Home     

Psalm 1

Good News Translation (GNT)

*************************

1  Happy are those who reject the advice of evil
   people, who do not follow the example of
   sinners or join those who have no use for God.
2  Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the
   Lord, and they study it day and night.
3  They are like trees that grow beside a stream,
   that bear fruit at the right time, and whose
   leaves do not dry up.
   They succeed in everything they do.
4  But evil people are not like this at all;
   they are like straw that the wind blows away.
5  Sinners will be condemned by God and kept
   apart from God's own people.
6  The righteous are guided and protected by the
   Lord, but the evil are on the way to their doom.

*************************

Taken from 'word-on-the-web' supplied by the
Scripture Union

True Happiness

     Psalm 1

The prayer book of the Bible, the Psalms, opens with a theme which is developed constantly in powerful images throughout the Psalter - the contrast between how the wicked and righteous live.

The evil way involves wickedness, sin, scoffing, futility, emptiness, exclusion, destruction; the good way invokes meditation on God's law, wisdom, growth, fruitfulness, flourishing and protection.

Later psalms will struggle with the prosperity of the wicked, but here, at the beginning, is a strong note of encouragement to the faithful.

The happy person ('blessed', v 1) is the righteous one, who reveres the law of God and whose way of life is defined by avoiding paths of temptation.

The NIV (but not the TNIV) follows the Hebrew and uses the singular for the righteous person and plural for the wicked; it also has seven nouns for the sinful!

This all seems significant. It conveys that the faithful are in a minority, often lonely, experiencing the countercultural struggle of rejecting ways of sinful living. This might well speak to you today!
The order of resistance advocated in verse 1 also seems significant, echoed in an old Hebrew warning:

'Don't go;
if you go, don't stand;
if you stand, don't sit.'

The implication is that once we head off in the wrong direction, the dangers of getting drawn into a wrong lifestyle increase if we sit and join those who reject God.

The good way is neither separatism nor the 'prosperity gospel'. There is no veto against social action, only against the wrong mindset.

'They succeed' (v 3) is no promise of affluence, but of good lives that lead to abundant flourishing rather than futility.

The choice in this psalm comes to you today - take the path of faithful obedience and experience the blessing of knowing God is with you every step of the journey.

Other versions are available here

Return to the Home Page

  Contact the Rector
  The Revd.
  Nic.Edwards
  The Rectory,
  Church Lane,
  BUGBROOKE,
  Northampton,
  NN7 3PB

  Land Line: 01604 - 815496
  (Can be accessed from the mobile device)
  Mobile: .....
  E-mail:
  thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com

  Contact the Benefice Office
  Sunday School Rooms, Church Lane,
  BUGBROOKE, Northampton, NN7 3PB
  Land Line: 01604 830373
  E-mail:
  thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com
  Mon., Tues., Wed,, Thur., Fri.
  9:00^am to 11:30^am

  For Baptism bookings  (Christenings)
  to arrange an appointment please contact
  the Benefice Office.

  For Wedding bookings:
  please contact the Benefice Office to arrange
  an appointment.

  Who Made This?
  Seeing as you asked, if you can give helpful
  advice or report factual corrections and
  'deliberate mistakes',email:-
  regparker3 at gmail dot com

  Email addresses shown using words in an
  attempt to avoid 'spam',
  Type the email address replacing 'at' with '@',
  and 'dot' with '.'