Hello, you're listening to Let the Bible Speak. Let the Bible Speak is the radio ministry of the Free Presbyterian Church. Stephen Pollack is the pastor of Free Presbyterian Church of Malvern, Pennsylvania. The church is located at the junction of 401 and Mallon Road. Thank you for joining us today as Dr. Pollack opens the Word of God and lets the Bible speak. Hello and thank you for listening to the ministry of Let the Bible Speak. It is our desire that this programme would do what it says, that the Bible would speak to the hearts of all who listen. We desire that those who know and love the Lord would be edified in their faith, and that those who are strangers to God's grace would come to know the Saviour that we love and worship. There is only salvation in the person of Christ Jesus, and therefore it is our desire to make him known, to make him known in the fullness of the Scriptures. Christ is indeed the subject of all the Word of God. And today we begin a new series of studies in the Psalter. We're going to look over the next number of weeks at Book 1 of the Psalms, that's Psalm 1 through to 41. There we will see the believer's confidence in Christ. We'll also see the again, the blessedness of being a child of God. I trust it'll be an encouragement to each and every heart and if it is, please get in touch. Use our email, it's malvernfpc at yahoo.com. We'd certainly love to hear from you in the coming days. May God bless his word. So please take your Bibles tonight and let's turn together to the Psalms and that first Psalm, Psalm 1. Psalm 1, let's take a time to read this together. May the Lord bless His word to your souls. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. And the ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. And therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Amen. This is the word of the Lord to your hearts. The scriptures inspired of the Lord come to us in different forms. We sometimes refer to literary genre, the various different types of scripture, the various ways which God brings word to your hearts and minds. All of those ways, they all have their own particular benefits to your souls. The Lord knows that we need the certainty of history, old and new. The Lord understands that, again, the truths regarding who he is and what he does, that they come to us as he intervenes in human history, and that history comes to us with certainty. Helps us to know our God, to see the patterns of his ways, and the certainty of history. He also knows we need the clarity of doctrine. Again, the epistles that explain the doctrines of who the Lord is, the prophetic scriptures even in the Old Testament that really enunciate in detail the nature of our God, his unchanging ways, the wonders of his grace, the severity of his justice, those things that come to us in the clear words of doctrine and truth. But he also knows we need the beauty of poetry. If you like God's word in song, The poets touch our hearts. I think whilst the scriptures come in different forms, I think it's also probably worth recognising that different people respond in different ways, and not everyone responds the same way to poetry. But in general, poetry touches the heart of those made in God's image. You see, consider the impact of words. Let me just put it to you this way. As a statement of doctrine, God is in control of your life. Well, that's wonderful. It's a statement of truth. It's a doctrinal statement. It's a declaration of a particular point, a proposition. God is in control of your life. But what about these words? Deep in unfathomable minds of never failing skill, he treasures up his bright designs and works his sovereign will. Fearful saints fresh courage take. The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break, And blessings on your head. His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour. The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower. It hits you differently. It comes at you with a different impact. Both are vital. It's important that the poetic is explained in the doctrinal. that the doctrinal governs the poetic. Poets at times can go into their own imagination and fancies and so biblical poetry must be governed by the doctrinal. But the doctrinal must explain the poetry. But the poetry gives riches to the doctrinal. It gives depth and colour and beauty to the principles of who God is in our lives. And thus God's people love the Psalms. They love the Psalter. And I certainly want us here as this congregation to know our God and to feel what it means to be part of God's people. The Psalter is divided into five books and it is possible to see themes in those five books. Scholars will see the first book, Psalms 1 through 41, as emphasizing the believer's confidence in God. My desire over the next year or so is to cover book one. one Psalm per week. Psalm 1 today, Psalm 2 next week in the will of God. We'll draw devotional themes out of each of the Psalms. I won't expound every word. It's impossible to do that. You could take weeks and weeks upon each of the Psalms. But I want to draw themes to really comfort and challenge our hearts and to ground us in our confidence in God, that if that is our theme in this first book, Psalm 1 through 41, well then may that be our experience that we are grounded in our confidence in our God as we see Christ in all the scriptures and see ourselves in the language of sacred poetry. Psalm 1, of course, comes to us. It's so very, very familiar, perhaps, apart from maybe Psalm 23, the best known of all the Psalms. And it comes to us in ways of contrasts. different people in view, the righteous and the ungodly. There's language of prosperity and perdition. It's all coming in ways of contrast. But I want to suggest to you that the main and the central concept in the psalm is actually found in the very last verse. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous. And the tendency is to look at poetry and to try to expound poetry the way that we might expound the layers of Paul. And so you start in verse one, and you begin to break up things from verse one, and to verse two, and to verse three. But I think this poetry actually has its climax in verse number six, which really explains the whole, for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous. And that's what makes the difference. Between the ungodly and the righteous, between prosperity and perdition, it is the fact the Lord knows the ways of those who are righteous. And so you read it, and perhaps you may think in this psalm that it's all about, well, if I'm a good person, if I can walk and delight in God's law, then I'll have these blessings in verse number three, but the ungodly won't. And so it becomes a psalm of merit and works and not a psalm of grace. But it's all of grace. It's all of God. Verses one through five and the language of verse one through five all rest upon the foundation of verse number six. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous. To know, it's one of the most common verbs in the Hebrew Old Testament. Hundreds, almost a thousand times it's used in various ways. Central to its idea though is to know by acquaintance and experience. It's this intimate knowledge, the Lord, He knows the way of the righteous. And I want to show that to you in two different ways this evening. First of all, I want you to notice that the Lord ordains a good way. The Lord ordains a good way. Again, the way that's mentioned here in verse number six, that word, the way, is also used back in verse number one. regarding the blessedness of the man in the negative that does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth, and here's the language, in the way of sinners. And again, this is the Psalms with these contrasts. And here we see a contrast between the way of the righteous and the way of the sinner. And that contrast is there, the way of the sinners, in verse number one. But verse number two then contrasts the issue of the way of the sinner, not with the way of the righteous, but with the law of the Lord. You see that? The way does not stand in the way of sinners, but his delight is in the law of the Lord. And so the sinner's way and the law of the Lord, they are different. That's the distinction to me it's here, they're not the same thing. Again, verse one is well known. We see the progress again that happens when a man compromises in the things of God. He begins to walk, then he stands, then he sits. The poem is built upon that progression. But in general terms, the way of the sinner is the way that violates the law of God, that violates the truth of God's way. And so I suggest to you that the Lord knows the way of the righteous, having ordained the good way and the best way for this man of God to walk in. The Lord's ordained the path for the righteous to walk. It's a path of goodness and blessing. It's a path ordained of God. Blessed is the man. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. The way of the righteous is the way of obedience. It's the way of doing the law of God and delighting in the law of God. But it is, of course, by God's grace that our feet are set upon this good path. It's grace that changed everything. No one's born righteous, either legally or morally. And again, when you look at the word righteous in the Old Testament and the Psalms, it often has that dual meaning. There's a legal righteousness that belongs just in Christ Jesus, and that comes alongside a moral uprightness, a righteousness in the law of God. They always come together in this altar. And so here you have this idea, the way of the righteous is the way of obedience, but that does not happen but by God's grace. It's the Lord who ordains this pathway and puts us in this way. We don't choose it ourselves, we don't desire it ourselves, it's all of God, it's all of grace. By nature we're ungodly, we're sinners and we're scornful, but by grace we become those who are right in Christ and who therefore are those who walk in that way of righteousness, ordained and appointed of God. And therefore note, again under this thought of the Lord ordaining that good way, note the believer's consent. The believer's consent, verse two, his delight is in the law of the Lord. The believer delights in God's way. It's not drudgery. It's not a burden. The husband is not burdened to be faithful to his wife. That's not difficult in a sense. He delights in God's law. Again, a man of integrity, it is no burden to tell truth. He delights to tell truth. It is no burden to honor the Sabbath day. The believer delights in these things. And I know it's true for you in this house this evening. Those of you born of God's grace and born in the spirit of God, the law of God is not burdensome. Not a drudgery. Oh, not perfectly, I understand. There are times it's hard to keep the way of God and sinful nature and the remaining sin within us causes that struggle and that wrestling. But in general, we can say with Paul, he delights in the law of God after the inward man. That is the believer's experience. And so we consent with God's good way. The Lord's way is this. And our hearts consent with that. That's incredible. It's all of God's grace and it is wonderful. It's also the believer's concentration. Look again what it says in verse number two. In his law doth he meditate day and night. The believer's got a burden. He wants to understand and know the ways of God. You know there are some times that people have a guilty conscience. They know there's something not quite right in what they're thinking and what they're doing. And they silence that conscience. They don't want to know the Lord's way. They don't want to hear the counsel of God's word. They would rather God would not get involved in that situation, but hear the righteous, the believer walking with God. They want to meditate on God's law day and night. They want to know the right way. You know, it is by God's grace. This is the way, walk ye in it. We consent to that way, we delight in that way, but we also recognize that our knowledge of that way is not perfect. And so there is that ongoing meditation. Show me your way, teach me your way. Show me who you are and how I should live to your glory and for my eternal good. So the believer's consent to delight in the law of God is then accompanied with his concentration to meditate upon the law of God, but then that of course all leads to his conduct, a conduct of separation from this world. Verse one, he walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, doesn't hear their advice and their wisdom, doesn't stand in the way with them, doesn't walk with them in the paths of unrighteousness. It doesn't sit and conspire with them in the things of ungodliness. There is this personal separation, holiness unto God. It's the way of the righteous. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous. He appoints this way for those who belong to him. He appoints it as a good way. You see, the root of temptation to sin is unbelief. You know, it's so easy to Again, excuse ourselves when we find ourselves drawn and tempted to sin. We say, well, I can't help it. I'm a sinful man. I'm not perfect yet. We allow this. But we don't identify the fact that whenever we're tempted to sin, the reason that temptation takes a grip in our souls is ultimately unbelief. It's a doubt that God's way is good. That the way that God appoints is a good way and so we find ourselves tempted to go the other way because we are doubting and we're not believing that God's way is good. You see, in another sense, the ungodly are misled. When the believer speaks and acts as if the Lord's way is such a burden. It's so hard to be a Christian in this fallen world, and it is. There's challenges we face. But we make it sound like we don't believe that God's way is good. That it's good to keep God's name and revere God's name. It's good to keep the Sabbath day. It's good to honour parents, to submit to authority. It's good to preserve life and preserve marriage and all of the various commandments. And we give the impression at times to the ungodly that it's a way of drudgery, it's a burden to our souls, but it's not. It's a good way. It's the best way. It's a way of blessing, a way of joy and contentment in this world, even though it is challenging. Yes, there's a cost to bear in this world. Verse one makes it clear. You may lose the counsel of the ungodly. You may lose their friendship, their company, their companionship. You may lose your friends, you may lose fame, you may lose fortune, but it's not a bad way. It's not like we have to suffer a bad pathway in this world and then get our rewards at the end. God's way in this world is the best way. Even though it is a challenge to live in such a foreign climate, the Lord knows the best way. He knows and gives us that. And love shows us how to live in the path of blessedness, verse one, blessed is the man, and the path of prosperity, verse three, you're like the tree planted by the rivers of water. One of the great burdens we should have in prayer is that those who are near and dear to us and yet they're ungodly, that they would see through the devil's lies, that they would see the way of the righteous, the way of God is the good way, the Lord's appointed this way, and they would see the goodness in God's way. You can pray that prayer. Lord, open their eyes. Help them to see that to follow you is the best thing to do. May God open the eyes of those who are blind. So that first issue then, the Lord knows our ways. He's acquainted with our way in the fact that he's ordained this way of righteousness. But secondly, it's also the case that the Lord oversees this good way. Again, look closely at verse number six. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Here's the contrast. Again, this is poetry. It's given to us in these parallelisms that really help us to see the contrast and the distinction here. So there's something about what the Lord knows of our ways that leads to it not perishing. This word is being used in a way to indicate the security of the righteous in God's way. The Lord knows the way of the righteous, therefore it shall not perish. Because the Lord knows, it will not perish. And because the Lord knows, the righteous shall not perish. See, that's the connection here, by the way, back into verse 4 and 5. Look, the ungodly are not so. But like the chaff which the wind driveth away, therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the carnigation of the righteous. For the ungodly there is no permanence. They're like chaff, you know, the product of the threshing that blows away so easily in the wind and is lost. No permanence. and no position, no position in God's presence. They shall not stand in the judgment nor sit in the congregation of the righteous. They have no position in God's family, in God's company, in God's covenant. That, by the way, is what gives sense to verse number three. The righteous are like the tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth its fruit in its season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so. So you've got to understand verse number three again. In poetic scripture, you can't just work through it in the right order. You've got to think it through bit by bit. So verse number three is explained by the language of verse four. The ungodly are not so. They are not permanent and they have no position. But the righteous, they're like that tree. And it's not so much a message of health, wealth and prosperity for the people of God. It is that sense of permanence and position. It's a promise of eternal life, of permanence in this world that shall not end after this world. That's the point, it's the permanence. The righteous, they are permanent in the God's blessing, but the ungodly, their way perishes. That's the promise here, because the Lord knows our ways. He oversees our ways. He knows our needs. He knows our vulnerabilities. He knows intimately our ways. Now that same truth is taken up in the New Testament. You turn across to 1 Peter 2, and you'll see again a New Testament application of this truth. 1 Peter 2, and the verse number 25, it teaches the same thing. Now it does so here doctrinally, not in poetry, but in doctrine. Verse number 25, for ye were a sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls. The word bishop there, episkopos, this idea of seeing and watching and overseeing our souls. The Lord oversees our souls, he knows our ways, and he does so upon the ground of redemption. Christ has borne our sins in his own body on the tree, verse 24, and therefore we come under the safe care of Christ. His blood has purchased our salvation and therefore guarantees God oversight of our life. Because Christ has died for us, he will not close his eyes to your needs. He cannot be blind to the needs of God's people. He cannot be ignorant of your vulnerabilities and the danger you find yourself in. He oversees, he's the bishop of your souls. That's what Psalm 1 is saying. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous. those who have been redeemed by God's grace, and they, therefore, they're under the stewardship and the oversight of the marvelous grace of our God. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous. He knows your ways. Therefore, you can be guaranteed that in your life, God will know your pathway with spiritual purpose. He knoweth the way that I take. When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Job 23, verse number 10. The Lord knows our paths, even in our afflictions. Spurgeon makes this point in the Treasure of David, he says this, or as the Hebrew hath it yet more fully, the Lord is knowing the way of the righteous. He is constantly looking on their way, and though it may be often in midst and darkness, yet the Lord knoweth it. If it be in the clouds and tempest of affliction, he understandeth it. He numbereth the hairs of our head, he will not suffer any evil to befall us. The Lord knows our ways and spiritual purpose. He knows our ways in terms of spiritual provision. You can turn across to the Psalm 37. The promise of God's provision here in Psalm 37 and the verse number 18 has a very similar theme. It says there, the Lord knoweth the days of the upright. And listen, and their inheritance shall be forever. Again, different language, not so much the tree planted by the waters, but this eternal, unchanging inheritance. And so you go back to verse number three then. Trust in the Lord and do good. So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. It's this promise of provision. that God is able to provide for us in all of our afflictions, in all of our needs. He will not deny us what we need to ensure that our inheritance is forever. Again, it's not all about having everything we would desire in the flesh in this world. It's a spiritual provision, every grace. It is also thought here of spiritual protection. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, therefore it shall not perish. That was the experience and the testimony of the Apostle Paul, 2 Timothy 4, verse number 18. The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me. unto his eternal kingdom. A sense of protection and the idea that God delivers us and our souls cannot be snatched from God's hand. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations. As the Lord knows, he knows our ways. He knows our ways whereby we shall not perish. That's why that man is blessed. You see, if it is true that book one of the Psalter, Psalms one through 41, has its emphasis on the believer's confidence in God, then it starts with the ground to live by faith in God. Verse six, the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous. If you're ungodly, this is not yours tonight. Don't take this. If you're ungodly, if you're still in Christ, do not take this for yourself tonight. For if you're a child of God, take this and hold it very dear. Hold it close to your heart, hold it close as you walk with God in this way. The Lord's ordained a good way and he oversees us in that way whereby we shall never, ever perish. May God encourage and bless our hearts in his word again this evening for his namesake and for our eternal good. Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode of Let the Bible Speak from Malvern Free Presbyterian Church. If you'd like more information about the gospel or the church, please call 610-993-3170 or email malvernfpc at yahoo.com. We extend an invitation to all to join us as we worship the Lord each week. You will be made very welcome. The church is situated at 80 Mallon Road, Malvern, Pennsylvania, at the junction of 401 and Mallon Road. We meet for worship on the Lord's Day at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. A Bible study and prayer meeting is also held on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. We preach Christ Crucified.