Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
This week’s reading from the Psalms is Psalm 1. The Psalms are often called the songbook of early Christians. Within Judaism there were traditional Psalms chanted or sung in homes and in other gatherings for worship. Some were associated with particular times of the day or times of the year. Psalm 1 draws a great distinction between the righteous and the ungodly.
The righteous one, the person who delights in God’s law, is going to be very secure. He will be prosperous and will provide for others. Notice the provision as in verse 3 he brings forth fruit and provides shade.
The ungodly person, who would not delight in God’s law, has no security. Not only does he fail to provide for others, he himself will not survive in God’s judgment.
It is very common for people to ask, usually in an accusing manner, about people who are wealthy or kind and generous who do not take heed to God’s law. Notice that the Psalm never says that the ungodly will not care for others. It pointedly tells us only about the end of time. “The ungodly will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous” (v. 5, NKJV).
What about the confession of Christians that we are all sinners? When we look at our motives we see that they are not pure. Christianity has almost uniformly agreed that through Jesus’ substitutionary and atoning death, the believer is considered righteous before God. This is described very clearly in Romans chapter 5, among other places.
Above all, the Psalmist declares that the righteous one is blessed. I pray that my readers will be blessed by God this day and every day, delighting in God’s Word.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
This week’s reading from the Psalms is Psalm 1. The Psalms are often called the songbook of early Christians. Within Judaism there were traditional Psalms chanted or sung in homes and in other gatherings for worship. Some were associated with particular times of the day or times of the year. Psalm 1 draws a great distinction between the righteous and the ungodly.
The righteous one, the person who delights in God’s law, is going to be very secure. He will be prosperous and will provide for others. Notice the provision as in verse 3 he brings forth fruit and provides shade.
The ungodly person, who would not delight in God’s law, has no security. Not only does he fail to provide for others, he himself will not survive in God’s judgment.
It is very common for people to ask, usually in an accusing manner, about people who are wealthy or kind and generous who do not take heed to God’s law. Notice that the Psalm never says that the ungodly will not care for others. It pointedly tells us only about the end of time. “The ungodly will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous” (v. 5, NKJV).
What about the confession of Christians that we are all sinners? When we look at our motives we see that they are not pure. Christianity has almost uniformly agreed that through Jesus’ substitutionary and atoning death, the believer is considered righteous before God. This is described very clearly in Romans chapter 5, among other places.
Above all, the Psalmist declares that the righteous one is blessed. I pray that my readers will be blessed by God this day and every day, delighting in God’s Word.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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