Psalm 1: A Tree with Deep Roots

Read Psalm 1

Introduction

This Psalm was likely composed as an introduction to the entire Psalter. In this Psalm we are confronted with the reality of perfect judgement coming to all people, and the weight of our choices and actions in this life. Simultaneously, Psalm 1 points to the blessedness of Godliness. In some circles, people have tried to separate our concept of happiness from the blessing that is described in Psalm 1. However, the most accurate translation of the word blessing is happiness. Psalm 1 is ultimately a reminder that God desires his people to be happy, and in order to help them with this, he provided the Law to help them.

Israelites would have understood the Law to be the Pentateuch and the teaching of the Prophets, that was later written down and recorded as the rest of the Old Testament. For us today, the Law is best understood to be all of Scripture. We are to delight in God’s Word because it is the only way we can come to know, love, and trust God. The Psalmist paints a picture of two roads that lead in very different directions, one is the way of life and happiness, the other is the way of doom. In the middle of this Psalm he uses two illustrations to give his audience a word picture of what it looks like for a person to walk on the two roads: a flourishing tree, and chaff that is displaced by the wind.

Reading the Psalm

The Psalm is meant to be read over and over, its simple construction makes it ideal for memorization as it uses a format that links the Psalm seamlessly together: IntroductionàIllustrationàConclusion. The imagery provided is a wonderful way of meditating on the meaning of the Psalm as you can picture the flourishing tree planted by the stream of water in contrast to the chaff that is being swept away by the wind.

Finally, the conclusion of the Psalm is the doorway into the rest of the Psalter because it poses a question to the reader: which way will you choose to travel, every day, hour, and minute of your life? Are you among the blessed and righteous, or among the way of the wicked.

Jesus in the Psalm

Reading this Psalm can be a dreadful experience. After all, who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked, stood in the way of sinners, or sat in the seat of scoffers before? The weight of the Psalm’s call for obedience should create a great need and desperation in our souls. In Jesus’ life, we find one who was truly blessed. He never walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of scoffers. He was the tree who was planted by the streams, and the streams that fed him were from his Father, and the fruit that he produced was the fruit of the Spirit. Yet, at his crucifixion, he took on the punishment that was due to his people, and his life became like chaff as he was driven away from his Father for us. However, his resurrection, the fact that he did not perish, shows us that Jesus is righteous, and the fact that he lives and reigns, is the only way that we can hope to be blessed. Despite all circumstances, we can know that God has blessed us more abundantly than we could ever imagine because Jesus is blessed. What else could even compare to the kind of happiness that this gives us?

Questions

1. Do you feel blessed (happy, content, full) in your life? Does how you live support your answer?

2. Does God’s Word inform and transform your desires? How might you allow this to happen more?

3. What is one area where you see yourself walking in the counsel of the wicked (the world, your natural desires, rebellion against God) and do you believe that this will lead to doom?

4. Read Matthew 5:2-12. How Do these verses help with allowing God to transform our understanding of what will make us happy?

Pathway Part 3: Destination: Psalm 84

Read Psalm 84

This Psalm can be divided into three main sections: verses 1-4, verses 5-8, and verses 9-12. The metaphor of journey is apparent throughout this Psalm with the picture of the destination providing motivation and longing that encourages God’s people to persevere along their path.

The first section of the Psalm reminisces about the ideal situation of dwelling with the LORD. The use of the phrase Lord of Hosts to describe God here is a reference to the power of the LORD controlling all of the heavenly armies to secure God’s people and protect them from the enemy. Based on the context of the Psalm we are to imagine the author as someone who is exiled from this reality and is looking back on it with intense longing.

The second section gives us more information regarding the setting of the Psalm as the author points out the fact that this is addressed to a people in exile. They are in need of strength, and they are instructed to take courage from the fact that they are on the “highways” of Zion. After reflecting on the “distant home” that was described with longing in the first section, this section of the Psalm gives the audience courage to journey with haste towards Zion.

In the third section, the singular voice of the Psalmist is interrupted with one verse (verse 9) with the chorus of a plurality. It is as if God’s people are responding with a plea for God to restore them and bring them back into his kingdom after being led to remembrance by the author of the Psalm. They are longing for God TOGETHER. The Psalm ends with the fourth repetition of the word “blessing” and it comes after the repetition of the LORD of hosts title. The happiness of the Psalmist finds its permanent and contented dwelling place under the protection of the LORD of hosts.

Questions

1. How does reading this Psalm in the context of exile impact how you read the first 4 verses?

2. What does it mean to have the highways to Zion in your heart?

3. What is significant about verse 9? How does verse 9 impact the ending of the Psalm?

4. What are some experiences that exiled Israelites had that would remind them that “a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere”?

5. How does this Psalm speak to our situation today?

Pathway Part 2: The Pathway to Refuge: Psalm 23

Read Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is the most famous Psalm in the Psalter, and for good reason. It has proven to be a source of great comfort to God’s people for generations, and it continues to be one of the most immediately accessible and beautiful Psalms for everyday life. It speaks directly to the deepest source of hope and fulfillment that the human soul has while also acknowledging the reality of pain and difficulty in the human experience. 

 One helpful way of gaining insight into why this Psalm is so comforting is to look at the Psalm from the perspective of pathway. The movement of Psalm 23 is what creates the drama that speaks so insightfully to our experiences. It is a Psalm that moves from rest through danger to fulfillment. From being a sheep to becoming a king. It presents us with three major movements that summarize the trajectory of human existence, and it summarizes the great drama of the life of Christ. It is truly a Psalm of majestic depth. 

 The first movement of the Psalm is the beginning. There is a sense of peace and innocence that is communicated through the images of green pastures and still waters. Psalm 23:1-3 ground the Psalm in the security of identity. There is something about being a sheep of the LORD that is unshakable. But this first portion of the Psalm is not overly idealistic. In verse 3, there is an allusion to a looming darkness that is in the background. This is communicated through the action of the shepherd. The LORD is the shepherd who restores. This action assumes that the soul is something that is in need of restoration. It implies the fallenness of the world. 

 What verse 3 alludes to is made explicit in the next verse. With 12 English words, the Psalmist transforms the pleasant and idyllic setting of the first portion of the Psalm into an overwhelming sense of dread. The picture of a sheep walking through the valley of the shadow of death is ominous and foreboding. The audience instantly has a clearer picture of why the soul needs restoration! It is because the pathway of the sheep passes through the valley of the shadow of death. There are three words that carry the weight of the setting of the second movement “valley” “shadow” and “death”. 

At first, it may be difficult to locate any hope for such a situation if you are just looking at the first part of verse 3, but it is still there. The sheep is WALKING THROUGH this valley, implying that there is a source of sustaining strength and that the valley is finite, it will come to an end. The hope continues to grow as verse 3 progresses as there is a confession of fearing no evil and the sustaining presence of the Shepherd there with the sheep in that valley. The comfort that this brings the sheep is the very power that the sheep uses to continue to WALK THROUGH the valley. 

The conclusion of the Psalm sees a transformation. No longer are we looking at the image of a sheep, but of a king. Having walked with the shepherd through the valley, the sheep is transformed into a king receiving a royal feast as he is anointed and comes to the throne. This is a victory feast, but it is not an ordinary victory feast. It is an eternal victory feast. Rather than valleys and shadows, only goodness and mercy will be in pursuit of this king. Instead of green pastures and still waters (good as those might be), we have eternal dwelling in the house of the LORD. This is the destination that the pathway leads to, the dwelling place of the LORD. And, as we remember verse 4, even when we are travelling as sojourners through the valleys of our journey, the LORD is with us. He doesn’t leave us to journey on our own, but he first restores us, then comforts us, then feeds and anoints us. The LORD is at work blessing us as we walk the pathway he has placed before us. And we know through experience and through the life of Christ, that the pathway before us will first pass through darkness before ascending to eternal light. But even in the darkness, the LORD is with us, making our way sure, and our destination of dwelling with him a certainty. 

 Questions

1.     What part of the “pathway” metaphor stood out to you in this Psalm? 

2.     What are some of the ways that this Psalm provides or has provided comfort to you in the past or the present?

3.     Have you noticed the pattern of [rest and restoration] [through darkness and shadow] [to reward and feast] in your life? 

4.     How does the life of Christ follow the pattern of this Psalm?

5.     How have you felt “the rod and staff” of God’s presence as a comfort in difficult times?

6.     Do you believe that verses 5 + 6 are better than verses 1-3? How does God’s blessing become better through suffering? 

Pathway Part 1: A Perilous Journey: Psalm 142

READ PSALM 142

The metaphor of “pathway” is another prominent image that is used in the book of Psalms. Building on our understanding of the LORD as refuge, we now look at pathway to reflect the reality found in the book of Psalms that humans are people of movement. In other words, we are on a journey, we are on the road.  Pathway is the metaphor for the journey of our life, and the Psalms speak about the abundant diversity that we encounter on the pathway of our lives. 

Psalm 142 is a Psalm that uses the pathway image to give words to the perilous path that we will inevitably encounter. From the opening lines of the Psalm it is clear that the path that David finds himself on is one that is fraught with danger and which has seemed to get the better of him. All that David has left to do is to cry out to the LORD (vs. 1) and to pour himself out in prayer (vs. 2). 

 Psalm 142:3 is the posture of David on the path. He is fainting, collapsing from exhaustion, that is all-encompassing—physical, emotional, spiritual. Yet, from the position of exhaustion David is able to claim that God knows his way. He goes on to describe that way (although God already knows it!) as one in which a trap has been hidden, no one takes notice of him, there is no refuge, and no one cares for his soul. The type of path that David is describing here is one that seems to be exposed to ambush, desolate, and barren. 

 In verse 5, David again cries to God, but now the audience has a more vivid picture of why he is crying to God. And this time, David cries to God as a cry of faith “you are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” The longing for the refuge that the LORD provides is accentuated by the perilous path that David travels. The claim that the LORD is the portion for David in the land of the living, is a loaded one, namely it is a reference to the land-allocation in the book of Joshua, where each tribe was given territory of the promised land according to its size. This is a stunning claim for David to make, because instead of longing for a physical land that will bring him safety, he longs for the LORD, who is his portion. 

 The Psalm concludes with another description of the impact that this path is having on David: he is brought low, he is overwhelmed by his enemies, and his longing is for the Lord to deliver him that he might give thanks to God’s name. Finally, David roots this Psalm in the promise, that the pathway he is currently on, with the help of the LORD, will lead him to the fulfillment of God’s promise, that he would be surrounded with those that are righteous, not wicked, and that there will be bounty instead of lack. 

QUESTIONS

1. How is David, a sinful man, able to claim God’s mercy and pour out a complaint before God who is Holy and righteous?

2. How does David describe the path he is on?

3.  Discuss the description of the perilous path: fainting spirit, hidden trap, unnoticed, no one to care for his soul. Have you ever experienced a time or season that helps you identify with this description?

4. What is the significance of the LORD being David’s portion? Does this apply for us? Why/why not?

5. Think of Jesus praying this Psalm. How does reading this Psalm in light of Jesus add depth to how we apply it to our own lives?

Refuge Part 4: The LORD as Sanctuary: Psalm 46

READ PSALM 46

Psalm 46:1-11 is a Psalm about seeking refuge in the LORD as a sanctuary presence.

Context: The context of this psalm is that it has Zion as its setting. Zion is often shorthand for the entire city of Jerusalem, which contained the Temple, the dwelling place of God. The general idea of this Psalm is that God’s people take refuge in his sanctuary presence. Worshipping God and taking refuge in God are united for the Psalmist. It would not cross his mind to imagine taking refuge in God while not worshipping him.

Observations: Although the imagery that the psalmist uses has to do with mountains and is clearly depicting Jerusalem, there is a developing sense that it is not in the city that the Psalmist enjoys refuge, but in God. God is in the midst of the city and in Psalm 46:7 it is no longer the features of the city that are prominent in the Psalmist’s mind, but the LORD takes on the characteristics of fortress. All of these images are set in contrast to the looming threat and trouble that seem to come out of the foundations of the earth. To imagine yourself in this setting would produce extreme feelings of uncertainty and anxiety, the very earth is trembling and seems to be unstable. The mountains (higher than Zion in Jerusalem) end up in the sea and the sea ends up boiling up over the shore. Verses 2 and 3 are set in contrast to verses 4 and 5. In the midst of all of this chaos, there is a peaceful river “a sign and seal of God’s refuge, a salvific order that pulses through the city as flowing streams, the very streams longed for in Psalm 42 and re-channeled in Psalm 1 through God’s Word”. Verses 8-11 conclude the Psalm by portraying the LORD as in control of everything. It is at his voice that the earth quakes and trembles. It is at his command that desolations come upon the earth. He is fully in control and overcomes all earthly power.

Meaning: The LORD is our only security, and the insecurity of the world only serves to show us how beautiful and peaceful the LORD is.

Application: In the midst of great fear, this Psalm calls us to consider the immovability of the LORD even in the midst of cosmic uproar. The Psalmist wants us to seek refuge in the LORD. “Seeking refuge reflects a more general and desperate desire to enter into God’s protective presence, established but by no means bounded by Zion’s physical parameters…in the cry of distress, God is made manifest by a sanctuary presence that knows no spatial, geographical, or temporal bounds.”

QUESTIONS

1. What do you think of when you hear the word sanctuary?

2. What do the “earth giving way” and “waters roar and foam” symbolize? What specifically has this effect in your life right now?

3. What are some reasons that streams are so often associated with salvation? Where else do you see water tied to salvation in Scripture?

4. What are some practical ways that we can “be still and know that I am God”? In what ways is this hard for you right now? What might help?

5. How does thinking about God as the one who brings desolations on the earth challenge your conception of God?

6. How is the exaltation of God related to our stillness in him?

Refuge Part 3: The Presence of God: Psalm 16

READ PSALM 16

Psalm 16:1-11 is a Psalm that is uniquely helpful in preparing for Easter Sunday. This might not be obvious upon a first reading of this Psalm, (or even a second!), however, both Peter and Paul clearly understood the application that this Psalm had for the resurrection of Christ.

In Acts 2:25-28 Peter uses the text of this Psalm as a primary text for his “Pentecost Sermon” when he is discussing the impossibility of Jesus being held in death. The LORD had promised David an imperishable inheritance, and Christ is that inheritance! For Peter, Jesus is clearly the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise that David is claiming in Psalm 16.

In Acts 13:35, Paul also references this Psalm to show the continuity of the Old Testament promise of good news and the New Testament fulfillment of that good news in Jesus Christ. Here, we see one of the many ways that Jesus is greater and better than David, namely that he did not see corruption. David ultimately failed to be a pure hearted King, Jesus, on the other hand, is the perfect King that Israel had longed for. The evidence of Jesus’ purity is the resurrection. Death could not hold him because he was righteous.

Now that we have seen how this Psalm is pointing to Jesus and finds its fulfillment in him, let’s consider the ultimate hope of this Psalm. David’s hope is connected to the presence of the LORD. The presence of the Lord brings refuge (Psalm 16:1), community (Psalm 16:3), provision and sustenance (Psalm 16:5), beautiful inheritance (Psalm 16:6), wisdom (Psalm 16:7), stability (Psalm 16:8), joy (Psalm 16:9), eternal security (Psalm 16:10), eternal pleasure (Psalm 16:11). All of these blessings come with the presence of the LORD and they are ultimately dependent on God fulfilling his promises to David. If the promises rest on the faithfulness of David, there is no hope of these blessings. And if we pursue the blessings apart from the only faithful servant, our hope is fading at best.

This Easter Sunday, perhaps more tangibly than many of us have experienced before, we can direct our hearts to the only place where an undefiled hope can be found: to the presence of the LORD in Jesus and by the power of the Spirit.

QUESTIONS

1. Read Acts 2:25-28. How is Peter using this Psalm in the context of his sermon?

2. Read Acts 13:35. What point is Paul trying to make by referencing this Psalm?

3. How does reading this Psalm as primarily about Jesus change how you understand it?

4. Why does the resurrection matter to us now?

5. How has preparing for Easter this Year been different for you?

6. What do you hope God does in your heart this week?

PRAY

Pray for each other in the following ways:

• Pray for real ways that the resurrection can bring new HOPE

• Pray for specific ways that the resurrection can bring new LIFE

• Pray for areas in your lives where you are in need of new JOY

Refuge Part 2: Refuge Under the Wings of the LORD Psalm 91

READ PSALM 91

Psalm 91:1-16 is a Psalm that will help us further understand the metaphor of refuge. The Psalms use metaphor to convey deep meaning about God in a way that is easily understandable to the audience in order to comfort the audience with God’s presence. Understanding refuge with the image of a mother bird covering her hatchlings under her wings bring an important facet of refuge to the foreground. Not only do hatchling birds feel protected under the wing of their mother, they also know that it is under their mother’s wing that they receive everything they need.

Psalm 91:1-2 introduces the Psalm as one that centers on the metaphor of refuge and gives some hints as to what that looks like. Notice how the image of shadow is introduce here building some tension. After all, what does the shadow of the LORD look like?! The answer comes in verse 4 where a mixed metaphor is used. God will cover us with his pinions (trees), but we are under his wings. Perhaps a forced reading of this verse is that the pinions are like the feathers of a mother bird, a poetic description of the majesty of God and the power of his refuge. This is no ordinary “mother bird”!

One commentary states: “Divine protection and provision are intimately associated: under God’s wings is arranged an abundant feast of food and drink for all the nations. The imagery imparts a sense of spatial breadth and fierce protection to the abundance of divine provision.” The vastness of divine refuge is at the very core of the Psalmists sense of security. Despite the most dire circumstances (Psalm 91:7), because we are under the wings of the LORD, no plague can come near us (Psalm 91:10).

To underscore the benefits of taking refuge under the wings of the LORD, the Psalmist gives voice to the LORD in the form of a spoken promise in Psalm 91:14-16. This final promise that is offered in the Psalm is a way of comforting the audience in the midst of dire circumstances. Even though we are under the wings of the LORD, it often does not feel like we are. This promise is an acknowledgment that although ultimately we are promised that no plague can come near us, our finite knowledge and experience makes that difficult to believe. We can be reassured that the LORD’s perspective is larger than our own, and this promise is meant to bring comfort to all of those who draw near to the Lord.

QUESTIONS

1. The Psalmist uses the divine names “Most Hight” and “Almighty” in verse 1. What aspect of God’s nature is the Psalmist communicating by using those names?

2. What does the image of God as mother bird and his people as hatchlings tell us about who God is and who we are?

3. What are some of the various threats that the Psalmist is addressing in Psalm 91?

4. How do the descriptions of God as Almighty and Most High compliment the image of God as a mother bird?

5. How does this Psalm remain true in times of great sickness and death?

6. How does God protect and provide for you in your everyday life?

PRAY

Pray for each other in the following ways:

• Pray that we would feel the tender love and care of God

• Pray for specific ways that each of you need help

• Pray for specific ways that each of you need comfort

Refuge Part 1: The LORD is our Rock Psalm 18:1-3

READ Psalm 18:1-3

The Psalms use metaphor to convey deep realities of God in ways that are identifiable and understandable to his people. One of the most prevalent metaphors that is used throughout the Psalms is the metaphor of the LORD being our refuge. In order to develop this metaphor, the Psalms will employ common images that reveal aspects about God’s character. The emotional value of the Psalms is that it applies these aspects of God’s character to our everyday life. As a result, we get rich poetry that both reveals who God is and who we are.

Psalm 18 picks up the image of God as a rock in a way that communicates that God is our refuge. The Psalm starts with David professing his love for God, and identifies God as his strength. This is written by a man who is looking back on a life of many trials and tribulations and through them all he sees the hand of God, the faithfulness of God, and the love of God for him. What other way could he respond but by professing his love for such a loving God? David then calls the Lord his strength. David could have said that the Lord is the source of his strength, or that he has given him strength, but instead he chooses to say that the Lord IS his strength. All of David’s strength is so identified with the Lord that there is no strength that exists outside of the Lord for David.

David then uses several images to describe how God is his strength: rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, horn of salvation, and stronghold. Out of all of these images David draws attention to the image of “rock” by choosing it as the only image which is repeated in this line of the Psalm. He does this because this is the main image that he wants us to focus on. The Lord is my rock. What does it mean that the Lord is my rock? In this Psalm we can see two aspects of what it means for the Lord to be a rock: protection and deliverance. The rock is the source of protection for the sojourner who is caught in a storm. It is a shelter against wind, rain, lightning, and cold. The rock is the source of deliverance because it is a trustworthy foundation that preserves and remains steadfast. Although the sand may shift and the waters rage, the rock remains. And if WE are on the rock, we will also remain. If we are in the rock we will be protected.

Finally, notice the personal nature of this image. The Lord is not described as a rock or even as the rock. Rather, David lays hold possession of the LORD by referring to him as MY rock. This expressive and personal element is crucial to the way in which David wants us to know God as refuge. He is our refuge PERSONALLY. Just as David is able to claim the LORD as his rock, so are we.

Questions

1. How does David’s love for God relate to the rest of verse 1-3?

2. What are the various images that are used to describe God in these verses? Discuss the different emphasis that each image gives.

3. What do we need refuge from?

4. How does God function as our refuge?

5. What are some of the things that you are tempted to take “refuge” in other than God?

6. What are some things we can do to grow in our faith that God alone is our refuge? Who can we talk to? Who can we listen to? How does knowing that this Psalm is written by David help us?

Pray

Pray for each other in the following ways:

• Pray against the false refuges that you are drawn towards in times of trial

• Pray for specific ways that each of you need PROTECTION. (Suffering, temptation, weakness)

• Pray for specific ways that each of you need DELIVERANCE. (Sin, persecution, suffering)