Using two words, the Psalmist contrasted the wicked to the godly. In
the original, verse 4 would be better translated as “Not so are the wicked.” It
is put this way for emphasis. It is interesting to note that while the Psalmist
took two verses to talk about the godly, he only used these two words, “not so”
for the wicked. While the godly are described as stable, fruitful, glowing
and effective, the wicked are seen to be just the very opposite. They are
described as chaff, the husks of wheat where the grains had been removed. They
are therefore empty and light and can be easily blown away by the slightest of wind.
Chaff reminds
us of what the farmers in those days would do after they had harvested their
crops. They would place the harvested crops on a stone threshing floor, and
then drive oxen to trample on it. In the process, the hooves of the oxen would separate
the wheat from the husks. Then the farmers would take a winnowing fork or a
shovel and tossed both the grains and husks into the air. Because of the weight,
the grains would then fall to the ground to be gathered and brought into the
granary later. The chaff being light will be blown away by the wind.
The godless are like chaff because
they do not factor God into their life. They have no time or little time for
Him. By implication they are those who would take their counsel from the
ungodly, stand with the sinners and scoff with the scornful. The word chaff
tells us how God evaluates the life of people who have no room for Him in their
lives. Some may even own big houses, drive big cars and have plenty of assets,
but their lives are aimless and going in circles. God sees such lives as
worthless for they can never fulfil His purpose in the world. They will be too
carried away by their concerns for the mundane.
Verse 5 tells us two things will
happen to such people. Firstly, they would not be able to stand in the
judgement. This is referring to their inability to pass God’s day-to-day
assessment of their lives. He will reckon their lives as worthless and of no
consequence. Their works would merely be futile labor. Secondly, they would fail
to find a place in the congregation of the righteous. This phrase refers to the
final accounting on the judgement day. On
that day, when God gathers the company of the redeemed together, such people
will be visibly absent. The Gospels tell us that on the judgement day, Jesus
the judge will separate all who gathered at the judgement seat into two groups,
the lamb and the goats. The godly will be placed among the lamb and the wicked,
among the goats.
As he concludes, the Psalmist tells us with certainty in
verse 6 on how both the godly and the wicked would end. It’s because God is all-seeing
and all-knowing. He is totally acquainted with the way of the righteous as well
as the deeds of the wicked. For the righteous, He will prod, protect and
preserve. For the wicked, this Psalm serves as a call to return to God and His
Word or face the judgement and perish.
Through Psalm 1, we sense one
compelling lesson. There is nothing more important than to build our life
according to the Word of God. Building it any other way will give us a weak foundation
and cause us to be separated from God’s purpose for our lives. If we want to be
counted among the redeemed and make the mark at the final accounting, partaking
and acting on the Word of God must take a significant place in our daily living.
Thus, it is important to study, meditate, memorize and obey the Word of God. They
will certainly ensure that we attain a God-pleasing life.
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