Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.  (Psalm 1:1)

The Bible describes the life of a Christian in binary terms. The righteous and the wicked. The sheep and the goats. The narrow path and broad way. Building on rock and building on sand. Psalm 1 reflects this in its opening verse about the blessed life as it sets forth both what the righteous person should and should not do.

Dale Ralph Davis, one of my seminary professors, writes this about verse 1 in his commentary:

And, as if he has no concern whatever for decent marketing, the psalmist begins with the negative. The righteous man is described by what he shuns. The happy man (or, the man enjoying God’s blessing) is the separated man, a man who is not neutral but who has a bias against evil. However…we can categorize these matters a bit. The ‘counsel’ of the wicked has to do with a way of thinking, with forming plans, with a mind-set and outlook. The ‘way’ of sinners suggests their behavior, their actions and practices. The ‘seat’ of the scoffers implies a kind of belonging, where one settles most comfortably perhaps with the scathing unbelief that wants no truck with godliness and faithfulness. If we look at these clauses as what is congenial to the wicked man, then we see the cues he follows (counsel), the direction he takes (way), and the company he enjoys (seat, etc.).

So…how happy the man who does not… .  He is countercultural. He is, in a word, different. He is not just a nice, easy-going, tolerant chap who likes to share a beer with you. There’s a difference between the righteous man here and what my culture calls a ‘good old boy.’ He resists the vacuum-cleaner power-moves that evil puts on him. Mardy Grothe tells of a long-lived lady who, when asked what was the best thing about being 104, replied, ‘No peer pressure.’ But the righteous man in verse 1 is not 104 and he meets plenty of peer pressure. It may cost him. But the righteous man is the one who does not go with the flow.

We must always remember that the lure of the wicked and sinners and scoffers does not usually appear in its grossest form.  It may come in rather bump-a-long fashion from teachers or friends or family - or spouses; it simply suggests that if you don’t think this way, you will not be thought sharp; if you don’t act this way, you will not be ‘cool’; if you don’t laugh at what we mock, we don’t want any part of you. Verse 1 is not merely description but warning, a sort of Old Testament Romans 12:2:  ‘Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold’ (Phillips).

Saints, it may be difficult to do but we must regularly evaluate the state of our hearts, minds, and souls. Part of that evaluation is to determine the areas in our lives where we are listening to wicked counsel, where we are patterning our lives after the sinner’s way, and where we are settling into the scoffer’s seat. Wherever we find ourselves in accord with the wicked, the only proper response is the response of repentance. If we would know the Lord’s blessing, we must turn from this path. The good news is that because of the work of Jesus Christ, when we turn from sin to Christ, we find grace and mercy and welcome. Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.