HAPPINESS (Psalm 1-2)

Old Testament, Psalms, Sermons

Questions on Psalm 1-2: Happiness or how to be happy living in the world.

Psalm 1,1-2 – BIBLE Students DAILY

“Blessed is the one who does not walk … stand … sit …, but whose delight [desire, pleasure] is in the law [teaching] of the LORD, and who meditates…” (Ps 1:1-2).

Psalm 1 is about 2 ways of living. Psalm 2 is about 2 entities: the world and God. If you take to heart these 2 ways and 2 entities, God will help you navigate your life.

  1. Psalm 1. The 2 ways, 2 different paths are the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. One is the right way that leads to happiness, and the other is the wrong way that leads to misery. The 2 ways expresses the retribution principle, which states simply that the righteous will prosper and the wicked will suffer. Is this always true? What about Job?
  2. Psalm 2. The 2 entities are (1) the world that tries to be God (Gen 3:5) but will never succeed and (2) God whose ways–through His Son–will always prevail, for Jesus reigns (Ps 2:7).

Psalm 1 and 2 used to be one psalm. In our Bibles they stand together as a double doorway into the book of Psalms.

  • These 2 Psalms are different: Psalm 1 belong to the wisdom literature like Proverbs, while Psalm 2, a Messianic psalm, belong with the Prophets.
  • Psalm 1 bids us to choose which way to live, while Psalm 2 warns us that there is a consequence to the choice that you make.
  • Psalm 1 declares God’s authority over individuals (Ps 1:6), but Psalm 2 declares God’s authority over the nations (Ps 2:8).
    • God not only has your life in his hands, but he has the whole world in his hands.

What does your happiness depends on?

  1. Who do you hang out with (Ps 1:1)? 1 Cor 15:33.
  2. What do you daydream of and desire (Ps 1:2)? Dt 6:5; Ps 119:97.
  3. Where are you planted/Where do you drink from (Ps 1:3)? Jn 4:13-14; 7:37-38; Rev 21:6; 22:17.
  4. Do you understand unhappy people (Ps 1:4-6)? Ps 37:35; 73:4-5, 9, 12.
  5. Do you understand the world (Ps 2:1-4, 9-10)?
  6. How do you understand God (Ps 2:5-8, 11-12)? Ac 4:25-28; 1 Cor 2:8.

What does happiness require?

  1. Making choices (Ps 1:1; Gen 2:16-17).
  2. Daily discipline (Ps 1:2; Phil 4:8).
  3. Focused activity (Ps 1:3; Phil 2:12-13).
  4. Understanding (knowledge):
    • People (Ps 1:4-6).
    • The World (Ps 2:1-4, 9-10).
    • God  (Ps 2:5-8, 11-12).

Imperative Reflections for Happiness:

  1. Repent (Mk 1:15). Flee idolatry (1 Cor 10:14).
  2. Trust God with all your heart (Prov 3:5).
  3. Love God with all your heart (Dt 6:5).
  4. Thank God (1 Thess 5:18; Phil 4:6-7).
  5. Praise God (Ps 42:5, 11; 139:13-14; Ac 16:25; Eph 1:3; 1 Pet 1:3-4).
  6. Consider your life worth nothing (Ac 20:24).
  7. Deny self (Mt 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23).
  8. Die to self (Jn 12:24; 1 Cor 15:31, 36).
  9. Seek God’s kingdom/righteousness first (Mt 6:33).
  10. Acknowledge God is God (Ps 115:3; 135:6).
  11. Fear God for nothing (Job 1:9).
References:
  1. Tim Keller. The Songs of Jesus. 2015.
  2. Alec Motyer. Psalms by the Day. A New Devotional Translation. 2016.
  3. Robert Altar. The Hebrew Bible. A Translation with Commentary. 2019.
  4. Derek Kidner. Psalms 1-72, 1973. Psalms 73-150, 1975.

NIV

 Robert Alter

Alec Motyer
1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, Happy is the man who has not walked in the wicked’s counsel, nor in the way of offenders has stood, nor in the session of scoffers has sat. Blessed is the man who has determined not to walk according to the advice of wicked people, nor, according to the way of sinners, to take his stand, nor in the seat of cynics, to sit.
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. But the LORD’s teaching is his desire, and His teaching he murmurs day and night. To the contrary, in Yahweh’s teaching is his pleasure, and in his teaching he meditates day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. And he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water, that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither—and in all that he does he prospers. Consequently, he is like a tree, transplanted beside channels of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither—and whatever he does, he prospers.
4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Not so the wicked, but like chaff that the wind blows away. Not so the wicked ones! To the contrary—like chaff which the wind drives about!
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. Therefore the wicked will not stand up in judgment, nor offenders in the band of the righteous. Therefore, the wicked ones will not rise up in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous ones.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. For the LORD embraces the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked is lost. because Yahweh knows the way of righteous ones, and the way of the wicked ones will perish.
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