites.

So far from being himself an open offender against the laws of God, the psalmist had not even associated with the lovers of evil. He had kept aloof from the men of Belial. A man is known by his company, and if we have kept ourselves apart from the wicked, it will always be evidence in our favour should our character be impugned. He who was never in the parish is not likely to have stolen the corn. He who never went to sea is clearly not the man who scuttled the ship.


Proverbs 4:14-15, ‘Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.’
‘Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.’

Enter not into the path of the wicked] Never associate with those whose life is irregular and sinful; never accompany them in any of their acts of transgression.

Avoid all temptations to the beginning of evil.

In order to this we must keep out of the ways of sinners, and have no fellowship with them. For fear of falling into wicked courses, we must shun wicked company.


Jeremiah 15:17, ‘I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.’

I had nothing to do with the wicked contemners of your word, but lamented bitterly for your plagues: showing what the faithful should do when they see tokens of God's anger.

Because of thy hand; because thy hand was upon me; that is, thy Spirit constrained me to deliver thy messages.

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