Introducing the Psalms
Psalms 1 & 2
Psalms 1 & 2
It is little wonder that the book of the Psalms is far and away the most popular book in the Bible. The psalmists often give voice to the thoughts and meditations of our own hearts. There is virtually no experience in life that is not touched on my the themes found in this wonderful collection of hymns. Not only do the psalmists touch on our pains and joys but in the process they manage to expound on the great theological truths of Scripture. The first two Psalms introduce this book of worship and set the tone for all that follows.
Occasionally Psalms are paired together, for example, Psalms 22, 23 and 24 are Messanic Psalms dealing with the sense of God’s silence and abandonment in Psalm 22 (particularly bearing on the vicarious atonment of Christ, Matthew 27.46), the assurance of God as our Divine Shepherd (cf. Jesus as the Good Shepherd John 10.14) and Psalm 24 dealing with the end of the righteous (again seeing this in light of the vindication of Jesus’ Messianic work cf. John 17.1-5). Psalms 90-92 represent another group of Psalms that are thematically connected. In this case they are Mosaic Psalms. Psalm 90 is a complaint (You return man to dust …); Psalm 91 is an assurance for those who of the Lord that he is their refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust; lastly, Psalm 92 is a response to the forgoing two Psalms, namely, a Sabbath Psalm of worship.
So too, Psalm one and two complement one another. Psalm one is a wisdom Psalm and Psalm two is a Royal Psalm with Messanic overtones. The first is directed primarily to the believer and the second primarily those who would despise God’s anointed. They illustrate that there are only two classes of people in the world, the righteous and the wicked (cp. Matthew 7.13-14). Psalm one begins with “Blessed is the man…who delights in the law of the Lord, and Psalm two mirrors the thought with: Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Although there are reasons to believe that these two psalms were at one time one, it is not a matter of particular importance, other than to note the continuity of thought between the two Psalms. Psalm one sets the tone for the 149 Psalms that follow with its announcement that all who respond to the God of the Mosaic covenant will be blessed and all who fail to do so matter no more than worthless chaff blown away in the wind. The sharp contrast between the substantive righteous man and the weightless hollow wicked man is a contrast that is often repeated in wisdom literature. The righteous person seeks the Lord and eagerly yields to his will, while the unrighteous seeks futilely to usurp the authority of the King – the Lord laughs at his swaggering hopeless efforts (Psalm 2). That the King in Psalm 2 is ultimately to be viewed as the Messiah is evident from the New Testament reference to Psalm 2.1-2 (Acts 4.25-26). Though the Messianic implication is clear, it is important to acknowledge its historical context – most probably a reference to 2 Samuel 7.5-16.
Psalm One
There are many wisdom psalms (e.g. Psalms 24; 37; 49; 73; 111-112; 119; 127-28; 133) throughout the book and you become familiar with them you will likely see the similarity between them and the wisdom literature found in the book of Proverbs. The Biblical dictums of wisdom literature are primarily concerned with moral behavior; and the morally wise are men and women who understand what the Lord requires of them and seek to please him in everything. The psalmist’ entreaty for God’s covenant people to separate themselves from the ungodily and to live upright and godly lives is not dissimilar from the teaching of the New Testament (Matthew 6.24, 33; Luke 18.28-30; 2 Corinthians 5.9, 7.1; Galatians 6.8-9; Colossians 1.10; Titus 2.11-14; 1 Thessalonians 2.4). The wise pursue God, desiring to know him and conform their lives to his purposes (Isaiah 55.6-7; Jeremiah 29.12; cf. Jeremiah 33.3; Romans 12.1-2).
“The Psalms encourage individuals as well as the community of God's people to live for God's glory. The formula ‘Blessed is the man’ evokes joy and gratitude, as man may live in fellowship with his God. Blessedness is not deserved; it is a gift of God. God declares sinners to be righteous and freely grants them newness of life in which he protects them from the full effects of the world under judgment (Gen 3:15-19). Outside of God's blessing, man is ‘cursed’ and ultimately leads a meaningless life (Eccl 1:2). The word ‘happy’ is a good rendition of ‘blessed’ ('ashre), provided one keeps in mind that the condition of ‘bliss’ is not merely a feeling. Even when the righteous do not feel happy, they are still considered ‘blessed’ from God's perspective. He bestows this gift on them. Neither negative feelings nor adverse conditions can take his blessing away” (VanGemeren. EBCOT, 5:53). One ought not to think of blessedness as some sort of reward for good behavior; it is the consequence of an obedient life and is independent of one’s condition or station in life. Those who live in accordance with the precepts of the Torah prosper.
Psalm 1.1 describes the ways in which the man of God is not like the ungodly. That is, he does not receive advise from the wicked, he does not associate with them, nor does he mock the things of God. This description is not meant to be read as a progression into an ever deepening morass of sin; rather, it is an emphatic declaration that the righteous have nothing to do with sin. Thus, there is no common bond between the wicked and the righteous. Those who disavow any covenant relationship with God by their failure to adhere to the Law foolishly attempt to mock God by becoming a law unto themselves, but God cannot be mocked (cp. Galatians 6.7-8; Job 15.31; Obadiah 3; 1 Corinthians 3.18).
The blest man by contrast delights in the law of the Lord. While Paul may, at times, speak of the Law as bringing the wrath of God (Romans 4.15), the psalmist has nothing of the sort in mind (cp. Psalm 119.18, 32, 45 etc.). He thinks of the Law not as that impossible standard which condemns the sinner to eternal death, but as that which reveals the holy character of God. Those who obey its righteousness rules enjoy a happy and intimate relationship with him. It is the Torah (instruction) to which the psalmist refers. This instruction is the guide to life. “Thus it may include that which is technically law, but it also includes other more general parts of God’s revelation. The Torah is to be a source of ‘delight’… a delight which is discovered by means of constant meditation on its meaning. Just as the king would learn to live a life of humility and righteousness through constant reflection on the meaning of the Torah (Deut 17:18-20), so too could all mankind. And an understanding of Torah contributed to long life, peace and prosperity (Prov 3:1-2), for in its words God has set down the nature of a life which would reach the true fulfillment for which it was created” (Peter Craigie, Psalms 1-50, WBC, p. 60).
Scripture informs us that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Psalm 111.10; Proverbs 1.7). Such a pursuit results in a substantive life. The godly person is compared to a tree planted by the stream (cp. Jeremiah 17.7-8). The tree may be understood as a metaphor for wisdom. The wise man is like the tree of life (an image of Eden) in that his speech and activities are life-giving and restorative (Prov 11:30; 15:4 [cp. VanGemeren p. 56]). The wicked by contrast are without substance and the wind blows them away. Their feet are on slippery ground. Though they seem to prosper, their prosperity is short-lived. In the end they are destroyed and swept away (Psalm 73).
The Lord knows the way of the righteous and he knows the way of the wicked; he has determined to bless the righteous and punish the wicked (cp. Ezekiel 18). So the prudent man is always examining his heart that he might walk in the way of the Lord (Psalm 139.23; Lamentations 3.40; cp. 2 Corinthians 13.5; 2 Timothy 2.22). God’s watchful care in verse six is not merely a matter of God tallying up the good deeds of the faithful and then bestowing some commensurate blessing; to the contrary, the blessings of God’s are a consequence of his gracious call to separate for himself a covenant people who delight in his law. The relationship that the psalmist enjoys with God is both subjective and objective. The Lord watches over the righteous is like a father does his son (Deuteronomy 1.31). Just as the God heard the cries of the Israelites slaves in Egypt, so He cares for those in covenant relationship with Him.
Psalm Two
The Psalms, like the rest of Biblical literature, are rooted in Israelite culture. Thus, they are not simply a compendium of sacred songs and poetry unconnected to the underlying structure of everyday life. They were, and are intended to be, an expression of the daily life of God’s people. The Psalms serve a practical function in the wide-ranging activities of the Israelites. The Psalms are discernable as particular expressions of Hebrew activities. For example, there are individual songs of thanksgiving, communal laments, wisdom Psalms and as we have stated the second Psalm is a coronation Psalm. There are a several other types of royal Psalms. Psalm eighteen is a royal (individual) psalm of thanksgiving; Psalm 20 is a royal liturgy; Psalm 45 is a royal wedding Psalm.
Psalm two is frequently quoted in the New Testament. It is considered as a scriptural confirmation of Jesus’ messianic office (Matthew 3.17; Mark 1.11; Luke 3.22; Acts 4.25-28; Hebrews 1.3; Revelation 12.5; 19.15) and therefore may rightly be considered a messianic Psalm. Clearly the gospel writers had this Psalm in mind at the baptism of Jesus. After the release of Peter and John, the early believers compared the resistance of the Sanhedrin and Rome to that of the nations that rage against the Lord. John tells us that Jesus, though born of a woman, is destined to “rule all the nations with an iron scepter” (Revelation 12.5). He is the rider on the white horse who will “strike down the nations” in the day of God’s wrath (Revelation 19.15; cf. 11.16-18). The Christian cannot but help to see this Psalm through the eyes of the New Testament and the hope for final deliverance from the opposition of those who mock God and reject God’s anointed. Though the Messianic overtones are clear, one must place the psalm within its historical context to fully appreciate its significance in Israel as well as its double entendre.
It is God who anoints the king and the King. It is God who blesses the King and it is God who establishes the line of the King, because it is God who is sovereign over all his creation. Those who are wise and seek the Lord will pay homage to God’s anointed (it is not necessarily the Messiah that is intended, though it is clear that is the secondary meaning here). God’s threat to the unbelieving is not direct but implied. Those who oppose his King, oppose him. Both temporally and eschatologically the King will crush all opposition. Indeed, the Lord is scornful of those who presumptuously resist him.
The King declares, “I will proclaim the decree of the Lord’’ The King is in a covenant relationship with God, meditating on the Torah (Psalm one) so he has the benefit of the blessings of God. Consequently the other kings ought to be forewarned and temperate in their response to this one chosen by God. “The divine words which the king declares are words pertaining to the royal covenant. At the heart of the covenant is the concept of sonship; the human partner in the covenant is son of the covenant God, who is father. This covenant principle of sonship is a part of the Sinai Covenant between God and Israel. The covenant God cares for Israel as a father cares for his son (Deut 1:31) and God disciplines Israel as a father disciplines a son (Deut 8:5)” (Craigie p. 67). This covenant relationship of a father and son is evident in the words of Nathan to David in 2 Samuel 7.14.
Endemic to Israel’s understanding of the covenant is the tradition of the kingdom of God (for a fuller understanding of this doctrine read John Bright’s The Kingdom of God, or The Gospel of the Kingdom by George Eldon Ladd). While Israel had a human king from the time of Samuel’s succession to the final captivity of Judah in 586 B.C., ultimately God was King (1 Samuel 12.12). When the earthly kingdom came to an end the hope for the kingdom endured nonetheless. When Jesus inaugurated his ministry, he did so by preaching that the kingdom of God was at hand (Mark 1.14-15). This message was in keeping with the promise of Jeremiah (31.31-34). “It is precisely the proclamation of the kingdom of God in the teaching of Jesus which permits the terminology of the royalty in Psalm 2 to be incorporated into the New Testament language about Jesus” (Craigie p. 69). The fulfillment of the coronation of Psalm two is the coronation of Jesus. God has set his Son as the King; the nations are his inheritance, and the earth is his possession. He will rule them with an iron scepter, therefore be wise and serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling (Hebrews 12.28-29).
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Occasionally Psalms are paired together, for example, Psalms 22, 23 and 24 are Messanic Psalms dealing with the sense of God’s silence and abandonment in Psalm 22 (particularly bearing on the vicarious atonment of Christ, Matthew 27.46), the assurance of God as our Divine Shepherd (cf. Jesus as the Good Shepherd John 10.14) and Psalm 24 dealing with the end of the righteous (again seeing this in light of the vindication of Jesus’ Messianic work cf. John 17.1-5). Psalms 90-92 represent another group of Psalms that are thematically connected. In this case they are Mosaic Psalms. Psalm 90 is a complaint (You return man to dust …); Psalm 91 is an assurance for those who of the Lord that he is their refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust; lastly, Psalm 92 is a response to the forgoing two Psalms, namely, a Sabbath Psalm of worship.
So too, Psalm one and two complement one another. Psalm one is a wisdom Psalm and Psalm two is a Royal Psalm with Messanic overtones. The first is directed primarily to the believer and the second primarily those who would despise God’s anointed. They illustrate that there are only two classes of people in the world, the righteous and the wicked (cp. Matthew 7.13-14). Psalm one begins with “Blessed is the man…who delights in the law of the Lord, and Psalm two mirrors the thought with: Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Although there are reasons to believe that these two psalms were at one time one, it is not a matter of particular importance, other than to note the continuity of thought between the two Psalms. Psalm one sets the tone for the 149 Psalms that follow with its announcement that all who respond to the God of the Mosaic covenant will be blessed and all who fail to do so matter no more than worthless chaff blown away in the wind. The sharp contrast between the substantive righteous man and the weightless hollow wicked man is a contrast that is often repeated in wisdom literature. The righteous person seeks the Lord and eagerly yields to his will, while the unrighteous seeks futilely to usurp the authority of the King – the Lord laughs at his swaggering hopeless efforts (Psalm 2). That the King in Psalm 2 is ultimately to be viewed as the Messiah is evident from the New Testament reference to Psalm 2.1-2 (Acts 4.25-26). Though the Messianic implication is clear, it is important to acknowledge its historical context – most probably a reference to 2 Samuel 7.5-16.
Psalm One
There are many wisdom psalms (e.g. Psalms 24; 37; 49; 73; 111-112; 119; 127-28; 133) throughout the book and you become familiar with them you will likely see the similarity between them and the wisdom literature found in the book of Proverbs. The Biblical dictums of wisdom literature are primarily concerned with moral behavior; and the morally wise are men and women who understand what the Lord requires of them and seek to please him in everything. The psalmist’ entreaty for God’s covenant people to separate themselves from the ungodily and to live upright and godly lives is not dissimilar from the teaching of the New Testament (Matthew 6.24, 33; Luke 18.28-30; 2 Corinthians 5.9, 7.1; Galatians 6.8-9; Colossians 1.10; Titus 2.11-14; 1 Thessalonians 2.4). The wise pursue God, desiring to know him and conform their lives to his purposes (Isaiah 55.6-7; Jeremiah 29.12; cf. Jeremiah 33.3; Romans 12.1-2).
“The Psalms encourage individuals as well as the community of God's people to live for God's glory. The formula ‘Blessed is the man’ evokes joy and gratitude, as man may live in fellowship with his God. Blessedness is not deserved; it is a gift of God. God declares sinners to be righteous and freely grants them newness of life in which he protects them from the full effects of the world under judgment (Gen 3:15-19). Outside of God's blessing, man is ‘cursed’ and ultimately leads a meaningless life (Eccl 1:2). The word ‘happy’ is a good rendition of ‘blessed’ ('ashre), provided one keeps in mind that the condition of ‘bliss’ is not merely a feeling. Even when the righteous do not feel happy, they are still considered ‘blessed’ from God's perspective. He bestows this gift on them. Neither negative feelings nor adverse conditions can take his blessing away” (VanGemeren. EBCOT, 5:53). One ought not to think of blessedness as some sort of reward for good behavior; it is the consequence of an obedient life and is independent of one’s condition or station in life. Those who live in accordance with the precepts of the Torah prosper.
Psalm 1.1 describes the ways in which the man of God is not like the ungodly. That is, he does not receive advise from the wicked, he does not associate with them, nor does he mock the things of God. This description is not meant to be read as a progression into an ever deepening morass of sin; rather, it is an emphatic declaration that the righteous have nothing to do with sin. Thus, there is no common bond between the wicked and the righteous. Those who disavow any covenant relationship with God by their failure to adhere to the Law foolishly attempt to mock God by becoming a law unto themselves, but God cannot be mocked (cp. Galatians 6.7-8; Job 15.31; Obadiah 3; 1 Corinthians 3.18).
The blest man by contrast delights in the law of the Lord. While Paul may, at times, speak of the Law as bringing the wrath of God (Romans 4.15), the psalmist has nothing of the sort in mind (cp. Psalm 119.18, 32, 45 etc.). He thinks of the Law not as that impossible standard which condemns the sinner to eternal death, but as that which reveals the holy character of God. Those who obey its righteousness rules enjoy a happy and intimate relationship with him. It is the Torah (instruction) to which the psalmist refers. This instruction is the guide to life. “Thus it may include that which is technically law, but it also includes other more general parts of God’s revelation. The Torah is to be a source of ‘delight’… a delight which is discovered by means of constant meditation on its meaning. Just as the king would learn to live a life of humility and righteousness through constant reflection on the meaning of the Torah (Deut 17:18-20), so too could all mankind. And an understanding of Torah contributed to long life, peace and prosperity (Prov 3:1-2), for in its words God has set down the nature of a life which would reach the true fulfillment for which it was created” (Peter Craigie, Psalms 1-50, WBC, p. 60).
Scripture informs us that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Psalm 111.10; Proverbs 1.7). Such a pursuit results in a substantive life. The godly person is compared to a tree planted by the stream (cp. Jeremiah 17.7-8). The tree may be understood as a metaphor for wisdom. The wise man is like the tree of life (an image of Eden) in that his speech and activities are life-giving and restorative (Prov 11:30; 15:4 [cp. VanGemeren p. 56]). The wicked by contrast are without substance and the wind blows them away. Their feet are on slippery ground. Though they seem to prosper, their prosperity is short-lived. In the end they are destroyed and swept away (Psalm 73).
The Lord knows the way of the righteous and he knows the way of the wicked; he has determined to bless the righteous and punish the wicked (cp. Ezekiel 18). So the prudent man is always examining his heart that he might walk in the way of the Lord (Psalm 139.23; Lamentations 3.40; cp. 2 Corinthians 13.5; 2 Timothy 2.22). God’s watchful care in verse six is not merely a matter of God tallying up the good deeds of the faithful and then bestowing some commensurate blessing; to the contrary, the blessings of God’s are a consequence of his gracious call to separate for himself a covenant people who delight in his law. The relationship that the psalmist enjoys with God is both subjective and objective. The Lord watches over the righteous is like a father does his son (Deuteronomy 1.31). Just as the God heard the cries of the Israelites slaves in Egypt, so He cares for those in covenant relationship with Him.
Psalm Two
The Psalms, like the rest of Biblical literature, are rooted in Israelite culture. Thus, they are not simply a compendium of sacred songs and poetry unconnected to the underlying structure of everyday life. They were, and are intended to be, an expression of the daily life of God’s people. The Psalms serve a practical function in the wide-ranging activities of the Israelites. The Psalms are discernable as particular expressions of Hebrew activities. For example, there are individual songs of thanksgiving, communal laments, wisdom Psalms and as we have stated the second Psalm is a coronation Psalm. There are a several other types of royal Psalms. Psalm eighteen is a royal (individual) psalm of thanksgiving; Psalm 20 is a royal liturgy; Psalm 45 is a royal wedding Psalm.
Psalm two is frequently quoted in the New Testament. It is considered as a scriptural confirmation of Jesus’ messianic office (Matthew 3.17; Mark 1.11; Luke 3.22; Acts 4.25-28; Hebrews 1.3; Revelation 12.5; 19.15) and therefore may rightly be considered a messianic Psalm. Clearly the gospel writers had this Psalm in mind at the baptism of Jesus. After the release of Peter and John, the early believers compared the resistance of the Sanhedrin and Rome to that of the nations that rage against the Lord. John tells us that Jesus, though born of a woman, is destined to “rule all the nations with an iron scepter” (Revelation 12.5). He is the rider on the white horse who will “strike down the nations” in the day of God’s wrath (Revelation 19.15; cf. 11.16-18). The Christian cannot but help to see this Psalm through the eyes of the New Testament and the hope for final deliverance from the opposition of those who mock God and reject God’s anointed. Though the Messianic overtones are clear, one must place the psalm within its historical context to fully appreciate its significance in Israel as well as its double entendre.
It is God who anoints the king and the King. It is God who blesses the King and it is God who establishes the line of the King, because it is God who is sovereign over all his creation. Those who are wise and seek the Lord will pay homage to God’s anointed (it is not necessarily the Messiah that is intended, though it is clear that is the secondary meaning here). God’s threat to the unbelieving is not direct but implied. Those who oppose his King, oppose him. Both temporally and eschatologically the King will crush all opposition. Indeed, the Lord is scornful of those who presumptuously resist him.
The King declares, “I will proclaim the decree of the Lord’’ The King is in a covenant relationship with God, meditating on the Torah (Psalm one) so he has the benefit of the blessings of God. Consequently the other kings ought to be forewarned and temperate in their response to this one chosen by God. “The divine words which the king declares are words pertaining to the royal covenant. At the heart of the covenant is the concept of sonship; the human partner in the covenant is son of the covenant God, who is father. This covenant principle of sonship is a part of the Sinai Covenant between God and Israel. The covenant God cares for Israel as a father cares for his son (Deut 1:31) and God disciplines Israel as a father disciplines a son (Deut 8:5)” (Craigie p. 67). This covenant relationship of a father and son is evident in the words of Nathan to David in 2 Samuel 7.14.
Endemic to Israel’s understanding of the covenant is the tradition of the kingdom of God (for a fuller understanding of this doctrine read John Bright’s The Kingdom of God, or The Gospel of the Kingdom by George Eldon Ladd). While Israel had a human king from the time of Samuel’s succession to the final captivity of Judah in 586 B.C., ultimately God was King (1 Samuel 12.12). When the earthly kingdom came to an end the hope for the kingdom endured nonetheless. When Jesus inaugurated his ministry, he did so by preaching that the kingdom of God was at hand (Mark 1.14-15). This message was in keeping with the promise of Jeremiah (31.31-34). “It is precisely the proclamation of the kingdom of God in the teaching of Jesus which permits the terminology of the royalty in Psalm 2 to be incorporated into the New Testament language about Jesus” (Craigie p. 69). The fulfillment of the coronation of Psalm two is the coronation of Jesus. God has set his Son as the King; the nations are his inheritance, and the earth is his possession. He will rule them with an iron scepter, therefore be wise and serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling (Hebrews 12.28-29).
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.